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Swearing Is Good For You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language Kindle Edition
Emma Byrne (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
Swearing, it turns out, is an incredibly useful part of our linguistic repertoire. Not only has some form of swearing existed since the earliest humans began to communicate, but it has been shown to reduce physical pain, help stroke victims recover their language, and encourage people to work together as a team.
Swearing Is Good For You is a spirited and hilarious defence of our most cherished dirty words, backed by historical case studies and cutting-edge research. From chimpanzees creating their own curse words to a man who lost half his brain in a mining accident experiencing a new-found compulsion to swear, Dr Emma Byrne outlines the fascinating science behind swearing: how it affects us both physically and emotionally, and how it is more natural and beneficial than we are led to believe.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherProfile Books
- Publication date2 November 2017
- File size1052 KB
Product description
Review
An impressive catalogue of research showing how effing and blinding helps us deal with pain, bond with others, is associated with intelligence and makes us more inclined to trust each other... a glorious uplifting read. -- Lucy Kellaway ― Financial Times
A chatty, humorously informative narrative that rummages through the science of bad language, grabbing at sociology, psychology, neuroscience and anthropology. -- Hephzibah Anderson ― The Mail on Sunday
Swearing has been the subject of considerable scientific analysis, it turns out, which Byrne's book deftly reviews...Swearing is stinky cheese and malbec in a world of clean eating. -- India Knight ― The Sunday Times
This excellent book backs up my long-held theory that people who swear are generally less uptight or anxious than those who don't...I think the most joyous bit about this book is learning that swearing is a powerful and acceptable weapon in a woman's armoury, a strong signal that we don't have to adhere to old-fashioned, traditional views of what is "ladylike", a phrase I often hear when swearing is discussed in mixed-gender debates. -- Lorraine Candy ― The Sunday Times Style
Byrne is a science writer with a PhD in robotics and a gleefully robust attitude to language... Swearing Is Good For You is a lively defence of its subject. -- James McConnachie ― The Sunday Times
Entertaining and informative ... reminds you of the mysterious pleasure of using words that are not meant to be said. -- Andrew Anthony ― Observer
A lively examination of a neglected subject. ― The Week
The next time someone tells you off for swearing, give them a copy of this book. Byrne explains all the ways in which swearing is good for us, from pain relief to team bonding, and reveals what cursing chimpanzees can tell us about the origin of dirty words. ― BBC Science Focus
An entertaining and often enlightening book... Ms Byrne's readers are sure to come away with a fresh appreciation of language at its most foul. ― The Economist
Byrne debunks a vision of the polished and polite past and re-educates her reader on the benefit of profanity in the workplace, as well as in moments of pain and its use in closing a gender gap. -- Louise Jones ― The F Word --This text refers to the paperback edition.
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B01N134A3C
- Publisher : Profile Books; Main edition (2 November 2017)
- Language : English
- File size : 1052 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 238 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: 486,620 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 25,645 in Science, Nature & Maths
- 451,165 in Kindle eBooks
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

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Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries

There is a wealth of information about neuroscience and about the social roles of swearing, all presented in an accessible, and often amusing, way. I enjoyed reading this book immensely. It would make a great Christmas present as it provides great fodder for dinner party discussions.



