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Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion
Thank You for Arguing is your master class in the art of persuasion, taught by professors ranging from Bart Simpson to Winston Churchill.
The time-tested secrets this book discloses include Cicero’s three-step strategy for moving an audience to action—as well as Honest Abe’s Shameless Trick of lowering an audience’s expectations by pretending to be unpolished. But it’s also replete with contemporary techniques such as politicians’ use of “code” language to appeal to specific groups and an eye-opening assortment of popular-culture dodges—including The Yoda Technique, The Belushi Paradigm, and The Eddie Haskell Ploy.
Whether you’re an inveterate lover of language books or just want to win a lot more anger-free arguments on the page, at the podium, or over a beer, Thank You for Arguing is for you. Written by one of today’s most popular language mavens, it’s warm, witty, erudite, and truly enlightening. It not only teaches you how to recognize a paralipsis and a chiasmus when you hear them, but also how to wield such handy and persuasive weapons the next time you really, really want to get your own way.
The time-tested secrets this book discloses include Cicero’s three-step strategy for moving an audience to action—as well as Honest Abe’s Shameless Trick of lowering an audience’s expectations by pretending to be unpolished. But it’s also replete with contemporary techniques such as politicians’ use of “code” language to appeal to specific groups and an eye-opening assortment of popular-culture dodges—including The Yoda Technique, The Belushi Paradigm, and The Eddie Haskell Ploy.
Whether you’re an inveterate lover of language books or just want to win a lot more anger-free arguments on the page, at the podium, or over a beer, Thank You for Arguing is for you. Written by one of today’s most popular language mavens, it’s warm, witty, erudite, and truly enlightening. It not only teaches you how to recognize a paralipsis and a chiasmus when you hear them, but also how to wield such handy and persuasive weapons the next time you really, really want to get your own way.
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2007
About the author
Jay Heinrichs
8 books146 followersJay Heinrichs is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Thank You for Arguing, published in four editions and 14 languages. The leading modern work on rhetoric, it has been taught in more than 3,000 college rhetoric classes and countless AP English Language & Composition classes.
Jay maintains the popular rhetoric and language websites ArgueLab.com and websites Figarospeech.com. In addition, he holds frequent Skype-ins with classes that use his book.
When he’s not spreading the gospel of rhetoric, Jay conducts content strategies and persuasion workshops for clients as varied as the Wharton School of Business and NASA. Middlebury College named him a Professor of the Practice of Rhetoric and Oratory. Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine did a not altogether flattering portrait of him titled Jay Heinrichs’s Powers of Persuasion.
Jay maintains the popular rhetoric and language websites ArgueLab.com and websites Figarospeech.com. In addition, he holds frequent Skype-ins with classes that use his book.
When he’s not spreading the gospel of rhetoric, Jay conducts content strategies and persuasion workshops for clients as varied as the Wharton School of Business and NASA. Middlebury College named him a Professor of the Practice of Rhetoric and Oratory. Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine did a not altogether flattering portrait of him titled Jay Heinrichs’s Powers of Persuasion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 685 reviews
April 28, 2017
I hate the writers voice and writing style and I am so tired of these accessible books being about ten pages of content inflated with real life anecdotes as if they prove anything. How can you do that in a book about rhetoric and logic fallacy especially. Also it wasn't structured very well and was a little sporadic and made use of all these things in a manipulative way and even praised being manipulative. There are way better books on rhetoric honestly so choose something else instead that isn't a vehicle for the author to try and show off how much he knows but rather something with substance.
October 12, 2011
For an accessible, engaging, and non-textbook book about rhetoric, I found it very successful. The examples are relevant and Heinrichs creates more memorable names for the Latin rhetorical terms. He gives rhetoric more applicability and relevance to our lives by exposing how it used in popular culture. I learned quite a bit from the book, even if it jumped around a lot.
However, I got quite annoyed with Heinrichs' narrative voice by about halfway through the book. At first, I really enjoyed the humor and sarcasm, but then it just went overboard. The sarcasm got old very quickly and I felt like Heinrichs was quite arrogant in his own presentation of the material (which involved praising his book). I thought he was rather pretentious; while I don't particularly mind pretension, his embodiment of the techniques he discussed bothered me. I had trouble connecting with his experiences and felt that in a few places he was condescending by over-simplifying the techniques. I also didn't like how he almost praised the manipulation involved in rhetoric; while I do understand its there, he seemed to throw it in your face.
For these reasons, I had difficulty continuing with the book. At first it read fast, but then I got so sick of the narrative voice and presentation, that it took a lot of motivation to finish it (If I didn't need to read for class, I might've stopped). However, I did learn a lot from reading this book and do believe it is a much more accessible resource than other rhetoric resources.
However, I got quite annoyed with Heinrichs' narrative voice by about halfway through the book. At first, I really enjoyed the humor and sarcasm, but then it just went overboard. The sarcasm got old very quickly and I felt like Heinrichs was quite arrogant in his own presentation of the material (which involved praising his book). I thought he was rather pretentious; while I don't particularly mind pretension, his embodiment of the techniques he discussed bothered me. I had trouble connecting with his experiences and felt that in a few places he was condescending by over-simplifying the techniques. I also didn't like how he almost praised the manipulation involved in rhetoric; while I do understand its there, he seemed to throw it in your face.
For these reasons, I had difficulty continuing with the book. At first it read fast, but then I got so sick of the narrative voice and presentation, that it took a lot of motivation to finish it (If I didn't need to read for class, I might've stopped). However, I did learn a lot from reading this book and do believe it is a much more accessible resource than other rhetoric resources.
August 31, 2016
If you think of the word argument as a series of logical steps connecting premises to a conclusion, then this is not the book you're looking for. And if you think of arguments as opportunities to work together to discover truth, then this book will likely leave you very disappointed.
Let me just share a few of the gems that you can expect from this book:
If you think this is good advice, worth learning and following, then you might love this book.
Let me just share a few of the gems that you can expect from this book:
[The happy couples] manipulated one another. That's a good thing. While our culture tends to admire straight shooters, [...] those people rarely get their way in the end. (pg. 16)
You need to determine your audience's values and then appear to live up to them. (pg. 60)
- If facts work in your favor use them. If they don't (or you don't know them), then...
- Redefine the terms instead. If that won't work, accept your opponent's facts and terms but...
- Argue that your opponent's argument is less important than it seems. And if even that isn't to your advantage...
- Claim the discussion is irrelevant. (pg. 109)
[This] angle, for example, is rhetorically wrong only if it fails to
persuade. That's because, nonsensical as the argument is logically, it makes emotional sense. [...] So while not a logical argument, it makes a decent pathetic one---provided the [audience] misses the fallacy. (pg. 157)
If you think this is good advice, worth learning and following, then you might love this book.
October 15, 2014
I couldn't do it. I couldn't finish it, even after slogging through 200 pages. The book is filled with valuable information, but the author's writing style is intolerable. Filled with pop culture references and anecdotes from his family, it's like listening to a guy at a party who is incredibly proud of himself and won't shut up even though no one is laughing at his jokes. For instance... I started leafing through the book, flipped pages, closed it. And then I read the blurb on the back which he probably wrote; if I'd seen it I would have run screaming: "Written by one of today's most popular language mavens, it's warm, witty, erudite and truly enlightening." That sentence is not warm (it's self-aggrandizing, which leaves me cold), nor erudite (there's no such thing as a language maven, an obviously self-coined phrase which shows neither an understanding of the word maven nor any sense that people can easily measure popularity on the internet making this claim both false and ridiculous), nor enlightening. Actually, I take that back, that sentence is quite enlightening. Run, don't walk, toward actual rhetorical quality.
December 18, 2008
This is a highly competent introduction to the ancient Greek and Roman art of rhetoric -- or, as the author is fond of saying -- verbal ju-jitsu. It's that kind of irritating cheerful trendiness that prevented me from giving the book 5 stars. The author is determined to make the book funny and cute. He tells many stories on himself where his attempts at...verbal ju-jitsu...backfire amusingly, usually because his wife sees right through his feeble attempts to manipulate her. All of that got tiresome pretty quickly, as well as the quotes from Homer Simpson and (even) Stalin. One gets the feeling that he's been unable to get anyone's attention over the years, and so he's used to trying way too hard. He's like one of those people you meet at a party who's a little too lively and who won't stop cracking one-liners. The act wears thin after a while. But still, all of rhetoric is spread out for you 'like a patient etherised upon a table'. If you want to learn it, this is a relatively painless way to do so. Like having an amateur Chris Rock teach you a foreign language.
September 13, 2020
jay heinrichs please stfu
July 30, 2011
Can I give ZERO stars?
One of only three books I have thrown to the floor in disgust and have no intention or desire to ever go back to it.
The writer comes across as patronising and smug, and he appears to love footnotes so much he actually sticks them in amongst the text in little, annoying box-outs.
The only funny bits in this supposedly humorous book are the Simpson's quotes, so go watch Homer instead.
One of only three books I have thrown to the floor in disgust and have no intention or desire to ever go back to it.
The writer comes across as patronising and smug, and he appears to love footnotes so much he actually sticks them in amongst the text in little, annoying box-outs.
The only funny bits in this supposedly humorous book are the Simpson's quotes, so go watch Homer instead.
March 26, 2015
The very best college class I took was Dr. Bertonasco's rhetoric class. Dr. B was a stern taskmaster and a hard grader-- and I learned so much about polishing self-expression and about analyzing other's expressed opinions. Valuable lessons for the academic life and for real life.
I hoped to find a book that would return me to that classroom and help me recall the skills I so appreciated. This book is not that one.
This book is less about the well-reasoned argument than about clobbering anyone who disagrees with you by any means possible, including falsification. In theory, the variety of contemporary sources cited by the author should help the reader to analyze such tricks when, say, politicians employ them-- but Heinrichs doesn't choose his examples for their rhetorical brilliance or their rhetorical speciousness: he chooses them for what I will call "the har-de-har/elbow-in-the-ribs factor."
As others have noted, his smart-aleck persona does not make for pleasant companionship. I read only two chapters, flipped through the remaining pages, and put the book in the big bag to be donated to the SPCA thrift store. I guess that means it's really a dog.
I hoped to find a book that would return me to that classroom and help me recall the skills I so appreciated. This book is not that one.
This book is less about the well-reasoned argument than about clobbering anyone who disagrees with you by any means possible, including falsification. In theory, the variety of contemporary sources cited by the author should help the reader to analyze such tricks when, say, politicians employ them-- but Heinrichs doesn't choose his examples for their rhetorical brilliance or their rhetorical speciousness: he chooses them for what I will call "the har-de-har/elbow-in-the-ribs factor."
As others have noted, his smart-aleck persona does not make for pleasant companionship. I read only two chapters, flipped through the remaining pages, and put the book in the big bag to be donated to the SPCA thrift store. I guess that means it's really a dog.
June 8, 2012
In his book Thank You for Arguing Jay Heinrichs teaches readers about the art of argument. He details the tools and techniques necessary for persuasion, and branches out into the overall importance of rhetoric in contemporary society and in our daily lives.
Thank You for Arguing served as a great guide to the many terms, tips, and tricks of argument. Heinrichs keeps his tone light to avoid boring his readers, and even points out how he utilizes rhetoric in his own writing throughout the book. While some of my peers thought that his voice verged on cheesiness, to me it had the right amount of jocularity to balance out the dryness of some of the material. He maintained a sophisticated writing style, too, and his expertise and the amount of research he conducted for the publishing of this book is made clear.
I can see why the English teachers at my school would have students read Thank You for Arguing before taking AP English Language - it introduces terms such as ethos, pathos, and logos, and shares techniques for argument such as utilizing the future tense. Recommended to those who wish to learn how to be more persuasive and to those who want to win more arguments.
*cross-posted on my blog, the quiet voice.
Thank You for Arguing served as a great guide to the many terms, tips, and tricks of argument. Heinrichs keeps his tone light to avoid boring his readers, and even points out how he utilizes rhetoric in his own writing throughout the book. While some of my peers thought that his voice verged on cheesiness, to me it had the right amount of jocularity to balance out the dryness of some of the material. He maintained a sophisticated writing style, too, and his expertise and the amount of research he conducted for the publishing of this book is made clear.
I can see why the English teachers at my school would have students read Thank You for Arguing before taking AP English Language - it introduces terms such as ethos, pathos, and logos, and shares techniques for argument such as utilizing the future tense. Recommended to those who wish to learn how to be more persuasive and to those who want to win more arguments.
*cross-posted on my blog, the quiet voice.
March 10, 2023
I feel a bit bad rating one star as it's a book club pick, but overall I just didn't enjoy it.
I enjoy the study of rhetoric, I took a handful of classes in university to spice up my EE degree and they ended up being my favourite courses.
What I liked about this book was mostly the nostalgia effect taking me back to those classes, concepts, authors, and thinkers.
But I really struggled to connect with this book. Despite the subtitle I didn't find it TOO pop-culturey. Book-reader mismatch 🤷♂️
I enjoy the study of rhetoric, I took a handful of classes in university to spice up my EE degree and they ended up being my favourite courses.
What I liked about this book was mostly the nostalgia effect taking me back to those classes, concepts, authors, and thinkers.
But I really struggled to connect with this book. Despite the subtitle I didn't find it TOO pop-culturey. Book-reader mismatch 🤷♂️
April 27, 2019
A modern primer on how to become more persuasive through the art of rhetoric. It's good, quite comprehensive, and useful, but it felt to me like the writer was trying a bit too hard to be witty and entertaining – almost to the point of being what my British friend would call "twee", or too cutesy. And it's long. But worth reading. I got through it fairly quickly using text-to-speech with Alex.
I learned about this volume from my favorite Mandarin morning radio program, "UFO Breakfast" with Tang Xianglong.
I learned about this volume from my favorite Mandarin morning radio program, "UFO Breakfast" with Tang Xianglong.
December 27, 2019
3.5 Stars
An accessible intro to the Greco-Roman art of rhetoric.
(Suggested Honest Subtitle: Using “verbal ju-jitsu” to get your way.)
The author endeavors to teach readers the difference between fighting and arguing—and in this I believe he succeeds. If little else is accomplished, readers should walk away with a solid grasp on the three primary avenues of persuasion: Ethos (ethical appeal/credibility), Pathos (emotional appeal), and Logos (logic)… as well as some idea of which would be most effective and in what sort of timing.
The author also skirts a line between self-depreciating humor and a sort of vague smugness—which some readers may find off-putting rather than amusing. This reader was continually back-and-forth on how to take Heinrichs style. I could appreciate his insistence on raising his children to comprehend rhetoric and resist the siren call of advertisement… but his flippancy toward certain kinds of social exploitation danced a bit too close to sociopathy for my comfort.
Personal Note: It was interesting how many of these rhetoric principles I recognized--but purely on an instinctual level. I can recall being annoyed at a very young age when sensing someone was using one of them to manipulate me. (Er...sorry..."persuade" me.) >.>
The book is chock full of the author’s familial anecdotes and “relevant” pop-culture examples—which may or may not work for some readers, but arguably should hold the attention of most. (Pun intended.)
It should be no surprise that Chapter 10 was far and above my favorite chapter--devoted to the persuasive power of humor in its many forms.
Favorite Quotes: (Borrowed from other sources.)
*“A person’s life persuades better than his word,” said one of Aristotle’s contemporaries.
*“OSCAR WILDE: Work is the curse of the drinking classes.”
An accessible intro to the Greco-Roman art of rhetoric.
(Suggested Honest Subtitle: Using “verbal ju-jitsu” to get your way.)
The author endeavors to teach readers the difference between fighting and arguing—and in this I believe he succeeds. If little else is accomplished, readers should walk away with a solid grasp on the three primary avenues of persuasion: Ethos (ethical appeal/credibility), Pathos (emotional appeal), and Logos (logic)… as well as some idea of which would be most effective and in what sort of timing.
The author also skirts a line between self-depreciating humor and a sort of vague smugness—which some readers may find off-putting rather than amusing. This reader was continually back-and-forth on how to take Heinrichs style. I could appreciate his insistence on raising his children to comprehend rhetoric and resist the siren call of advertisement… but his flippancy toward certain kinds of social exploitation danced a bit too close to sociopathy for my comfort.
Personal Note: It was interesting how many of these rhetoric principles I recognized--but purely on an instinctual level. I can recall being annoyed at a very young age when sensing someone was using one of them to manipulate me. (Er...sorry..."persuade" me.) >.>
The book is chock full of the author’s familial anecdotes and “relevant” pop-culture examples—which may or may not work for some readers, but arguably should hold the attention of most. (Pun intended.)
It should be no surprise that Chapter 10 was far and above my favorite chapter--devoted to the persuasive power of humor in its many forms.
Favorite Quotes: (Borrowed from other sources.)
*“A person’s life persuades better than his word,” said one of Aristotle’s contemporaries.
*“OSCAR WILDE: Work is the curse of the drinking classes.”
November 13, 2016
For being a book about argument, this book is quite uneven and wildly unfocused. The author seems to have a haphazard approach to explaining various points of argument and rhetoric and jumps all around in his discussion. Just when he is coming to a point, he ventures off and gets sidetracked on something else. For that reason, it was really hard to get into this book.
Additionally, the examples and analogies he uses for appeals or persuasive strategies are either repetitive or overly simplistic in nature. He basically tries to use his family as a way to illustrate means of being persuasive, but goes to that well way too often. And sometimes the logic is a bit head-scratching as well.
It also didn’t help that the author’s tone is a mixture of smart allecky and slightly annoying. His own sense of audience is way off kilter or something, and I think I put the book down several times just because of that. One minute he is using “nefarious” in a sentence, and the next minute trying to crack a joke.
Complaints aside, there a few nuggets of rhetorical wisdom contained in Thank You For Arguing. Some of the bits on capturing your audience’s attention, for example, were helpful. However, you have to wade through quite a bit to find many of those said nuggets.
I would call this rhetoric light, as in half the depth of a book about rhetoric, and not as insightful. While there are some points of insight, there are far better books about argument and rhetoric out there.
Additionally, the examples and analogies he uses for appeals or persuasive strategies are either repetitive or overly simplistic in nature. He basically tries to use his family as a way to illustrate means of being persuasive, but goes to that well way too often. And sometimes the logic is a bit head-scratching as well.
It also didn’t help that the author’s tone is a mixture of smart allecky and slightly annoying. His own sense of audience is way off kilter or something, and I think I put the book down several times just because of that. One minute he is using “nefarious” in a sentence, and the next minute trying to crack a joke.
Complaints aside, there a few nuggets of rhetorical wisdom contained in Thank You For Arguing. Some of the bits on capturing your audience’s attention, for example, were helpful. However, you have to wade through quite a bit to find many of those said nuggets.
I would call this rhetoric light, as in half the depth of a book about rhetoric, and not as insightful. While there are some points of insight, there are far better books about argument and rhetoric out there.
June 11, 2016
The first half was frankly quite tedious and confusing, with the author jumping back and forth between concepts instead of laying out information in an orderly and systematic way. The small information boxes popping everywhere served more as a distraction, providing rather minimal value for the damage they cause to the reading flow (well, to be fair you can skip them entirely, but duh).
However, things picked up in the later half, starting from Advanced Offense. Here the author provided interesting and thought-provoking ideas and tips in a more focused and easier to digest fashion. The final chapter on using rhetoric to move toward a wiser and more agreeable country was rather persuasive and did let me to seriously consider the proposal. The appendix at the back also served as a good summary and may be useful for future reference.
All in all a decent book, if only it was half the page count and a bit more coherent.
However, things picked up in the later half, starting from Advanced Offense. Here the author provided interesting and thought-provoking ideas and tips in a more focused and easier to digest fashion. The final chapter on using rhetoric to move toward a wiser and more agreeable country was rather persuasive and did let me to seriously consider the proposal. The appendix at the back also served as a good summary and may be useful for future reference.
All in all a decent book, if only it was half the page count and a bit more coherent.
May 4, 2021
The experience of reading this book is like discovering a bunch of people have been speaking a secret language right in front of you without your knowing. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get better at persuading others or catching others' (politicians, advertisers, pundits etc) sneaky persuasion tricks.
Rhetoric has a number of interesting differences from formal logic, in particular that you can (see also: should) break the rules of logic... as long as you don't get caught!!
I appreciated the summaries after each chapter as well as the little 'persuasion alerts' which inevitably alert you to the fact the author duped you yet again and you didn't even notice.
Rhetoric has a number of interesting differences from formal logic, in particular that you can (see also: should) break the rules of logic... as long as you don't get caught!!
I appreciated the summaries after each chapter as well as the little 'persuasion alerts' which inevitably alert you to the fact the author duped you yet again and you didn't even notice.
August 12, 2022
The fact that this was the 200th “read” book on my GRs is just a punch in the gut.
I need to write an essay about this now. My annotations didn’t set me up well. It was a lot of “I hate you”, “I hate this book”, “Just let your family be happy for once”, “Stop always trying to get your way that’s not how the world works”, “I feel sorry for your children”, etc. Oh geez.
Would give it zero stars if I could. RIP to my love of reading, as well as the 3+ hours I spent reading this.
This author had the gall to call his own book funny. In his book. While he was writing it. I applaud his bravery.
I need to write an essay about this now. My annotations didn’t set me up well. It was a lot of “I hate you”, “I hate this book”, “Just let your family be happy for once”, “Stop always trying to get your way that’s not how the world works”, “I feel sorry for your children”, etc. Oh geez.
Would give it zero stars if I could. RIP to my love of reading, as well as the 3+ hours I spent reading this.
This author had the gall to call his own book funny. In his book. While he was writing it. I applaud his bravery.
August 1, 2022
I wasted a highlighter for this
Read
August 5, 2022i HATED reading this so much
September 17, 2023
I did not enjoy this book at all, hence the one star rating. I felt that the author’s narration was condescending and insufferable. Comments concerning the author’s wife and women in general were unnecessary and had misogynistic undertones. This entire book could have been condensed to ten pages. Instead, it was over 300 pages of mansplaining the “principles of arguing,” AKA: common sense.
August 20, 2021
Funny and witty but really hard to get my head around the different techniques about rhetoric. Ms. Stubbs, if you are reading this, I love you, but this book was torturous.
March 12, 2013
Rhetoric has earned a bad name in past years. Deservedly so, no? After all it's how dirty politicians and vicious salesmen trick us into doing their will right?
Well, not so. This book picks up rhetoric from the dumps, gives it a shower and a shave and shows us the other side of rhetoric; the one that helps us get the best result out of every argument, that teaches us how to explain ourselves clearly and empathically and, perhaps most important of all, provides the perfect vaccine for the shady uses of rhetoric.
See, rhetoric is both the sword and the shield and this book leaves you well prepared for war, or the next dinner table discussion. It's a very information-dense book, which is the reason it took me 18 months to finish. It's best enjoyed in short doses, leaving some time to let your brain soak in the knowledge.
Even so, the book is not daunting in its language. The author takes you through the basics of rhetoric in a modern, colloquial and conversational way, full of anecdotes and examples rooted in history and popular culture.
This is a book I'll be using for reference a lot in the future and it made me abuse Kindle's highlight function to where there's barely a page without a highlight or ten.
I recommend this book for everyone and has made me a firm believer that we should teach our youth about rhetoric. For far too long we have let this most noble and social art on the hands of those who seek to abuse it. It's time we learned to fight back.
Well, not so. This book picks up rhetoric from the dumps, gives it a shower and a shave and shows us the other side of rhetoric; the one that helps us get the best result out of every argument, that teaches us how to explain ourselves clearly and empathically and, perhaps most important of all, provides the perfect vaccine for the shady uses of rhetoric.
See, rhetoric is both the sword and the shield and this book leaves you well prepared for war, or the next dinner table discussion. It's a very information-dense book, which is the reason it took me 18 months to finish. It's best enjoyed in short doses, leaving some time to let your brain soak in the knowledge.
Even so, the book is not daunting in its language. The author takes you through the basics of rhetoric in a modern, colloquial and conversational way, full of anecdotes and examples rooted in history and popular culture.
This is a book I'll be using for reference a lot in the future and it made me abuse Kindle's highlight function to where there's barely a page without a highlight or ten.
I recommend this book for everyone and has made me a firm believer that we should teach our youth about rhetoric. For far too long we have let this most noble and social art on the hands of those who seek to abuse it. It's time we learned to fight back.
January 30, 2019
Read this review and others on my blog: https://thriftybibliophile.com
Thank You for Arguing provides a detailed look at the art of rhetoric. The book is full of wit, tips, and funny anecdotes, which all help demonstrate and illustrate arguing strategies.
I wanted to like Thank You for Arguing more than I did. I like the subject and the premise, but the author’s style grated on my nerves. I thought I would enjoy his wit, sarcasm, and stories, but the amount of actual content in the book is slim compared to the amount of filler junk. He also abuses text boxes. Sometimes two pages would have over six additional text boxes–asides with additional information. Most of these asides were not value-added, and about halfway through the book, I stopped reading them all together.
The real content in the book is good. Clearly Heinrichs’ knows his subject well, and I did take away several tips that I plan on using in future arguments.
On the plus side, as a student I probably would have enjoyed this book more than a standard textbook. As an adult with a full-time job, I found the book’s style tiresome.
Note: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.
Thank You for Arguing provides a detailed look at the art of rhetoric. The book is full of wit, tips, and funny anecdotes, which all help demonstrate and illustrate arguing strategies.
I wanted to like Thank You for Arguing more than I did. I like the subject and the premise, but the author’s style grated on my nerves. I thought I would enjoy his wit, sarcasm, and stories, but the amount of actual content in the book is slim compared to the amount of filler junk. He also abuses text boxes. Sometimes two pages would have over six additional text boxes–asides with additional information. Most of these asides were not value-added, and about halfway through the book, I stopped reading them all together.
The real content in the book is good. Clearly Heinrichs’ knows his subject well, and I did take away several tips that I plan on using in future arguments.
On the plus side, as a student I probably would have enjoyed this book more than a standard textbook. As an adult with a full-time job, I found the book’s style tiresome.
Note: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.
July 14, 2008
Excellent book! For those of us who took literature instead of rhetoric in college (ehem, yeah), it's a great intro to the mysterious dark art. Heinrichs humorously illuminates the nuts and bolts of argument, the art of persuading an audience to change its mind or mood or to get it to act. He gets you to remove yourself from argument and become a third party observer. What are the speaker's goals? What does he want me to think or do about something? Is he appealing to my feelings, logic, or his character? What tense is he speaking in?
Despite all the useful tools to building speeches or active listening, I found Heinrichs argument for argument the most compelling aspect of the book. He successfully persuaded me (pointing out all the techniques he's using along the way in sidebars) that the art of persuasion has been largely lost among the American masses when it was once at the forefront of education. Most of us pass off the skill to lawyers or political parties leaving us vulnerable to manipulation. This book will help you organize your thoughts, effectively analyze arguments used to persuade you to do or think something, and give you a good laugh along the way.
Despite all the useful tools to building speeches or active listening, I found Heinrichs argument for argument the most compelling aspect of the book. He successfully persuaded me (pointing out all the techniques he's using along the way in sidebars) that the art of persuasion has been largely lost among the American masses when it was once at the forefront of education. Most of us pass off the skill to lawyers or political parties leaving us vulnerable to manipulation. This book will help you organize your thoughts, effectively analyze arguments used to persuade you to do or think something, and give you a good laugh along the way.
September 22, 2011
This is perhaps the most interesting child-rearing book I've ever read. Why? Because you learn how to teach your children to debate with you.
The title, "Thank You for Arguing", is slightly misleading, because the author, Jay Heinrichs, is attempting to dissuade people from the common reaction of blind arguing. Instead, Heinrichs wants people to learn how to debate again, how to listen to each other's statements and respond accordingly.
Personally, I learned a lot about debate, and how to present your point. I found myself slightly surprised at the multitude of situations in which Heinrichs' advice works, from dealings with my kids' schools to business meetings to family events. Everywhere you can converse with someone else, you can use this book.
I even taught my children how to use some of the debating methods. I wondered if they really listened, when my daughter asked for dessert one night. I almost said, "no" when she stated (in a calm voice), "Mom, I ate all of my fruit and vegetables at dinner. I eat nutritiously every day, so a dessert every once in a while will not adversely affect my diet." I agreed, and she got dessert.
The title, "Thank You for Arguing", is slightly misleading, because the author, Jay Heinrichs, is attempting to dissuade people from the common reaction of blind arguing. Instead, Heinrichs wants people to learn how to debate again, how to listen to each other's statements and respond accordingly.
Personally, I learned a lot about debate, and how to present your point. I found myself slightly surprised at the multitude of situations in which Heinrichs' advice works, from dealings with my kids' schools to business meetings to family events. Everywhere you can converse with someone else, you can use this book.
I even taught my children how to use some of the debating methods. I wondered if they really listened, when my daughter asked for dessert one night. I almost said, "no" when she stated (in a calm voice), "Mom, I ate all of my fruit and vegetables at dinner. I eat nutritiously every day, so a dessert every once in a while will not adversely affect my diet." I agreed, and she got dessert.
November 14, 2015
This was a really great read and it has changed the way I hear every conversation. I am interested in reading more of the author's recommended reads on rhetoric. However, I was a bit disappointed that there were some spelling and grammar errors near the end - it was like the editors got a bit tired near the end and missed out these obvious errors like "How media help your message" on page 237. But, other than that and one other spelling error, I thought that it was a great book - I loved the conversational style, which made me feel more connected to the topics and made it seem more relevant, and I also appreciated how there were so many anecdotes and dialogues which helped to make all the rhetoric techniques make more sense in an everyday way. The persuasion alerts also showed how the techniques can be used and detected in writing.
August 26, 2021
Such a pretentious, arrogant writer and he gives off republican/misogynistic vibes—he has got to go.
January 26, 2024
Pretty good book with a lot of light-hearted, entertaining examples.
A couple of points that really stood out to me:
1. Were George Bush’s clumsy/clunky expressions actually disguised brilliance. The book demonstrates the appeal of using “logic-free” “code-grooming” (using code words and “commonspaces”) to build Ethos with your audience. From recently reading the Mitt Romney biography, what sticks out is that he had always been frustrated because he always felt if he could just provide a very logical, rational explanation of this stance, the public, being just as enlightened and rational, would have no choice but agree. This was a great explanation as to why that might not be the case and could have actually back-fired.
2. Our nation has become “anti-rhetoric”. In our partisan politics, the leaders that are fundamentalists and ideologues that are not given to rhetoric or persuaded by such are the most popular and appear steadfast and unwavering. However, our nation’s founding was facilitated by Rhetroic with leaders studying and paying homage to Cicero and Cato. George Washington saw Joseph Addison’s CATO play several times and insisted on performances to the soldiers at Valley Forge. To gain admission to Harvard in 1700s, prospects had to prove their mastery of Cicero. This book is a bit older and was written prior to institutional capture rampant and rotting with with Wokeness, CRT and Cultural Marxism so I’d be very interested in the Author’s views nowadays. I wonder how he would respond to, the charge that would undoubtedly be laid at Rhetoric’s footsteps today – that it is simply a clever method for White European men to maintain their power and oppression over the underprivileged.
A couple of points that really stood out to me:
1. Were George Bush’s clumsy/clunky expressions actually disguised brilliance. The book demonstrates the appeal of using “logic-free” “code-grooming” (using code words and “commonspaces”) to build Ethos with your audience. From recently reading the Mitt Romney biography, what sticks out is that he had always been frustrated because he always felt if he could just provide a very logical, rational explanation of this stance, the public, being just as enlightened and rational, would have no choice but agree. This was a great explanation as to why that might not be the case and could have actually back-fired.
2. Our nation has become “anti-rhetoric”. In our partisan politics, the leaders that are fundamentalists and ideologues that are not given to rhetoric or persuaded by such are the most popular and appear steadfast and unwavering. However, our nation’s founding was facilitated by Rhetroic with leaders studying and paying homage to Cicero and Cato. George Washington saw Joseph Addison’s CATO play several times and insisted on performances to the soldiers at Valley Forge. To gain admission to Harvard in 1700s, prospects had to prove their mastery of Cicero. This book is a bit older and was written prior to institutional capture rampant and rotting with with Wokeness, CRT and Cultural Marxism so I’d be very interested in the Author’s views nowadays. I wonder how he would respond to, the charge that would undoubtedly be laid at Rhetoric’s footsteps today – that it is simply a clever method for White European men to maintain their power and oppression over the underprivileged.
June 5, 2017
Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can Teach Us about the Art of Persuasion is available in e-book and paperback. It is written for teens and adults who are interested in learning the skill of debate and is recommended reading in some AP English classes.
In Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can Teach Us the author Jay Heinrichs teaches readers how to win arguments and get what your point across.
Some topics discussed are:
Set Your Goals
Control the Tense
Soften Them Up
Get Them to Like You
Make Them Listen
And much more!
Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can Teach Us is relevant as it teaches through both written word and boxed footnotes teens and adults “code” language to appeal to specific groups and an eye-opening assortment of popular-culture dodges—including the Yoda Technique, the Belushi Paradigm, and the Eddie Haskell Ploy.
A good, humor-filled book for any lover of language books or anyone who just wants to win a lot more arguments on the page, at the podium, or with a friend.
In Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can Teach Us the author Jay Heinrichs teaches readers how to win arguments and get what your point across.
Some topics discussed are:
Set Your Goals
Control the Tense
Soften Them Up
Get Them to Like You
Make Them Listen
And much more!
Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can Teach Us is relevant as it teaches through both written word and boxed footnotes teens and adults “code” language to appeal to specific groups and an eye-opening assortment of popular-culture dodges—including the Yoda Technique, the Belushi Paradigm, and the Eddie Haskell Ploy.
A good, humor-filled book for any lover of language books or anyone who just wants to win a lot more arguments on the page, at the podium, or with a friend.
August 5, 2023
I wish it was possible to give a book 0 stars, this one deserves it. Safe to say the author did an amazing job at saying everything and nothing at the same (like bro just get to the point already). This book was filled with stupid examples that were all forgotten already, and the way he would jump from topic to topic was abysmal. Im also pretty convinced that this guy is a narcissist, yeah hes the narrator, but the amount of times he mentioned himself and his life was concerning. Speaking of narration, his writes voice and style is terrible, and the layout of the book is also headache inducing. I hate it.
Summary of the book: Manipulate others! Its fun and efficient!
Swear if this wasnt my summer assignment I would’ve deleted the pdf one page into the book. If anyone reading this is thinking of reading this shit, do yourself a favor and dont.
Summary of the book: Manipulate others! Its fun and efficient!
Swear if this wasnt my summer assignment I would’ve deleted the pdf one page into the book. If anyone reading this is thinking of reading this shit, do yourself a favor and dont.
August 29, 2023
I read this for my AP English Language and Composition class. I was told it would be cringy and unfunny, but it wasn’t as bad as people said it was. Was it cringy and unfunny at times? Yes. Were those times limited and outweighed by the overall well way the book was written? Also yes. Was this book frustrating at times because I needed to find a real-world example of a technique he provided for each chapter, and some techniques were somewhat annoying to find? Again…yes.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised, probably because my expectations were so low. Regardless, it was not a bad book by any means.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised, probably because my expectations were so low. Regardless, it was not a bad book by any means.
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