TYFA is one of the most engaging
books I have had to read for an English course. I found the rhetorical tools described in
the first few chapters, some new and some old, to be interesting. I have never
before thought of losing an argument on purpose to win it as Heinrich showed with his
example of the toothpaste and his son. The concepts of tone and gesture,
seduction, blame shifting, ethos, pathos and logos along with the many others
he described in the first two chapters, are ones that are relatively well
known. However, changing mood to win an argument, the Three Core Issues: blame,
values and choice, arguing in different tenses to get ones way, and his
particular use and definition of decorum are new to me.
I find the chapter on decorum to be
the most odd and a bit contradictory because there appear to be many ways to go
about it. For one thing, on the first page of Chapter 5 the author defines rhetorical
decorum as “the art of fitting in” however on the proceeding pages he says to
dress better than the average member but also to identify all your ways with
that of your audience, again contradicting what he has just contradicted. This
to me is the most confusing and strangest chapter in the book so far. Nevertheless, Heinrich does point out that it is not only about clothes and speeches but can be applied
to written things as well and can be used to your advantage in a professional
situation or otherwise.
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