Grammar for a Full Life: How the Ways We Shape a Sentence Can Limit or Enlarge Us

By: Lawrence Weinstein

Narrated by: Lawrence Weinstein

Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Why settle for a normal audiobook on grammar when you could learn new things about it and become your own best self at the same time?

If you’re looking for a traditional manual of rules, this much-acclaimed, groundbreaking audiobook by a cofounder of Harvard University’s Writing Center may not be the one for you. Grammar is about much more than rules: It’s about choices, too - since a thought can always be expressed correctly in multiple ways.

In Grammar for a Full Life, author Lawrence Weinstein reveals how our grammatical choices either stifle or boost our:

• Sense of agency in life
• Creativity
• Depth of connection to others
• And mindfulness..

Weinstein shows that certain tweaks to a person’s grammar can bring consequential changes in his or her fulfillment and well-being. In this wonderful audiobook, he describes some 40 transformative moves that can be made with English punctuation and syntax. You’ll learn, for instance, why a greater use of active voice constructions builds assertive energy in us. You’ll discover how - paradoxically - cutting back on the “intensifiers” (exclamation marks and words like really, absolutely) heightens our awareness of the world.

There is not too much about personality and life that Weinstein doesn’t see benefitting from a wiser use of grammar. In a section titled “Bonding”, even sex comes in for some grammatical attention. Even fear of death receives its own, almost lyrical section near book’s end.

The farther one gets into this remarkable audiobook, the clearer it becomes that Weinstein’s wish - for both himself and us - is actualization of “the whole person”, through language.

No listener should be intimidated by Weinstein's university credentials. As important an audiobook as his is, it's conversational throughout - and it's packed with numerous compelling, clear examples. You will never think of commas or possessive pronouns in the same way again. Your regard for the conjunction "but" is likely to soar.

Praise for Grammar for a Full Life has been coming in from thought leaders of all kinds, ranging from well-known authors on language, such as Anne Fadiman, Lynne Truss, and Richard Lederer, to influential spiritual thinkers, like Rabbi Lawrence Kushner.

Please Note: Grammar for a Full Life is not an audiobook intended for the person new to the English language. It assumes familiarity with many of the basics of English.

©2020 Lawrence Weinstein (P)2021 Lawrence Weinstein

Loved his take on life

He was excellent
Funny and intelligent.. it gave me a view about what’s it’s like to be this caliber of dissecting human thought paper & pen. It helps me to understand why people are motivated to be the way they are.

Dives in the Deep and Invites Us All to Follow

An amazing book. One that I’ll return to again and again. Grounding deep philosophical inquiry in grammatical and linguistic usage, he roots the conversation (and our understanding) in accessible nuggets to ponder and consider. It’s not just well-thought and well-written … it’s beautifully written.

Loved this!

I have this book in print and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear it in the reader’s own voice to supplement my initial reading!

The beauty and power one sentence can hold.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story and description of language at its best and how difficult it can be for so many of us to express our ideas and feelings accurately, but leaves me to hope to improve my own communications.

I Thoroughly Enjoyed This!

I will enjoy listening to this book again. What a grounding and delightful accompaniment to my commute!

Performance is the issue

I was trying to decide between buying this in paperback and buying from Audible. The sample convinced me to go with the paper format. Even the best authors should seriously question their likelihood of being competent narrators.

No please try again

It is difficult to say what’s needed to bring this production up to par. New narration would be a great start. It seems to meander and feels disorganized but that may be the voice? Hard to tell.

Trash

This book is common sense. A waste of money. Wish I could get my credit back