Essential Readings in Biosemiotics

Synthesizing the findings from a wide range of disciplines – from biology and anthropology to philosophy and linguistics – the emerging field of Biosemiotics explores the highly complex phenomenon of sign processing in living systems. Seeking to advance a naturalistic understanding of the evolution and development of sign-dependent life processes, contemporary biosemiotic theory offers important new conceptual tools for the scientific understanding of mind and meaning, for the development of artificial intelligence, and for the ongoing research into the rich diversity of non-verbal human, animal and biological communication processes.

Donald Favareau’s Essential Readings in Biosemiotics has been designed as a single-source overview of the major works informing this new interdiscipline, and provides scholarly historical and analytical commentary on each of the texts presented. The first of its kind, this book constitutes a valuable resource to both bioscientists and to semioticians interested in this emerging new discipline, and can function as a primary textbook for students in biosemiotics, as well.

Moreover, because of its inherently interdisciplinary nature and its focus on the ‘big questions’ of cognition, meaning and evolutionary biology, this volume should be of interest to anyone working in the fields of cognitive science, theoretical biology, philosophy of mind, evolutionary psychology, communication studies or the history and philosophy of science.

• Animal cognition
• Biological sign
• Biosemiotics
• Evolution
• Evolution of meaning
• Symbol processing
• biology
• evolutionary biology
• linguistics

From the reviews:

“The reader under review is a bible of biosemiotics and there are no similar books on the market. It offers 24 classical and contemporary papers in this field … . It has a detailed introductory chapter that is very informative and up-to-date … . the richness of material provides food for thought for any student of representational phenomena. … The primary audience for the book are all people interested in the fields of semiotics, general linguistics, biology, cognitive science, and philosophy … .” (Krystyna Bielecka, Constructivist Foundations, Vol. 7 (1), 2012)

“Favareau is eminently qualified to author a work that certainly promotes a deeper understanding of what undergirds this field … . Much of this work’s success is due to its organization and its author’s passionate scholarship, touched with genuine multidisciplinary erudition. … it is a remarkable work of consummate scholarship: any interested reader will find in this anthology a remarkable source and guide through the paths and into the verdant pastures of this new way of looking at the omnipresence of signs throughout nature.”­­­ (Anna Aragno, Signs – International Journal of Semiotics, Vol. 5, November, 2011)

“In my view this anthology proves itself very successful in pursuing a comprehensive view of the diverse field of biosemiotics. … Favareau has done most of the research job for the reader … making this book very useful for scholars ­­– like me – interested in a general but non-superficial overview of biosemiotic literature. … it is useful for those scholars who have come to biosemiotics from semiotics – as I did – to help them gain a comprehensive insight into the largely biologically-framed present of biosemiotics.” (Sara Cannizzaro, Social Semiotics, Vol. 21 (4), September, 2011)

“Essential Readings in Biosemiotics is the first book of its kind to provide an anthology exploring sign processing inliving systems as a whole, a whole that includes not only human semiotics, but non-human animal semiotics … . All this work has been admirably researched. … On this ground alone the book stands out as an invaluable resource for research workers in cognitive science, theoretical biology, philosophy of mind as well as biosemiotics. … His vast enterprise deserves to be widely read.” (Peter Harries-Jones, Biosemiotics, August, 2011)

“If my library were reduced to having one single monograph on biosemiotics, I would recommend this one. … Essential Readings in Biosemiotics is no doubt a labor of love in which Favareau for several years invested considerable time and effort, driven by a desire to bestow a valuable and lasting gift on the practicing and prospective members of the biosemiotics community. … a tool valuable to both teachers and students, including autodidacts without formal links to academia.” (Eliseo Fernández, Metascience, April, 2011)

“This book is about various aspects of the fundamental difference between mechanical and purposeful behavior. … To those who analyze or design systems in open and unpredictable biological or social environments, this is a well-known difference. Therefore, the book should interest an audience that goes beyond biologists. … Most papers in the book are easily accessible … . Overall, the book is an excellent introduction to the exciting new area of biosemiotics--an area of interest and importance to all systems thinkers.” (H. I. Kilov, ACM Computing Reviews, February, 2011)

“A fascinating insight into the co-evolution of language, sign systems and the brain is given … . a journey from parts to principles in the very sense. … Libraries should provide this book to students and researchers as it is a unique resource of articles and book excerpts to which only few universities have access to. … Everyone who wants to know more about biosemiotics should have a look at thiscompilation. Also, the very extensive referencing provides even more interesting literature on the subject.” (Robert Prinz, tripleC, Vol. 9 (1), 2011)

 “This book gives an excellent sampling of its antecedents, background, theory, and applicability. … highly recommended for anyone trying to get their Peirce straight, in order to apply it to any biological context. … will prove useful to those wishing to study biosemiotics in further depth. I suspect that there will be many people who will be inspired and intrigued enough, by this new approach to living systems, to further their studies in it and aspire to make contributions to this new interdiscipline.” (Phillip Guddemi, Cybernetics and Human Knowing, Vol. 18 (1-2), 2011)

“The Volume concludes with very comprehensive bibliographies for the editorial commentary that accompanies each section of the book … . very helpful to those new to the field. The book is a must-have addition to the libraries of research institutes and university departments that are engaged in progressive approaches to the nature of life and organic cognition, specifically in its offering a new way to conceptualize the role of signs and sign processes in cultivating meaning in the natural world from the ground up.” (Liz S. Swan, Biolinguistics, Vol. 5 (4), 2011)

“This anthology is … intended to provide a historical and conceptual overview that may help the independent workers find the common ground that does exist. … Favareau’s main goal, to bring about more coherence and cohesion in the field, will likely be successful, for he presents a thorough and unbiased account of the many different strands. … Essential Readings in Biosemiotics … is essential reading for anyone interested in biology and in understanding the link between mind and matter.” (Victoria N. Alexander, Journal of Applied Philosophy, Vol. 28 (4), 2011)

• University Scholar Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

  Donald Favareau

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