The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself - by Robin Reames (Hardcover)

About the Book

"For most of the 2,000-plus years since its foundation as a discipline by ancient Greek thinkers, rhetoric-the art of using language to persuade-was a keystone of a Western education. But in the early 20th century, studying rhetoric fell out of fashion. In The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself, Robin Reames, one of the world's leading scholars of rhetoric, argues that it's high time to bring it back. Drawing on examples ranging from the Sophist Alcibiades, whose speeches in favor of war led ancient Athens to destruction and defeat, to modern-day conspiracists like Alex Jones, Reames breaks down the major techniques of rhetoric, pulling back the curtain on how politicians, journalists, and "journalists" convince us to believe what we believe-and to vote and act accordingly. Understanding these techniques helps us avoid being manipulated by modern-day sophists who don't have our best interests at heart. But it also grants us rare insight into our own beliefs, and the values that shape them. Learning rhetoric, she argues, doesn't teach what to think but how to think - allowing us to understand our ideological commitments, and those of others, in a completely new way. Thoughtful, nuanced, and leavened with dry humor, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself offers an antidote to our polarized, post-truth world"--

Book Synopsis

How rhetoric--the art of persuasion--can help us navigate an age of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and political acrimony

The discipline of rhetoric was the keystone of Western education for over two thousand years. Only recently has its perceived importance faded.

In this book, renowned rhetorical scholar Robin Reames argues that, in today's polarized political climate, we should all care deeply about learning rhetoric. Drawing on examples ranging from the destructive ancient Greek demagogue Alcibiades to modern-day conspiracists like Alex Jones, Reames breaks down the major techniques of rhetoric, pulling back the curtain on how politicians, journalists, and "journalists" convince us to believe what we believe--and to talk, vote, and act accordingly. Understanding these techniques helps us avoid being manipulated by authority figures who don't have our best interests at heart. It also grants us rare insight into the values that shape our own beliefs. Learning rhetoric, Reames argues, doesn't teach us what to think but how to think--allowing us to understand our own and others' ideological commitments in a completely new way.  
 
Thoughtful, nuanced, and leavened with dry humor, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself offers an antidote to our polarized, post-truth world. 

Review Quotes

"A wryly informative primer on ancient Greek and Roman oratorical techniques and the Sophists and sages who mastered them." --New York Times (Editors' Choice)

"An excellent rhetorical guide."--Chicago Sun-Times

"Not only accessible but engaging... [this] timely book may even prove transformative."--Winnipeg Free Press

"This ancient art can help us stay sane in today's polarized and post-truth world."--Fast Company

"Liberals who dread Thanksgiving because it means speaking to people with different ideologies or none at all, and conservatives who prefer 'owning the libs' to agonistic engagement, should read The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself."--Wall Street Journal

"We're not the first to suffer from fake news and conspiracy theories. The Greeks did as well--and they found an antidote. In this compelling deep-dive into ancient rhetoric, Robin Reames teaches us their lost art of argument. May it bring wisdom to our media-addled brains." --Martin Puchner, author of The Written Word

"I kept thinking about this book after I finished it, and then one day I reached out to a friend I hadn't spoken to in years--because of political disagreements--and a wound began to heal."--Ellen Jovin, founder of the internationally acclaimed Grammar Table

"The history of rhetoric that the author presents is fascinating, and the parallels she draws to the modern world are sharp and sprinkled with both bluntness and wit. . . required reading for any thinking person."--Kirkus (Starred)

"I always thought rhetoric was important and needed to be taught, but Robin Reames's book floored me for the clarity of exposition, the compelling arguments, and the accessibility of the ideas presented in it. Do yourself a favor and get this book. Do other people a favor and gift them copies of it." --Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic

"If everyone always agreed with everyone else, we would not need rhetoric, as Aristotle once observed. Robin Reames's new book takes that observation as its premise and presents new ways to think about an old but indispensable art: rhetoric, the art by which things--issues, values, beliefs--come to be held dear. When approached in this way, rhetoric becomes necessary equipment, not for reaching agreement, but for getting where people are coming from and, just as importantly, how they--how we--got here."--Debra Hawhee, Penn State University

"In an age of fake news and spin, how ideas are packaged and sold is as important as the ideas themselves. In her latest work, Robin Reames traces the historical threads of rhetoric and rhetorical thinking to the modern day, shedding light on the age-old practices that can help us understand truth and persuasion in today's public discourse."--Yascha Mounk, author of The Identity Trap

About the Author

Robin Reames is associate professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago, specializing in rhetorical theory and the history of ideas. She lives in Chicago.