Sleight of Mouth: The Magic of Conversational Belief Change

This guide explores how words shape the way we see the world and how we act within it. Language, the author argues, is one of the main tools we use to build our inner maps of reality, so the phrases we hear and use can lift someone up or hold them back. A well-timed remark might open doors, while a careless one can wound. Drawing on more than twenty years of work, the book examines verbal patterns that people across history have used to influence belief, from philosophers and statesmen to healers and religious teachers. These patterns, described as verbal reframes, can establish, adjust or transform the convictions people hold. The book sets out the distinctions that decide whether speech helps or harms, and shows how to turn hurtful statements into constructive ones.