Ben Waber reviewed Kluge by Gary Marcus
A Dated, Psychology-Focused Popular Science Book
3 stars
This book is very much of its time - a pithily written, weakly supported popular psychology book of the 2000s, most of which has since been discredited. Marcus does play many of social psychology's greatest hits, but it's hard to take a book seriously that unironically cites Gladwell and Pinker. The chapter on linguistics is weirdly the standout here, but if you're interested in cognitive science or psychology there are many more recent books out there that are worth your time.
This book is very much of its time - a pithily written, weakly supported popular psychology book of the 2000s, most of which has since been discredited. Marcus does play many of social psychology's greatest hits, but it's hard to take a book seriously that unironically cites Gladwell and Pinker. The chapter on linguistics is weirdly the standout here, but if you're interested in cognitive science or psychology there are many more recent books out there that are worth your time.