Words that work : it's not what you say, it's what people hear

Select an Action

Title:

Words that work : it's not what you say, it's what people hear

Author:

Luntz, Frank I.

ISBN:

9781401302597

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Hyperion, c2007.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 324 p. ; 25 cm.

Contents:

The ten rules of effective language -- Preventing message mistakes -- Old words, new meaning -- How "words that work" are created -- Be the message -- Words we remember -- Corporate case studies -- Political case studies -- Myths and realities about language and people -- What we REALLY care about -- Personal language for personal scenarios -- Twenty-one words and phrases for the twenty-first century.

Subject Term:

English language -- United States -- Rhetoric.

Persuasion (Rhetoric) -- Political aspects.

Mass media and language.

Popular culture -- United States.

Critical thinking.

Communication in politics.

Summary:

Communications expert Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. Luntz has used his knowledge of words to help more than two dozen Fortune 500 companies grow. He tells us why Rupert Murdoch's six-billion-dollar decision to buy DirectTV was smart because "satellite" was more cutting edge than "digital cable, " and why pharmaceutical companies transitioned their message from "treatment" to "prevention" and "wellness." If you ever wanted to learn how to talk your way out of a traffic ticket or talk your way into a raise, this book is for you.--From publisher description.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	808.042 LUN	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country

In Words That Work , Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The Ten Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century," he examines how choosing the right words is essential.

Nobody is in a better position to explain than Frank Luntz: He has used his knowledge of words to help more than two dozen Fortune 500 companies grow. Hell tell us why Rupert Murdoch's six-billion-dollar decision to buy DirectTV was smart because satellite was more cutting edge than "digital cable," and why pharmaceutical companies transitioned their message from "treatment" to "prevention" and "wellness."

If you ever wanted to learn how to talk your way out of a traffic ticket or talk your way into a raise, this book's for you.

Author Notes

Frank Luntz is one of the most respected communication professionals in America today. He has written, supervised, and conducted more than a thousand surveys and focus groups for corporate and public affairs clients here and abroad. He has developed campaigns for Merrill Lynch, Federal Express, AT&T, Pfizer, and McDonalds. Currently the host of America's Voices on MSNBC, Dr. Luntz is the first resource media outlets turn to when they want to understand American voters. His recurring segments on MSNBC/CNBC during the 2002 election cycle won an Emmy. He lives in Alexandria, VA.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

After repeating his mantra-"it's not what you say, it's what people hear"-so often in this book, you'd think that Republican pollster Luntz would have taken his own advice to heart. Yet in spite of an opening anecdote that superficially attempts a balanced tone, the book as a whole truly reads more like a manual for right-wing positioning. Even in the sections where he is less partisan, Luntz's advice is not particularly insightful. For instance, his first chapter, on "Ten Rules of Effective Language," starts by instructing readers to use small words and short sentences in their communications. The least effective section in the book is the chapter on "Personal Language for Personal Scenarios," where Luntz advocates manipulative strategies for getting out of traffic tickets, boarding airplanes at the last minute and apologizing to one's wife with the "miracle elixir" of flowers. The most readable and redeeming feature is the two case studies, where Luntz demonstrates his skill as a communicator by identifying real-world communications successes and failures. Unfortunately, by the time nonpartisan readers reach these chapters, they will have already lost patience. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Guardian Review

The US pollster famous for his linguistic advice to the Republican party here outlines what does not deserve to be called his philosophy of language, in a book that he hoped to call Killer Words until, for some reason, that title focus-grouped badly. Luntz recounts some of his finest moments - replacing "estate tax" with "death tax" - but is oddly coy about his other successes in the realm of unspeak, particularly his memo advising the administration to keep talking about "climate change" instead of "global warming", because the former sounds less frightening. Of that no mention is made, but we do get a chapter about words that work in personal life, containing the advice that you should lie about a family illness or job interview in order to be allowed to board a plane when you're late. As this shows, Luntz is glibly amoral, worrying only about whether language has the right effect, not whether it's true. As a whole, the book retreads the author's greatest hits, while implicitly blaming the Republicans' 2006 electoral meltdown on the fact that they haven't hired him recently. As a book about political language, it's self-contradictory, sloppily researched and egregious; even as an extended job application, it's a bit whiny. Caption: article-etc21.1 The US pollster famous for his linguistic advice to the Republican party here outlines what does not deserve to be called his philosophy of language, in a book that he hoped to call Killer Words until, for some reason, that title focus-grouped badly. - Steven Pooles.

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Guardian Review

Helpful Links

Research Links

Contact

Events and Rooms

Follow Us

Today's Hours