Double-Speak: ROM Revenue Enhancement to Terminal Living How Government, Business, Advertisers and Others Use the Language to Deceiv

Doublespeak is truly a language unto itself. A fair comparison would be the similarities between British English and American English. Both use the same words which would lead some people to think they were the same language. That is until one hears that drivers in England keep their jacks in the boot, and take a lift up to their flat. So does Doublespeak use words from English but with a distinct accent that tells you the speaker is not from around here. Some people may not like the tone of the book. However when you realize that the author also wrote the Cambridge Thesaurus of American English, you'll understand why after several decades studying deception in language he used such a sarcastic tone in presenting examples of such. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how scam artists use innocent words for nefarious ends. Perhaps people like Bernie Madoff would have been less successful in running their scams if more people were aware of and watchful for doublespeak.

Double Speak presents an interesting collection of countless issues of semantics; some comical, some downright shocking. When words are used with the intention of implying one meaning yet are open to completely different connotations, this usage can be exploited to convince, misrepresent, or simply to provide one a convenient means of retraction. Lutz provides examples of Double Speak in politics, business, world events, sports, law, and many others areas of interest. I found many of the revelations intriguing and entertaining and would recommend this book for light reading or for anyone researching deliberate misusage of the English language for benefit.

Few other books shed as much light as this does on the deliberate attempts by industry, government, and professionals to use technobabble to confuse and distract "Joe and Jane Average" from the truth.If you want to be a smart consumer, and avoid being suckered by ANYBODY, this is an essential book to have in your possession. Paired with books such as "Influence" by Cialdini, and "Trance-Formations" by Bandler and Grinder, this prepares the average person for the mind war that is waged daily on us all. This book is a combined crap detector and phrase guide for the made-up, misleading, and outright false "language" that routinely bombards us in an attempt to avoid saying what is REALLY meant.It's not "NEW!" It's not "IMPROVED!" But it is essential reading for the every day person, and the persuasion professional