The Conscious Style Guide

A timeless, indispensable guide for anyone who wants to communicate with sensitivity and compassion. Most of us want to choose inclusive, respectful, and empowering language. But language—and how we use it—continually evolves, along with cultural norms. When contradictory opinions muddle our purpose, how do we align our word choices with our beliefs? Who has the final say when people disagree? And why is it so hard to let go of certain words? Afraid of getting something wrong or offending, we too often treat words as dos or don’ts, regardless of context and nuance. Thankfully, in The Conscious Style Guide, award-winning editor Karen Yin provides a road map for writing and speaking with equity in mind—no matter how the world around us changes. Readers will learn: How to identify biased language How to use inclusive language to bring attention to specific groups of people How to adopt conscious language as a tool for self-awareness and critical thinking How to make digital materials more accessible, from event flyers to websites How to alleviate the stress of experiencing exclusionary language How to collaborate with others and work across differences How to create a style sheet to help support your practice And much more With practical advice and hundreds of relatable examples, The Conscious Style Guide invites us to challenge binary thinking, embrace flexibility and creativity, and explore truly effective communication—in all aspects of our lives.