More than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World [Audiobook]

The groundbreaking science of how and why we talk, and how this ability impacts every area of our lives. Humans are the only species that can transform internal ideas into talk, whether through speech, writing, or sign language. But why do we have this almost magical, special talent? It turns out that while talking allows us to share ideas and connect with one another, it isn’t just for communication. Other benefits of talking stem from the fact that it is hard work:we can understand speech up to 50 percent faster than we can create it ourselves. The complex processes in the brain that allow us to talk spill over and impact other areas of our lives in surprising ways. In this groundbreaking book, Maryellen MacDonald, a researcher and psycholinguist, explores the marvel and mental task of talking and offers an eye-opening look at how it shapes everything from our attention, memory, and the way we learn to how we regulate our emotions and our cognitive health as we age. Engaging and illuminating, More Than Words has lessons that have the power to transform education policy, parenting, psychology, and more. It is a sweeping and provocative look at a fundamental human behavior we take for granted.