Challenges the commonly held notion that language is what makes us uniquely human. This book argues that what distinguishes us in the animal kingdom is our capacity for recursion: the ability to embed our thoughts within other thoughts. It shows how the recursive mind was critical to survival in the harsh conditions of the Pleistocene epoch.
Leading us through cognitive theory, neuroscience and Darwinian evolution with his trademark wit and wisdom, Michael Corballis explains what we know and don't know about our minds. How do we know if we're really the top dogs in brain power? Does our creativity stem solely from the right brain? From language to standing upright, composing music to lying, he uncovers our most common misconceptions and the fascinating habits and abilities that make us human. 'We’re fortunate to have Corballis as our learned and charming guide on this all-too-short tour of the human mind’ Steven Pinker
Background to the problem -- The Rubicon -- Language as miracle -- Language and natural selection -- The mental prerequisites -- Thinking without language -- Mind reading -- Stories -- Constructing language -- Hands on to language -- Finding voice -- How language is structured -- Over the Rubicon
Does the fact that fifty percent of our waking hours find us failing to focus on the task at hand represent a problem? This book shows you why, rehabilitating, woolgathering and revealing its incredibly useful effects and how mind-wandering not only frees you from moment-to-moment drudgery, but also from the limitations of our immediate selves.
Do we have bigger brains than dolphins? Does your dog remember where it buried its bone? Why do we remember faces but not names? In 21 short walks around the human brain, acclaimed psychologist Michael Corballis answers these and other questions by introducing us to what we have learned about the human mind in the last 50 years.