Thomas Sebeok and the Signs of Life

by Susan Petrilli, Augusto Ponzio

Through Sebeok's work it may come to be recognized that sign activity is the very definition of life in the universe.

Genres: Philosophy

80 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 1997

About the author

Susan Petrilli is an Italian semiotician, Professor of Philosophy and Theory of Languages at the University of Bari, Aldo Moro, Italy, and the Seventh Thomas A. Sebeok Fellow of the Semiotic Society of America. She is also International Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Psychology, the University of Adelaide, South Australia.

Reviews

[Alex Swartzentruber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think animals can lie.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confession time: I only read this book because it was ~80 pages and counted for bookrace 2013. All I can say is that I'm very glad that semiotics exist, because like Baudrillard's Disneyland, it is the nonsense that makes my discipline real.

[Ariel Kumpar (Bourque) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly thought this was by Sebeok, himself. I found the text hard to read and dry, simply summarizing all the studies Sebeok had performed in his life, though I'm intrigued to read some of his work.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short introduction to Thomas Sebeok's semiotics. Not much to say - quick read, likely read more on the subject later.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing little book which makes me want to read much of Sebeok's work. Closer to Roy Harris than most linguists/semioticians but still different.

[Wolf Ostheeren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally a Festschrift for Sebeok's 80th birthday this is a concise and very interesting introduction to his work. It made me want to read all of his books.

[Khaled Badawy]

Master Researcher in faculty of Arts ,English Department , caring much about semiotics and its authors