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In Review

04 December 2008 04:46 BST

Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs

Published by Allen Lane, January 31st, paperback, 316 pages, £14.99.

In a nutshell…

Argumentative, tutorial, witty, illustrative, historical.

What's it all about?

Heinrichs provides a masterclass that vows to help readers get that next job, wow listeners at the next meeting, or merely win people over to their point of view.

The author parades a range of unlikely sources including Homer Simpson, Eminem and Janet Jackson in an effort to demonstrate how deeply the art of rhetoric permeates modern culture and how valid the teachings of Aristotle and Cicero remain.

Tutorials on controlling the mood or tense of an argument, knowing your ethos from your pathos and how to win despite making the other party feel accomplished are outlined in scientific, psychology and historical terms.

Thomas Jefferson's ability to capitalise on his audiences common values before the Declaration of Independence was constructed, how Democrats should have highlighted the fallacies of the Patriot Act by responding with the Courage Act - rather than their equivalent Peace Act - are exemplary issues pondered for rhetorical analysis.

Four sections educate the reader on the longstanding arts of rhetoric in offence, defence, advanced offense and advanced agreement respectively.

The offensive section teaches the reader how to open their eyes to the real goal behind an argument and attain these targets through various techniques - tense changing, seduction and argument by logic, emotion or character - rather than succumbing to an all-out slogging match where the argument results in an insulting points scoring contest.

Snippet clips such as "try this it at work" and "persuasion alert" are indented within the text to offer useful every-day examples of ancient techniques in a simple and readable manner.

Practical applications of your newfound rhetorical skills covered in the book include writing your resume, job interview techniques, political debates and no-doubt most importantly for some readers - how to get your way with your partner or children.

Who's it by?

Heinrichs uses his 25 years of experience as a journalist, magazine, editor, company executive and family man throughout the book to demonstrate various rhetorical scenarios.

Experience from a lecturing and teaching career in rhetorical journalism across universities in the US also underpins in the book.

Previous works by Heinrichs include The Yankee Way to Simplify Your Life: Old Fashioned Wisdom for a New-Fangled World (1996) -a self-improvement tutorial based on the Yankee history and culture - and tips for the common man on healthcare in Home Remedies from the Country Doctor (1999).

Heinrichs commentates on his current rhetorical ventures at his blog at www.figarospeech.com.

As an example…

"Seduction offers more than just consensual sex. It can bring you consensus… Logic alone will rarely get people to do anything. They have to desire the act. You may not like seduction's manipulative aspects; still, it beats fighting, which is what we usually mistake for an argument."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

As amusing as Heinrichs' rhetorical tribulations around the dinner table in his US film are, Thank You for Arguing is unlikely to shape a Hollywood love story where actor Jack Black rhetoricises his way into the heart of the girl of his dreams. But this is a reference book that could wind up on many-a-husband's side of the marital bed.

What the others say

"Rhetoric is an ancient skill, but even in the political arena, it doesn't necessarily require high intelligence… Heinrichs' analysis of Bush's 'identity coding' in speeches offers a revealing explanation of how to win elections." - Observer

"Nearly all Heinrichs' techniques amount to the same thing: effectively presenting information so you get what you want; and that can mean creating a highly personalised version of the truth." - Independent.

So is it any good?

Switching tenses, knowing when an issue arguable and when it is not, identifying goals and appearing to stand toe-to-toe with opponents on common values and judgements even though you are really refining their stance into something quite different - ie your own - are just some of the key skills highlighted in Heinrichs' easy-to-read tutorial.

Heinrichs succeeds in making an ancient art both applicable to the average reader even if his overzealous use of unlikely celebrities is at times a little over the top.

At times you feel like he is trying just that bit too hard as a father to be down with the kids and promote the working existence of the rhetorical logic of Cicero/Aristotle age in modern celebrity culture.

But the author's honesty is refreshing and allows the reader to enjoy an intriguing pick-up tutorial that provides a witty and thought-provoking journey into learning the skill of getting your point across in any suitable political or social context for the reader.

8/10

John Tompson