Words That Work

Very mixed feelings about this book. I had a hard time trying to fit it anywhere, since I could bring arguments from both sides. So let's see.
Boy, this has not aged well at all. Its examples and analogies are out of touch with the times, for a 2021 reader. You might take those as just some innocent, funny details, since no one can accurately predict the future and write accordingly. But it cumulates with other signs of a badly-aged title - occasionally peppered with strong opinions on gender roles, disbelief in words that were emerging in the vocabulary at that time (e.g. “lifestyle”), and the outlook on the future seems closer to disgust and tragedy rather than optimism or hope. I'd say we are pretty well and do not need much of the author's compassion, since our present is pretty much what he described in this book as “the future”.
Yes, it holds some valuable points, and I hate that they still apply the same as in the year this book was published. Differences seem to be only about nuances, not about the hard contour lines.
Yes, the way we formulate an idea into words can affect whether that idea will be adopted or not. Or as the author's mantra says - “it's not what you say, it's what people hear”. This is not a very fair thing, but it's part of our reality.
And lastly, this mixed feelings review will end with a rather negative point - the book is very America-centric. I cannot ask the author to focus on something other than his direct life and experiences. But as a non-american, you need some extra energy to translate the cultural and political references to some relatable cases.