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Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear

Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear by Frank Luntz (list price: $24.95; 2007 Hyperion). In Words That Work , Luntz provides a glimpse into the world of the professional wordsmith. Without question, he brings sufficient credibility to write on this topic authoritatively. His experience crafting and re-crafting messages for the wealthy and powerful is well known --- he's considered among the best in the business. And that is what really irritates me. Luntz describes the scientific process of manipulating the message for maximum effect. In essence, he's bragging about manipulating you and manipulating me. There is something really troubling about the idea that the content of a message is ultimately less important than the packaging. My minor irritation disappeared rather quickly though, because I realized that the information and techniques he described were absolutely critical knowledge. If only to avoid being the dupe of the next advertise