The Stuff of Thought (Abridged): Language as a Window into Human Nature Audiobook

" this one was really special. "

" Although I'm not fond of Pinker's mentalese approach, it's a very interesting book (and often quite funny as well) "

" Although Pinker's linguistic theories are slightly outdated (in my humble opinion), this book is a very interesting look into semantics, or how meaning is transmitted through language, and perhaps more importantly, how meaning is contained and carried in thought. Pinker's affinity for verbs is perhaps a little overstated, he dwells on the subject for quite some time, but nonetheless it is a very neat window into the cognitive processes behind Meaning. "

" Insightful analysis of language as an imperfect window into how human beings, from New Zealand to New York, see, analyze, and digest the world. Interesting tidbits on world languages and how the brain itself processes thought into language. "

" Very typical Pinker. Extremely interesting to those who find his general world view amenable; others may find it harder to digest. Me, as one of the former, I enjoyed almost every word. My only "improvement" comment is that he gives a little too much page space to jokes, humorous examples and comic strips. It would be easier to stay focused on his theses if he did. "

" Listening to this on my iPod in between podcasts and other distractions. Loving the analysis of how we use language and how it's related to how we think. Still in the first quarter of the book at this point... holds true for the rest of the book as well. Definitely worth reading! "

" An entertaining, accessible view of psycholinguistics and our perception of language generally "

" A bit too critical of Radical Pragmatics and Linguistic Determinism for my taste, and even the work of Geroge Lakoff, but Pinker offers interesting chapters on metaphor, naming and taboo words. "

" I adored this book. Seriously, so well written and just so much fun. It was one of the first psychology books and books about how we think that truly made me start to love cognitive psychology. "

" I wish literary critics and other fans of Derrida would read more books about linguistics. "

" A fascinating book on thinking "

" I really like this book. It is a good discussion of beginner linguistics. Some may find it a bit long-winded, and the title is a bit of a mischaracterization, but if you like linguistics, you'll like this book "

" Too many words, but some very enjoyable jokes "

" The ideas Pinker presents in this book blew my mind. Though it was a very heavy, intense read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Before I read this, I didn't even know psycho-linguistics existed, but now that is exactly what I am interested in learning more about. "

" In classic Pinker style, another pleasant reading experience. Though, but accessible. "

" is there a smarter human? "

" Fascinating if you interested in the language like me. "

" pithy and erudite without being overly elaborate. highly recommended if your into that sort of thing.... "

" Found this in the bargain bin tonight at Books-A-Million. Score! "

" This was WAY over my head. Had I read this back in grad school when I was studying Russian grammar in depth, I might have had a better chance of absorbing this. I got about 100 pages in and had no idea of what I'd read... Uncle. "

" His writing style makes a fascinating topic seem dull. Didn't feel like slugging through this one. "

" A bit tough, but still interesting look at the relation between language and the mind as well as language's role in society. Covers a wide field of topics, with some success in pragmatics, and becomes a bit tough over analysis of verb types. "

" I adored this book. Seriously, so well written and just so much fun. It was one of the first psychology books and books about how we think that truly made me start to love cognitive psychology. "

" I really dig linguistics books, and this one lives up to everything I've come to love about good pop linguistics writers: they're very witty, clever, and informative. This book talks a lot about language as a window into the way the mind works. "

" A "look" behind the curtain at how language/thought are intertwined. "