The subject is illustrated throughout by frequent reference to the situations of everyday life and recent public events. Since we are all, throughout our lives, continually persuading, or trying to persuade, ourselves or other people, and are inevitably, whether we will or no, played upon by innumerable persuasive in?uences, it may be claimed that the subject of the book is of general and vital interest. In these days of insistent propaganda, when the publicist is knocking loudly at the doors of all and sundry, it would seem to be of especial importance that we should be able to judge his claims dispassionately and justly. Some of the chapters may appeal, perhaps, more intimately to politicians, lawyers, preachers, journalists, pamphleteers, and the many other writers and speakers among us who have an axe to grind in public: these, possibly — at least, such is the author's pious hope — may be assisted by the perusal of the book to put a keener and a truer edge on their weapons.