Politics, Lies and Conspiracy Theories: A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective shows how language influences mechanisms of cognition, perception and belief, and by extension its power to manipulate thoughts and beliefs. This exciting and original work is the first to apply cognitive linguistics to the analysis of political lies and conspiracy theories, both of which have flourished in the internet age and which many argue are threatening democracy. It unravels the verbal mechanisms that make these "different truths" so effective and proliferative, dissecting the verbal structures (metaphor, irony, connotative implications etc) of the words of a variety of real-life cases in the form of politicians, conspiracy theorists and influencers. Marcel Danesi goes on to demonstrate how these linguistic structures "switch on" or "switch off" alternative mind worlds. This book is essential reading for students of cognitive linguistics and will enrich the studies of any student or researcher in language and linguistics more broadly, as well as discourse analysis, rhetoric or political science.

Marcel Danesi's outstanding introduction provides a clear guide to brands and brand identity, outlining their historical origins and their increasing centrality in contemporary consumer culture. He introduces: the origins of brands naming and brand image how semiotic theory can be used to analyze brand image brands and consumer culture advertising campaigns brands in the global village the anti-brand movement. Danesi shows how consumer products such as cars, perfume and even websites are sold to us through the creation of powerful brand images, and analyzes the advertising campaigns developed to promote brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Absolut Vodka, Apple, Gucci and Chanel. He also discusses the rise of the anti-brand movement, and its challenges to the dominance of global brands such as Gap and Nike. Including an annotated guide to further reading, details of useful websites and a comprehensive bibliography, Danesi's book is an important contribution to the field of marketing and communications.

Brands are all around us, part of the fabric of our everyday lives. Marcel Danesi's introduction provides an accessible guide to brands and brand identity, outlining the historical origins of brands and their increasing centrality in contemporary consumer culture. Danesi introduces: the origins of brands; naming and brand image; how semiotic theory can be used to analyse brand image; brands and consumer culture; advertising campaigns; brands in the global village; and the anti-brand movement.;Danesi shows how consumer products such as cars, perfume and even websites are sold to us through the creation of powerful brand images, and analyses the advertising campaigns developed to promote brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Absolut Vodka, Apple, Gucci and Chanel. He also discusses the rise of the anti-brand movement and its challenges to the dominance of global brands such as Gap and Nike.;"Brands" includes an annotated guide to further reading, details of useful websites and a comprehensive bibliography.

This book aims to describe and demystify what makes criminal gangs so culturally powerful. It examines their codes of conduct, initiation rites, secret communications methods, origin myths, symbols, and the like that imbue the gangsters with the pride and nonchalance that goes hand in hand with their criminal activities. Mobsters are everywhere in the movies, on television, and on websites. Contemporary societies are clearly fascinated by them. Why is this so? What feature and constituents of organized criminal gangs make them so emotionally powerful-to themselves and others? These are the questions that have guided the writing of this textbook, which is intended as an introduction to organized crime from the angle of cultural analysis. Key topics include: * An historic overview of organized crime, including the social, economic, and cultural conditions that favour its development; * A review of the type of people who make up organized gangs and the activities in which they engage; * The symbols, rituals, codes and languages that characterize criminal institutions; * The relationship between organized crime and cybercrime; * The role of women in organized crime; * Drugs and narco-terrorism; * Media portrayals of organized crime. Organized Crime includes case studies and offers an accessible, interdisciplinary approach to the subject of organized crime. It is essential reading for students engaged with organized crime across criminology, sociology, anthropology and psychology.

Politics, Lies and Conspiracy Theories: A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective shows how language influences mechanisms of cognition, perception and belief, and by extension its power to manipulate thoughts and beliefs. This exciting and original work is the first to apply cognitive linguistics to the analysis of political lies and conspiracy theories, both of which have flourished in the internet age and which many argue are threatening democracy. It unravels the verbal mechanisms that make these "different truths" so effective and proliferative, dissecting the verbal structures (metaphor, irony, connotative implications etc) of the words of a variety of real-life cases in the form of politicians, conspiracy theorists and influencers. Marcel Danesi goes on to demonstrate how these linguistic structures "switch on" or "switch off" alternative mind worlds. This book is essential reading for students of cognitive linguistics and will enrich the studies of any student or researcher in language and linguistics more broadly, as well as discourse analysis, rhetoric or political science.

This concise volume offers an accessible introduction to state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) language models, providing a platform for their use in textual interpretation across the humanities and social sciences. The book outlines the affordances of new technologies for textual analysis, which has historically employed established approaches within the humanities. Neuman, Danesi, and Vilenchik argue that these different forms of analysis are indeed complementary, demonstrating the ways in which AI-based perspectives echo similar theoretical and methodological currents in traditional approaches while also offering new directions for research. The volume showcases examples from a wide range of texts, including novels, television shows, and films to illustrate the ways in which the latest AI technologies can be used for "dialoguing" with textual characters and examining textual meaning coherence. Illuminating the potential of AI language models to both enhance and extend research on the interpretation of texts, this book will appeal to scholars interested in cognitive approaches to the humanities in such fields as literary studies, discourse analysis, media studies, film studies, psychology, and artificial intelligence.

This book aims to describe and demystify what makes criminal gangs so culturally powerful. It examines their codes of conduct, initiation rites, secret communications methods, origin myths, symbols, and the like that imbue the gangsters with the pride and nonchalance that goes hand in hand with their criminal activities. Mobsters are everywhere in the movies, on television, and on websites. Contemporary societies are clearly fascinated by them. Why is this so? What feature and constituents of organized criminal gangs make them so emotionally powerful-to themselves and others? These are the questions that have guided the writing of this textbook, which is intended as an introduction to organized crime from the angle of cultural analysis. Key topics include: * An historic overview of organized crime, including the social, economic, and cultural conditions that favour its development; * A review of the type of people who make up organized gangs and the activities in which they engage; * The symbols, rituals, codes and languages that characterize criminal institutions; * The relationship between organized crime and cybercrime; * The role of women in organized crime; * Drugs and narco-terrorism; * Media portrayals of organized crime. Organized Crime includes case studies and offers an accessible, interdisciplinary approach to the subject of organized crime. It is essential reading for students engaged with organized crime across criminology, sociology, anthropology and psychology.

This is the first textbook on the linguistic relativity hypothesis, presenting it in user-friendly language, yet analyzing all its premises in systematic ways. The hypothesis claims that there is an intrinsic interconnection between thought, language, and society. All technical terms are explained and a glossary is provided at the back of the volume. The book looks at the history and different versions of the hypothesis over the centuries, including the research paradigms and critiques that it has generated. It also describes and analyzes the relevant research designed to test its validity in various domains of language structure and use, from grammar and discourse to artificial languages and in nonverbal semiotic systems as well. Overall, this book aims to present a comprehensive overview of the hypothesis and its supporting research in a textbook fashion, with pedagogical activities in each chapter, including questions for discussion and practical exercises on specific notions associated with the hypothesis. The book also discusses the hypothesis as a foundational notion for the establishment of linguistic anthropology as a major branch of linguistics. This essential course text inspires creative, informed dialogue and debate for students of anthropology,linguistics, cultural studies, cognitive science, and psychology.

Choose Barron's for language learning--a trusted resource for over 50 years! This brand-new edition of 501 Italian Verbs provides language learners with fingertip access to a carefully curated selection of the 501 most common Italian verbs--in all tenses and moods! Each verb is listed alphabetically in chart form-one verb per page along with its English translation. Follow the clear, concise instruction, then take your language fluency to the next level with an all-new online activity center. This comprehensive guide also includes: * Lists of synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and usage examples for every verb * A concise grammar review for easy reference * The popular 55 Essential Verbs feature, with an in-depth look at usage and formation for the trickiest Italian verbs *Over 1,500 additional verbs conjugated like the 501 models Online content includes: * Four practice quizzes with automated scoring and answers

1. This book is useful and accessible background reading for those engaged in organized crime and cybercrime. It is written with the general reader in mind, so will be of interest to students and intelligent readers alike. 2. The book draws on a range of case studies from around the world, looking at Italian Mafias, Russian and Georgian criminal groups and drug cartels, and the Asian gangs such as the Yakuza and the Triads.

1. This book is useful and accessible background reading for those engaged in organized crime and cybercrime. It is written with the general reader in mind, so will be of interest to students and intelligent readers alike. 2. The book draws on a range of case studies from around the world, looking at Italian Mafias, Russian and Georgian criminal groups and drug cartels, and the Asian gangs such as the Yakuza and the Triads.

This is the first textbook on the linguistic relativity hypothesis, presenting it in user-friendly language, yet analyzing all its premises in systematic ways. The hypothesis claims that there is an intrinsic interconnection between thought, language, and society. All technical terms are explained and a glossary is provided at the back of the volume. The book looks at the history and different versions of the hypothesis over the centuries, including the research paradigms and critiques that it has generated. It also describes and analyzes the relevant research designed to test its validity in various domains of language structure and use, from grammar and discourse to artificial languages and in nonverbal semiotic systems as well. Overall, this book aims to present a comprehensive overview of the hypothesis and its supporting research in a textbook fashion, with pedagogical activities in each chapter, including questions for discussion and practical exercises on specific notions associated with the hypothesis. The book also discusses the hypothesis as a foundational notion for the establishment of linguistic anthropology as a major branch of linguistics. This essential course text inspires creative, informed dialogue and debate for students of anthropology,linguistics, cultural studies, cognitive science, and psychology.

An Anthropology of Puzzles argues that the human brain is a "puzzling organ" which allows humans to literally solve their own problems of existence through puzzle format. Noting the presence of puzzles everywhere in everyday life, Marcel Danesi looks at puzzles in society since the dawn of history, showing how their presence has guided large sections of human history, from discoveries in mathematics to disquisitions in philosophy. Danesi examines the cognitive processes that are involved in puzzle making and solving, and connects them to the actual physical manifestations of classic puzzles. Building on a concept of puzzles as based on Jungian archetypes, such as the river crossing image, the path metaphor, and the journey, Danesi suggests this could be one way to understand the public fascination with puzzles. As well as drawing on underlying mental archetypes, the act of solving puzzles also provides an outlet to move beyond biological evolution, and Danesi shows that puzzles could be the product of the same basic neural mechanism that produces language and culture. Finally, Danesi explores how understanding puzzles can be a new way of understanding our human culture.

Accessible to wide range of readers from student to lay people, this authoritative reference provides a complete listing of media concepts, figures, and techniques with illustrations and historical commentaries. Written by distinguished scholar and author Marcel Danesi, and with an Introduction by Arthur Asa Berger, a leading figure in the world of media and communications, the dictionary also includes terms related to psychology, linguistics, aesthetics, computer science, semiotics, culture theory, anthropology, and more that have relevance in media studies. Each entry includes a definition in simple, clear language; an illustration where applicable; and, historical commentary (who coined a term for example, why, who uses it, etc.). A bibliography, a directory of online resources, and a time-line of media genres add to the dictionary's usefulness and appeal.

This book brings together ideas from experts in cognitive science, mathematics, and mathematics education to discuss these issues and to present research on how mathematics and its learning and teaching are evolving in the Information Age. Given the ever-broadening trends in Artificial Intelligence and the processing of information generally, the aim is to assess their implications for how math is evolving and how math should now be taught to a generation that has been reared in the Information Age. It will also look at the ever-spreading assumption that human intelligence may not be unique-an idea that dovetails with current philosophies of mind such as posthumanism and transhumanism. The role of technology in human evolution has become critical in the contemporary world. Therefore, a subgoal of this book is to illuminate how humans now use their sophisticated technologies to chart cognitive and social progress. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the chapters, this will be of interest to all kinds of readers, from mathematicians themselves working increasingly with computer scientists, to cognitive scientists who carry out research on mathematics cognition and teachers of mathematics in a classroom.

This book presents an interdisciplinary approach to the scientific study of the relation between language and society, language and culture, language and mind. It integrates frameworks from sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology and emerging strands of research on language and new media, in order to demonstrate how language undergirds human thought and social behaviors. It is designed as an introductory textbook aimed at students with little to no background in linguistics. Each chapter covers the main aspects of a particular topic or area of study, while also presenting future avenues of study. This edition includes discussions on: social media and the creation of identity; gestural communication; emoji writing; multimodality; human-computer interaction. Discussions are supported by a wealth of pedagogical features, including sidebars, as well as activities, assignments, and a glossary at the back. The overall aim is to demonstrate the dynamic connections between language, society, thought, and culture, and how they continue to evolve in today's rapidly changing digital world. It is ideal for students in introductory courses in sociolinguistics, language and culture, and linguistic anthropology.

This book provides a fundamental reassessment of mathematics education in the digital era. It constitutes a new mindset of how information and knowledge are processed by introducing new interconnective and interactive pedagogical approaches. Math education is catching up on technology, as courses and materials use digital sources and resources more and more. The time has come to evaluate this new dynamic, which transcends all previous use of ancillary devices to supplement classroom math instruction. Interactivity and interconnectivity with the online world of math and math texts (such as television programs and internet sites) can be integrated with our traditional modes for delivery of math instruction. This book looks at how this integration can unfold practically by applying these relevant pedagogical principles to elementary topics such as numeration, arithmetic, algebra, story problems, combinatorics, and basic probability theory. The book further exemplifies how mathematics can be connected to topics in popular culture, information technologies, and other such domains.

This book deals with one the most interesting aspects of human life-the search for meaning. It discusses how the science of semiotics is equipped to provide insight on what meaning is and how we produce it. Why is it that certain people routinely put their survival at risk by smoking? Why is it that some women make locomotion difficult for themselves by donning high-heel footwear? Are there unconscious forces at work behind such strange behaviors? This book will attempt to answer such questions by claiming that these behaviors are meaningful in culture-specific ways. The discipline that studies such behaviors and their relation to meanings is called semiotics. Semiotics probes the human condition in its own peculiar way, by unraveling the meanings of signs, which motivate not only the wearing of high heel shoes, but also the construction of words and art forms. Now in its third edition, this landmark introduction to semiotics has been updated with a wealth of new content, focusing on the many developments in digital culture since the previous edition. With the addition of topics such as memes, Selfies, social media profiles, and even Mafia discourse, the new edition comprehensively covers new trends in culture while streamlining treatments of basic semiotics contents.

This book explores the many disciplinary and theoretical links between language, linguistics, and mathematics. It examines trends in linguistics, such as structuralism, conceptual metaphor theory, and other relevant theories, to show that language and mathematics have a similar structure, but differential functions, even though one without the other would not exist

This book provides a fundamental reassessment of mathematics education in the digital era. It constitutes a new mindset of how information and knowledge are processed by introducing new interconnective and interactive pedagogical approaches. Math education is catching up on technology, as courses and materials use digital sources and resources more and more. The time has come to evaluate this new dynamic, which transcends all previous use of ancillary devices to supplement classroom math instruction. Interactivity and interconnectivity with the online world of math and math texts (such as television programs and internet sites) can be integrated with our traditional modes for delivery of math instruction. This book looks at how this integration can unfold practically by applying these relevant pedagogical principles to elementary topics such as numeration, arithmetic, algebra, story problems, combinatorics, and basic probability theory. The book further exemplifies how mathematics can be connected to topics in popular culture, information technologies, and other such domains.

This book presents an interdisciplinary approach to the scientific study of the relation between language and society, language and culture, language and mind. It integrates frameworks from sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology and emerging strands of research on language and new media, in order to demonstrate how language undergirds human thought and social behaviors. It is designed as an introductory textbook aimed at students with little to no background in linguistics. Each chapter covers the main aspects of a particular topic or area of study, while also presenting future avenues of study. This edition includes discussions on: social media and the creation of identity; gestural communication; emoji writing; multimodality; human-computer interaction. Discussions are supported by a wealth of pedagogical features, including sidebars, as well as activities, assignments, and a glossary at the back. The overall aim is to demonstrate the dynamic connections between language, society, thought, and culture, and how they continue to evolve in today's rapidly changing digital world. It is ideal for students in introductory courses in sociolinguistics, language and culture, and linguistic anthropology.