Annette's review
The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language
by Christine Kenneally
Annette's review
The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language by Christine Kenneally
Annette's review
rating:
recommended for: everyone
i think this book was both successful and unsuccessful. i did feel that she tried to give more than one side of the picture and view on things, but i sometimes felt that she left important disagreements and exceptions to languish in footnotes when they should have been mentioned on the page. i felt like i would have liked a bit more depth of coverage on some things, and less on others. she is also sometimes has trouble staying on track in a chapter and starts to wander around. over all though, an interesting book and if you don't have a lot invested in linguistic theory (or maybe evolutionary or cognitive theory) i think you will feel very satisfied with this book. an interesting read and not too technical for the layman.
