The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why by Beekman, Madeleine
The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why by Beekman, Madeleine

The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why

In a radical new story about the birth of our species, The Origin of Language argues that...
$77.63 AUD
$77.63 AUD
SKU: 9781668066058
Product Type: Books
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Author: Madeleine Beekman
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $77.63
The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why by Beekman, Madeleine

The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why

$77.63
The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why by Beekman, Madeleine

The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why

$77.63
Author: Madeleine Beekman
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description
In a radical new story about the birth of our species, The Origin of Language argues that it was not hunting, fighting, or tool-making that forced early humans to speak, but the inescapable need to care for our children.

Journeying to the dawn of Homo sapiens, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman reveals the "happy accidents" hidden in our molecular biology--DNA, chromosomes, and proteins--that led to one of the most fateful events in the history of life on Earth: our giving birth to babies earlier in their development than our hominid cousins the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Faced with highly dependent infants requiring years of nurturing and protection, early human communities needed to cooperate and coordinate, and it was this unprecedented need for communication that triggered the creation of human language--and changed everything.

Infused with cutting-edge science, sharp humor, and insights into the history of biology and its luminaries, Beekman weaves a narrative that's both enlightening and entertaining. Challenging the traditional theories of male luminaries like Chomksy, Pinker, and Harari, she invites us into the intricate world of molecular biology and its ancient secrets. The Origin of Language is a tour de force by a brilliant biologist on how a culture of cooperation and care have shaped our existence.

"The Origin of Language is a tour de force. At its core it seeks to explain the origin of language. But, by linking our patterns of sociality, behavior, development, and communication it is a celebration of humanity's origins. Reading Madeleine Beekman's book, you will never look at babies--and their utterances--the same way ever again." --Neil Shubin, evolutionary biologist and author of Your Inner Fish

Author: Madeleine Beekman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 08/05/2025
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.21lbs
Size: 8.38h x 5.50w x 0.91d
ISBN: 9781668066058

About the Author
Madeleine Beekman is professor of evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology emerita at the University of Sydney, Australia, Editor-in-Chief of Insectes Sociaux, and board member of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences. Madeleine Beekman lives in Australia's northern tropical rainforest with her husband where she can observe cassowaries from her office. She has two adult daughters.
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