Book review

Marianna Bolognesi, Ana Werkmann Horvat. Metaphor Compass: A Guide to Language, Cognition, Communication, and Creative Metaphor Research. New York: Routledge 2023. xiv + 189 pages.

Abstract

With the advent of conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), metaphor research has shifted dramatically towards understanding metaphors as fundamental structures of human thought and language. Over the past four decades, this body of work has expanded into diverse domains such as politics, economics, and science (e.g., Ervas et al. 2017; Prandi & Rossi 2022). However, as the field continues to grow, the challenge of keeping research innovative amidst an increasingly crowded landscape remains. In Metaphor Compass: A Guide to Language, Cognition, Communication, and Creative Metaphor Research, emerging scholars Bolognesi and Werkmann Horvat offer a fresh perspective that both reflects on past achievements in metaphor theory and suggests new directions for future research. Through a structure metaphorically organized around a compass, the book navigates four core areas of metaphor research: linguistic diversity, cognitive processing, communication, and creativity.