Ninth in the “Elements of Composition”series, The Elements of Persuasion is a brief and inexpensive alternative to longer, “standard” texts. The book provides students with a concise introduction to major theories of persuasion; analysis of political, cultural, and literary events that represent the significance and scope of persuasion; and a range of questions and exercises to develop critical reading and writing skills.

An introductory chapter offers a general overview of persuasion, illustrating the contributions of Aristotle's Rhetoric, J.L. Austin's speech act theory, and Kenneth Burke's dramatism with current examples from political oratory, advertising, and hypothetical situations, as well as extensive analysis of the “dramatism” of the O.J. Simpson trial. With this foundation, students are then able to begin their own analysis of persuasion in public discourse and to assess the elements of persuasion in their own writing.