Words and Minds takes a lively and accessible look at how we use language to combine our mental resources and get things done. Examining everyday language and drawing on a wide range of research, but always with a light style, Neil Mercer provides a unified account of the relationship between thought and language.
Mercer analyses real-life examples of language being used effectively, or otherwise, in many different settings, including workplaces and schools, the home, the internet and the courtroom, and offers practical insights into how we might improve our communication skills.
Words and Minds will appeal to anyone interested in language and the psychology of everyday life.
Biography
Neil Mercer is Professor of Language and Communications at the Open University.
'The potentially wide-reaching results of this study... publication is timely' - Sheila MacDonald, Independent
'This is a fascinating and accessible book. It would be of interest to anyone with a human interest in finding out more about how we use language in developing our understanding.' - Marian Sainsbury, National Foundation for Educational Research
'This work is a successful combination of review and originality, accessible to those not already indoctrinated into the discourse of the close analysis of text, but also containing much of interest to those who are.' - Andy Wilcox, The Linguist
