eBook - ePub
Unspeak
How Words Become Weapons, How Weapons Become a Message, and How That Message Becomes Reality
- 292 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Unspeak
How Words Become Weapons, How Weapons Become a Message, and How That Message Becomes Reality
About this book
"A sharply articulated, well-documented expos of the political and economic manipulation of language . . . Fans of Orwell, take heart."—
Kirkus Reviews
What do the phrases "pro-life," "intelligent design," and "the war on terror" have in common? Each of them is a name for something that smuggles in a highly charged political opinion. Words and phrases that function in this special way go by many names. Some writers call them "evaluative-descriptive terms." Others talk of "terministic screens" or discuss the way debates are "framed." Author Steven Poole calls them Unspeak. Unspeak represents an attempt by politicians, interest groups, and business corporations to say something without saying it, without getting into an argument and so having to justify itself. At the same time, it tries to unspeak—in the sense of erasing or silencing—any possible opposing point of view by laying a claim right at the start to only one way of looking at a problem. Recalling the vocabulary of George Orwell's 1984, as an Unspeak phrase becomes a widely used term of public debate, it saturates the mind with one viewpoint while simultaneously makes an opposing view ever more difficult to enunciate.
In this fascinating book, Poole traces modern Unspeak and reveals how the evolution of language changes the way we think.
" Unspeak deserves a place in every journalist's vocabulary."— Slate
"This book takes no word at face value, which will anger some and enlighten others, just as a book of social and linguistic commentary should."— Publishers Weekly
"As we approach yet another political campaign season, this remarkable new book examines the intersection where words and politics collide."— Tucson Citizen
What do the phrases "pro-life," "intelligent design," and "the war on terror" have in common? Each of them is a name for something that smuggles in a highly charged political opinion. Words and phrases that function in this special way go by many names. Some writers call them "evaluative-descriptive terms." Others talk of "terministic screens" or discuss the way debates are "framed." Author Steven Poole calls them Unspeak. Unspeak represents an attempt by politicians, interest groups, and business corporations to say something without saying it, without getting into an argument and so having to justify itself. At the same time, it tries to unspeak—in the sense of erasing or silencing—any possible opposing point of view by laying a claim right at the start to only one way of looking at a problem. Recalling the vocabulary of George Orwell's 1984, as an Unspeak phrase becomes a widely used term of public debate, it saturates the mind with one viewpoint while simultaneously makes an opposing view ever more difficult to enunciate.
In this fascinating book, Poole traces modern Unspeak and reveals how the evolution of language changes the way we think.
" Unspeak deserves a place in every journalist's vocabulary."— Slate
"This book takes no word at face value, which will anger some and enlighten others, just as a book of social and linguistic commentary should."— Publishers Weekly
"As we approach yet another political campaign season, this remarkable new book examines the intersection where words and politics collide."— Tucson Citizen
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Unspeak by Steven Poole in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Languages & Linguistics & Communication Studies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Unspeak
- Copyright Page
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Community
- 3 Nature
- 4 Tragedy
- 5 Operations
- 6 Terror
- 7 Abuse
- 8 Freedom
- 9 Extremism
- 10 Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- References
- Index