Joseph Downing is a practicing attorney in Ohio, as well as the author of The Abundant Bohemian. He recently read The Joy of Argument, and provided the following review:

“With precision and clarity, Albert Navarra proves that argument does not need to be a damaging expression of conflict, but a powerful tool to express ourselves confidently, to achieve our goals, and to open up communication with others in a positive way. Navarra knows his subject and provides easy to understand, simple tools that anyone can benefit from.”

In an age where we are flooded with the opinions of others, it’s more important than ever to clearly, intelligently and respectfully state your case. The Joy of Argument is perfect for those who use discourse in their professional lives, or for anyone who wants to become a more effective communicator.

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The Joy of Argument recently received a positive review from Kirkus. Read the review in its entirety below, and then pick up a copy of The Joy of Argument here. When you’ve finished reading, leave us your own review on Amazon.com or Goodreads.com.

This well-crafted, lively book offers a plethora of ways to improve the art of arguing.

“An argument…is a rational discussion in which you prove a point with reasons,” writes attorney Navarra (The Elements of Constitutional Law, 2011). Each brief chapter in this book is peppered with advice, and each is summarized in “The Key,” a one-sentence conclusion. Some of the tips seem self-evident; in “Pick Winners,” for example, Navarra advises, “Choosing the stronger argument increases your chances of winning the argument. But more than that, better arguments make things better.” Other chapters, such as “The Other Side of the Coin,” are somewhat more illuminating; arguments are stronger, the author writes, if they include a counterargument: “Thinking about new counterpoints will elevate your arguing skills to an extremely high level. This is one of the skills that separate the best arguers from the rest.” In “What Will Victory Look Like?,” the author offers a lucid explanation, with examples, of the difference between deductive and inductive arguments. Much of this book’s advice, though, is almost entirely revealed in its chapter titles, such as “Be Open-Minded,” “Watch Your Body Language,” and “Attack Arguments, Not People.” The result may be that some readers find it superficial and lightweight. However, if the author’s intent is to present his topic in supremely understandable terms, he pushes such simplicity to new heights. Navarra writes effortlessly and with total clarity, which will make the book breezy and enjoyable for many readers. In addition, his advice broadly applies to everyday interactions as well, and is often really about effectively communicating with others. Overall, this celebration of sound argument’s pithy remarks, lean sentences, and short chapters make it eminently readable.

A decidedly simple guide to argument, written with understated style.

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The Joy of Argument was recently reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite, who awarded the book a coveted 5 star review. Read the review in its entirety below, and then pick up a copy of The Joy of Argument by clicking here.

“The Joy of Argument: 91 Ways to Get More of What You Want, and Less of What You Don’t is a non-fiction self/help, business/philosophy book written by Albert Navarra. The author presents a definition of the term ‘argument’, shows how the concept evolved from its classical roots, and then proceeds to demonstrate how to make arguments work most efficiently and easily. Each of his methods is treated in a separate section which includes a presentation of the topic, a discussion and, where appropriate, illustrative examples of right and wrong ways to approach that situation, and a summary briefly condensed into a phrase or short sentence entitled “The Key”. Some of the topics include: preparing for an argument, maintaining an open mind, listening, and keeping the argument focused on a single issue at a time.

The title of Albert Navarra’s non-fiction self-help book, The Joy of Argument: 91 Ways to Get More of What You Want, and Less of What You Don’t initially sounded odd to me. Contemplating it made me wonder at finding any joy at all in arguing until I began reading the opening pages. Then I was hooked. Each of Navarra’s ways was solidly argued and seemed to illustrate the very purpose of the work, and it did so brilliantly. The author’s writing style maintains a balance of informality and reason that makes reading The Joy of Argument both a pleasant and an enlightening experience. Some of his suggestions seem quite simple to put into practice, while others will take some work for those of us who are ardent in our beliefs and causes, but I found each suggestion to be sound and worth considering. I particularly enjoyed the author’s use of current events and culture in his discussions and also found the keys at the back of each section to be quite useful. The Joy of Argument is most highly recommended.”

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