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 The First IdeaHow Symbols, Language, and Intelligence Evolved from Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humansby Stuart Shanker, Stanley I. Greenspan Feb 6, 2006
DescriptionIn the childhood of every human being and at the dawn of human history there is an amazing and, until now, unexplained leap from simple genetically programmed behavior to language, symbolic thinking, and culture. In The First Idea, Stanley Greenspan and Stuart Shanker explore this missing link and offer brilliant new insights into two longstanding questions: how human beings first create symbols and how these abilities evolved and were transmitted across generations over millions of years. From fascinating research into the intelligence of both human infants and apes, they identify certain cultural practices that are vitally important if we are to have stable and reflective future societies. Reviews"Gives the reader a deeper appreciation of the power and formative potential of human emotional interaction.... Through their creative thinking about emotional interpersonal aspects of early human development, Greenspan and Shanker have helped us to find our bearings for the intellectual fight ahead." "All the makings of a future classic." "One of the 'Best Books of 2004.'" "Well written...will interest readers across a broad spectrum of disciplines." "Here is a book that gives new meaning to the old saying, 'The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world....' This book is not so much a stroll in the park as an invigorating hike in the woods. But the trail is well marked, with many appealing stopping points along the way. The general reader who invests time and energy in The First Idea will be amply rewarded." "The authors...are both specialists in child development, and write about this subject with authority and insight." Selling TerritoryWorld |
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