The Stuff of Thought

Language as a Window into Human Nature

The Stuff of Thought examines how language reflects human cognition, emotion, and social life. Steven Pinker explores what everyday speech reveals about concepts such as causality, space, time, metaphor, naming, swearing, politeness, and indirect requests. Drawing on linguistics, psychology, and cognitive science, the book argues that the ways people use words offer insight into the structure of the human mind and the nature of social relationships.

by Steven Pinker

Viking Adult · First published 2007 · 512 pages