Communication in Humans and Other Animals: 4

“Communication in Humans and Other Animals” is a rare book that successfully bridges the gap between human and animal communication studies, doing justice to both areas. The communication systems of selected species are presented in an accessible manner, with a solid foundation of empirical studies. The full spectrum of communication modalities through different sensory channels is covered, as well as relevant theory and methodology. This would be an eminent choice of textbook for a course on comparative communication, with students coming from either linguistics, ethology, or communication science. — Sverker Johansson, Lecturer in Physics, Jönköping University

This text treats human language as one of many communicative systems in the animal world, a perspective that is often lacking in linguistics curricula, which tend to regard human language as a unique and isolated phenomenon. This welcome addition to the textbook literature gives a thorough introduction to the evolutionary basis for human language, and also gives a foundation for understanding the biological metaphors that are increasingly used in various branches of linguistics. The text does not assume any previous knowledge of linguistics or biology and should be suitable for students of both subjects. — Jan-Olov Svantesson, Professor of General Linguistics, Lund University