Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Thank You For Arguing by Jay Heinrichs

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tool for politician and especially for teachers!, January 28, 2015
By madlyn fafard (Florida, USA)
This review is from: Thank You For Arguing, Revised and Updated Edition: What Aristotle, Lincoln, And Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion (Paperback)
This is a perfect book for teachers to build a curriculum around, it can be used in a six grade classroom and on up... to combine subjects with English lessons, it can be used for team work, and to bring alive History.

The book is brilliant in teaching youngsters points that will stay with them all their lives, such as...." wait til late in a meeting ( or a discussion) then speak in the tone of a reluctant conclusion (implying that sheer logic not personal interest compels you)" Often 6th graders can not wait to have you call on them, teaching them the value of being heard at the end is priceless.

Another lesson is learning "there is virtue in moderation", straight from Aristotle. In this way, hopefully adressing an argument that points out there are reasonable people on both sides of the fence that hold a 'moderate opinion'.

Today with so many professors asking for people to let their voice be heard, we have lost moderation, and gained more than peaceful demonstrations. None of us want that, so I suggest that not only grade school teachers consider building classes in rhetoric from a book like this, but even college professors, so we can learn to "get along" instead of building up more rage, and dislike for each other with who has the loudest voice, or the biggest following who can block a road or ransack a neighborhood.

The book is excellent for politicians,it explains how Barack Obama was able to captivate his audience with his speeches.The average reader and or teacher will use it as a bible to accomplish the skills needed.

Jay Heinrichs should be visiting our colleges and giving some of his great examples.

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