Getting Your Way Every Day: Mastering the Lost Art of Pure Persuasion [Paperback]

Alan Axelrod (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2006

Aristotle rarely lost an argument. Neither did Plator or Socrates. These famous thinkers relied on the art of classical rhetoric - pure persuasion at its best - to argue, persuade, and win, every time. "Getting Your Way Every Day" updates this powerful discipline, showing modern readers how to use them in any business or social situation. Revealing practical techniques for building productive and profitable rapport, and transforming arguments from shouting matches into constructive discussions, the book is an enlightening and accessible guide for anyone who wants to get what they want, more often.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

CEO Refresher The Best Books of 2007

"Classical rhetoric is the most powerful system of persuasion, perfected by the likes of Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. While the discipline may not sound sexy, its timeless principles really work. Pure persuasion at its best, rhetoric has been long forgotten -- ignored in favor of manipulative tricks masquerading as influence. Getting Your Way Every Day will change that. Author Alan Axelrod offers a new take on the classic strategies -- modernizing them and making them relevant to any business or social situation.

Readers will discover how to:

* argue persuasively and win without alienating opponents

* build productive and profitable rapport

* leverage the power of reason, emotion, and character for a more effective appeal

* transform arguments from shouting matches into constructive discussions

The book teaches readers how to understand their audience and turn that knowledge into a seamless argument that’s guaranteed to work. With real-world anecdotes of the techniques in action, this enlightening and accessible guide reveals how anyone can get what they want."

About the Author

Alan Axelrod (Atlanta, GA) is the author of many popular business and reference books, including the BusinessWeek bestsellers Patton on Leadership and Elizabeth I, CEO. He is a former professor of English who has taught classical rhetoric, from the Greeks and Romans through the Renaissance.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814473350
• ISBN-13: 978-0814473351
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,431,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Tool for Learning the Art of Persuasion, September 28, 2010

By 

bronx book nerd (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Getting Your Way Every Day: Mastering the Lost Art of Pure Persuasion (Paperback)

Alan Axelrod uses the classic tools of argument, as created by the ancient Greeks, to teach people living in today's world how to be persuasive. First, Axelrod introduces the various stages of rhetoric, as well as principles of logic, and then shows how these can be used in today's world, particularly the business world. For example, when explaining how to get new customers, he writes about the need to use arguments from reason, ethics and emotion, and where each of these may need more or less emphasis in this and other situations. His approach has given me a road map on how to present my ideas to other people; more often than not I think that my ideas will be accepted due to their sheer brilliance. I realize now that I need to appeal more to the emotions of my intended audience who want to know what exactly they are getting from my brilliant idea. I have two minor issues with the book: 1) In the chapters where he introduces rhetoric, he writes initially in very accessible layperson's terms; then, he suddenly switches to some serious logician's jargon, stunning the reader with some rather complex concepts; 2) Axelrod provides sample statements to use in certain situations to get what you want. In a number of cases, I found these statements too harsh and direct, even somewhat offensive. I think he could have offered more diplomatic language. These issues aside, I think this a great book to get familiar with the classic form of argument so that it can be applied successfully to modern day situations.