The Elements of Persuasion

William Covino's "The Elements of Persuasion" is a gem of a book, the equivalent of a college class you haphazardly sign up for, only to find something that clarifies your worldview.Borrowing heavily form Aristotle's "Rhetoric", Covino draws on a diverse variety of sources to show how ethos (the goodwill and common sense of the speaker), pathos (the frame of mind of the audience) and logos (the information presented) form the basis of persuasive argument. Once the concepts are clear, it is fascinating to apply them to various illustrations he provides: the Scopes Monkey Trial, the 1996 State of the Union address, the 1996 Super Bowl half time show.Covino provides a look behind the structure of popular argument, whether in politics, pop culture, sports or literature. Using the Aristolian model, I'm not sure I'll ever watch a movie or listen to a speech in quite the same way again.More than anything, this is a gracefully written page turner that disproves any preconceived idea the reader might have about dry discussions of debate and rhetoric.