More Than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World

by Maryellen MacDonald

The groundbreaking science of how and why we talk, and how this ability impacts every area of our lives

Humans are the only species that can transform internal ideas into talk, whether through speech, writing, or sign language. But why do we have this almost magical, special talent? It turns out that while talking allows us to share ideas and connect with one another, it isn’t just for communication. Other benefits of talking stem from the fact that it is hard work: we can understand speech up to 50 percent faster than we can create it ourselves. The complex processes in the brain that allow us to talk spill over and impact other areas of our lives in surprising ways. In this groundbreaking book, Maryellen MacDonald, a researcher and psycholinguist, explores the marvel and mental task of talking and offers an eye-opening look at how it shapes everything from our attention, memory, and the way we learn to how we regulate our emotions and our cognitive health as we age. Filled with fascinating insights, More Than Words

how languages all over the world bend to the demands of talking how talking helps us set goals and acts as a learning engine the link between speech patterns and mental illness why conversations in classrooms are crucial how talking can amplify the talker’s political polarization how talking can slow cognitive decline as we age 
Engaging and illuminating, More Than Words has lessons that have the power to transform education policy, parenting, psychology, and more. It is a sweeping and provocative look at a fundamental human behavior we take for granted.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Communication, Language

336 pages, Hardcover

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focuses on the physical & mental aspects of talking--unusual & interesting

[notonly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise and argument. I think her argument about talking being uniquely human would have benefited from discussing bird communication and how it differs from human language, instead of only considering dogs and chimps. What songbirds and parrots do is more analogous, in some ways, than how those other species communicate. This was only discussed in one chapter, and I didn't even think it was that critical for her overall point, but it was the first non-intro chapter and it hung over the whole book for me.

[Sekar Writes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review and summary.

This book reminded me how much we tend to take talking for granted. MacDonald shows that every chat, self pep-talk, or bedtime story is an active brain training. From baby babble to conversations that keep us sharp in later years, she reveals that talking shapes what we notice, steady our emotions, and keeps our minds agile.

[Amy Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read (and think) a lot about language, and sometimes end up complaining about the language used about language. I found Noam Chomsky absolutely imcomprehensible. Many of the books I read for a class on the theory of translations seemed impractical and straining to be erudite. Others, like this, are lightweight. There were some interesting ideas here, but I skimmed a lot because there seemed to be more words than needed.

[Allie Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting and the author seems lovely, I really enjoyed her way of presenting everything. Very accessible and conversational

Two of my fav tidbits are that baby talk is *not* bad for babies (in fact, it is good!) and talking to yourself is good for you (for lots of reasons). TLDR talking in all forms is good for you!

[Syd Enslen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a class and wow. This might be the best non-narrative book I have ever read. Warner makes an amazing argument not just on how to think about AI, but on how we should be thinking on writing as a whole. I recommend this to anyone, whether you like AI, you hate it, or you’re indifferent to it.

[Julia Wolfson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️! this book is so accessible to a general audience while still conveying important research on language! i would highly recommend, even to people who aren’t interested in developmental psychology or language learning!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is chock full of amazing info and ideas. I tried to go slow to savor all the wisdom. Really enjoyable and accessible review of research. Great use of stories and anecdotes to keep the readers attention. Highly recommended

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read!

[Annaliese Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

An approachable read, easy to comprehend. Interesting to learn the mechanisms behind talking and its influences on the brain

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book but it took me forever to get through it. Guess my nonfiction problem is ongoing...