If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- What's the secret link between the King James Bible, Shakespeare’s plays, and the world’s most addictive pop songs?
- Have you ever wondered why certain words have the power to sway elections and change the way we think without us even realizing it?
- What if you could master the same hidden linguistic techniques that have shaped human history and use them to supercharge your own powers of persuasion?
Listen to Language Intelligence — Free Audiobook
Key Takeaways from Language Intelligence
- Master the foundational tools of rhetoric to not only become a more persuasive speaker but also defend yourself against everyday manipulation.
- Discover why short, simple words are far more effective for powerful communication and persuasion than a complex, flowery vocabulary.
- Learn how to use the technique of repetition to make your ideas catchy and unforgettable, just like chart-topping pop songs and historic political speeches.
- Find out how corporate advertisers use specific figures of speech and puns to make their messages stick, allowing you to resist their charms and make rational purchases.
- Identify how irony and sarcasm are frequently deployed as deceptive smoke screens to deflect the truth and mock opponents when logic fails.
Language Intelligence — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Even basic knowledge of rhetoric will make you far less manipulable.
Chapter 3: Short words are quite powerful rhetorical tools, especially in politics.
Chapter 4: Repetition is a great way to get your point across, as the Bible shows.
Chapter 5: Irony can be wielded to deflect the truth or to subtly communicate a point.
Chapter 6: Foreshadowing is a powerful rhetorical device ideal for political speeches.
Chapter 7: Metaphors are potent figures of speech that mirror structures in the human brain.
Chapter 8: Extended metaphors craft such powerful messages that political campaigns often center on them.
Chapter 9: Rhetoric can be wielded for malicious ends, to influence and manipulate.
Language Intelligence Summary & Overview
Language Intelligence (2012) focuses on an aspect of language that is often overlooked or dismissed: the art of rhetoric. From the King James Bible to Shakespeare, from modern-day political campaigns to the lyrics of pop songs, rhetoric is a widely used tool – one that we all should learn to use and understand. After all, in words there is power and strength.
This is a Blinkist staff pick
“These blinks take you through history and around the world in search of answers to the age-old question of how the languages we speak affect the way we think and act. Really fascinating stuff!”
– Erik, Editorial Production Manager at Blinkist
Who Should Listen to Language Intelligence?
- Linguists and grammarians
- Politicians and marketing experts
- Poets and singers
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