 The Man Who Listens to Horses
started 2/22/2001; 1:35:03 PM - last post 2/24/2001; 4:09:36 PM
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Ehud Lamm - The Man Who Listens to Horses 
2/22/2001; 1:35:03 PM (reads: 1626, responses: 3)
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| The Man Who Listens to Horses |
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Not really a programming book, but a book about language none the less. This is the autobiography of Monty Roberts, whom you might have seen on TV. Mr. Roberts is a horse trainer. You might wonder what has he got to do with language. The interesting thing is the Roberts doesn't break horses with whips and beatings. He claims to have figured out the horse's method of communication (i.e., language) and uses it to achieve join-up with horses. I've seen him on TV, and got the book. It is pretty remarkable. Makes you wonder about language.
Roberts, it seems, figured out some basic vocabulary of horses. It also seems he knows the order of gestures in the joining-up process, but I am not sure this should be considered syntax. So did he really discover a language? I am not sure.
Another book that gives an interesting perspective on language is Thinking In Pictures by Temple Grandin. The authoer is an autistic woman, who is a university professor and world wide expert on animal behaviour. The book raises some tough questions on verbal versus other modes of thinking.
Both books are also full of human compassion and feeling. I think they are worth reading.
Posted to Misc-Books by Ehud Lamm on 2/22/01; 1:40:26 PM
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Chris Rathman - Re: The Man Who Listens to Horses
2/23/2001; 10:01:25 AM (reads: 887, responses: 1)
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The interesting thing is the Roberts doesn't break horses with whips and beatings. I don't know. Sometimes I think my computer and the programs I write for it could stand a good lashing to get it to respond correctly. But then I've been known to heap verbal abuse. The people down the hall think I've been staring at the screen too long, seeing as how they don't appreciate the conversation I have with inanimate objects. Ok, it really doesn't fix the software, but a little catharsis now and then makes me feel better (and superior to the machine). :-)
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Ehud Lamm - Re: The Man Who Listens to Horses
2/24/2001; 2:43:08 PM (reads: 966, responses: 0)
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His horses do exactly what he wants them to...
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Chris Rathman - Re: The Man Who Listens to Horses
2/24/2001; 4:09:36 PM (reads: 870, responses: 0)
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Generally speaking, my computer does exactly what I tell it to do. Unfortunately, that only has a slight chance of intersecting with what I actually want it to do. :-)
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