中文简介：

我们利用伶牙俐齿在争论、诽谤、欺骗和欺凌中取得胜利，表达快乐或沮丧的情绪，以及发泄压力。里克·斯密特（Rik Smits）深入研究了誓言和脏话、艺术和广告的魔力，探究了假新闻和宣传的诱惑，以及世界各地的谩骂和低俗笑话。本书展示了为什么在拥挤的电梯里谈话会消失，是什么驱使你咒骂你的笔记本电脑，是什么让一些政治大人物落马，而不是其他人。归根结底，这是一个关于我们生活中如何避免与他人发生肢体冲突的故事。

英文简介：

We use salty or artful language to win arguments, slander, cheat and bully, as well as to express feelings of joy or frustration and blow off steam. Rik Smits delves into the magic of oaths and profanity, art and advertising, probes the lure of fake-news and propaganda, and explores invective and off-colour jokes the world over. The Art of Verbal Warfare shows why conversation dies in crowded lifts, what drives you to curse at your laptop and what makes some political bigshots fall, but not others. This is, when all is said and done, the story of how we get through life without coming to physical blows.