Persuasion in Society - Softcover

Simons, Herbert W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761919082 ISBN 13: 9780761919087

Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc., 2001

Synopsis

Persuasion in Society combines contemporary rhetorical theory and criticism with social scientific theory and research to help readers better practice persuasion, improve their capacity to analyze critical messages, and better understand the workings of persuasion in society and its psychological dynamics.

About this title

Review

"For a number of years, Herb Simons has been one of rhetoric’s most original thinkers and wittiest practitioners. Students and teachers will welcome his new textbook Persuasion in Society. Simons has provided an important and entertaining introduction to one of the key topics of our age."  (Michael Billig)

"Rich in insight and compelling illustration, Simons’s book is both a provocative guide to those who confront problems amenable to persuasion and a theoretically powerful template for scholars and students intent on making sense of the world argument and influence." 

(Kathleen Hall Jamieson)

"Simons et al. has produced one of the most clearly written works on this topic to be found anywhere. Although written as a text for students taking a first course in persuasion, a purpose it serves admirably, this book will also be an engaging introduction to the topic for almost any reader. Among the covered topics are the psychology of persuasion, reasoning and evidence, political campaigns, product advertising, social movements, and ethics. All of these are treated from a perspective that makes them unusually accessible. The reviewer cannot imagine a more clearly presented overview of the subject -- the ways in which it is studied and the ways in which it matters."   (2002-01-30)

About the Author

Herbert W. Simons taught persuasion and related topics in communication at Temple University from 1960 until his retirement in 2007. He has served as Director of the National Communication Association Forum (NCA-F) and is currently on its Advisory Board. Recipient of the National Communication Association’s Distinguished Scholar Award, he has authored or edited eight books. A frequent media commentator, visiting professor, and guest lecturer, he directed Temple’s London Study Abroad program, lectured at Peking University and at other institutions in China, and served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Hong Kong and Jakarta.

Jean G. Jones is professor of communication at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and has over two decades' experience studying, teaching, and writing about rhetoric and persuasion. Named Edinboro University's "Educator of the Year" in 2006, Jones also has an active life in politics, having run for office and served on her city council. Jones currently serves as president of her local faculty union, where she puts her persuasive skills into practice at the negotiations table, bargaining on behalf of the hundreds of professors and coaches she is elected to represent.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc.
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0761919082
• ISBN 13: 9780761919087
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 440