How the Brain Got Language

PsycCritiques A stimulating review of recent thinking on language evolution along with the most complete explication to date of his mirror system hypothesis, which has been presented in several recent articles...The theoretical breadth is impressive [and it] will be accessible to readers with different backgrounds. I recommend Arbibs book to serious students of language evolution and it should be a valuable resource.

Kerstin Hoge, Times Literary Supplement Arbib's book copiously illustrates the interdisciplinarity of research on language evolution, drawing on data from neuroscience, etholohy, linguistics, human palaeontology and prehistoric archaeology.

Fredrik Heinat, Nordic Journal of Linguistics Arbib's book is well written and engaging. Especially the chapters dealing with mirror neurons and how they function are very interesting.

<br>Michael Arbib was a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of computers and brains, and has long studied brain mechanisms underlying the visual control of action. For more than a decade he has devoted much energy to understanding the relevance of this work, and especially of mirror neurons, to the evolution of the language-ready brain.<br>

Part I. Setting the Stage 1. Underneath the Lampposts 2. Perspectives on Human Languages 3. Vocalization and Gesture in Monkey and Ape 4. Human Brain, Monkey Brain, and Praxis 5. Mirror Neurons and Mirror Systems Part II. Developing the Hypothesis 6. Signposts: The Argument of the Book Revealed 7. Simple and Complex Imitation 8. Via Pantomime to Protosign 9. Protosign and Protospeech: An Expanding Spiral 10. How Languages Got Started 11. How the Child Acquires Language 12. How Languages Emerge 13. How Languages Keep Changing