The groundbreaking science of how and why we talk, and how this ability impacts every area of our lives.
Coming June 2025 from Penguin Random House by psycholinguist Dr. Maryellen MacDonald
Talking Isn’t Only for Communication (Really?)
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.
Learn the Power of Talking
Filled with fascinating insights, More Than Words reveals:
• how languages all over the world bend to the demands of talking
• how talking helps us set goals and acts as a learning engine
• the link between speech patterns and mental illness
• why conversations in classrooms are crucial
• how talking can amplify the talker’s political polarization
• how talking can slow cognitive decline 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.
“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?”
Critical Praise for More Than Words
“This beautifully written book by Maryellen MacDonald demonstrates how ‘word-work’ shapes both our experience of the world and the very brain that produced our capacity to articulate and generate our best thoughts.”
— MARYANNE WOLF, author of Proust and the Squid and Reader Come Home
“Weaving together research, personal stories, quotes, and even self-help advice, this is a book about talking that is not about communication—instead, it is about how talking sharpens focus, modulates emotions, improves memory, scaffolds learning, benefits aging, and so much more.”
— Viorica Marian, Professor at Northwestern University and author of The Power of Language
“A warm and fascinating account of the beautiful, strenuous, fumbling act of pressing nebulous thoughts into sentences, sure to provoke new respect for everyday chatter.”
— Julie Sedivy, author of Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love