{"title":"Steven Pinker Books","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrowse the books by Steven Pinker we have in stock, second-hand, in paperback and hardback. Mostly non-fiction, as well as education and study. Every book ships from our own UK warehouse. Free UK delivery on orders of £10 or more.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-sense-of-style-the-thinking-persons-guide-to-writing-in-the-21st-century","title":"The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century!","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the author of \u003ci\u003eEnlightenment Now\u003c\/i\u003e, a short and entertaining book on the modern art of writing well by \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Steven Pinker.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing? Why should any of us care?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Sense of Style\u003c\/i\u003e, the bestselling linguist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker answers these questions and more. Rethinking the usage guide for the twenty-first century, Pinker doesn’t carp about the decline of language or recycle pet peeves from the rulebooks of a century ago. Instead, he applies insights from the sciences of language and mind to the challenge of crafting clear, coherent, and stylish prose.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In this short, cheerful, and eminently practical book, Pinker shows how writing depends on imagination, empathy, coherence, grammatical knowhow, and an ability to savor and reverse engineer the good prose of others. He replaces dogma about usage with reason and evidence, allowing writers and editors to apply the guidelines judiciously, rather than robotically, being mindful of what they are designed to accomplish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Filled with examples of great and gruesome prose, Pinker shows us how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/steven-pinker-books\"\u003eSteven Pinker\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Penguin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780670025855\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin","offers":[{"title":"Poor Condition — £9.43","offer_id":47900797141169,"sku":"SB-0670025852-C4","price":9.43,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/0670025852.jpg?v=1789672126"},{"product_id":"the-language-instinct-how-the-mind-creates-language","title":"The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language","description":"\u003cp\u003eSteven Pinker's The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind is a groundbreaking study of language's origins as an evolutionary adaptation. How do we 'know' how to speak? In his landmark book Stephen Pinker shows how language is part of our genetic inheritance rather than a cultural creation. From the DNA that builds our brains to the pontification of newspaper columnists, Pinker destroys the myths about language - that children learn to talk by copying their parents, that grammatical standards are in decline, that English defies logic - revealing the innate human instinct to communicate that we are all born with. 'Reading Steven Pinker's book is one of the biggest favours I've ever done my brain ... highly accessible to the general reader yet at the same time seminal for professionals ... exhilaratingly brilliant'\u003cbr\u003e Richard Dawkins 'An extremely valuable book, very informative, and very well written'\u003cbr\u003e Noam Chomsky 'Brilliant ... Pinker describes every aspect of language, from the resolution of ambiguity to the way speech evolved ... he expounds difficult ideas with clarity, wit and polish'\u003cbr\u003e Observer 'Dazzling ... Pinker's big idea is that language is an instinct, as innate to us as language is to geese ... Words can hardly do justice to the superlative range and liveliness of Pinker's investigations'\u003cbr\u003e Independent Steven Pinker is a best-selling author and Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for cognitive Neuroscience at MIT. Pinker has been awarded research prizes from the National Academy of Sciences and the American Psychological Association, graduate and undergraduate teaching prizes from MIT, and book prizes from the American Psychological Association, the Linguistics Society of America and the Los Angeles Times. 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From 9\/11 to the Great Recession, the Syrian civil war, the Ebola epidemic, growing inequality, racial unrest, and bitterly contested elections, the world seems to be sinking into chaos and hatred. Moralizing commentators tell us that the decline of religious belief and close-knit communities has left us spiritually adrift, without a grounding in moral values, so it's no wonder we're suffering through an epidemic of loneliness, unhappiness, and suicide. And then there are the futurologists who speculate on what will finish us off first- resource wars, nuclear annihilation, unstoppable climate change, or robots that steal our jobs, enslave us, and turn us into raw materials.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But, as Steven Pinker argues in this landmark new book, we do not truly inhabit a dystopia of deprivation and violence- in fact, every global measure of human flourishing is on the rise. We're living longer, healthier, safer, and more affluent lives-not just in the West, but worldwide. Why?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eEnlightenment Now\u003c\/i\u003e, Pinker proposes that human progress is the gift of a coherent value system that many of us embrace without even knowing it. The values of the Enlightenment underlie all our modern institutions, and deserve credit for the stupendous progress we have made. The progress we have enjoyed is not, of course, an excuse for complacency- some of the challenges we face today are unprecedented in their complexity and scope.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The way to deal with these challenges, Pinker argues, is to treat them as problems to solve, as we have solved other problems in our past. Putting the case for an Enlightenment newly recharged for the 21st century, Pinker shows how, by using our faculties of reason and sympathy to understand the world and to enhance human flourishing, we can tackle problems that inevitably come with being products of evolution in an entropic universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/steven-pinker-books\"\u003eSteven Pinker\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 556\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Allen Lane\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0241337011\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen Lane","offers":[{"title":"Very Good — £2.02","offer_id":47909759058097,"sku":"SB-0241337011-C2","price":2.02,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/0241337011.jpg?v=1789443598"},{"product_id":"pinker-visual-cognition-pr-only-computational-models-of-cognition-and-perception-series","title":"Pinker: *visual* Cognition (pr Only) (Computational Models of Cognition and Perception Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThese essays tackle some of the central issues in visual cognition, presentingexperimental techniques from cognitive psychology, new ways of modeling cognitive processes oncomputers from artificial intelligence, and new ways of studying brain organization fromneuropsychology, to address such questions as: How do we recognize objects in front of us? How do wereason about objects when they are absent and only in memory? How do we conceptualize the threedimensions of space? Do different people do these things in different ways? And where are theseabilities located in the brain?While this research, which appeared as a special issue of the journalCognition, is at the cutting edge of cognitive science, it does not assume a highly technicalbackground on the part of readers. The book begins with a tutorial introduction by the editor,making it suitable for specialists and nonspecialists alike.Steven Pinker is Associate Professor,Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Science at MIT.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/steven-pinker-books\"\u003eSteven Pinker\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1985\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cambridge\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780262161039\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Cambridge","offers":[{"title":"Standard Secondhand — £14.80","offer_id":47909868667057,"sku":"SB-0262161036-C3","price":14.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/0262161036.jpg?v=1789535808"},{"product_id":"how-the-mind-works","title":"How the Mind Works","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this book, Steven Pinker explains what the mind is, how it evolved, and how it allows us to see, think, feel, laugh, interact, enjoy the arts, and ponder the mysteries of life. How the Mind Works explains many of the imponderables of everyday life. Why does a face look more attractive with makeup? How do \"Magic-Eye\" 3-D stereograms work? Why do we feel that a run of heads makes the coin more likely to land tails? Why is the thought of eating worms disgusting? Why do men challenge each other to duels and murder their ex-wives? Why are children bratty? Why do fools fall in love? Why are we soothed by paintings and music? And why do puzzles like the self, free will, and consciousness leave us dizzy?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/steven-pinker-books\"\u003eSteven Pinker\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1998\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 660\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Alan Lane\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780713992403\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Alan Lane","offers":[{"title":"Standard Secondhand — £10.90","offer_id":47913214312625,"sku":"SB-0713992409-C3","price":10.9,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/0713992409.jpg?v=1789448828"},{"product_id":"the-stuff-of-thought-language-as-a-window-into-human-nature","title":"The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window Into Human Nature","description":"\u003ci\u003eThe Stuff of Thought\u003c\/i\u003eis an exhilarating work of non-fiction. Surprising, thought-provoking and incredibly enjoyable, there is no other book like it - Steven Pinker will revolutionise the way you think about language. He analyses what words actually mean and how we use them, and he reveals what this can tell us about ourselves. He shows how we use space and motion as metaphors for more abstract ideas, and uncovers the deeper structures of human thought that have been shaped by evolutionary history. He also explores the emotional impact of language, from names to swear words, and shows us the full power that it can have over us. And, with this book, he also shows just how stimulating and entertaining language can be.\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/steven-pinker-books\"\u003eSteven Pinker\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2007\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 499\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Allen Lane\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781846140501\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen Lane","offers":[{"title":"Standard Secondhand — £3.83","offer_id":47917737148593,"sku":"SB-1846140501-C3","price":3.83,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/1846140501.jpg?v=1789621767"},{"product_id":"rationality-what-it-is-why-it-seems-scarce-why-it-matters","title":"Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eTIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Punchy, funny and invigorating ... Pinker is the high priest of rationalism' \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'If you've ever considered taking drugs to make yourself smarter, read \u003ci\u003eRationality\u003c\/i\u003e instead. It's cheaper, more entertaining, and more effective' Jonathan Haidt, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Righteous Mind\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures and conspiracy theorizing?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eRationality\u003c\/i\u003e, Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply an irrational species - cavemen out of time fatally cursed with biases, fallacies and illusions. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives and set the benchmarks for rationality itself. Instead, he explains, we think in ways that suit the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we have built up over millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, causal inference, and decision-making under uncertainty. These tools are not a standard part of our educational curricula, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book - until now.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brimming with insight and humour, \u003ci\u003eRationality\u003c\/i\u003e will enlighten, inspire and empower.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e'A terrific book, much-needed for our time' Peter Singer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/steven-pinker-books\"\u003eSteven Pinker\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 432\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Allen Lane\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780241380277\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen Lane","offers":[{"title":"Standard Secondhand — £1.86","offer_id":47958420619441,"sku":"SB-0241380278-C3","price":1.86,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/0241380278.jpg?v=1790049193"},{"product_id":"the-sense-of-style-the-thinking-persons-guide-to-writing-in-the-21st-century-1","title":"The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSteven Pinker, the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Language Instinct\u003c\/i\u003e, deploys his gift for explaining big ideas in \u003ci\u003eThe Sense of Style\u003c\/i\u003e - an entertaining writing guide for the 21st century \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhat is the secret of good prose? Does writing well even matter in an age of instant communication? Should we care? In this funny, thoughtful book about the modern art of writing, Steven Pinker shows us why we all need a sense of style. \u003cp\u003eMore than ever before, the currency of our social and cultural lives is the written word, from Twitter and texting to blogs, e-readers and old-fashioned books. But most style guides fail to prepare people for the challenges of writing in the 21st century, portraying it as a minefield of grievous errors rather than a form of pleasurable mastery. They fail to deal with an inescapable fact about language: it changes over time, adapted by millions of writers and speakers to their needs. Confusing changes in the world with moral decline, every generation believes the kids today are degrading society and taking language with it. A guide for the new millennium, writes Steven Pinker, has to be different. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on the latest research in linguistics and cognitive science, Steven Pinker replaces the recycled dogma of previous style guides with reason and evidence. This thinking person's guide to good writing shows why style still matters: in communicating effectively, in enhancing the spread of ideas, in earning a reader's trust and, not least, in adding beauty to the world. Eye-opening, mind-expanding and cheerful, \u003ci\u003eThe Sense of Style\u003c\/i\u003e shows that good style is part of what it means to be human.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/steven-pinker-books\"\u003eSteven Pinker\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Penguin Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780241957714\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books","offers":[{"title":"Standard Secondhand — £6.20","offer_id":47958421569713,"sku":"SB-0241957710-C3","price":6.2,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Poor Condition — £5.70","offer_id":47958421602481,"sku":"SB-0241957710-C4","price":5.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/0241957710.jpg?v=1790049061"}],"url":"https:\/\/sellbooks.co.uk\/collections\/steven-pinker-books.oembed","provider":"Sell Books .co.uk","version":"1.0","type":"link"}