Steven Pinker is a cunning linguist who also has a couple lectures posted on my favorite website, Ted.com (link to Steven Pinker videos). Anyways, in his book the Language Instinct, Pinker argues that all humans have an innate ability to comprehend language and that there is some form of universal grammar seen throughout all languages. Now much of this book I found dry as he thoroughly described many sentence diagrams and trees. However, every once in awhile, I would find myself extremely fascinated and curious to learn more about languages. This book also had connections to my new found love of evolutionary biology; oh, how I love how everything is connected.
This book also creates some good value in one of the last chapters when he bad mouths all those strict adherers to grammar. This chapter would have been very excellent in creating arguments against all my past grammar teachers. It also refutes Ms. Bandamere's favorite quote that "Love is transitory but grammar is forever."
I recommend this book.
Completed sometime in October
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