Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values and Vision

by George Lakoff

Two years ago George Lakoff published the bestselling Don't Think of an Elephant! Its account of the conservative monopoly on effective framing touched off a national discussion about political language. It also gave rise to a chorus of pleas for What is the progressive vision of America; * Why progressive values are America's values; * How frames are necessary to serve the truth; * Why sloganeering alone doesn't work; * How progressives trap themselves and how they can escape those traps; and * How political arguments and narratives can be put together to counter the Right.Thinking Points satisfies that call with a bold, concise, and systematic explanation of how conservatives think and use language—and how progressives can fight back . Lakoff and the Rockridge Institute offer a new understanding of the so-called political center and explain why the most effective way to appeal to those who identify themselves as moderates or conservatives is to remain true to progressive values.This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to participate in shaping an America that serves the common good.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Psychology, Communication, Political Science, Social, Education

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2006

About the author

George Lakoff is Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at UC Berkeley and is one of the founders of the field of cognitive science.

He is author of The New York Times bestseller Don't Think of an Elephant!, as well as Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think, Whose Freedom?, and many other books and articles on cognitive science and linguistics.

Reviews

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read most of Lakoff's other books (that's my reason for the 3 stars... not too much new material)... if you have read those, you can probably skip this and just check out the Rockridge Institute's website: [http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/]

If you haven't read any Lakoff and are curious, I would recommend this or Don't Think of an Elephant. If you've read this or 'Elephant and want more... head straight to Moral Politics.

Every time I open a newspaper, turn on cable news or scan the blogs, I hear something that vindicates his cognitive science interpretation of American politics. Compelling.

[James Birch]

In short, this book is about framing the debate and why the right is much better than the left at using emotional appeals. Great read if you're liberal and wondering why liberals keep losing political debates.

[Twilight O. ☭ · Rating 4 out of 5]

For as long as I have been alive, liberals have been losers. I don't mean that they've been losing elections, although they have, but that they've consistently failed in the court of public opinion. While still representing a respectable portion of the older generations, it seems anyone young enough to have grown up during and after the Iraq War and the 2008 Recession (like myself) is either a conservative populist or a budding communist. Thinking Points, written in 2006, almost reads like a crash report written as the car collided with a wall. It explains perfectly why liberals lost touch with my generation, or at least why they lost touch with me. Lakoff does seem fatally ignorant of class, not in the sense of financial incentives but in the sense of social standpoint, and so his proposed competing conservative and progressive moral frameworks float above the material realm detached from the actual living processes that animate them, but this ultimately amounts to a limitation rather than a flaw with his research. And, even without understanding their basis in the practices of an underlying social reality, Lakoff offers valuable tips on how we might combat those caught up in the conservative schematic. Now, if only someone would write a Marxist version of this on how to argue against liberals...

[Just Practical Talk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first of George Lakoff’s books that I have read. I do not consider myself a “cut and dry” progressive. I am open and intrigued by the view of all parties. Though I do not agree with his “framing” of the conservative view, I appreciated the explanations of the progressive views. The author outlines and “rallies” progressives to embrace this as a “tool book” to learn how to work with the right. This book was first published in 2006 and it is evident that a lot has changed (or has it?) and this “tool book” is very much needed NOW – if you are a progressive.
I am giving it 3 stars because it is well written and easy to follow (whether agreed or disagreed). I found Chapter 7 Strategic Initiatives the most interesting, most especially topics on clean elections, healthy food and ethical business.

[Charles Collyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for progressives, this short book gives an overview of how messages and arguments are framed, how the framing becomes part of the message (shades of Marshall McLuhan!), and how the structure of communications can be recognized and utilized to one's advantage.

Goes significantly deeper into the psychology of communication than the "talking points" of most political practitioners.

[Justin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mejor leer no pienses en un elefante.

[X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent.

[B. AGHA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnificent. George Lakeoff gives the reader the tools to ascertain and defend his opinion and values.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some interesting ideas, but I found it hopelessly naive about being practical.

The book is about frames, which are more or less frames of reference that people assume when discussing a specific topic. The book states that progressives should spend time and effort explaining the proper frames to the public in order to be more persuasive on issues.

All this is well and good, but this is just a small part of the picture. For one thing, some control of the corporate media is needed if you want to get your message across. Good luck, since the big corporations are anti-progressive.

Modern means of opinion manipulation are amazing, well advanced from a few decades ago, and light years past the origins of the public relations in the early 1900s. I will give an example. In 2013, Washington state had a GMO labeling initiative. At first it looked like it would pass. But then Monsanto, the soft drink companies, and the grocers dumped a ton of money into the campaign. I predicted that the initiative would fail by 51-49%. My prediction came true. I have seen this result too many time in initiatives like this. By looking at election financial disclosure records, I found the general contractor for Monsanto and its minions, Winner & Mandabach. See http://www.wmcampaigns.com. They are the nation's leading ballot measure consulting firm. What I found out about them scared me. Their historic success rate is over 90%. Their recent success rate is 100%. Looking through several campaigns, I found the 51%-49% result is not rare. To call it like that! The gall! I imagine their spiel goes something like this for close expensive elections: If you want 51%, here is what it will cost, and here is what kind of last minute bad press will overturn this. If you want more, here is what it will cost and here is the protection you will get.

When you can buy elections like this, there is no democracy left. I wish some insider would write a book with a lot of details on how this works.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this is supposed to be a "guidebook" to communicating and swaying the opinions of undecided voters/moderates (or "biconceptuals" as the book calls them), I think it really falls short of its aims. It primarily shows how to "frame" issues and opinions to influence those opinions, but falls far short of actually describing WHY the liberal beliefs are better or more effective than others.

Some examples of how the prescribed ideas contained within might work more effectively, are shortsighted and show a fundamental misunderstanding of economics and other subjects (defense and conservative opinions and beliefs to name two more). If I'm going to try to change a person's opinion, I'd at least try to understand their basis and where they are coming from, but this book seems to rely on tired old stereotypes and talking points as starting points for discussion.
All in all, as a conservative, it's barely worth reading, and if I were a liberal, I'd probably discard most of the material within as well. It's got very shaky conceptions of the values and visions it seeks to persuade others to adopt. There's nothing new here - just new ways of saying and arguing the same old, hackneyed liberal hyperbole

[Stephie Jane Rexroth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read. Every argument, issue and policy can be boiled down to two cognitive frames: the strict (authoritarian) father frame for conservatives and the nurturant-parent frame for progressives. This book in particular explored "bi-conceptualism"... instead of being in-the-middle, independent or moderate, people have a mix of conservative and progressive moral systems as applied to specific issues/policies.

Many pointers and plenty of examples for not arguing against conservative frames, which ineffectively reinforces them... use frames that reflect your own progressive values: empathy and responsibility. Doing so establishes unique progressive identity and authenticity... instead of being the anti-[add conservative topic here].

Eye-opening, helpful and practical.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

slick justification of progressive taxation:

"The common wealth has been used to build highways, develop the Internet and the satellite system, uphold the banking system, regulate the stock market, and support the court system, which guarantees contracts. No business functioning in the market could exist without massive use of the common wealth. It is crucial to the existence and flourishing of markets. And those who benefit from markets have a moral obligation to replenish the common wealth."

[Kristy Morman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great find about how progressives can identify and communicate our values and morals. Conservatives essentially have the "market" on being the party associated with morals and values, so how do progressives take it back? I found this to be not only helpful (to help me communicate those values in an intelligent way to conservative friends), but also eye-opening about some of the core differences between the parties, and solidified why I am progressive.

[Jaky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts out strong but gets a little repetitive toward the end. I definitely agree with a lot of Lakoff's views and logic. This book (along with Lakoff's other works) is a must for those who think capitalism is the save-all form of social operandi. On the other hand, applying all of the progressive values entailed within this short work might just destroy the very concept of the individual (you decide whether that is good or bad).

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the co-founder of the Empathy Surplus Project, Wilmington, OH. My co-founder, Gary Evans, life long Republican, and I, life long Democrat believe empathy and responsibility for self and others belongs in public governance. We use this book as a basic resource in the chartering of Caring Citizens' Chapters. We can discuss this book on social media. To find our schedule of readings go to http://empathysurplus.com/resources

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still working on this one. It's very similar to his other books on framing, Think of An Elephant and Moral Politics. As a student of linguistics, I like and agree with his analysis of framing. His organization's blog, Rockridge Nation, has a long running conversation on the book which is good to read after you've been through a chapter or two.

[Missy Meegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on political framing and a must read for any Progressive looking for ways to effectively communicate our ideas while effectively dispelling conservative myths.

The Rockridge Institute's ( which funded this book) website is an excellent resource for additional information.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional text on political framing. The text is concise and easy to read while not skimping on details. Lakoff's work will be shown in the future to be one of the central reasons why the progressive movement didn't die.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very important book for understanding the reasons why politicians have difficult creating counterargument. For anyone who is frustrated with why the Democratic Party has been unable to come up with a response, read this!

[Kemlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lakoff explains why arguments (and elections) aren't won with presentations of compelling statistics, solid data, and point-by-point policy statements. The way we talk about our values—the words we use, the images we rely upon—can make the difference between persuading and alienating.

[Joel Duff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ideas behind this are great but it reads poorly and becomes more tedious as it progresses. Sometimes team writing produces the least engaging books.

That being said, progressives cannot afford to miss this message about speaking to values.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

See highlights for sample tidbits from the book with interesting trivia, phrasing, metaphors, ideas, and facts. Wonderful book for communicating values and vision. Well researched, well written and great ideas. Check out the highlights !!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone interesting in the power of words, it has a compelling look at political speech relating to the most crucial issues of today.

[Patrick\ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Replacement of Liberal with Progressive. Patriarchal paternalism vs messy community decision making. Liberals will always be on the defensive regardless of name.

[Mark E. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book every progressive activist or Democratic candidate should read in order to understand how to frame their message.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great way to learn to frame issues progressively! How to argue using progressive values.

[Heather]

exceptionally thought-provoking

[Edmund · Rating 4 out of 5]

As brilliant and insightful as Lakoff's other work. It isn't that long but requires a significant investment to get through. It is worth the time, though.

[Jonay Beltrán · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's extremely interesting learning about frames and biconceptualism. This last concept was what really caught my attention. There isn't such a thing as 'moderate' politics.