An easy-to-follow guide to argument techniques and theory.
A lawyer and professor draws on his legal training to teach readers the art of argument.
In this manual, Trachtman (Law/Tufts Univ.; The International Law of Economic Migration, 2009) moves legal argument out of the classroom and shares it with a general audience. Although the text is firmly grounded in the author’s legal background—the first chapter, for example, explores what the law is and why it matters—it also draws many parallels to other professional contexts and social situations: “In a broader social setting, you might acknowledge that competent and honest argument over the application of rules, principles, and policy will allow fair decisions to prevail.” The book is structured thematically, moving from a discussion of the procedures of argument to an explanation of facts and their uses. Later chapters cover various rhetorical techniques and fundamentals of legal theory. Trachtman acknowledges that lawyers traditionally use footnotes to support and develop arguments, and he makes frequent use of them here, both to cite evidence and to offer additional commentary. He defines many legal terms in the book, and they make frequent appearances (“Parents also often apply a rule of res judicata, as described in section 3.14: once a decision is made, it is final”). The author also often uses point-counterpoint examples to illustrate the techniques he describes, and occasionally even “counter-counter-counterpoint” items. The author’s wry asides add moments of humor, but they also reveal some of the techniques’ limited applicability outside the legal realm. For example, while explaining the technique of reductio ad absurdum (“the extension of a proposed principle to absurd or undesirable lengths”), the author writes, “Try this with your friends, and they will soon be ex-friends.” Overall, readers engaged in legal argument or persuasive writing and speaking will get the most value from this book.
An easy-to-follow guide to argument techniques and theory.Pub Date: July 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-1481246385
Page Count: 202
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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