How To Argue With A Cat A Human’s Guide To The Art Of Persuasion By Best Selling New York Times Author, Jay Heinrichs & Illustrated by Natalie Palmer -Sutton (Give-Away!)

I cannot begin to convey the delight I felt when I first learned about the book, How To Argue With A Cat A Human’s Guide To The Art Of Persuasion By Best Selling New York Times Author, Jay Heinrichs, that was posted on The Purrington Post.

"Cats+Persuasion" two of my loves. You see, when I went to, and graduated from, Kent State University, back in the Stone Age, I majored in Rhetoric and Communication.  You are probably thinking, "who majors in RHETORIC and what the heck is it??" You aren't alone. Many of you probably know exactly what rhetoric is, but for those who do not, the definition of Rhetoric from the great philosopher Aristotle is: "Rhetoric, is the faculty of observing in any given case, all available means of persuasion."  

Without realizing it, we all use rhetoric every...single...day. From communicating with our partners, our kids, our jobs (sales, law, virtually EVERY JOB that exists), because when you are communicating, you are often engaging in persuasion, without your even knowing it! (My mother used to joke about my degree saying I earned a degree in what I did naturally, PERSUADE.)

I reached out to Jay Heinrichs and told him I HAD to read/review this book! What I expected was more of a humorous book about actually trying to persuade a cat to do (or not do) what I wanted, what I received was SO MUCH MORE.

ABOUT HOW TO ARGUE WITH A CAT

Cats are skilled manipulators who can talk you into just about anything without a single word (or maybe a meow or two). They can get you to drop whatever you’re doing and play with them. They can make you serve their dinner way ahead of schedule. They can get you to sit down right this instant and provide a lap. On the other hand, try getting a cat to do what you want....

While it’s hard, persuading a cat is possible. And after that, persuading humans becomes a breeze, and that is what you will learn in this book. How to Argue with a Cat will teach you how to:

· Hold an intelligent conversation—one of the few things easier to do with a cat than a human.
· Argue logically, even if your opponent is furry and irrational.
· Hack up a fallacy (the hairball of logic).
· Make your body do the talking (cats are very good at this).
· Master decorum: the art of fitting in with cats, venture capitalists, or humans.
· Learn the wisdom of predator timing to pounce at the right moment.
· Get someone to do something or stop doing it.
· Earn any creature’s respect and loyalty.

This catabulous trailer was narrated by illustrator Natalie Palmer Sutton's adorable niece!

Want to learn about the "Art of the Purr"? Jay Heinrich graciously shared this clip from the audio book that teaches us clueless humans what a cat's purr can teach us about persuasion (or should that be "purr-suasion? "Discuss amongst yourselves! Click on the highlighted text above to listen!) 

MY THOUGHTS:

When reading a book that I will  review, I will "dog-ear" pages that I feel are particularly relevant or interesting, (a habit that my bookmark-loving husband loathes, but I digress...) that I want to  refer to in my review, well, I am in DEEP TROUBLE. Virtually EVERY SINGLE PAGE of this book has been "dog-eared" by ME.  The result? There is SO MUCH practical information about CATS AND PERSUASION in this book, that if I were to review it the way I wish I could, I would be writing ANOTHER BOOK!

How To Argue With A Cat is the PURRFECT marriage of  Jay Heinrich discussing qualities that cats inherently possess that make them masters in the "dark art of persuasion" and then explaining those qualities to us,  (referred to as "factors" in the book), that will enable US to effectively persuade other humans, AND CATS. It is "PURR" GENIUS!!

If you are skilled in persuasion, like cats and comedy you are skilled in TIMING. "The secret of persuasion is just like the secret of comedy. It's timing." Timing requires patience. "In rhetoric, this art of waiting for the perfect moment is called kairos (KI-ros). Someone skilled at kairos, such as a cat, not only knows how to wait. She also knows exactly the right moment to act, to seize the occasion, letting no temporary lap go un-sat-upon and no bug unchased."

 Where was this book when I was studying Rhetoric in college??

 I LOVED the black and white "pop-art" style illustrations by Natalie Palmer Sutton, and being a quote freak, I derived great enjoyment from the brilliant snippets of "Cat Wisdom" found throughout the book  that not only are true of cats, but are valuable tips for humans to use when communicating. A few of my favorites are:

"When in doubt, keep a straight face. Cats rarely change their expression. That's one reason they look so dignified. It also helps them hide their ploys."

"Dignity won't get your belly rubbed. So you embarrassed yourself. Be like a cat and leave the past behind."

"Small persuasive creatures rule the world."

Um, that would be CATS. How To Argue With A Cat A Human’s Guide To The Art Of Persuasion By Jay Heinrichs is a book that I am going to refer to again and again. This isn't just a "one and done" deal. It is a book that you can use to enhance your own communication/persuasion skills! Just think, when you get your paws on this catabulous book, YOU (and your cat) just might be ruling the world too with your persuasive selves! It is available on Amazon, Penguin Randomhouse  (Rodale Books)  and more! It's also available as an ebook! 
 ISBN: 978-1-63565-274-1

Jay's cat "Killick" on his shoulders

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JAY HEINRICHS is the New York Times bestselling author of Thank You for Arguing. He has taught persuasion to editors at Ivy League universities, NASA, and the Pentagon and runs the acclaimed blog, Figarospeech.com, as well as the rhetoric site ArgueLab.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

NATALIE PALMER-SUTTON is an art director, illustrator, editor, animator, artist, designer and sometimes writer who lives with her lovely husband and lovely children in Buckhurst Hill, England. To learn more about Natalie visit her website at www.natsutton.com.


ENTER TO WIN!! Jay and the kind people at Penguin Random House have agreed to allow us to do a give-away!!! We are excited that we can give FIVE WINNERS a copy of How To Argue With A Cat (must be 18 and over, and the give-away is open to those in the U.S.A ONLY). Entering is super easy, just enter on the rafflecopter and good luck! (There are TWO mandatory entry requirements! BOTH must be completed in order to not be disqualified).

a Rafflecopter giveaway





DISCLOSURE: I received no financial compensation for this post, I received  a copy of the book in exchange for my always honest opinion.