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Don't Think Of An Elephant!/ How Democrats And Progressives Can Win: Know Your Values And Frame The Debate: The Essential Guide For Progressives (Paperback + DVD edition) Paperback – January 30, 2005
Don't Think of an Elephant! is the definitive handbook for understanding what happened in the 2004 election and communicating effectively about key issues facing America today. Author George Lakoff has become a key advisor to the Democratic party, helping them develop their message and frame the political debate.
In this book Lakoff explains how conservatives think, and how to counter their arguments. He outlines in detail the traditional American values that progressives hold, but are often unable to articulate. Lakoff also breaks down the ways in which conservatives have framed the issues, and provides examples of how progressives can reframe the debate.
Lakoff's years of research and work with environmental and political leaders have been distilled into this essential guide, which shows progressives how to think in terms of values instead of programs, and why people vote their values and identities, often against their best interests.
Don't Think of An Elephant! is the antidote to the last forty years of conservative strategizing and the right wing's stranglehold on political dialogue in the United States.
Read it, take action--and help take America back.
How Democrats and Progressives Can Win (DVD) features a lively interview with George Lakoff, television news clips, and illustrative graphics, this is a must-see media tool for everyone who wants to better understand and communicate the progressive agenda. Includes "How to Debate a Conservative," "Know Your Values," and much more. Each DVD includes a summary card of key points. Produced by Educate the Base, LLC.
- Print length144 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherChelsea Green Publishing
- Publication dateJanuary 30, 2005
- Dimensions5.48 x 0.95 x 8.4 inches
- ISBN-109781931498821
- ISBN-13978-1931498821
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Publishers Weekly-
Lakoff, a cognitive scientist and linguist at Berkeley, believes he knows why conservatives have been so successful in recent years and how progressives like himself can beat them at their own game. This slim book presents a simple, accessible overview of his theory of "moral politics" and a call to action for Democrats mourning November’s election results. Lakoff’s persuasive argument focuses on two ideas: what he calls "framing," and the opposition of liberals’ and conservatives’ concepts of the family. Conservatives, he says, have easily framed tax cuts as "tax relief" because of widespread, preexisting views of taxes as burdensome, and liberals have had little success conveying the idea that taxes are a social responsibility. In Lakoff’s view, conservatives adhere to a "strict father" model of family, in contrast to liberals’ "nurturant parent" view, and he sees this difference as the key to understanding most of the two sides’ clashes. His writing is clear and succinct, and he illuminates his theories through easy-to-follow examples from current politics. Although the book has been updated since the election, many of its sections were originally written long beforehand, so some comments are outdated (at one point Lakoff wonders, for example, whether George Bush’s support of the gay marriage amendment will help him keep the White House). However, the process of regaining power may be a long one for Democrats, and Lakoff’s insights into how to deal with conservatives and appeal to the general public are bound to light a fire under many progressives.
About the Author
George Lakoff is the country’s leading expert on the framing of political discourse and one of the world’s most renowned linguists and cognitive scientists. He is the author of numerous books on politics–including Don’t Think of an Elephant!, The Political Mind, Moral Politics, Thinking Points, The Little Blue Book (with Elisabeth Wehling), and Whose Freedom?–as well as numerous books on language and the mind.
Lakoff has consulted with the leaders of hundreds of advocacy groups on framing issues, lectured to large audiences across the country, run dozens of workshops for activists, spoken regularly on radio talk shows and TV shows, addressed the policy retreats and the caucuses for both the Senate and the House Democrats, consulted with progressive pollsters and advertising agencies, and been interviewed at length in the public media, and he continues to do extensive research on the framing of public discourse.
Currently Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley, Lakoff is a founder of the fields of cognitive science and cognitive linguistics, has previously taught at Harvard and the University of Michigan, and was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. For more than two decades, he was codirector of the Neural Theory of Language Project at the International Computer Science Institute at Berkeley. He also spent more than a decade as senior fellow at the Rockridge Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, and has served on the international advisory board of Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain, on the science board of the Santa Fe Institute, as president of the International Cognitive Linguistics Association, and on the governing board of the Cognitive Science Society. He has lectured at major universities in dozens of countries around the world. His current technical research is on the theory of how the neural circuitry of the brain gives rise to thought and language.
His blogs appear regularly on his website, www.georgelakoff.com, and at The Huffington Post, Truthout, Alternet, Common Dreams, and Daily Kos.
Product details
- ASIN : 1931498822
- Publisher : Chelsea Green Publishing (January 30, 2005)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 144 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9781931498821
- ISBN-13 : 978-1931498821
- Item Weight : 10.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.48 x 0.95 x 8.4 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #5,147,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,342 in Political Parties (Books)
- #5,144 in Elections
- #5,176 in General Elections & Political Process
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

George Lakoff is Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972. He previously taught at Harvard and the University of Michigan. He graduated from MIT in 1962 (in Mathematics and Literature) and received his PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University in 1966. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Don't Think of an Elephant!, among other works, and is America’s leading expert on the framing of political ideas.
George Lakoff updates may be followed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+. Find these links, a complete bibliography, and more at http://georgelakoff.com
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On the positive side, this book exposes the lies and techniques that have been so effectively used by Republicans for so long. Who thought politics could come down to the simple use of simple words. In a broader context, Lakoff's purpose is to guide progressives in shaping and broadcasting their message. There is no harm in this. However, I believe the methods Lakoff expresses can go too far and be used for less than good purposes.
Lakoff does an excellent job of exposing the methods and lies of the Republicans. The use of terminology such as "Clear Skies Initiative" is a perfect example. While the legislation behind the pretty words allows more pollution into our air, the name allowed its passage.
We live in a time that allowed Reagan to call a missile system "The Peacekeeper". I guess "Killer of innocent people" would never have gone over well.
The book goes further to explain theories of why people need to buy into the marketing of the Republicans. All information is eye opening and important. While I can say this is one of the most important books I have read in a long time, I urge care in using the information in Lakoff's book.
This book can be used for good and for evil. If the progressives use it to better shape their message and effectively communicate the message to the masses, I'm fine with that. If progressives use this book to learn to lie and manipulate like Republicans, then this book is more dangerous than it is good.
Lakoff, a professor of cognitive science at UC Berkeley explains the two organizational paradigms or frames that the brain uses in understanding societal structure 1) the authoritartian frame and 2) the nurturing frame. People view family and political life through these frames. And one's political outlook tends to correllate strongly to which of these frames one relies on most in interpreting the world.
Frames are the networks of ideas or mental processes to which words, sentences, statements, propositions appeal in our brains. When statements cannot be interpreted inside a frame, the mind simply ignores them. This explains how we make sense of things, by filtering out clutter. But it also explains how magicians and politicians use misdirection to fool us about what is happening.
Lakoff suggests that the far right has cleverly hijacked our use of language to prejudice our views by applying Orwellian frames. Clear Sky Initiative, for instance, is Bush language for a body of law that makes it less expensive for a number of industries to pollute the air. He has also anylized the political actions of the right and he presents a precis of their 'strategic initiatives,' issues, and tactics. He explains how these make sense inside the authoritarian frame. He suggests a few initiatives for progressives and some wise methods for restoring language usage so it is no longer divisive or misleading.
Anyone who is confused or frustrated by the quality, tone, content, or usefulness of political discourse at any time since 1980 must read this book. Highly Recommended.






