The review discusses the book "Situations and Attitudes" by Jon Barwise and John Perry, which introduces a theory of meaning based on ecological realism. The theory posits that meaning arises from the interaction between living things and their environment, emphasizing the role of language in conveying information through the relationship between utterances and described situations. The book is divided into four parts: Part A explores the evidence for a theory of linguistic meaning, including six semantic universals; Part B presents the authors' theory of situations, distinguishing between real and abstract situations; Part C applies the theory of situations to semantics, focusing on the constraints between utterances and situations; and Part D discusses cognitive attitudes, including a "hard-line" approach and a more "fine-grained" approach to mental states. The review highlights the book's insights and limitations, noting that while it offers new ideas about the foundations of semantics, it still falls short of providing a comprehensive theory of meaning.The review discusses the book "Situations and Attitudes" by Jon Barwise and John Perry, which introduces a theory of meaning based on ecological realism. The theory posits that meaning arises from the interaction between living things and their environment, emphasizing the role of language in conveying information through the relationship between utterances and described situations. The book is divided into four parts: Part A explores the evidence for a theory of linguistic meaning, including six semantic universals; Part B presents the authors' theory of situations, distinguishing between real and abstract situations; Part C applies the theory of situations to semantics, focusing on the constraints between utterances and situations; and Part D discusses cognitive attitudes, including a "hard-line" approach and a more "fine-grained" approach to mental states. The review highlights the book's insights and limitations, noting that while it offers new ideas about the foundations of semantics, it still falls short of providing a comprehensive theory of meaning.