Words Like Loaded Pistols: Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama

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Sam Leith does an exemplary job of providing the reader with an introduction to the techniques and history of rhetoric. Leith structures his book around the classic concepts of rhetoric: Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory and Delivery (the parts of rhetoric); and Deliberative, Judicial and Epideictic Rhetoric (the three branches of oratory.) We are introduced to Ethos, Pathos and Logos (the Three Musketeers of persuasion). We get exposure to the arcane language of rhetoric, e.g., zeugma, apostrophe, enargia, erotema, etc. So, the book gives a broad view of the bare bones of rhetoric.

However, although this may all sound enervating, Leith keeps the reader's' attention with humor and amusing anecdote. The anecdotes range from stories about the earliest rhetoricians - Cicero, Isocrates and Aristotle - to contemporaries, e.g., Peggy Noonan and Barrack Obama. Leith keeps the subject lively with cheeky asides and back stories. He also provides insight into the real world use of rhetoric by analyzing how rhetorical figures are used in actual speeches. I left the book thinking that if music education can enhance one's appreciation of music, something similar can be done with rhetoric.

I am a trial attorney and I found myself thinking about consciously applying the concepts of rhetoric to my briefs and closing arguments. Undoubtedly, I've been applying these techniques, but doing so in a self-conscious manner might bear good fruit.

I recommend the book for its historical, educational and entertainment value.