The point of the book, Words That Work, is the subtitle: "It's not what you say, it's what people hear." Author Frank Luntz proves his point by providing readers with example after example of how the right words are essential to communicating your message. His examples include how "estate tax"  became "death tax," how "drilling for oil" became "energy exploration," and how "gambling" became "gaming;" all of which he asserts are examples of communicating more effectively.

Luntz makes it very clear from the first page of the introduction that he is a political pollster and he works with Republicans. With the exception of one chapter of the book dedicated to corporate examples, almost every example in the book comes from his background and experience as a Republican political pollster. This does not mean that his points aren't valid, but the book bogs down in places when he tells political stories that are more self-serving than illustrative.

There are 10 rules for using language effectively, but the best advice isn't necessarily among the rules. Getting the rules right is certainly important according to Luntz, but understanding the mood of America is fundamental to connecting with Americans. The logical extension of this idea for nonprofits is that understanding the mood of donors is fundamental to connecting with donors. Buried between the rules is the idea that discipline matters when communicating effectively, as more than one political campaign is chastised for having "No theme. No focus. No discipline."

A great lesson for any nonprofit organization is to focus on results opposed to the process. When Luntz asked Americans which they preferred: higher taxes for further law enforcement, or higher taxes to halt the rising crime rate, one-third more people were willing to support higher taxes to halt the rising crime rate. Law enforcement is the process, and therefore is less popular, while reducing crime is the desired result. Nonprofits will clearly see themselves in the examples offered in this book, even though the examples are not from nonprofit organizations.

At the end of the book, Luntz provides a list of 21 words and phrases for the 21st century that any marketer or communicator can use for inspiration and guidance. Words of interest and potential application for nonprofit organizations include: imagine, accountability, results, and investment. Each of these words, along with the other 17 words, is described with suggestions about how they can be used effectively.

Words That Work provides plenty of thought-provoking examples of how to use words to communicate effectively, which can help any nonprofit organization. After nearly 300 pages about words, Luntz closes with a theme he introduces early in the book: style is almost as important as substance.