Text

Good arguments: how debate teaches us to listen and be heard

---

When Bo Seo was 8 years old, he and his family migrated from Korea to Australia. At the time, he did not speak English, and, unsurprisingly, struggled at school. But, then, in fifth grade, something happened to change his life: he discovered competitive debate. Immediately, he was hooked. It turned out, perhaps counterintuitively, that debating was the perfect activity for someone shy and unsure of himself. It became a way for Bo not only to find his voice, but to excel socially and academically. And he’s not the only one. Far from it: presidents, Supreme Court justices, and CEOs are all disproportionally debaters. This is hardly a coincidence. By tracing his own journey from immigrant kid to world champion, Seo shows how the skills of debating—information gathering, truth finding, lucidity, organization, and persuasion—are often the cornerstone of successful careers and happy lives.

Drawing insights from its strategies, structure, and history, Seo teaches readers the skills of competitive debate, and in doing so shows how they can improve their communication with friends, family, and colleagues alike. He takes readers on a thrilling intellectual adventure into the eccentric and brilliant subculture of competitive debate, touching on everything from the radical politics of Malcom X to Artificial Intelligence. Seo proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that, far from being a source of conflict, good-faith debate can enrich our daily lives. Indeed, these good arguments are essential to a flourishing democracy, and are more important than ever at time when bad faith is all around, and our democracy seems so imperiled.

---

Availability

Detail Information

Series Title

-

Call Number

808 SEO g

Publisher

New York : Penguin Random House., 2022

Collation

341 p. ; 20 cm

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

9780593299531

Classification

800

Content Type

-

Media Type

-

Carrier Type

-

Edition

Ed. 1

Subject(s)

Exposition (Rhetoric)
Debates and debating

Specific Detail Info

-

Statement of Responsibility

Bo Seo

Other Information

Level

Select...

Academic Year

Select...

Book Segment

Reading for pleasure

Reading Level

Select...

Other version/related

File Attachment

Comments

---

You must be logged in to post a comment