WRITING TO PERSUADE by Trish Hall, former editor of the New York Times Op-Ed page, explores "How to Bring People Over to Your Side." In doing so, she shares anecdotes from her career and specific recommendations, especially about building empathy. Noting her desire to pass on what she has learned about writing and editing, Hall says, "be assured that using these methods, which require artistry, technique, and an understanding of human psychology, will increase your odds of success [in persuading someone to see your point of view]." Hall dedicated this work to her teachers and I believe that our teachers and students will benefit from reading this book and the other writing texts she mentions: Strunk and White's Elements of Style, Zinsser's On Writing Well, McPhee's Draft No. 4, and Lamott's Bird by Bird.

WRITING TO PERSUADE is meant to be consulted frequently: it includes bolded sub-points and a helpful index. Plus, Hall uses the graphic of a conversation bubble to highlight key points (like lists of publications that liberals or conservatives should read/watch to better understand the other viewpoint). Even a short excerpt like the Preface, which lists and briefly explains Fifteen Principles of Persuasive Writing, will be valuable. One point I wish more students appreciated? "To write well, read omnivorously." WRITING TO PERSUADE received a starred review from Library Journal.

As a teaching librarian at a community college, I am often tasked with skirting the line between research and writing. While I am barred from actually assisting students with their writing (that's the job of the writing tutors down the hall!), I am always looking for resources to point them to that will help them be better verbal communicators. Persuasive writing is, by far, the most common type of writing my students are assigned to create, and they tend to struggle with it. This text, if not totally accessible to all of my students, is an excellent resource for me to consult when I need to help a student understand how to get their reader on their side. Definitely on the purchasing list for next year!

In five years of editing the New York Times Op-Ed pages, Trish Hall has seen all manner of arguments and good and bad writing. In Writing to Persuade, she looks at what the most successful arguments do, grounding her points in anecdote, example, and academic studies of persuasion and psychology.

As Hall notes, people reject ideas that threaten their sense of self. So some basic manners issues we’ve seem to have forgotten collectively can go a long way in helping to persuade someone over to your side. Focusing on what you have in common with others and your shared values, being warm and friendly, avoiding upsetting people, understanding what people fear, and using social pressure (in the form of people they like who share your viewpoint, or people they don’t like who hold the opposite viewpoint), and never belittling others are all important to-dos in persuasion, she writes. Never repeat a falsehood when writing to persuade; instead firmly make the counterpoint in such a way that tugs at readers’ emotions.

Emotions are a huge part of persuasion, as Hall shows us, and emotions have a strong bearing on our decisions. Too much writing falls flat when it tries to remove emotion from the equation. Facts mean nothing if they do not effect us in some way; it is the persuasive writer’s job to build an emotional connection.

The tools of fiction and narrative also come in handy when seeking to persuade. Hall suggests creating stories in your writing, using narrative techniques such as suspense, transformation, and vivid imagery.

Finally, be succinct, focus on one or two key points, avoid generalities, and ditch the jargon. Call for small steps toward the outcome you’d like to produce in the reader.

In Writing to Persuade Hall rounds up a lot of literature on the psychology of the reader; writers seeking to connect will find it a nice primer on making arguments that connect.

If you want to change people's opinions with your words, and particularly if you want to write an opinion piece that makes an impact, read this new book by the former editor of the New York Times Op-Ed page. Writing to Persuade by Trish Hall interweaves behind-the-scenes stories about the workings of the Times' opinion page with solid advice founded in both research and experience. It's both informative and entertaining.

The vast majority of this book is excellent, similar in style and tone to Stephen King's "On Writing".  A couple paragraphs got on my nerves, but the advice and instructions Hall provides are well done and worth reading.

I'm not going to summarize Hall's work, she is an in-the-trenches editor, her advice is not arguable.  If you want your writing to persuade someone, read this book twice, taking notes both times.  Then write Trish a thank-you note.

The only thing I didn't like was the politics... which no one likes, honestly.  Hall made good points of historical or current celebrities using persuasive writing, from Woody Allen to Paul Kalanithi to... Donald Trump.

I didn't vote for Trump.  He's an ass, but if you're not going to explain in depth, don't bother bringing up his shortcomings.  Too many people wave their hands as if they're so right they don't need to explain, and then wonder why half the country disagrees with them.  This is literally a book on persuasive writing, persuade me; I would have loved a chapter titled "An Example on Persuasive Writing: Why Trump is a Bad President".  Having a couple paragraphs isn't helpful, its not convincing, its just annoying.  Criticize right or just skip it.  

Overall, an excellent book, and worth reading.

**This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Pros: Do you like to gossip? How about an adventure? Well, this book is both of these balled into one. How exciting to find out about some of the scandals that happened some time ago due to not fact checking? What about the power of persuasion through offering unemotional words to avoid an argument? If I only had these tools in the past, I could have prevented a lot of mishaps with my spouse and in the workplace. This book will provide more than just tips, and it will offer a new way of thinking. I will put a lot of these tools to use from this point forward. Okay, did I appeal to your emotional side yet? If not, then I need to go back a reread that particular chapter.

Cons: None! This book is phenomenal, and it will be added to my arsenal of reference books as well.