Speech! How Language Made Us Human
Speech! How Language Made Us Human by Simon R. Prentis, published by hogsaloft in 2021, is a 333-page exploration of the pivotal role language plays in defining humanity. This edition delves into the evolution of communication, suggesting that the development of language marked a significant turning point in human history. Prentis examines how our ability to articulate thoughts transformed our existence, enabling us to share ideas and pass on knowledge across generations.
Readers will find a thorough investigation into the journey from primitive communication to complex language systems, highlighting the challenges posed by culture, religion, and identity. The book presents a narrative that connects linguistic evolution with the broader human experience, offering insights into our past and future. With a focus on linguistics and the science of language, Speech! invites readers to consider the urgent implications of our linguistic capabilities in a rapidly changing world.
Official synopsis Publisher
Praise from STEPHEN FRY: “A book to make you cry out ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ SPEECH! is an utterly enthralling voyage into the very heart of what makes us human. To put it simply, Simon Prentis gets it. He gets that language is, above everything else, the key to understanding ourselves, our past and our future. But he gets something else too – fascinating, illuminating, thrilling as his voyage may be, it is above all urgent.”
“Stands alongside works by Steven Pinker and James Lovelock as a ‘must-read’ for our times.” – JOHN GRIBBIN
“I couldn’t stop reading until I finished it. This book should be widely read!” – JAMES LOVELOCK
“I’m glad to have read it. A literate and stylish writer.”- RICHARD DAWKINS
“Subtle, erudite and profoundly thought-provoking.” – NICHOLAS CRANE
“Such an imaginative and scholarly work.”- SIR ANTHONY SELDON
“Reading for both pleasure and research.”- RICKY GERVAIS
“Bravo! A compelling read.” – YOKO ONO LENNON
“I think you’re right.” – STEVEN PINKER
What makes us human? Why are we the only animals who wear clothes, surf social media, and send robots to Mars? It’s all because we’ve learnt to talk: yet remarkably, we still don’t know how we did it. SPEECH! suggests an answer that’s been hiding in plain sight – a simple yet radical shift that turned our primitive grunts and shrieks to words. But the consequences were far from simple, for language was an evolutionary tipping point: it gave us the power to share ideas and pass on knowledge. SPEECH! traces our roller-coaster ride from hunter-gatherer to urban hipster: the epic tale of humanity’s struggle to escape the traps of culture, religion and identity – a journey that leaves us poised on the brink of a destiny we may still resist, but must now embrace if we wish to survive…
About the author: Simon Prentis has spent a lifetime working with other cultures and languages in over fifty countries. A veteran translator and interpreter of Japanese, his clients have ranged from government departments and academic and international institutions to cultural icons like Paul McCartney, Stanley Kubrick, Frank Zappa and Yoko Ono.
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