The Art of the Lie

This book shows how language can be used strategically to manipulate beliefs. From Machiavelli to P. T. Barnum to Donald Trump, many have perfected the art of strategically using language to gain ...

This book shows how language can be used strategically to manipulate beliefs. From Machiavelli to P. T. Barnum to Donald Trump, many have perfected the art of strategically using language to gain the upper hand, set a tone, change the subject, or influence people's beliefs and behaviors. Language--both words themselves and rhetorical tactics such as metaphor, irony, slang, and humor--can effectively manipulate the minds of the listener. In this book, Marcel Danesi, a renowned linguistic anthropologist and semiotician, looks at language that is used not to present arguments logically or ratio