The Book of Radical General Semantics

by Gad Horowitz

The Book of Radical General Semantics, arranged into seven Parts, begins with a new look at the motor of Korzybski’s general semantics – the Structural Differential. Part II introduces Silent Practice – attention to sensory experience – as integral to saner evaluative processes. Silent Practice precedes The Devices of General Semantics (Part III) as it is a skill that facilitates that “fraction of a second psycho-logical delay” intended by the devices. In Part IV, The “Self” and Free Will, the Structural Differential is turned inward to provide a multi-levelled map of one’s very own self in which oneself is event-self, object-self, label-self. In Part V, Politics, the devices and formulations of general semantics are applied to such diverse issues as President Obama’s ‘You Didn’t Build That’ speech, the ultra-left ‘Tiqqun’ group, and the Canadian monarchy. The Meta Model purposely comes late (Part VI) in the book. Here Gad returns the Meta Model developed as a practice within Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to its origin in General Semantics. Part VII. Myth Art Religion brings together a number of resonances of radical general semantics with studies of music, photography, phenomenology, filming theoretical concepts, writing, myth and religion. While most of the writing is by Gad Horowitz, Colin Campbell has contributed a number of very rich chapters especially in Part VII.

260 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2016

Reviews

[Justinas Beinorius · Rating 4 out of 5]

General Semantics started in 1933 with Korzybsky publishing "Science and Sanity". I'm very pleased to see this methodology branching out and giving fruits!

This book is very modern (has lots of links to videos and forums). Parts of the book contain discussions among known GS people (ex. Bruce Kodish).

Why not 5 stars? Because of Campbell's boring essays.

[Max Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting if you are already familiar with Korzybski's work and you want to be reminded of core principals or rediscover them from a different perspective. Not ideal as a first introduction to General Semantics. Would have greatly benefited from the outside eye of a professional editor to turn this notebook into a true essay. Instead of "The Book of...", a more accurate title would be "Gad Horowitz's Notebook On General Semantics, Mostly from His Political Science Point of View".