🚀 go-pugleaf

>> In article <BASQUE-L%94042515131245@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
>Marta-Lourdes Llano
>>  <EGMBH@CUNYVM.BITNET> writes:
>> >THE ECONOMIST - APRIL 9TH 1994 - Page 95
>> >
>> >LIFE'S CHATTERBOXES
>> >The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind
>> >By Steven Pinker
>> >Allen Lane; 494 pages
>> >> >
>> >A book about language had better be well written, and Mr. Pinker's
>> >book is superbly so.  Rarely can such a rich harvest of new ideas
>> >and profound insights have been made so accessible by one of
>their
>> >inventors.  Whether he is laying into Washoe chimptrainers,
>> >Whorfian deconstructionists and language marvens such as
>William
>> >Safire, or teasing out examples of how the brain encodes meaning
>> >through sentence structure, he is unfailingly articulate, funny and
>> >clear.  This book is to Chomsky as Shakespeare is to Spenser.
>> >.
>>
>By chance I am about 1 quarter thru reading this book. I feel it doesn't
>deserve the type of report presented by the reviewer. It is clearly
>writtten no doubt but it has its own failings in shoddy reasoning and
>only seeing the conclusions that suit the philosophy that is being
>preached. It has very good coverage of the current arguements about
>language but is as biased and blind as the theories it pillories. Read it
>with a balanced eye and don't be sucked in by derision which is
>substituted for a lack of a comprehensive defense.
>Jon
>Prof Jon Patrick
>Dept. of Information Systems     BH 64 -6- 350 5552
>Massey University                AH ?
>Palmerston North                 Fax 64-6- 350 5611
>New Zealand


Jon: Thanks for your comments on Pinker's book.
A friend of mine read it and shares your opinion.
I'll probably read it this summer...

Regards,
         Marta