Symbol, Status, And Personality: Language and Its Critical Importance in Contemporary Society

by S.I. Hayakawa

A discussion of the importance of language in contemporary society.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Psychology, Linguistics, Language

204 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1966

About the author

Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa was a Canadian born American academic and political figure of Japanese ancestry. He was an English professor, served as president of San Francisco State University and then a United States Senator from California from 1977 to 1983.

Reviews

[Salma Abdel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read on language and the power it holds over people, with some pop psychology mixed in. Not every chapter is a winner, but what he does hit, he knocks out of the park.

[Lore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik ben de inhoud van het boek dankbaar dat de tekst op het flapje toch anders (lees: minder cliché) werd ingevuld dan ik in gedachten had, dit was honderd keer interessanter.

[Phil P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. A great into into semantics. Many of the topics discussed still has great relevance today.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite funny at times, and still has relevance today, despite being a bit old. Has some unfortunate "class, not race" bits and is overly optimistic about race in the U.S., but overall a good read.

[Daniel Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

This topic is incredibly fascinating to me. I didn't think this book went as in depth as it could easily have gone. I also think it could have used more supporting examples. A good read nonetheless.