Why Only Us: Language and Evolution

Excellent.

Apparently unique to our species, it seems to have evolved relatively recently in evolutionary time. How such a significant change could have come about in such a short period contradicts the gradualist view of evolution, but the authors convincingly argue that large phenotypic changes may result from small genetic changes. The explanation that stochastic factors besides natural selection play a large part in evolutionary change is fascinating. I found the argument that our language capacity is qualitatively different from anything existing in other species convincing, namely our ability to use the Basic Property of Merge to recursively generate a digitally infinite array of possible sentences and the idea of language as primarily an instrument for thought rather than communication. Parts of the book get a bit technical, especially the discussions of specific genes that may be related to language, but overall it’s an engaging and fascinating book.

encore un livre que j'achète pour le lire!!!caler l'armoire, c'est déjà fait, mais avec une vraie cale, en vrai bois, que j'ai faite, avec mes papattes... j'espère que quelqun lit ces conneries car c'est dommage autrement, le quelqun qui lit pourrait faire remonter l'info selon laquelle ce truc est très con et qu'il faurdrait que l'on arrête de nous embêter, sinon on va aller chez des concurrents...

It's Berwick and Chomsky - a readable explanation of why only humans have language - could take a bit more account of other species.

Ideal for bringing me up to date in a challenging field