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How Language Began

The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention

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How Language Began

Written by: Daniel L. Everett
Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
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About this listen

Mankind has a distinct advantage over other terrestrial species: we talk to one another. But how did we acquire the most advanced form of communication on Earth? Daniel L. Everett, a "bombshell" linguist and "instant folk hero" (Tom Wolfe, Harper's), provides in this sweeping history a comprehensive examination of the evolutionary story of language, from the earliest speaking attempts by hominids to the more than 7,000 languages that exist today.

Although fossil hunters and linguists have brought us closer to unearthing the true origins of language, Daniel Everett's discoveries have upended the contemporary linguistic world, reverberating far beyond academic circles. While conducting field research in the Amazonian rainforest, Everett came across an age-old language nestled amongst a tribe of hunter-gatherers. Challenging long-standing principles in the field, Everett now builds on the theory that language was not intrinsic to our species. In order to truly understand its origins, a more interdisciplinary approach is needed - one that accounts as much for our propensity for culture as it does our biological makeup.

©2017 Daniel Everett (P)2018 Tantor Ancient Biological Sciences Linguistics Science Social Sciences Language Evolution
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this book gives a good perspective on how and when languages began. the author uses both archeological evidence and his interpretation of them to give his point of view regarding the beginning of languages. he reasons that language would have started before the evolution of homo sapiens, that many of the concepts believed to be true about languages by experts like Noam Chomsky are not correct, that the story of language has more to do with the development of cultures. whether you agree with him or not it would still be a compelling listen/read of this book.

Good and Logical Point of View

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