The Language of Life—How Communication Drives Human Evolution

Communication scholars Lull (emeritus, San Jose State U., California) and Neiva (U. of Alabama-Birmingham) explore how communication drives biological and cultural change by analyzing core domains of human existence as communications phenomena. The domains are sheer survival, sex, culture, morality, religion, and technological change. Their goal is not to provide a comprehensive account, but to encourage other researchers to investigate the role of communication in evolution. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

James Lull is a distinguished authority on the impact of mass media, communications technology, and popular culture. The author of twelve books, he has appeared as a commentator on such media outlets as CNN, the BBC, and NPR; has written essays for the Los Angeles Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others; and lectures worldwide. He is professor emeritus of communication studies at San Jose State University. Visit the author online at www.JamesLull.com.

Eduardo Neiva is a leading authority on how visual images influence culture. He is the author of two books in English on communication, culture, and images, and many books in Portuguese. He was a Fulbright research scholar at Indiana University in Bloomington and is professor of communication studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.