'In this original and groundbreaking book, Gibbs presents a compelling account of how and why the human body shapes cognition. He takes the reader on an exciting and compelling journey through the diverse range of (metaphorical) ways in which humans find meaning in the natural and the man-made world. He uses this journey to show how people routinely experience their bodies in metaphorical ways, experiencing metaphorical meanings through even the most mundane actions. In so doing he provides a head-on challenge to the traditional approach to embodied cognition that assumes an implicit dualism between the metaphorical mind and the non-metaphorical body. In showing how the body itself is implicitly metaphorical, the arguments presented in this text constitute a step change in our understanding embodied cognition. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in how humans derive meaning from their environment and for those seeking to understand the experiential nature of the human meaning making process.' Jeannette Littlemore, Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Birmingham, UK.