Metaphors We Live By
Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnsonby George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
Shares rank 36 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
Recommended as a readable, enduring account of how metaphor shapes thinking and our embodied understanding of the world.
Recommended as a readable, enduring account of how metaphor shapes thinking and our embodied understanding of the world.
6 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
Other nonfiction books people recommend
The four most recommended other nonfiction books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cuckoo's Eggby Cliff Stoll | 40 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Amusing Ourselves to Deathby Neil Postman | 36 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt | 24 | 12 | 67% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Bullshit Jobsby David Graeber | 20 | 12 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| Metaphors We Live Byby George Lakoff and Mark JohnsonThis page | 6 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
5 of the 6 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“a book that has better stood the test of time”
“Took a course with Lakoff as an undergrad and it was compelling.”
“The book makes some rather strong claims regarding science and philosophy being misled by metaphorical thinking, but still a good read.”
“A good place to start for anyone that is interested”
“The book shows how and why our understanding of the world is based on the fact that we are embodied beings.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.