Just want to chime in and say I am reading this wonderful book and enjoying it immensely. I want to talk about it so bad...but all this is so new to me, my time is tight and I cannot seem to gather coherent thoughts yet!

I have some passages marked and will endeavor to get my butt in here more often soon.

Good stuff though. Pinker is an eloquent Science Writer.

Mr. P.

Hi all,

I gave up at the end of Chapter 3. I still hadn't found anything interesting enough to keep me reading.

Jan.

jales4 wrote:Hi all,

I gave up at the end of Chapter 3. I still hadn't found anything interesting enough to keep me reading.

Jan.

Really!? I find the book absolutely fascinating! I am very intrigued by language and its use and this book is my frist foray into such. I will use this as a branching off point to other offerings in the field, as well as reading more Pinker in the future.

Mr. P.

I'm resuming the book, after putting it aside for 6 weeks or so. There's been a lot of other stuff in my life that's been keeping me busy.

This book hasn't been grabbing me as much as Pinker's other books have. The ideas are more abstract, and it takes more of an effort to get through each chapter. The earlier books, especially The Language Instinct, are more accessible and captivating. It would make more sense for people to read The Language Instinct first, before diving into his later, and denser, books.

With the baby, work, and obligations pulling from all angles...I've not been able to give the time and attention to this book that it deserves. When I have read it, I've found it delightfully rich with ideas and potent arguments....and somewhat elusively difficult to pin down. Perhaps because it covers so much, and reads so fluidly, I seem to lose the point and the case being made.

I hope to lend more to the cause if time permits.

I think I'll just settle for looking over the posts here - it's too late to get the book in - the discussion was supposed to be over in February.

Mr. Pessimistic wrote:Just want to chime in and say I am reading this wonderful book and enjoying it immensely. I want to talk about it so bad...but all this is so new to me, my time is tight and I cannot seem to gather coherent thoughts yet!

I have some passages marked and will endeavor to get my butt in here more often soon.

Good stuff though. Pinker is an eloquent Science Writer.

Mr. P.

Speaking of eloquence, Mr. P, your own way of putting this is so fetching that I've decided to contradict myself - I'm going to order in this book and read some or all of it.

Didn't think that decision would come because a guy that chooses a 'pessimistic' handle convinced me to do so.

Thanks for your input on this.

Carly :-0

WildCityWoman wrote:
Speaking of eloquence, Mr. P, your own way of putting this is so fetching that I've decided to contradict myself - I'm going to order in this book and read some or all of it.

Didn't think that decision would come because a guy that chooses a 'pessimistic' handle convinced me to do so.

Thanks for your input on this.

Carly :-0

Well, now I am blushing. Glad I helped you make the decision.


Mr. P.

I was listening to this book, instead of reading it, and it proved to be very interesting that way since so much of what he discusses is about the structure of language - which we hear a lot more than we read. But, I haven't finished it.

I just realized I spelled our author's name wrong. It should be Steven and not Stephen. At this point it doesn't matter but I need to pay better attention.