How you say it: why you talk the way you do--and what it says about you, hardcover/katherine d. kinzler

From one of the most brilliant young psychologists of her generation (Paul Bloom), a groundbreaking examination of how speech causes some of our deepest social divides--and how it can help us overcome them.

We gravitate toward people like us; its human nature.

Race, class, and gender affect this social identity, but one overlooked factor can be even more powerful: the way we speak.

As pioneering psychologist Katherine Kinzler reveals in How You Say It, thats because our speech largely reflects the voices we heard as children.

We can change how we speak to some extent, whether by code-switching between dialects or learning a new language.

But for the most part we are forever marked by our native tongue--and are hardwired to prejudge others by theirs, often with serious consequences.

Your accent alone can determine the economic opportunity or discrimination you encounter in life, making speech one of the most urgent social-justice issues of our day.

Ultimately, Kinzler shows, our linguistic differences can also be a force for good.

For her research reveals that exposure to different languages is beneficial--a paradox that hints at the benefits we can reap from mastering this ancient source of tribalism.

About the Author KATHERINE D.

KINZLER, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago.

She holds degrees from Yale and Harvard, has written for the New York Times , and was recently named a Young Scientist by the World Economic Forum -- one of 50 scientists under age 40 worldwide working to shape our future.

She lives in Chicago.