Mathematical Aspects of Hodgkin-Huxley Neural Theory

to identify persons, places, or things in discourse), is interesting-but will probably require determination for non-linguists. The third and final section considers the role of language in cognitive development. Continuing from the work of Vygotsky and Whorf, these authors attempt to show that the functional demands of language not only influence linguistic development but influence cognitive development as well. In this view, cognition does not follow a set of logico-mathematical steps of increasing complexity in which language emerges when cognitive structures allow it to do so. Rather, cognition and language develop along different lines that cross early in childhood. Social demands prompt language development. Then, as linguistic competence proceeds, the structure of language becomes a scaffold for thinking. Four of the five chapters in this final section of the book present examples of how the functional theory can be studied. The study techniques presented are primarily observational-such as mother-child interaction during assigned puzzle construction, a child's narrative skill in a given story-telling task, or social interactions in naturalistic settings. In summary, this volume is a collection of mostly theoretical essays concerning the mutual influence of thought and language. Since this matter is fraught with controversy, the authors have taken care to present other sides of the debate-specifically, Piaget's view. A strong point of the book is its careful tracing of the origin and evolution of the functional approach to language development. This historical discussion argues persuasively for the inclusion of pragmatics in language acquisition. Still, some readers may find the book one-sided or feel that the implications of social function on linguistic and cognitive development are overstated. Also, some chapters may prove to be arduous reading for a general audience in psychiatry and psychology. This possibility is unfortunate, since one of the aims of the volume was to promote interdisciplinary discussion of these issues. Those criticisms aside, this book provides a valuable and contemporary discussion concerning the interaction of cognition and language in human development.