PMThis informative book is a necessary companion for anyone seeking to uncover the secret of successful persuasion: to organize, construct, and communicate arguments. It is at once comprehensive and accessible, an authoritative guide to logical thinking and effective communication. First, the text defines the nature and uses of argument, explaining how to read argument carefully. Such analysis then requires the student of persuasion to reconstruct arguments. Finally, the reader is taught how to create a critical, reasoned response, thus constructing his or her own argument. Throughout, carefully selected reading questions and exercises pace the reader and ensure that the material is securely grasped and successfully applied. This is a reprint of the 1988 Prentice Hall edition.