This book makes available, for the first time in English, a selection of the writings of Andre-Georges Haudricourt (1911-1996) on linguistics, ethnology, and the history of technology. Best known for his work on the evolution of languages, Haudricourt first trained in agronomy in Paris, and studied plant genetics in the laboratory of Nikolai Vavilov before beginning research in ethnobotany. A deep understanding of evolution and genetics, a functionalist perspective drawn from his interest in technology, and a firm belief that "science is one" inform his work.

His main...