Advantages: A valuable book if you like ploughing through big words.
Disadvantages: It is too much of a 'big' read
This book is not a quick fix!
The title has a little bit of an air of self-help book to it. This probably has more to do with the term 'defeated' being used in the title. The self-help book prays on that sense within us, when we are down and we need someone to hold the hand we are reaching out when we need help.
This is not a book for those who are looking for help - those defeated because they can't argue their way out of a paper bag.
I feel instead, this book is for the over indulgent smarty pants who doesn't need any help. He who goes through life doing other people down. He who doesn't yet realise that no matter how big you think yours is, there is always, metaphorically speaking, a guy with a bigger one than you! This is a book for the guy who, thus far, has always, always come out top in a discussion, but has met his better, and is scared. This is for the guy who has come up against philosphy's very own John Holmes and gulped!
Perhaps I am being mean and unkind.
This book is a 'clever' book for 'clever' people.
It takes a bit of reading, there is a lot to absorb, there are techniques, not only to assimilate, but to practice and master. In this book you will learn many tricks of discussion and debate. Tricks and actual techniques of rhetoric. Should you be bothered to get through it, for it is not an easy read, perhaps not to someone like myself, you should (I won't say will) be able to win, win, win in every argument and discussion you ever find yourself in. If nothing else, if you at least can't learn the techniques, you will at least learn to see when someone is taking a liberty.
Personally for me it never went in, but I can imagine the person who really cannot bear to be defeated in a discussion, relishing this and lapping up every letter, word and sentence.
At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, there are a lot of 'big words' and philosophical terms to blunder through - if you get over these you will no doubt be in top form next time someone tries to convince you their footy team is better than yours - or even something less important or deep!!
At time of writing the cheapest inclusive price for a copy is over at http://uk.ebid.net/
Summary: Don't listen to me. Give it a try
Find a copy here
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