Sinposis

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1985 (MIT PRESS), FAUCONNIER'S INFLUENTIAL BOOK, MENTAL SPACES, WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SHAPING THE NEW FIELD OF COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS. THE CONCEPT OF MENTAL SPACES--THAT WE DEVELOP CONSTRUCTS DURING DISCOURSE THAT ARE DISTINCT FROM LINGUISTIC CONSTRUCTS BUT ARE ESTABLISHED BY LINGUISTIC EXPRESSIONS--PROVIDES A POWERFUL NEW APPROACH TO PROBLEMS IN PHILOSOPHY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE CONCERNING THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE. IT INCLUDES A NEW PREFACE THAT PROVIDES CONTEXT FOR THE THEORY, AND A NEW FOREWORD BY GEORGE LAKOFF AND EVE SWEETSER (BOTH OF U.C. BERKELEY).