Pictures are a fundamental aspect of how people communicate, and cave paintings are among the oldest records of human intelligence. Why then do most people feel they can’t draw, and why are pictures often considered as less important or complex than language? Are drawing and speaking really so different?

For over twenty years, Neil Cohn has pioneered research around these questions within the fields of linguistics and cognitive neuroscience, and Speaking in Pictures presents this work for the first time as an accessible non-fiction graphic novel for a wide audience. Along with introducing the fundamental findings of the language and cognitive sciences over the past century, this work challenges the conventional understandings of how pictures communicate, how people learn to draw, and the nature of language itself. With humor and a clear, friendly, and accessible tone, Speaking in Pictures introduces ground-breaking research as a non-fiction graphic novel—written and drawn by Neil Cohn—that takes the reader on an inspiring journey through the study of communication and the mind.

Coming soon…

2025? / 306 pages

Resources for teaching with Speaking in Pictures – Coming soon