Category Archives: Ideas and Opinions

What I’m Reading, May-June 2026

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Ed Battistella

I’ve taken a break from academic reading for much of May and June, preparing myself for summer mode: Revenge Prey by John Sanford – Russian spies and an engaging CIA agent. I always enjoy Sanford, but did not feel this … Continue reading →

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Review of How Deeply Human is Language: Chomsky, The Brain, and the AI Fantasy  by Yosef Grodzinsky

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Ed Battistella

Review of How Deeply Human is Language: Chomsky, The Brain, and the AI Fantasy  by Yosef Grodzinsky In this short and lucid work, Grodzinsky (Director of the Neurolinguistics Lab at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for the Brain Sciences) … Continue reading →

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Review The Politics of Language by David Beaver and Jason Stanley

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Ed Battistella

The Politics of Language by David Beaver and Jason Stanley Published in 2025, The Politics of Language, by David Beaver and Jason Stanley convincingly makes the case that most speech has ideological meaning and that the connotations of words evoke … Continue reading →

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What I’m reading March and April 2026

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Ed Battistella

Muscle Man by Jordan Castro A colleague who I run into the gym recommended this. It’s the quirky story of Harold, an unhappy literature professor who finds solace from a mundane career in weight lifting. The key scenes are his … Continue reading →

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