Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear

The book details:

• Title: Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear .
• Author(s): Frank I. Luntz .
• Publisher: Hyperion.
• Language: American English.
• Size: 1.39 Mb.
• Format: PDF .
• Date: December 20, 2006.
• Pages: 360.

This book is masterful in its exploration of the use of language in American life, especially in business and politics. It was written by Dr. Frank Luntz, who calls himself a "linguistic geek." It's ideal for anyone, like me, who loves words and reading.

The subhead to the book is "It's not what you say, it's what people hear." The trick is to speak in a way to make people hear what you want them to hear. To be persuasive. As Luntz writes, "It's not enough to be correct or reasonable or even brilliant." People must first listen, and then understand.

This book gives many comparisons of word choices, and explains why one choice is the most effective. For example, instead of saying "comprehensive," say "easy to understand." "Pre-owned vehicle" sounds much better than "used car." "Housewives" have turned into "stay-at-home moms." 

Download it here now