{"product_id":"the-evolution-of-language-andrey-vyshedskiy-9798281074186","title":"The Evolution of Language: How the Brain Evolved Syntactic Language from Early Mammals to Homo sapiens","description":"From renowned neuroscientist Dr. A. Vyshedskiy comes a bold and original account of the evolutionary journey that led to humanity's most defining trait: syntactic language. Drawing on over 40 years of research and his acclaimed course \u003ci\u003eNeuroscience of Consciousness and the Evolution of Language\u003c\/i\u003e at Boston University, Vyshedskiy masterfully bridges cutting-edge neuroscience with anthropology, linguistics, and evolutionary biology. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSeventy thousand years ago, Earth was home to at least six human species. Today, only Homo sapiens remain. What set us apart? What cognitive leap allowed early modern humans to outcompete all others and reshape the planet? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis book traces the answer deep into evolutionary time-starting 200 million years ago with the rise of the six-layered neocortex in early mammals, enabling mental representations of objects, a foundational skill for language. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt then follows a pivotal advance 70 million years ago, when primates evolved the lateral prefrontal cortex, enhancing executive control over perception and memory. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe story accelerates 2 million years ago with the gradual emergence of combinatorial thought and protolanguage, culminating in a sudden cognitive revolution just 70,000 years ago: the birth of Prefrontal Synthesis. This uniquely human mental ability allowed for the creation of complex, nested ideas-fueling syntactic language, storytelling, and the cultural explosion that transformed our species. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUnlike most books on language evolution that take historical or linguistic paths, Vyshedskiy grounds his narrative in neuroscience, offering a rich, interdisciplinary view of how anatomical changes, developmental windows, and cultural innovations aligned to give rise to the human mind. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA powerful intellectual prequel to \u003ci\u003eSapiens\u003c\/i\u003e by Yuval Noah Harari, this book is essential reading for anyone fascinated by the origins of human cognition. Provocative and insightful, it will resonate with readers of Jared Diamond, Noam Chomsky, W. Tecumseh Fitch, Ian Tattersall, Michael Gazzaniga, Robert Wright, and Daniel Everett.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Andrey Vyshedskiy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798281074186\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/23\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 260\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.78lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.55d","brand":"Andrey Vyshedskiy","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47072223559935,"sku":"9798281074186","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_030e7cd9-355f-4199-b593-f31655495e9a.jpg?v=1753416159","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-evolution-of-language-andrey-vyshedskiy-9798281074186","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}