... words ...

        Sitting next to me in the coffeeshop this afternoon are two people who are looking closely at a laptop screen. The guy is in a gray business suit, wearing a purple shirt and bright blue socks, while the woman has on these thick glasses. She's eating tomato basil soup, and he's eating a grilled cheese. As they eat, they are reading his resume and a cover letter. She's working hard to help him clarify his language. "Did you collaborate with him or did you lead the project?" ... "Was it for the Chamber or for some other organization?" ... "What is it you want them to remember about you - in one sentence?"

It reminded me of a radiolab episode on "words" and the power of language. Here's the podcast of the episode that asks, "What do words do for us? Are they necessary? Can you live with out them? Can you think without them? Can you dream without them?" It's the story behind this book, A Man Without Words in which Susan Schaller meets a 27 year old man who "doesn't have language."

And here's the companion video that Will Hoffman and Daniel Mercadante directed and sponsored by Radiolab and NPR: