Win Every Argument
The Art of Debating, Persuading and Public Speaking
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
In Win Every Argument, award-winning British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan shows you how to argue, debate and master public speaking.
No one ever goes into an argument intending to lose. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that every single person on the face of the planet has, at some point in their lives, tried to win an argument. Because arguments are everywhere. Whether it is in the comments section on Facebook, or in the Houses of Parliament, or at the dinner table. We cannot escape the human urge, need and, yes, desire to argue.
Mehdi Hasan believes that anyone can win an argument. As a journalist, anchor and interviewer who has clashed with politicians, generals, spies and celebrities from across the world, Hasan will reveal his tricks of the trade – sixteen different ways to get the upper hand in a debate, from the Rule of 3 to Judo Moves.
The book will also be chock-full of vivid examples and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from Hasan’s own debates, which have ranged from the Oxford Union in England to Kyiv in Ukraine, as well as from U.S. presidential debates and scenes from movies and TV shows like Star Trek and A Few Good Men. Win Every Argument will unpack words of wisdom from everyone from the ancient philosopher Aristotle to the WWE wrestler Ronda Rousey.
Whether you are a student making a presentation or a lawyer trying to convince the court, this book will teach you how to sharpen your speaking skills to make the winning case. Anyone can win an argument. Mehdi Hasan will teach you how.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
MSNBC host Hasan (Summer of Unrest) breaks down methods of persuading others in this sharp manual. Studying the rhetorical styles and strategies of such figures as Diodotus, Christopher Hitchens, and Barack Obama, Hasan outlines techniques for speaking well, capturing an audience's attention, and winning debates. He challenges Aristotle's assertion that ethos, logos, and pathos are equally important to persuasion, countering that "pathos beats logos every time." Citing a study that found stories focused on an individual garner more charitable donations than stories about groups, Hasan suggests that one should use "good anecdotes and gripping narratives" to get audiences invested in one's argument. He posits that sprinkling in humor can build rapport, defuse tension, and undermine opponents, recounting when he put an "Islam-basher" and Labor Party parliamentary candidate on the defensive by joking that she would better fit in with far right parties. "Do your homework," he urges, but he suggests that jokes are more effective when they're spontaneous. Bolstered by Hasan's incisive analysis of his interviews and debates with high-ranking political officials from the U.K., U.S., and China, this collects illuminating insights on persuasion. Readers will be won over by this perceptive guide.
