說話，改造大腦：說話如何敏銳心智，塑造我們的世界

by Maryellen MacDonald, 蔡丹婷 (Translator)

一本讓你重新定義「說話」的書！

我們說話的方式，是解開我們如何理解事物的關鍵。
改變說話的方式，能重新塑造並改變我們。

麥克唐納這本文筆優美的書，展現了「說話這件事」如何塑造我們對世界的體驗，以及賦予我們表達和產生最佳想法能力的大腦。
——瑪麗安·沃爾夫，《普魯斯特與魷魚》和《讀者回家》的作者

本書三大重點：
→ 說話如何運作：首度揭露大腦如何將想法變成語言的祕密機制。
→ 語言是心智之鏡：你的說話習慣，映照思想與心理狀態。
→ 說話帶來的隱形益處：強化專注、穩定情緒，並讓人在年老時保持大腦敏銳

人類是唯一能夠將內在想法轉化為對話的物種，無論是透過言語、寫作或手語。但為什麼我們擁有這種近乎神奇的特殊天賦呢？事實證明，雖然說話讓我們能分享想法、相互聯繫，但其作用遠不止於溝通，而是在說話這個複雜的過程本身，就改造了我們的大腦！

說話的其他好處源自於它本身就需要付出努力：我們理解語言的速度比我們創造語言的速度快50%。大腦中讓我們能說話的複雜過程，會以令人驚訝的方式影響我們生活的其他領域。

在這本開創性的著作中，研究員兼心理語言學家麥克唐納探索了「說話」這一奇妙的心理任務，並令人大開眼界地探討了它如何塑造我們的一切，從注意力、記憶力、學習方式，到我們如何調節情緒，強化執行力，並讓人在年齡增長時仍保持心智健康。

《說話，改造大腦》充滿了引人入勝的洞見，揭示了：

• 說話會改變動機和行動。光是為計畫命名，就能增加付諸實踐的機率
• 透過研究言語模式，可以更早發現失智的跡象
嘗試為情緒命名，能幫助人釐清思緒，有助情緒穩定
• 課堂上的對話能增加理解力，對學習來說至關重要
• 我們的個性、性別與經驗塑造了獨特的談話風格，反映出我們是誰。
• 說話減緩我們隨年齡增長而產生的認知衰退

《說話，改造大腦》引人入勝且富啟發性，其中蘊含的道理足以改變教育政策、育兒、心理學等領域。它以全面而發人深省的視角，審視了我們習以為常的基本人類行為。

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Communication, Language

344 pages, Unknown Binding

Published December 31, 2025

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focuses on the physical & mental aspects of talking--unusual & interesting

[notonly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise and argument. I think her argument about talking being uniquely human would have benefited from discussing bird communication and how it differs from human language, instead of only considering dogs and chimps. What songbirds and parrots do is more analogous, in some ways, than how those other species communicate. This was only discussed in one chapter, and I didn't even think it was that critical for her overall point, but it was the first non-intro chapter and it hung over the whole book for me.

[Sekar Writes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review and summary.

This book reminded me how much we tend to take talking for granted. MacDonald shows that every chat, self pep-talk, or bedtime story is an active brain training. From baby babble to conversations that keep us sharp in later years, she reveals that talking shapes what we notice, steady our emotions, and keeps our minds agile.

[Amy Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read (and think) a lot about language, and sometimes end up complaining about the language used about language. I found Noam Chomsky absolutely imcomprehensible. Many of the books I read for a class on the theory of translations seemed impractical and straining to be erudite. Others, like this, are lightweight. There were some interesting ideas here, but I skimmed a lot because there seemed to be more words than needed.

[Julia Wolfson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️! this book is so accessible to a general audience while still conveying important research on language! i would highly recommend, even to people who aren’t interested in developmental psychology or language learning!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is chock full of amazing info and ideas. I tried to go slow to savor all the wisdom. Really enjoyable and accessible review of research. Great use of stories and anecdotes to keep the readers attention. Highly recommended

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read!

[Annaliese Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

An approachable read, easy to comprehend. Interesting to learn the mechanisms behind talking and its influences on the brain

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book but it took me forever to get through it. Guess my nonfiction problem is ongoing...