The Front Line Guide to Thinking Clearly

ix

Introduction

As I prepared to write this book, I revisited a hero who has

been dead now for more than a decade. S. I. Hayakaya, an

academic, author, university president, and United States

senator, exemplified the belief that clear thinking precedes

effective action. Hayakawa expressed this idea nearly 70

years ago in his book, Language in Thought and Action. It

provides an introduction into the exciting world of what is

known as “general semantics,” the study of connections

between words and the actions they evoke. Indeed, language

is alive and more complex than we imagine. Hayakawa’s

book is a readable introduction to the amazing chain ...