Concepts in the Brain
The View From Cross-linguistic Diversity
David Kemmerer
Reviews and Awards
"This is a timely synthesis of cross-linguistic semantic knowledge with neuroscientific research that uses MRI studies and increasingly sophisticated analysis tools to reveal what is known (and not yet known) about where conceptual domains are processed in the human brainâThis is more than a compilation; it is an in-depth tour, accompanied by objective commentary and led by a researcher who has done significant amounts of the neurobiological research discussed." -- CHOICE
"Concepts in the Brain takes us on a fascinating journey across the world's languages to examine how they carve up concepts. The book is a gold mine of mind-boggling examples from different languages that force us to rethink our assumptions about how things and events ought to be described, and what is 'natural' or 'obvious.' We are also treated to a state-of-the-art understanding of the neural basis of concepts. A sophisticated linguist and an equally virtuoso cognitive neuroscientist, David Kemmerer is one of the few people in the world who can pull off a work of this magnitude. A must read for anyone interested in concepts, meaning, language, and the brain." --Rutvik Desai, University of South Carolina
"The last few years have seen an explosion in two areas: the cross-cultural study of semantic categories, and the neurobiological foundations of conceptual structure. This book finally builds a bridge between these thriving areas of inquiry. In a brilliantly programmatic and eminently readable treatise, Kemmerer deftly synthesizes the vast literature in both fields, and points to a rapprochement for the future." --Asifa Majid, University of York
"This is a work of breathtaking scope, depth, and perspective. As Homo sapiens, we share common brain morphology. Yet there is striking variability in the ways that cultures carve up the world and represent its parts. David Kemmerer's book is a tour de force in detailing this variability from a multidisciplinary angle, integrating theories from linguistics, neuroscience, and philosophy into an emergent account (i.e., one that is more than the sum of its parts). The result is a text that uniquely situates human conceptual knowledge in both its biological and cultural contexts." --Jamie Reilly, Temple University