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The Argument Builder
Have you ever wanted to prove a point but you didn’t know how to do it? Have you ever been stuck in an argument in which your opponent makes several strong points but you don’t know what to say? If so, this is just the book for you!
The Argument Builder is the ideal companion to The Art of Argument for students in eighth grade and up, as well as many curious adults! Where The Art of Argument enables students to find and identify fallacies in various kinds of writing and speech, The Argument Builder trains students to build their own sound and persuasive arguments. Written in a conversational, humorous, and easy to understand style, the text is a blend of logic and rhetoric—students first study the logical structure of good arguments and then study how to use several lines of argument (a.k.a., the common topics, first invented by Aristotle) including examples, analogy, comparison, testimony, and statistics, and layer them together into a strong whole. The text comes in a workbook format with many everyday examples, funny illustrations, and plenty of exercises to ensure students learn to become skilled argument makers!
The Argument Builder is the ideal companion to The Art of Argument for students in eighth grade and up, as well as many curious adults! Where The Art of Argument enables students to find and identify fallacies in various kinds of writing and speech, The Argument Builder trains students to build their own sound and persuasive arguments. Written in a conversational, humorous, and easy to understand style, the text is a blend of logic and rhetoric—students first study the logical structure of good arguments and then study how to use several lines of argument (a.k.a., the common topics, first invented by Aristotle) including examples, analogy, comparison, testimony, and statistics, and layer them together into a strong whole. The text comes in a workbook format with many everyday examples, funny illustrations, and plenty of exercises to ensure students learn to become skilled argument makers!
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 30, 2014
Not quite as engaging as its prequel, The Art of Argument, this book is nevertheless an interesting introduction to the skill of constructing a logical argument - and recognizing an illogical one. My daughter and I enjoyed working through it together. Because it was just the two of us, we couldn't work up any enthusiasm for the planned debate at the end; that would definitely work better in a classroom than a one on one situation.
May 15, 2013
I found the common topics very effective in our in-class debates throughout the year. Shelly Johnson's use of famous or wise quotes from famous and wise people kept me interested because I love history.
May 28, 2010
A basic and enjoyable introduction to Rhetoric geared toward high-schoolers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews