Language and Species

Language and Speciespresents the most detailed and well-documented scenario to date of the origins of language. Drawing on "living linguistic fossils" such as "ape talk," the "two-word" stage of small children, and pidgin languages, and on recent discoveries in paleoanthropology, Bickerton shows how a primitive "protolanguage" could have offeredHomo erectusa novel ecological niche. He goes on to demonstrate how this protolanguage could have developed into the languages we speak today. "You are drawn into [Bickerton's] appreciation of the dominant role language plays not only in what we say, but in what we think and, therefore, what we are."--Robert Wright,New York Times Book Review "The evolution of language is a fascinating topic, and Bickerton'sLanguage and Speciesis the best introduction we have."--John C. Marshall,Nature