Rhetoric and the Arts of Design

David S. Kaufer, Brian S. Butler

• Contents: Preface. Introduction. Rhetoric and Design: The Ancient Art Meets the Modern Science. Overlooking Rhetoric as Design. The Environments of Rhetoric and Design. An Architecture of Rhetorical Design. Goals. Structure. Plans. Tactics. Events. Putting it Together and Leaving it Undone: Threads and Loose Ends.

"...the book as a whole is an important step forward."—Quarterly Journal of Speech"...an excellent analysis....the authors have created a model that is impressive in ints detail and applicability, especially to those teaching composition and argument."—Discourse and Society"In this unusual and insightful book, they employ the idiom of cognitive science to achieve several goals. Given the scope of their project, they succeed remarkably well."—Jahrbuch RhetoricAdvance praise... "Kaufer and Butler offer a bold new path for rhetorical studies, dusting off and dressing up the 'harlot of the arts' in the most contemporary garb -- movements of architecture and design. This book will be a welcome provocation to classicists and modernists alike -- well argued, more than a little quirky, and always lively. I think it is not only essential reading for students and scholars in the arts; it is also great fun."—Thomas B. FarrellNorthwestern University"The central thesis of this remarkable book is that rhetoric should be regarded as belonging to the family of design arts. The thesis is defended through a careful, well-informed argument and brilliantly illustrated by reference to the Lincoln-Douglas debates. A masterful synthesis of traditional and contemporary rhetorical lore and of theoretical and practical interests. Rhetoric and the Arts of Design constructively formulates basic issues in rhetorical scholarship and opens new avenues for research."—Michael LeffNorthwestern University"In an unusual combination, Kaufer and Butler draw together orderly theory in the tradition of cognitive psychology and insights on both contemporary and historical public discourse. They show the power of rhetoric to affect our lives and pose what they call the fundamental question of rhetoric...How do we 'Design Things' with Words?"—Dorothy WinsorGMI Engineering & Management Institute"...they address with great clarity and creativity the problems that bedevil any humanistic theory of rhetoric, and provide constructive solutions which will be instructive for anyone working in rhetorical theory or criticism."—William KeithOregon State University