Product Description

The very utterance of the word "rhetoric" conjures images ofancient history -- of Plato or Socrates engaged in some argumentative discourse, or ofsome austere philosopher preaching about abstract ideas that have no practical relevance toeveryday life. But the art of rhetoric is not so ancient nor so abstract -- in fact, it has neverbeen so alive as it is today; in a world saturated with advertisements, media reports, andtelevised trials -- in which every citizen has a soapbox -- personal rhetoric remains a vitaltool of expressive survival. This book revives the classical strategies of ancient Greek andRoman rhetoricians and adapts them to the needs of contemporary writers and speakerswho want to improve their persuasive skills. It shows that rhetoric, as it was practiced andtaught by the ancients, was an intrinsic part of daily life and communal discourse aboutcurrent events. This is a fresh interpretation of the ancient canon of composing: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. The authors'engaging discussion and their many contemporary examples of ancient rhetorical principlespresent rhetoric as a set of flexible, situational practices. The new edition discusses morethoroughly the relevance of classical commonplaces to American political ideologies. Abrief history of ancient rhetorics provides an interesting background for readers. A chapteron memory includes advice for strengthening memory, and a chapter on delivery addressespage design and layout as well as electronic delivery systems such as e-mail and websites. A bibliography and glossary of terms provide additional resources and furtherexplanations. Educators, writers, speakers, and anyone interested in a contemporary translation of ancient rhetorics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1055812 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 395 pages

From the Back Cover
The very utterance of the word "rhetoric" conjures images ofancient history -- of Plato or Socrates engaged in some argumentative discourse, or ofsome austere philosopher preaching about abstract ideas that have no practical relevance toeveryday life. But the art of rhetoric is not so ancient nor so abstract -- in fact, it has neverbeen so alive as it is today; in a world saturated with advertisements, media reports, andtelevised trials -- in which every citizen has a soapbox -- personal rhetoric remains a vitaltool of expressive survival. This book revives the classical strategies of ancient Greek andRoman rhetoricians and adapts them to the needs of contemporary writers and speakerswho want to improve their persuasive skills. It shows that rhetoric, as it was practiced andtaught by the ancients, was an intrinsic part of daily life and communal discourse aboutcurrent events. This is a fresh interpretation of the ancient canon of composing: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. The authors'engaging discussion and their many contemporary examples of ancient rhetorical principlespresent rhetoric as a set of flexible, situational practices. The new edition discusses morethoroughly the relevance of classical commonplaces to American political ideologies. Abrief history of ancient rhetorics provides an interesting background for readers. A chapteron memory includes advice for strengthening memory, and a chapter on delivery addressespage design and layout as well as electronic delivery systems such as e-mail and websites. A bibliography and glossary of terms provide additional resources and furtherexplanations. Educators, writers, speakers, and anyone interested in a contemporary translation of ancient rhetorics.

Customer Reviews

Simplistic
I had to use this textbook for a graduate-level rhetoric course (the fourth edition), and I must say I was very disappointed. While the textbook contains information about ancient rhetorics, it was poorly written - as though to high school students or, at best, college freshmen (a sentence in the first chapter begins: "An ancient teacher of rhetoric named Aristotle ..."; another passage defined the word "feline" for the reader; I suggest not writing as though your readers are dumb). The language was simplistic to the point of being condescending at moments, and the topics it covered were not addressed in depth. In addition, although the chapters were organized around the canons of rhetoric, the text did not make clear what exactly the more obscure canons were or how they could be used or related to the modern reader. It is "introductory" in only the most basic sense - an introduction to ancient rhetoric could have been more sophisticated and still be accessible to a first-time student (and it definitely wasn't appropriate for my graduate seminar, although that's an issue I have to take up with my professor, not the book). I give it an extra star because the example essays/analyses in each chapter were relevant, interesting, and engaging. All in all, if you're looking for a rigorous introduction to ancient rhetoric, you'll have to look for it somewhere else.

thanks for ripping me off
I ordered this book from directbooks and they sent me an EXAMINATION COPY. In other words, i was charged nearly 50 dollars for a book that cost them NOTHING. Examination copies are given away free by publishers, and instead of discarding it, they covered the whole book with stickers and two sided tape, and when i contacted them about it, they said, sure send it back, and we will give you SOME of your money back.
In other words, they would make money from selling a book that cost them nothing, I WOULD PAY to ship it back, and then they would refund me PARTIALLY, and then resell the book again.

I wish it was worth it to file a lawsuit. They remark, that they offer a service by selling books at a discounted rate, but of COURSE they can do that, when the books don't cost them anything.

DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!

COMMENT ON TEXTBOOK ANCIENT RHETORICS BY JOHN CHUCKMAN
The essay by John Chuckman on page 199 alone makes the book worth its price. Don't miss it.