Want to Communicate More Effectively? Buy Joe Romm's book Language Intelligence

Brendan DeMelle DeSmog
on

If you are a blogger, a commenter, a tweeter, a public speaker or any type of communicator, you will benefit immensely from picking up a copy of Joe Rommโ€™s fantastic new book, โ€œLanguage Intelligence: Lessons on Persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga.โ€

DeSmog readers are likely familiar with Joeโ€™s incredible work over at Climate Progress, where he and his team โ€“ including my new friend Stephen Lacey, another fantastic writer โ€“ expertly cover the politics and science of climate change and energy issues. A big part of the secret to the success of Climate Progress is Joeโ€™s communicationsย expertise.

Language Intelligence has garnered incredible reviews and praise from a whoโ€™s who of top communicators, from Van Jones to Bill McKibben, Representative Ed Markey to Michael Mann and John Cook.

DeSmog contributor Chris Mooney, who interviewed Romm about the book on his Point of Inquiry podcast, says of Language Intelligence:

โ€œEverybody who cares about why science doesnโ€™t get through to the public should readย it.โ€

Romm covers everything about effective communication, from the critical importance of metaphors (especially extended metaphors), language simplicity, repetition, using figures of speech, creating anticipation through foreshadowing, and other persuasive rhetorical techniques. As Romm explains so well, the key to effective writing is to engage the readerโ€™s emotions, and work to inspire and activate your audience through honest and powerfulย communication.

Romm also reveals that he speaks his blogs using dictation software, rather than typing. He uses MacSpeech Dictate, a piece of software that Iโ€™ve owned for years but only used extensively during a bout with carpal tunnel when typing was too painful.ย  I think Iโ€™ll dust it off and try it again, although I find that I type much more lucidly than I speak when developing thoughts. But I do actively โ€˜speakโ€™ the words as I type them, which is the realย point.

As blog writers, we need to remember that weโ€™re having a conversation with our readers, weโ€™re not writing academic papers orย textbooks.ย 

As the 18th Century novelist, Laurence Stone, said: โ€œWriting is but a different name forย conversation.โ€

This is also demonstrated in the story often conveyed to aspiring journalists about Boston Globe writing coach Don Murray walking into the newsroom and instantly declaring that he could identify the three best writers in the room. โ€œHow did you know?โ€ asked the Globeโ€™s editor. โ€œBecause their lips move when they write,โ€ Murrayย responded.

I am thrilled that Joe finally slogged through to the finish line after decades of ruminating over the concepts and language tips found within the pages of Language Intelligence. From now on, this book will be required reading for all of DeSmogโ€™s writing fellows, and it should be on your desk as well.

I sure wish I had a copy of this book when I first started writing professionally about threats to our environment and democracy 15 years ago. As Van Jones says of Language Intelligence, I concur that โ€œthis book changed my life.โ€ย  โ€จ

So go forth, ye aspiring (and accomplished) communicators, and buy Language Intelligence faster than you can say Jack Robinson.

Donโ€™t feel as if you have to buy it today. Unless of course youโ€™re wondering if it might change your lifeย too?

Brendan DeMelle DeSmog
Brendan is Executive Director of DeSmog. He is also a freelance writer and researcher specializing in media, politics, climate change and energy. His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Huffington Post, Grist, The Washington Times and other outlets.

Related Posts

Analysis
on

Right wing YouTuber Tim Pool is the latest to own โ€˜climate peopleโ€™ with fake facts spouted by a grizzled TV oilman.

Right wing YouTuber Tim Pool is the latest to own โ€˜climate peopleโ€™ with fake facts spouted by a grizzled TV oilman.
on

Critics say the controversial GWP* method โ€“ which New Zealand appears close to adopting โ€“ is โ€œopen to significant abuseโ€.

Critics say the controversial GWP* method โ€“ which New Zealand appears close to adopting โ€“ is โ€œopen to significant abuseโ€.
on

Lord Moynihan of Chelsea, who holds shares in Shell and TotalEnergies, called the green transition a โ€œchildrenโ€™s crusadeโ€.

Lord Moynihan of Chelsea, who holds shares in Shell and TotalEnergies, called the green transition a โ€œchildrenโ€™s crusadeโ€.
on

Carrboro, N.C., accuses Duke of knowingly fueling the climate crisis for decades with harmful emissions, deception, delay, and "greenwashing."

Carrboro, N.C., accuses Duke of knowingly fueling the climate crisis for decades with harmful emissions, deception, delay, and "greenwashing."