What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level,...

Emma Byrne examines the latest research to show how swearing can be good for you. She explores every angle of swearing-why we do it, how we do it, and what it tells us about ourselves. Not only has some form of swearing existed since the earliest humans began to communicate, but it has been shown to reduce physical pain, to lower anxiety, to prevent physical violence, to help trauma victims recover language, and to promote human cooperation. Taking...

"The leading lie-detection instructor to the FBI and other security agencies for over two decades, David Lieberman, PhD, takes "people reading" to a whole new level. Drawing on the latest research in psycholinguistics-the vital cues embedded in spoken and written speech patterns--Mindreader delivers proven, cutting-edge methods useful for countless real life applications, including: Learning to detect the messaging behind passive and indirect language,...

"As immigrants and others are engulfed by dominant societies, the connection to their ancestral tongues is routinely severed. Julie Sedivy takes on the science and politics of language loss, offering lessons for the renewal and preservation of heritage languages, alongside her own moving story of language loss and accompanying personal crisis"--

"An illustrated, humorous guide to verbal and written rhetorical tricks, teaching readers to more competently analyze the hidden content behind words"--