Dieter Hillert is a linguist and cognitive scientist whose work spans language, cognition, and evolution. He studied at Gutenberg University Mainz and Goethe University Frankfurt and was trained in neurolinguistics at the Medical School of RWTH Aachen University. He earned his PhD from Goethe University Frankfurt and, as a postdoctoral researcher, investigated brain and language at the Centre Paul Broca in Paris, Boston University, and MIT. After returning to Europe, he lectured at the University of Manchester and earned his Habilitation (venia legendi) at Goethe University Frankfurt. He subsequently joined the University of California, San Diego. Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University. He has received multiple awards from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. His research covers a broad range of topics in the cognitive and language sciences, including the neurobiology and genetics of language, the evolution of language and cognition, and mental capacities in nonhuman animals.

Preface. Notable Sayings. Prologue. Part I. The Dawn of Humanity: Chap. 1 The Tale of Language, Chap. 2 Biological Grammar, Chap. 3 Evolutionary Path, Chap. 4 Culture Shapes Words, Chap. 5 A World of Languages, Chap. 6 The Bigger Picture. Part II. The Evolving Brain: Chap. 7 Human Ancestors, Chap. 8 Linguistic Diversity, Chap. 9 Prehistoric Artefacts, Chap. 10 Mastering Sounds, Chap. 11 The Speech-Ready Brain, Chap. 12 The Brain Circuits. Part III. Critical Milestones: Chap. 13 Layered Dynamics, Chap. 14 Using Structures, Chap. 15 Brain Comparisons, Chap. 16 The Dawn of Talking, Chap. 17 Rewiring the Brain, Chap. 18 Homo erectus. Epilogue. Index. Notes.