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.