Summary of How to Do Things with Words

How to Do Things with Words is a book by Oxford philosopher J.L. Austin. It is an examination of the idea that language has a lot of influence in our daily lives and how its power is often overlooked. This book examines various philosophical and linguistic theories to show how the words we use can have an effect on both the way we think about things and how we react to them. It examines how we can be convinced to take certain actions or even give up certain beliefs based on the persuasive ability of words. It also looks at the idea of performative utterances, statements that do more than just offer information. It is a thought-provoking book that will challenge even the most experienced reader on the power of language.