Words That Work

The main point and supporting material as already discovered by the end of the first chapter or two. Much of the material is repeated over and over and over and over... The author has many good points about word choice, but unfortunately often does not follow his own advice. His tone is often so self-aggrandizing that it is embarassing to listen. It is also a shame that much of the effort behind his choice of words is not to improve communication of ideas, but to obscure ideas in pretty wrapping so the (apparently ignorant) public may more easily consume them. I learned from the book, but it took too long, and I felt soiled after listening to it.

It's not what you say it's what they hear; there, you've got it, no need to buy the book. Unless you want a 6 hour review of political word-smithing of past presidential campaigns. If you plan on running for President in 2008 this is a MUST read, otherwise this book does not live up to its title.

It takes this guy 4 hours of blabbering to give you 21 "words that work" that are actually concepts...then he tells you 20 political phrases not to use and replaces them 20 other. 95% of this is wordy boring political stories.
WASTE OF TIME!

Unfortunately, there is no real 'meat' in the book. I kept waiting for something more, and it was never delivered. Pretty much a waste of time and money.

It's not what people say, it's what they hear. You will learn this in the very beginning of the book. It is the best part of the entire book. This book has a lot of political talk which for me was not very intersting at all... I would have better enjoyed a little more info, a little less political example. He also very much enjoys talking about himself... For me, this book was 5% good information, 95% blah blah blah.

Before I bought this audio I thought of Frank Luntz as a wizard of the English language. As I listened to the book I realized that I was more a victim of Mr. Luntz's self promotion. There is nothing new in this book. If you have ever read a book on influence and persuasive writing then you will likley hear the same stuff here.

This book listens well. It reinforces the concepts because the hearing of words that work is more powerful than reading the same words on a page. The author should renew your committment to think before you speak. Words have emotional impact and cultural subtext. The meaning is in what is heard, not what the speaker meant. The examples are very clear, showing how great communicators were effective and how the same smart people were derailed by using the wrong words.

It was even better than I expected. I thought I would pick up a few phrases to use in business and social settings that would really get my point across. To my surprise there were marketing tips and affirmations that some of our word usage strategies are effective word choices. I highly recommend this book.

The author certainly uses many "words that work" to sell his book. I quit after an hour. It reminded me an endless TV informational, that one can count on at 3 a.m. I want to ask the author 'where is the beef?"

Luntz only narrates a small portion of this audio book - a disappointment since I really like his work and I am used to hearing his voice. Sorry but the other narrator's voice is just almost grating.