Art Of Deception [Paperback]

 

 

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For those with a desire to increase their skill at argumentation, from formal debates to quiet negotiations at home to shouting matches in the street, this book offers some of the most powerful and effective weapons you will ever add to your arsenal. I question anyone who didn't find it of help, since the techniques held in this manual you do not use....you wield! I recommend "How to Win an Argument" By Michael Gilbert for those new to argumentation, as "Deception" will make much more sense with foreknowledge of the subject. Then move on to "Deception" and prepare to enter a training ground that will give you weapons and techniques so powerful, so devastating that they may be more than you even wanted. The strategies here are incredibly powerful, and are remarkably effective. Each chapter you will grow stronger and stronger until by the end you will be able to win or draw every argument you will face, and tear some people to pieces in the process. Believe me when I say that I have made people scream in fury at me, scream that they hate me after dismantling them with what I learned in this book. In some ways the book is too powerful. In some ways you will not even know your own strength after reading it. I recommend using Dale Carnegie techniques most of the time in life, but when you need to defend yourself in a verbal battle or lock up with another in a good old fashion argument, then "The Art of Deception" will provide you with an invaluable arsenal that will ready you for war. Watch in pleasure and even disbelief as you feel yourself roll effortlessly over your opponent, picking them apart like a bug, and watch in delight as they finally lose their temper and begin screaming in defeat. Ready yourself for the very fast paced types of arguments where you seem to be unable to even get a word in, but God help them when it's your turn, for you will usually be able to defeat your opponent in thirty seconds or less in this situation. Please be careful however, because some of the artillery that this book provides is so devastating that you can crush even a good friend in an argument easily and make them very angry, and you may not even mean to.
Learn the basic argument structures such as valid and sound syllogisms which form the building blocks of argumentation. Learn how to build and present a nearly invincible case. Learn how to refute an opponent's argument, and defend you own from attack. Then learn how to catch people in fallacies and tear them apart by identifying weak points in their case. Be trained how to attack and defend brilliantly from any front and direction. Additionally, one of the most devastating weapons, learn how to use fallacies themselves as valid weapons and watch your hapless opponent writhe in agony and drown in a pool of defeat. If you're going to get into verbal confrontations in the future, this is the next best thing to punching them in the face. Become invincible in argumentation, read the masterpiece, "The Art of Deception"

The book mainly promotes the use of deception over reason. I know you're thinking, duh. But this is contrary to what the author says in the introduction. The deception is supposed to be used as a device to aid in learning informal logic, not as a tool to crush others. The author has a very aggressive and pretentious tone. Capaldi, the author, encourages people to be stubborn and uncompromising rather than problem solving. This book is classic sophism. I think the most valuable part of this book is the appendix. The practice problems are nice to look over. This book is effective at being uncompromising, but that is incompatible with being a good communicator. I should have borrowed this one. Since, I want my money back. -laughs- Also, the references to the "Great Books" by the author were interesting, but extraneous in my opinion.

Exactly as Dr. Schweinsberg said. This text was a magnificent accomplishment. Reading some of the reviews, I was dismayed. I of course believed that there was some sort of miscommunication, or perhaps that the readers knew nothing of the subject, or that they simply didn't know what they were getting when they purchased the book. Whatever the case, I would suggest to anybody to read Dr. Michel Schweinsberg's brilliant review. His comical yet serious review offers advice to the argumentation student in words I can't achieve. With a playful attitude, he has delivered valuable information in the same spirit with which one should "weild" the tools in the text; that is, as a serious weapon, but done mostly for enjoyment and clarity of thought. READ DR. SCHWEINSBERG'S REVIEW, AND FOLLOW HIS ADVICE!

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4.0 out of 5 stars Good Weapon Against the Trogs
The techniques outlined in this book are good when you are arguing against yahoos and troglodytes. If taken to heart, this book can help you can vanquish almost everyone you... Read more

Published on April 22 2004 by Gerald Higby

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Intentions, Faulty Execution
I appreciate what the author was trying to do: teach logic and rhetoric in a fun how-to-succeed format. I don't think it works very well, though. Read more

Published on Mar 19 2004 by Akim

2.0 out of 5 stars Weak Intro to Critical Thinking
I would like to second the reviews by Mr. Patten and Mr. Gorman. "The Art of Deception" is itself deceptively titled. Read more

Published on May 20 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Place To Start!
This book is written for the amateur student of logic and rhetoric (Like Me). Mr. Capaldi is very good at not only showing what to do, but perhaps more importantly what not to do... Read more

Published on Sep 12 2002 by Mark Twtain

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Points; Somewhat Disjointed
Ironically, this book's TITLE can be deceptive to the unsuspecting reader. This book does not attempt to extoll the virtues of deception or dispense Machiavellian thought to the... Read more

Published on Aug 31 2002 by J. M. Gorman

2.0 out of 5 stars Other books on the subject are better
Who open scroll always profit says an ancient Chinese motto. The same applies to books. I profited from reading this one, but I didn't profit much or enough. Read more

Published on Jun 11 2002 by Bernard M. Patten

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't let title deceive you
I read the book. As a lawyer, I'm always looking to improve my skills. I believe it was Aristotle (or some dead Greek) who warned about bad men in command of good rhetoric, and I... Read more

Published on Dec 31 2001 by Steven Altland

3.0 out of 5 stars Accurate title, but weak presentation
I give this book 3 stars because the information in the book is consistent with the title, and I neglected to give it the remaining 2 stars due to the weak presentation. Read more

Published on Oct 19 2001

2.0 out of 5 stars There are better writings on this subject
I would not like to be the author of a book and have to read a review of it like the one I feel I must write on this one. Read more

Published on July 1 2001 by Brian H. Kann

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is absolutely terrible
I bought this book because I had read several good reviews of it. I thought that it would be able to help me improve my arguing skills using legitimate methods. Read more

Published on Jun 12 2001

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