Customer Reviews

Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values and Vision

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As are all their books, Thinking Points; Communicating Our American Values and Vision by George Lakoff isn't disappointing. Well written and easy for anyone to read and understand, Dr Lakoff reiterates the differences between Conservatives and Progressives; "The Strict Father" model and "The Nurturant Parent" model, and why these differences are at such odds in our political system today.
Point by point, examples are given as to how each ideology defines words, and frames it's messages. How metaphors are used with soundbites, un-truths and spin, Dr Lakoff once again shows us how the right-wing conservative agenda has joined with the fundementalist base of the religious right to slowly erode traditional Progressive American "values" and civil rights in the name of their new Conservative "values package".
My hopes still are that more Progressive Democratic and Republican politicians and candidates will read the information Dr Lakoff and The Rockridge Institute have been working so hard to get out to us. I also hope all Progressives will read this book and be better able to understand what we actually stand for and how to speak out together in unison to keep freedom and peace alive in America.

Lakoff and the Institute take their reader through just about every major political debate, explaining how deep framing affects surface framing on each and how both progressive and conservative frames understand the deeper issues behind the policy debates - issues like self-reliance, common good and the morality of property ownership. They then show how to frame progressive arguments in ways that conservatives and biconceptuals (moderates) can easily access and in ways that they can relate to and agree with, while still remaining authentically progressive. He then makes one final point - that framing has to be repeated, time and again and across the board, until it becomes as pervasive and automatic as the conservative narrative has been, and then more so.

In 156 easily accessible pages, Lakoff sets the standard upon which all future discussion of the deep cognitive nature of political debate - the meta-politics - will be based. As such, I heartily recommend that you go buy this book. It is a must read.

George Lakoff's insights into political rhetoric have been brilliant, and his explanations for conservative rhetorical victories and the resulting failures by progressives are right on the money. Unfortunately, Lakoff made his most insightful points long ago, and this particular book is unrewarding for anyone who has read at least one of his previous books on the general topic of linguistics in American politics. I'm a great fan of Lakoff's work in this area, being introduced to it via "Don't Think of an Elephant" which I found revelatory, while I was also impressed with the more specific but somewhat repetitive "Whose Freedom." Those two books, plus the earlier "Moral Politics," are merely summarized into handbook form here, with a new quick-hitting format that might be useful for progressive strategists in the future but is a disappointment for anyone hoping for new insights from Lakoff. There is even a fair amount of repeated text within this short book itself.

When an author releases a new book, it's supposed to signify that he has created something new. But the only substantive new material in this book is found in Chapter 2, in which Lakoff expands upon the theory of "biconceptuals" in political thought and defeats the myth of a moderate center. But otherwise, most of the rest of the book consists of repeats of Lakoff's previous works condensed into soundbite form, as indicated by the frequent instructions for the reader to consult those three earlier books for more information. Meanwhile, an incongruous detour into policy idealism wrecks Chapter 7 - "Strategic Initiatives" that turn out to be political reactions of the type that Lakoff strongly disdains in all his other writings. Fundamentally, while Lakoff's insights remain useful, here he merely preaches yet again to the choir that is familiar with his earlier groundbreaking work. With his now-proven penchant for repeating his basic ideas in multiple books, it appears that Lakoff has said all he can say on progressive rhetorical political strategies. His breakthroughs will advance no further until progressive politicians and activists make real use of his ideas. Repeating all of the above in more books won't make that happen. [~doomsdayer520~]

Anyone who has read "Don't Think of an Elephant" will know author George Lakoff knows about the power of imagery through words. He clearly illuminates the influence exerted by metaphors that resonate with the American public, in particular, the impermeable connection people make between family and nation and how images are divided along party lines. A professor of linguistics, Lakoff is a senior fellow of the Rockridge Institute, the renowned liberal think tank that concentrates in part on helping Democratic candidates and politicians with re-framing political metaphors. With his latest book, he goes even further in providing clear-eyed examples of the political arguments that have proven to work, the ones that appeal most deeply to personal values and moral structures.

As with "Elephant", he bases his principles on what he calls "deep frames", perceptual maps each of us have in order to make sense of the world. Anything spoken that is antithetical to one's "deep frames" simply do not resonate because phrases, no matter how well turned, have to reflect tangible deeds at the end. What Lakoff provides in his slim volume is a primer for the progressives who have given up the fight of words to the conservatives who had successfully used father-figure metaphors to convince the nation to go to war in Iraq. In fact, the most fascinating parts of the book have to do with the "war on terror" frame. The author brings to light how Republicans have framed the war as a just one because any other kind is beyond our cognitive process. Consequently, references to the "war" frame have constrained Democrats from initiating a withdrawal that would get us out of the war.

Repositioning "war" to an "occupation" frame minimizes the good-versus-evil symbolism in favor of questions that innately arise as to when to leave Iraq. Moreover, an "Occupation President" sounds more like a military commander disregarding the Constitution rather than a heroic figure out to eliminate global terrorism. Lakoff applies his framing devices to several other political debates, for instance, the use of the term "biconceptualism" rather than references to a moderate position since the former infers an inclusive way of thinking that balances polar perspectives, while the latter picks up on the compromising aspect of being in the middle. With the decisive Democratic victory in both houses earlier this month, the progressive community has an opportunity to gain a foothold through the reinforcement of such inclusive frames in their speeches. From that perspective, Lakoff's primer becomes indispensable.

In this short volume, Dr. Lakoff presents a more concrete, 'work-a-day'approach to activists who wish to employee the technique to both frame their own messages, and recognize other's frame when they are presented. 'Moral Politics' was Lakoff's original analysis; "Don't Think of an Elephant" the cliff notes for it, and now we have 'Thinking Points'- the Chilton manual.

George Lakoff has done it again. His latest book, Thinking Points is yet another pithy, memorable analysis of how we progressives can make our points more effectively so that the movement truly embraces the majority of Americans. Highly recommended for policy analysts and public spirited citizens.

If you are Progressive, or want to understand progressives, then this is a must read.

Highly recommend this author for getting to the root of persuasive retaliation against the right-wing nut jobs.

A 'must read' progressives. The ideas of framing cut across all issues. This articulates progressive values, and points out the verbal 'traps' used by the right wing.

A fine book that everyone should have in their library - and read more than once