Metaphors We Live By

As a philosophy nerd, language-lover, and literary geek, this book converges in all the right places for me. The authors explore how metaphors are not merely literary constructs, but rather entire conceptual frameworks that govern our understanding of the world. Example: good is up, bad is down: “I'm feeling down today,” “my spirits are up” etc – these kinds of phrases are so rote, we fail to recognize they are metaphorical, and that the up/down spatial metaphor applies to so much more. I would extrapolate, but then why would you read the book? (She says, realizing most people will not want to read this book).

If you do read it, I would only recommend the first 15 or so chapters; after that, the argument is reiterative and less compelling.