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Unspeak: How Words Become Weapons, How Weapons Become a Message, and How That Message Becomes Reality
by
Steven Poole
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. "Climate change" is less threatening than "global warming"; we say "ethnic cleansing" when we mean "mass murder," A compl...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
April 11th 2006
by Grove Press
(first published 2006)
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This is a book all about language, and how the terms and titles used by politicians and the media are carefully thought out for maximum impact. And the use and abuse of language makes for a very interesting read. But in the end I thought that this book just didn’t know quite what tone it was trying to get across. At certain times it was very serious, at others a strange sort of humour pervaded, and they didn’t really sit all that well together.
Full review: http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2006...
Full review: http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2006...
"Unspeak" is the art of speaking while doing two things: 1) Avoiding discussion of the unspoken assumptions behind words, and 2) simultaneously silencing the counter-argument. It's not exactly "framing" (Lakoff) and it's not "Newspeak" (Orwell) but a combination of the two and more as well. One of Poole's arguments is that, by analyzing unspeak, one can really begin to understand what the person doing the speaking wants or believes. Drawing mostly from the last coup...more
I've nearly finished this one and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in current events, politics, journalism/media, communications, language, and the like. It's essentially a study on how words and phrases are created by governments, organizations, media outlets, etc. as euphemisms and propaganda, and the negative effects that has on language, society, and, and its core, truth.
Practically every topical issue is discussed, and I think most mindful readers will find the sections on...more
Practically every topical issue is discussed, and I think most mindful readers will find the sections on...more
I agree with almost every review provided on Goodreads. The topic is important, he provides convincing examples, but the tone varies. Whether or not he has an ideological bias he appeared to me to be making a systemic claim. Unspeak is neither a conservative nor a liberal problem but a social problem.
In particular I would suggest you read this book for the examples of how the meanings of "community" and "freedom" have been distorted.
In particular I would suggest you read this book for the examples of how the meanings of "community" and "freedom" have been distorted.
really great until about halfway through, at which point it just loses steam.
Fascinating topic, great examples. It's very palpable, this sense of words being used to manipulate. It just doesn't remain interesting to the last.
Fascinating topic, great examples. It's very palpable, this sense of words being used to manipulate. It just doesn't remain interesting to the last.
Language has long been a powerful manipulator of public opinion. British author Steven Poole reinforces this truism in his book, Unspeak.
How public figures use speech and coin phrases can drastically change the way citizens view politicians and policies. It is no coincidence to learn that the United States' military operations in Iraq are now called "Operation Iraqi Freedom" (OIF), rather than the original "Operation Iraqi Liberation" (OIL).
Poole spends most of h...more
How public figures use speech and coin phrases can drastically change the way citizens view politicians and policies. It is no coincidence to learn that the United States' military operations in Iraq are now called "Operation Iraqi Freedom" (OIF), rather than the original "Operation Iraqi Liberation" (OIL).
Poole spends most of h...more
I read this when it first came out, and it appealed to my geeky love of language and persuasion.
How clever choice of words can become subliminal propaganda. For example, it charts the deliberate switch to "climate change", because it sounds less alarming than "global warming"; talks about the use of "pro life" rather than "anti abortion", as no one wants to claim to be anti-life; using "intelligent design" to rebadge creationism and sneak it past the US constitution's separation of church and state and so on. Mostly things I'd considered be...more
Lies, damn lies and spin... How to sort it all out...
A good read. Just proves we all speak in riddles!
Great insight into the misuse of language.
Excellent book
This book starts out with a short story about Confucius and his belief of the impact of improper language. The book then goes on to illustrate how governments and media manipulated language to be ambiguous, misleading, and out right lie. It's an interesting read because once you finish the book you will never look at government announcements and media publishing the same. You even become conscious of your own language and how you choose your words.
A fascinating and brilliant look at the way media, government and by turns, us the public use and abuse language and the meanings thereof.
It will make you read every news story twice and think through the statements made by politicians.
Highly enlightening.
Cheers
R,
It will make you read every news story twice and think through the statements made by politicians.
Highly enlightening.
Cheers
R,
This book is quite biased, but its still a very interesting take on how the media/government so largely influences our understanding of cultural events simply through the words they choose, or create.
Read with a grain (or shaker) of salt.
Read with a grain (or shaker) of salt.
Steve Poole is very smart. And kinda funny, in that understated, British way. He makes some really excellent points in this book, especially his arguments on the Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice movement and "Intelligent Design."
Apparently Unspeak is almost solely the providence of Western, Free-market, Democracies. The naked bias and anti-Bush/ Blair rhetoric diminished the otherwise interesting content of the book.
Started off well but then focussed purely on anti-Bush issues missing out on the fact that many NGOs and political issue groups are the worst abusers of Unspeak.
In the use of language, the most powerful messages are at work when they are unrecognisable to the masses.
Good idea, boring book.
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