Publisher: PublicAffairs
Authors: Geoffrey Nunberg
List Price: $26.00
Amazon Price: $16.38
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Reviews:
Summary: Right on the Money...
I had heard Nunberg's interview with Teri Gross on NPR and decided that was one of my "sit on the beach and read" vacation books last week.
The other reviews say it but here goes. Democrats have a terrible time getting ONE message across because they are diverse and want in include everyone. Nunberg shows how trying to be inclusive and compassionate with your rhetoric only makes you wishy-washy. Republicans can be given big credit: THEY HAVE ONE MESSAGE BECAUSE THEY REALLY DO NOT CARE WHO THEY OFFEND. In this day and age it wins an election, sadly enough. Nunberg's comments on Bill Clinton are especially fascinating, Clinton came up even more rungs on the ladder for me after reading this. Clinton understands the rhetoric of politics and how to unify people, Franklin Roosevalt did too (as Nunberg points out).
Summary: Genuis (and enjoyable)
I saw Geoff Nunberg speak on June 13, 2006, at a book store in Menlo Park. He is both briallant and inspiring. An incredible read.
Summary: Losing the Language War
A scholarly expose of the linguistic nuances of political doublespeak could prove deadly boring. But in TALKING RIGHT, Geoffrey Nunberg proves himself an able and funny commentator and educator on the topic. He traces and annotates the evolution of political and media euphemisms, lingo, and nomenclature in the U.S. with a gimlet-eyed stare. Yet even with the brio that Nunberg brings to his theses, one wonders: Is the failure of liberals (or "progressives," if you prefer) really an inability to get a good motto on a bumper sticker? Or is it simply that since Clinton, there has not been a compelling leader to take charge of the Democratic Party?
Anyway, regardless of your party affiliation, if you're politically aware and/or enjoy thinking about the meaning of words and/or have an interest in American history and current events, you will get something from this book. (Did I leave anyone out?)
SIDELIGHT: With a book that deals with linguistics and meaning, one hopes that the author is an expert in his field. Impressive academic credentials aside, Geoffrey Nunberg chairs the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary. That's good enough for me. (Imagine the rousing discussions they have in that group!)
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