Beyond Words: How Language Reveals the Way We Live Now
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Review
[Praise for Lost for Words]
'Humphrys is passionate about language – and very funny too'
'an exquisite sensitivity to the misuse of the English language'
'Humphrys is passionate about language – and very funny too'
(Rod Liddle )
'an exquisite sensitivity to the misuse of the English language'
(The Sunday Times )
'for all those who care about the English language'
(Ann Widdecombe, New Statesman )Review
"* 'Humphrys is passionate about language - and very funny too' - Rod Liddle * 'an exquisite sensitivity to the misuse of the English language' - The Sunday Times * 'for all those who care about the English language' - Ann Widdecombe, New Statesman"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
53 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Very funny but also genuinely illuminating look at the way the lazy and sometimes manipulative (mis)use of language has had an impact on our political, economic and cultural lives. His examples are wonderful and his case for grammatical rigour is compelling while never being snobby.
A great Christmas present for all who love the English language. An even better present for the rest.
A great Christmas present for all who love the English language. An even better present for the rest.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This short book is the second by John Humphrys on the current use of English and, like the first, is a delight to read. He examines the insidious intrusion of management-speak into everyday life, with some marvellous examples of pure gobbledegook from a range of sources. He refutes the notion that all organizations, whether they are hospitals, schools, or whatever, should aim to produce `measurable outcomes' for their `customers', and he deplores the overuse of words such as `lifestyle', `affordable' and `deliverables' that have been perverted to project meaningless concepts. Above all, he debunks the popular myth that it doesn't matter how you write as long as people understand it, preferring instead to believe that forcing ourselves to write properly forces us to think properly. This book should be compulsory reading in all schools; but it more likely to be burned as a heresy by local education authorities.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Deeper look into things taken for granted
19 Jun 2011
Format:Paperback
John Humphrys has done the world a great deed when he wrote this book. He shared his personal observations and opinions on how the use of language has become vague with the advance of marketing where every aspects of our life are branded or repackaged.
You have to admire John for his insightful views and give him kudos for his ability to use plain simple English and humour to address such a difficult and dreary topic.
We now live in a society where words are used in context where they no longer meant what they were. John questioned the concept of branding; "Branding is now the art of getting people to think what something might be rather than what it necessarily is. Its the manipulation of the virtual reality." whereby historically branding meant "authenticating that something was really what it seemed to be." John questioned the basic economic word "demand". "Why should we talk of consumer demand rather than consumer desire or consumer requirement or consumer request?" and concluded that "demand" translated into "gotta have it", the "must-have". John questioned our education system where what the parents are more interested might be how our children contribute in class and if they were interested in the lesson rather than charts and graphs of progress professionally presented in spreadsheet.
Here are some excerpts:
"At BT, we are committed to providing great value for all our customers....it's occasionally necessary to raise some of our prices a little." translates to "great value" means higher prices.
From Inland Revenue "working with the largest customer base of any UK organisation." is meaningless because the "customers" simply have no choice.
"Your M&S". M&S dos not belong to the customers: it belongs to the shareholders. The slogan implies that the product or service has been specially designed just for you personally. It hasn't. The stuff is mass-produced for a mass market and the business-like almost every other large business around the world-is becoming less and less personal.
"To ensure the ongoing quality of your swimming experience, the Club's swimming pool will be closed .... " The word "ongoing quality is entirely 'vacuous'. Does anyone imagine that the people who run the pool would be happy for it to be nice and clean this week and filled with disgusting germs next week?"
"Our thoughts go out to the loved ones...". It may meant well, but it has the smack of insincerity . "All" our thoughts do not "go out to anyone."
"Thank you for driving safely through...." How do they know we are driving safely through? If we were, it would either because we had nine points on our licence and were terrified of speed camera lurking ....
There are much more that you could gain from reading the book and discover how "Awareness", "Respect", "Word-life balance","Trust", "Authority", and so forth has become vogue.
You have to admire John for his insightful views and give him kudos for his ability to use plain simple English and humour to address such a difficult and dreary topic.
We now live in a society where words are used in context where they no longer meant what they were. John questioned the concept of branding; "Branding is now the art of getting people to think what something might be rather than what it necessarily is. Its the manipulation of the virtual reality." whereby historically branding meant "authenticating that something was really what it seemed to be." John questioned the basic economic word "demand". "Why should we talk of consumer demand rather than consumer desire or consumer requirement or consumer request?" and concluded that "demand" translated into "gotta have it", the "must-have". John questioned our education system where what the parents are more interested might be how our children contribute in class and if they were interested in the lesson rather than charts and graphs of progress professionally presented in spreadsheet.
Here are some excerpts:
"At BT, we are committed to providing great value for all our customers....it's occasionally necessary to raise some of our prices a little." translates to "great value" means higher prices.
From Inland Revenue "working with the largest customer base of any UK organisation." is meaningless because the "customers" simply have no choice.
"Your M&S". M&S dos not belong to the customers: it belongs to the shareholders. The slogan implies that the product or service has been specially designed just for you personally. It hasn't. The stuff is mass-produced for a mass market and the business-like almost every other large business around the world-is becoming less and less personal.
"To ensure the ongoing quality of your swimming experience, the Club's swimming pool will be closed .... " The word "ongoing quality is entirely 'vacuous'. Does anyone imagine that the people who run the pool would be happy for it to be nice and clean this week and filled with disgusting germs next week?"
"Our thoughts go out to the loved ones...". It may meant well, but it has the smack of insincerity . "All" our thoughts do not "go out to anyone."
"Thank you for driving safely through...." How do they know we are driving safely through? If we were, it would either because we had nine points on our licence and were terrified of speed camera lurking ....
There are much more that you could gain from reading the book and discover how "Awareness", "Respect", "Word-life balance","Trust", "Authority", and so forth has become vogue.
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