Metaphors We Live By

Author: George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
Genre: nonfiction
Publication info: University of Chicago Press, 2003 (originally published in 1980)
Pages: 276

I'm a nerd. I admit it. Reading this book began as an assignment for an English semantics class I'm taking. My professor asked us just to skim it; she had it on course reserve for us at the library. But I live a fair distance from campus and knew I wouldn't have much time to spend at the library, plus I was interested in the book, so, well, I bought it. And then, after reading the first few chapters in preparation for the class discussion, I went ahead and read the whole thing. And I liked it. There you go. I'm a nerd.

But seriously, this book provides some fascinating insights into our language and ways of thinking. Lakoff is a professor of linguistics and Johnson a professor of philosophy, and when they published this book, apparently they shook up their fields quite a bit. They caused people to take metaphor more seriously---not just as a feature of lyrical language but also as concepts by which we view the world.

The first several chapters are the most interesting. They talk about metaphors that are pervasive in our language and that I had no idea were actually metaphors. For example, many of us might use expressions like the following, under the general metaphor argument is war (and I quote):

• Your claims are indefensible.
• He attacked every weak point in my argument.
• Her criticisms were right on target.
• I demolished his argument.
• I've never won an argument with him.
• You disagree? Okay, shoot!
• If you use that strategy, he'll wipe you out.
• He shot down all of my arguments.

Those are just a few of the examples they list, and if you're like me, you probably never thought of those as metaphorical before. But they are, because verbal argument is not the same as physical combat. However, the big point Lakoff and Johnson are making is that not only do we describe argument metaphorically as war, but we think about it and structure it like war. If that doesn't make sense, read the book; they explain it much better.

Later on in the book the authors depart from specific metaphors and go on to discuss the role of metaphors in our understanding of truth. It gets philosophical and rather abstract, and thus it's a little harder to get through. Philosophy isn't really my thing because it tends to get so abstract, but that doesn't mean I think it's never worthwhile. However, this book is pretty dense reading, and by the end I was eager to move on to other things. If I had been more willing to to give it more time, I'm sure I would have gained a lot more from reading it.

If you're interested in linguistics, philosophy, or cognitive psychology (I think that's what it's called), give this book a shot. If anything, it makes you look at things a little differently---things that are part of your everyday life.

If you don't believe me, go back and see how many metaphors I've used in this review. I used at least one in the last sentence.

Tennis Shoes among the Nephites

Author: Chris Heimerdinger
Genre: fiction, young adult, historical fiction
Publication info: Covenant Communications, 1989
Pages: 229

You know, now that I think about it, tennis shoes don't have very much to do with the story. That's a shame.

This was another book that was recommended to me to help me get back into the reading lifestyle I had fallen out of. I admit I was hesitant about this one; I feared it would be too cheesy and unfulfilling. But, heck, I've written about The Two Princesses of Bamarre on this blog, so what did I have to lose?

Turns out that Tennis Shoes is pretty cheesy, but it's also pretty fun when you don't expect too much out of it. The premise is that Jim Hawkins (who bears no apparent connection to the protagonist of Treasure Island), who is initially a jerk, finds an unlikely friend in the "nerd" Garth Plimpton (who is not a country music fan). One day, while they, along with Jim's younger sister, Jennifer, are exploring in a strange cave, they are suddenly taken to a place and a time very different from their own---that of the Nephites.

The Nephites were an ancient American civilization whose history is chronicled in the Book of Mormon. The three children (who, I suppose, are sporting tennis shoes), find themselves in the time of the so-called war chapters in the book of Alma. Before they know it, they are directly involved in a great war between the Nephites and the Lamanites. In the process, they mingle with famous figures who used to be just names on a page.

The fun thing about this book is that it provides a close-up look at some of the great Book of Mormon stories, along with plausible interpretations of certain characters. I admit that Heimerdinger's portrayal of Teancum is quite different from what I imagine, but it is still very interesting. I suppose this book is a good way to get kids more interested in the Book of Mormon. At the beginning, Jim knows virtually nothing about that book of scripture, but by the end he is vitally interested, and hopefully the reader is as well.

Still, the writing has many weaknesses. For one thing, Jim seems too witty for the type of guy he is. He always has a clever thing to say about a situation. Also, the plot is rather predictable, and not just because I am familiar with the Book of Mormon. You can see conflicts from a mile away. And then they are resolved too neatly. It seems that there is always a helpful person in the right place at the right time to keep problems from becoming too serious. I don't think I ever believed that any real harm could come to the main characters. A lot of tension is lost this way.

This is apparently the first book in a series. Each installment depicts a different part of the Book of Mormon. This is all well and good, but I don't think I'll be reading the next book any time soon. One book is a fun ride, and I recommend it to anyone who is curious. As I said before, it might be a good way of getting kids excited about the Book of Mormon. But it is not a replacement. If you want the real thing, read the Book of Mormon. That's where the good stuff is. That's the book that will really change your life. You don't have to go back in time for that.

Home to Harmony

Author: Philip Gulley
Genre: fiction
Publication info: HarperCollins, 2002
Pages: 220

I'm back! Finally. Not that I expect anybody to have missed me or to have missed reading this blog, but I have certainly missed writing it. Actually, I've missed reading for a while. Thanks to some factors not at all related to this blog, I haven't been able to do any recreational reading for quite a long time until just recently. It got so bad that one day I went to the library and had no idea (at all) what to read. I owe a lot to some loved ones who gave me recommendations and got me back on track.

The first of these is Home to Harmony, recommended by my mother and my girlfriend. The latter was especially vocal about how much she liked it, and now I know why. The fact is that you can't not like this book. Unless something is wrong with you, you simply must enjoy this book. It's just a delight. I might as well throw out another cliche while I'm at it: It's guaranteed to raise a smile.

Philip Gulley is an actual Quaker minister, and the narrator of his book, Sam Gardner, is also one. The first chapter of the book tells of how he returns to Harmony, the small town of his youth, and becomes the minister there. All the other chapters are basically vignettes about different inhabitants of the town, sometimes mildly poking fun at them (and not exempting himself from that treatment), sometimes using them to teach a powerful lesson (he is a minister, after all). I came to love each of the quirky characters and smiled at the strange situations they found themselves in. I really felt at home in this lovely little town.

Gulley is a talented writer, especially with his tone that feels light and easy but I'm sure took an awful lot of work to perfect. Of course, the book isn't perfect. Sometimes I wondered how the minister could know so much about the personal lives of these people. Granted, ministers probably know more than anything about their congregation, but sometimes it was a real stretch. Also, there were times when his end-of-chapter lessons felt a little excessive. I already got a profound message through the story, so I didn't need the narrator to explain to me what I should learn from it. That said, some of the lessons were very touching, especially the one in the final chapter.

I recommend this book to anyone. It's a feel-good tale, but not in an unrealistic way. It is a great escape from the pressures of life, but it is also a good teacher for how to deal with those pressures. Just as a minister's words should be.