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//The Stuff of Thought// by Steven Pinker

In an extensive redefinition of the mechanism by which human beings acquire language skills, psycholinguist Steven Pinker examines the underlying thoughts and messages behind our words. Pinker is the leading proponent of the theory of conceptual semantics, which characterizes language acquisition as a series of template formations. We learn to speak by internalizing these mental scaffolds and filling in the blanks with nouns and verbs. //The Stuff of Thought// incorporates a thorough defense of conceptual semantics, an attack on several other leading linguistic theories, and an analysis of the ways we use words (truthfully and un-) to convey thought. This is NOT a textbook. Pinker spices up the material with common examples and thought experiments throughout. He possesses a witty, reserved sense of humor that is sure to keep the pages turning.