Analysis Of Jay Heinrichs Thank You For Arguing

This essay is an analysis of Thank You For Arguing by Jay Heinrichs, a full-time advocate for the lost art of rhetoric. The three major topics to cover are which tools he uses frequently, which chapter was the most valuable and crucial to arguing effectively, and the argument for the book’s continued use or refutation of its value. Jay Heinrichs is teaching us the art of persuasion and other tools that come with it. Heinrichs uses many famous people, from Bart Simpson to Aristotle, to send his message and teach about The Art of Persuasion. He also teaches what to use, when to use it, and who to use it with. He uses a lot of rhetoric which has three kinds; forensic, demonstrative, and deliberative. Deliberative rhetoric is what you use when

The first canon is where you invent what you intend to say to your audience. The second canon is where you decide what order you will deliver the speech. The third canon is the style you will use to make it appeal to the audience. The fourth canon is to memorize all of it and the fifth canon is to deliver it to the audience. Heinrichs conveys this by using Obama’s speech and how he followed Cicero to a T (295) by using the classical outline: introduction, narration, division, proof, refutation, and conclusion. Obama started off by establishing himself at the beginning and claimed, “‘My presence on this stage is pretty unlikely’”(Heinrichs 295), which was a very modest but smart choice. He then proceeds to tells a story about his parents and links his character with the American Way using pathos in his speech. He divides his side from the opponent’s side, without blaming anyone, to make him sound more mature and reasonable by saying I say to you tonight: we have more work to do (296). He then goes on to prove that statement by naming a list of things that need to be done. Then he gives the refutation, by attacking the Republicans indirectly who seek to divide Americans ( Heinrichs 296). He raises his voice for the first time that night to say that there are not two different Americas, but only one: The United States of America. He concludes with a summary and a call to action. The

Throughout this book, you learn the tools and skills you can use to argue your way out of anything from a loved one to a cop. This book has been one of the top ten books assigned at Harvard and a New York Times bestseller. Middlebury College has also named him a Professor of the Practice in Rhetoric and Oratory. He is a great source for credibility and he is aware of his audience and knows how to appeal to their level. The book provides the reader with tips and tricks to use in everyday problems and Heinrichs gives guidelines to essays and arguments you may do in public. He explains what tenses to use when facing three main issues: blame, values, and choices. He also teaches how to make your audience attentive, receptive, and more trusting. There are so many more skills that Heinrichs teaches us, but parents may question what this book will teach children. The reading level for this book is 7.0 meaning it can be read by a seventh grader to a college student. Seventh grade is the time where teenagers start to fight back with parents and they are usually unsuccessful, which is a good thing depending on the circumstances. But once the teens convince their parents to do something that they want which isn’t potentially safe, they won’t be able to go back. This book is not meant to mislead any readers into doing the wrong thing, but rather how to put it