Keywords
Citation
(1999), "Persuading Aristotle", Work Study, Vol. 48 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.1999.07948gae.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Persuading Aristotle
Peter ThompsonKogan PageISBN 0749430117£14.99
Keywords Communications, Skills
Having information is useful - especially if the information is relevant, accurate and timely. It is useful in persuading others of the "right" course of action. However, such persuasion - which can be the difference between success and failure - also requires high-level skills.
The art of persuasion was refined over 2,000 years ago in the Lyceum of ancient Greece where Aristotle, the master of rhetoric, taught the timeless secrets of ethos, logos and pathos.
Peter Thompson (a host of ABC Radio's national breakfast programme in Australia) here rediscovers those secrets and presents them as a set of principles that help with drawing on the logic of an argument, an empathy with an audience, imagination and credibility to persuade. The book demonstrates how to present arguments lucidly and logically, how to impart credibility and authority and how to adapt a communication style for different audiences. The style is simple yet elegant and offers enlightening examples and practical insights.