The Language of Public Apology Sorry About That (Hardback) - Common

by Edwin L. Battistella

People do bad things. They misspeak, mislead, and misbehave. They lie, cheat, steal, and kill. Often, afterward, they apologize. But what makes a successful apology? Why does Joe Biden's 2007 apology for referring to Barack Obama as "articulate and bright" succeed, whereas Mel Gibson's 2006 apology for his anti-Semitic tirade fails? Naturally, the effectiveness of an apology depends on the language used, as well as the conditions under which we offer our regrets. In Sorry About That, linguist Edwin Battistella analyzes the public apologies of presidents, politicians, entertainers, and businessmen, situating the apology within American popular culture. Battistella offers the fascinating stories behind these apologies alongside his own analysis of the language used in each. He uses these examples to demonstrate the ways in which language creates sincere or insincere apologies, why we choose to apologize or don't, and how our efforts to say we are sorry succeed or fail. Each chapter expands on a central concept or distinction that explains part of the apology process. Battistella covers over fifty memorable apologies from McDonald's, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Bill Clinton, and many more. Moving back and forth between examples and concepts, Battistella connects actual apologies with the broader social, ethical, and linguistic principles behind them. Readers will come away from the book better consumers of apologies - and better apologizers as well.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Society, Cultural

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Edwin L. Battistella teaches linguistics and writing at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. He is the author of six books and over fifty articles.

Sorry About That: The Language of Public Apology (Oxford University Press, 2014 [in production]) analyzes the public apologies of presidents, politicians, entertainers, and businessmen, situating the apology within American popular culture and showing how language creates sincere or insincere apologies, why we choose to apologize or don’t, and how our efforts to say we are sorry succeed or fail.

A Year of New Words (Literary Ashland Press, 2013) is a short series of essays and a glossary reporting on my 2012 project of making up a word a day.

Bad Language: Are Some Words Better Than Others? (Oxford University Press, 2005) and Do You Make These Mistakes in English? The Story of Sherwin Cody’s Famous Language School (Oxford University Press, 2009) are about language attitudes. Bad Language was a cultural history of language attitudes—why we consider some uses and words better than others. It was named one of the Chicago Tribune’s “10 Best Books on Language” in 2005 and it was an Oregon Book Award finalist in 2006.

Do You Make These Mistakes in English? was a cultural history of the self-education movement focusing on the life of writer Sherwin Cody, an entrepreneur of English whose long-running correspondence course invited the upwardly mobile to spend just fifteen minutes a day improving their English. It made the Library Journal’s 2009 list of Best Sellers in Language.

Markedness: The Evaluative Superstructure of Language (SUNY Press, 1989) and The Logic of Markedness (Oxford University Press, 1996) are about linguistic theory, specifically the structuralist concept of asymmetry between opposites and its later development in generative grammar.

Battistella served as Dean of the School of Arts & Letters at Southern Oregon University from 2000-2006 and as interim Provost from 2007-2008. He is on the board of directors of Oregon Humanities, the state humanities council, and on the editorial board of The Oregon Encyclopedia, and the Executive Committee of the Linguistic Society of America. He has been interviewed on the BBC, NPR’s Jefferson Public Radio, for C-Span2’s Book TV and in the NEH magazine Humanities.

He also moderates the Literary Ashland blog and twitter feed.

Reviews

[Sam Niemeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just to preface, I received a copy of this book through a Good Read's Giveaway.

Relying primarily on examples from American history, Sorry About That examines a variety of different types of public apology. Using examples, linguistics, and psychology, Battistella puts together a pretty compelling review of what sorts of apology are most adequate for responding to differing types of offenses. When a person owes an apology to a single person, when a person owes an apology to an entire group of people, when one nation owes an apology to an entire nation - there are many complicated factors covered in this book which help determine whether any given public apology is adequate and sincere (or even whether sincerity is necessary and prudent at all).

Beginning with "The Scope of Apologies," Battistella analyzes a series of public apologies using sociologist Dr. Goffman's five step apology process or 'dramaturgy' which views apology as a social ritual. In chapter two, "How Apologies Succeed and Fail," he analyzes the "call to apologize" as a three-step moral syllogism in which a successful apology relies on the offended party accepting the apology. Chapter three, "How we Literally Apologize" dives more deeply into the linguistics of an apology, and chapter four discusses in more detail the specific grammar of varying apologies. In chapter five, he looks at examples which illustrate apologies as confessions using St. Augustine who believes confession requires verbal precision, and Jean-Jaques Rouseau who believes confession requires "anti-rhetoric." In chapter six he examines apology as a verbal self-defense using William Benoit's five step process. Chapters seven and eight are focused on national and international apologies which become considerably more complex due to historical factors, international customs and relations, as well as their intended use for public relations and official uses. The book concludes by looking at some of social aspects of apology and why certain people are more likely to say sorry. Issues of pride, ego, and saving face come into question here as an explanation for why some public figures (notably politicians) refuse to apologize in situations where an apology seems clearly due.

Overall, this was a very interesting read kept fresh by the large number of examples. My one complaint was that the analysis and linguistic interpretation took a backseat to the examples. In that respect, Sorry About That felt more like a literature review than a research piece on "the language of public apology." Regardless, I highly would recommend this book to any student of sociology, linguistics, psychology, political science, or communications who is studying public discourse and apology. The book seems particularly geared towards university scholars and is an excellent tool for learning about public apology.

[Deborah Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through GoodReads FirstReads giveaway.

_Sorry About That_ is a fascinating analysis of the language used in public apologies. It examines the reasons people apologize and why their apologies succeed or fail. Like most people, I've been baffled by some of the waffly, weasely attempts at apologies offered by various public figures and organizations, but I hadn't given much thought to the linguistic and psychological underpinnings of apologies until I read this book. The author provides a detailed breakdown of the different aspects of an apology, the different goals of an apology, the factors that differentiate an effective apology from an ineffective one, and so on. There is also an interesting summary of the academic literature on the topic of apologies and related concepts (such as "accounts" and "regret") that may get muddled up with apologies. I especially enjoyed the many historical examples and related discussion, which ranged from Alexander Hamilton's apology for one of the first political sex scandals in the US to the comparison between the apologies offered by Exxon for the Valdez oil spill versus BP's for the Deepwater Horizon. It was interesting to study these real world examples to see how and why they suceeded or failed. At the end of the book, there is a succinct and helpful guide for analyzing the language used in apologies.

In sum, this book offers keen insight into the requirements of an appropriate and meaningful apology (public or otherwise). This information will be very helpful to me when it comes to parsing apologies and figuring out what is actually being said and (perhaps more importantly) what has been left out.

[Raven Bandicoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this through Good Reads First Reads.

Sorry About That was a very interesting book. It analyzed several apologies, stating whether they served the purpose of a sincere apology or not. It also helped me realize exactly what makes an apology sincere or insincere, and I think that the next time I say "I'm sorry", I'll think about how to say it first.

A very good read! Who knew learning about apologies could be so interesting and useful? I recommend this book for anyone who wants to read some good analyzing, or just anyone in general.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Battistella is internationally recognized as an authority on the public apology and is often consulted when scandals and political gaffs hit the media. In Sorry About That, he breaks down the scaffolding of why and how an apology is both authentic and effective and gives examples of both good and bad apologies. Battistella also looks at the use of "I'm sorry" as it compares to "I apologize" - how these are different and how these reflect contrition or not. A great read, and useful in life, politics and at work.

[Peter Geyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sorry", or apologising in general, is a complex area. Some societies can routinely use the term but in different ways, sometimes as culturally determined self-effacement, other times as a kind of avoidance strategy, or simply a perfunctory response to a variety of events.

In this book, Edwin Battistella focuses on public apologies i.e. how people apologise in public statements, where things aren't really straightforward and sincerity might actually be absent. A public apology can be part of a risk management strategy rather than anything coming from the emotions, or actual acknowledgement of a failure, or faux pas.

You can even say "I make no apology for that" as a gesture of defiance, or an attempt to claim some kind of righteousness.

The examples here, sometimes amusing, other's provoking a wry smile or feeling of despair, perhaps other feelings and judgements as well, are predominantly from politics and the United States. If you follow these areas, them many of the examples will be familiar; I found that to be the case myself, anyway.

The author's style is clear and simple, much as many of the examples demonstrate obfuscation, or an apparent desire to create confusion, deflection or disarray.

I found it an enjoyable read, and it made me reflect on particular family and professional conflicts and disputes, where apologies have seemed out of ther question. Other books around this topic lie in wait in the rooms of my home, and I lok forward to the right moment for opening them and seeing what they have to say.

[Rachel Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a college course, but I would recommend it to everyone! Battistella writes in an enjoyable and easily-understood tone, making this book interesting to read. Each chapter explores different apologies in history, analyzing the event and language used and providing an explanation for the apology (or lack thereof). After reading this book, I find myself analyzing my own apologies as well as apologies that are in the news. This book is a compelling read that makes you think about the why and how behind every apology.

[Midge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwin Battistella’s SORRY ABOUT THAT: THE LANGUAGE OF PUBLIC APOLOGY is one of those books that will likely always be relevant — after all, public figures always seem to be apologizing for something. And this is what’s fun and interesting about the book: Battistella takes a look at public apologies — from those of Mel Gibson to Hillary Clinton to McDonald’s to the U.S. Congress — and looks at the language of these apologies to show the depth of (or lack thereof) their sincerity.

As someone who loves language, I enjoyed the way Battistella deconstructed various forms of apology; as someone who is consistently fascinated by the appalling things people say, I enjoyed seeing their apologies analyzed; we can often tell on a basic level when an apology is insincere, and in his examples, Battistella shows us precisely why. As one example, of Mel Gibson’s apology for his anti-Semitic tirade after being arrested for driving under the influence, Battistella points out that Gibson “attributes his words and behavior to another self—one under the influence of alcohol. But his statement merely highlights the question of whether his inebriated beliefs are more deeply held than those of his sober persona. Gibson’s apology also fails by specifically apologizing only for his belligerence and for drunk driving, without naming his other offenses…”

While these anecdotes are compelling in themselves, the book goes into much more than the good and bad apologies of public figures; it looks at the process of apology, inherited guilt, and apology and gender, among many other issues. Battistella’s examples span from America’s first sex scandal (Alexander Hamilton in the 1790s) to the very famous Clinton-Lewinsky affair, and he looks at the nature of apology and self-reflection as far back as the fourth century. SORRY ABOUT THAT, taking a fascinating look at moments in human history through how we apologize, is great reading for historians, linguists, and anyone interested in celebrity and political culture.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't quite finished this book yet, but I believe I've read enough to give a solid review. As a communication scholar I was intrigued by this book and was not disappointed. Battistella gives so many wonderful examples and dissects all of them in an insightful, unbiased, and thorough manner. I've really enjoyed reading about the many successful and failed public apologies throughout history. He draws his ideas from so many different disciplines that the reader truly feels as if he/she is getting a very comprehensive guide to public apologies. In addition to being an excellent book for communication scholars, linguists, and sociologists there is a fun historical element to the book as well for those who enjoy history and politics.