Practical Argumentation

A schoolboy pleading for a holiday and a statesman defending a principle have something in common: both are trying to move minds—and actions. George K. Pattee begins with this unexpectedly everyday face of argument.

Written in the early twentieth century for students and teachers, Practical Argumentation follows disagreement wherever it arises: in courts, assemblies, newspapers, workplaces, and ordinary conversation. Pattee asks how an argument can do more than sound convincing—how it can separate evidence from mere assertion, expose faulty reasoning, and bring an audience not only to believe but to act. Logic alone may leave listeners unmoved; emotion alone may leave them with nothing lasting. Where should an arguer draw the line between conviction and persuasion?

With centuries of literature, it's inevitable that some will fall through the cracks. We hunt down public domain works and restore them so they're not lost to the world.

Who are we? We're Cairn Press. Our background is in design, publishing, typography, and technology. These skills fuel our mission to create the highest quality Public Domain eBooks available online, at an affordable price. We give them the treatment they deserve; our proprietary process restores books for a better overall user experience in design, readability, and e-reader compatibility.