In Other Words

The Tipping Point meets Magic Words in this lively, illuminating exploration of the hidden science behind the words we use—and how we can harness their influence to better communicate with each other, navigate our world, and shape our futures, from a professor of marketing and psychology.

A day consists of thousands of choices, but whether you’re standing in the grocery aisle, scrolling through a dating app, or filling out a ballot, the decisions you make are not entirely your own. The words you see and hear are subtly steering your actions and shaping your life—and not always for the better. Regaining control and learning to thrive begins with understanding their hidden power.

In In Other Words, a pathbreaking expert in cognition and communication examines the linguistic scaffolding that makes up our world and makes up our minds, showing how the most innocuous of details—the verb used in a newspaper headline, the speed with which someone talks, and even the letters in your own name—can quietly and profoundly influence the opinions you have and the decisions you make. For example:

• If you had a different name, you might love a different tea;
• You’ll want the $28 salad more than the twenty-eight-dollar one; and
• You’ll probably tip “Dean” more than you’ll tip “Don.”

Distilling over a decade of cutting-edge psycholinguistic research, In Other Words reveals the surprising ways that words guide our every action—and shows how, by understanding their science and harnessing their power, we can better understand ourselves and each other.