Our collection includes chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Metaphors We Live By (1980). For most people, a metaphor is a technique of poetic imagination and rhetorical flourish—a matter of extraordinary rather than ordinary language. In this book, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson take us beyond that limited view to show how metaphors are at the heart of our daily thought. Lakoff and Johnson begin by looking at how we use words like "mind" and "body" without thinking about it. They argue that these are not simple linguistic issues but ones at the heart of what it means to be human. They give several examples of how we use metaphors to think about problems and come up with solutions. For example, when trying to explain why something bad happened to someone, we might say "karma" or "fate". When asking someone for help, we often use phrases like "me too" or "my friend" to indicate that we are not the only one affected by the problem. They also discuss how we use metaphors in politics and law. For example, they note that when politicians want to convince others that they should be elected president, they often point to the American democracy itself as their platform. They also examine how judges use metaphors in their decisions. If someone is sentenced to prison, they may be called "sentenced to life" or "given a mandatory minimum sentence".