The Rhetoric of RHETORIC : The Quest for Effective Communication

"The Rhetoric of Rhetoric" is a manifesto addressed to a broad audience, dramatizing the importance of rhetorical studies and lamenting their widespread neglect.

In it, distinguished critic Wayne C. Booth claims that communication in every corner of life can be improved if only we study rhetoric more closely.

After exploring and combating the various pejorative definitions of "rhetoric" and briefly tracing its history, Booth explores the consequences of bad rhetoric in education, in politics, and in the media.

A few cures for bad rhetoric are offered, and a final chapter investigates the possibility of reducing harmful conflict by practicing a rhetoric that depends on deep listening by both sides.

The key example used is the warfare between science and religion.