The ascent of Babel: An exploration of language, mind, and understanding.Gerry T. M. Altmann. Oxford University Press, 1997. Pp. 304.

Abstract

Given the small number of introductory psycholinguistics books currently available, it is not only refreshing to find a new one but also delightful to find one as accessible to general audiences as Altmann's The Ascent of Babel. Altmann, a professor at the University of York and an established psycholinguistics researcher, aimed to write a book that anyone could understand and enjoy. Indeed, he has succeeded. The result is not just another run-of-the-mill textbook. The prose reads like the transcription from a semester of lectures or from a very long conversation carried out between mentor and student. The prose reads as smoothly as it does, in part, because there are no references cited within the text. They have been included at the end of the book in a chapter-by-chapter format. In addition, very few researchers are mentioned by name, which serves to speed readers along, allowing them to focus on findings rather than individuals. The names that are mentioned are of those at the top of the field who should become known to every student of psycholinguistics.