The Power of Language

How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform Our Minds

By: Viorica Marian

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

“Sparkles with insight.”—Daniel Pink

A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2023

A New Scientist Best Science Book

A Publishers Weekly Summer Read 2023 Recommendation

One of Next Big Idea Club’s "7 Books that Reveal the Wonders of Writing and Language"

One of Inc.’s “13 Psychology Books to Understand Humans Way Better”

This revolutionary book goes beyond any recent book on language to dissect how language operates in our minds and how to harness its virtually limitless power.

As Dr. Marian explains, while you may well think you speak only one language, in fact your mind accommodates multiple codes of communication. Some people speak Spanish, some Mandarin. Some speak poetry, some are fluent in math. The human brain is built to use multiple languages, and using more languages opens doors to creativity, brain health, and cognitive control.

Every new language we speak shapes how we extract and interpret information. It alters what we remember, how we perceive ourselves and the world around us, how we feel, the insights we have, the decisions we make, and the actions we take. Language is an invaluable tool for organizing, processing, and structuring information, and thereby unleashing radical advancement.

Learning a new language has broad lifetime consequences, and Dr. Marian reviews research showing that it:

· Enhances executive function—our ability to focus on the things that matter and ignore the things that don’t.

· Results in higher scores on creative-thinking tasks.

· Develops critical reasoning skills.

· Delays Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia by four to six years.

· Improves decisions made under emotional duress.

· Changes what we see, pay attention to, and recall.

©2023 Viorica Marian (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Full of delightful insights, this book is thoroughly researched and compulsively readable."—Kirkus

"Marian, a professor of communication sciences and disorders at Northwestern University, makes a convincing case for multilingualism in her illuminating debut… Marian’s extensive research and thoughtful analysis lend this entry weight, and the lay reader-friendly prose makes it all go down smoothly. Curious monolinguals will be inspired to expand their linguistic horizons."—Publishers Weekly

"The Power of Language sparkles with insight. After reading this book, you will see and hear words differently—and feel a deeper appreciation for the sheer majesty of the human mind. (Bonus: It will also make you want to learn Swedish, Spanish, or Swahili!) Viorica Marian takes her place alongside Steven Pinker and George Lakoff as the author of an essential work about the science of language."—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drive, When, and The Power of Regret

This book is a gem.

If you are interested in language, and especially if you are bilingual, this book is for you. Cutting edge language science told in an accessible and engaging and witty way, packed with examples and stories and data and insights. The connections to math and AI were also interesting. The pacing is good and enjoyable. I recommend it for experts and the curious.

If you interact with human beings at all - this book is a must

If you are in:

✅law
✅medicine
✅insurance
✅marketing
✅sales
✅research of any kind

Or any field where you deal with human beings…

You MUST read this book. Nothing I’ve ever read on the subject of how humans think and how their thinking is affected by language they speak or perceive has moved my understanding of human nature further than this book. EVERY paragraph contains priceless insight.

I don’t say this lightly - it’s a page turner. And that’s why I got an audiobook too so I don’t have to stop “reading” even when I have to stop “reading.”

Thank you Viorica Marian - you’ve opened my eyes to a whole new world

#insurance #law #sales #research #language #medicine #marketing #science

Fantastic

I am sure I am one of many who always wanted to learn a second language and this book has been fascinating to understand why it is harder to learn a second language. :) and easier to learn the third. It is an intellectual listen which I enjoyed a lot.