Critical acclaim for LIES THAT TELL THE TRUTH
Demonstrating her own love for language, Dr. Pinkard has also, over the years, collected marvelous examples of metaphors, which in this work she has shared as representative examples of the type of metaphor being discussed. I found the section on “Metaphors of the Spirit” to be particularly moving.
The student of language and words will have a delightful time with this book since not only will it expand the repertoire of linguistic usage by the explanation and exploration of metaphor and its various permutations, but also offers the reader the opportunity to bask in the warm pleasure of the well-turned phrase from Diderot to Charles Schultz.
Dr Pinkard’s style is both intelligent and accessible. This is the gift of the exemplary teacher—to be able to take abstract concepts and make them available in a way that educates, touches, and inspires. Lies that Tell the Truth does just that and I heartily recommend it.
—Joseph J. Ferrandino, Ph.D.
Psychotherapist and Faculty, University of South Florida
Book Description
This book is about metaphor—what it is, what it does. Putting aside overly technical definitions, the author proposes one intended for the general reader: A metaphor is a lie that tells the truth. (An example: “Uncle Pat is a hog.” A literal lie, anyone who observes Uncle Pat forking it in will agree that this “lie” is also true.) Drawn from such diverse arenas as literature, sports, education, oratory, religion and philosophy—even the stock market, the book presents more than two hundred metaphors that demonstrate that no society anywhere on earth does (or did) not have metaphors. Convincingly, the author shows that this incredibly wide use of metaphor depends on its startling, colorful language that is easy to understand and easy to remember. The heart of the book is a collection of metaphors that offer an alternative to description of things spiritual in abstract language. By contrast, the author maintains, metaphor throws light on the spiritual world, even into its most shadowed corners.
