can someone recommend...

[Esoteric9]

a book on any of the following subjects:
human brain/neural networks
physics of light/electromagnetism
history/evolution of language

I'm not sure if Carl Sagan's "Broca's Brain" fits the first category, but I'm going to read it anyway

 

[czgibson]

Hi there,

I can't help too much with the others, but here are a few suggestions about the development of language:

The Language Instinct - Steven Pinker (the only general scientific account I can think of)

The Stories of English - David Crystal (best history of the English language I've read)

A Mouthful Of Air - Anthony Burgess (covers many languages, but the focus is on English. This one may be out of print but it's well worth seeking out second-hand.)

Hope that helps.