I had read "Speaking Well" by Loren Reid way back in 1986, and recently
had occasion to return back to it. I recommend this book to all
students aspiring to advocate the use of free software to others.
According to Reid, the art of communication has made it possible for
humans to not only survive but ultimately possess the earth. We could
add, with free software, we are only a few steps away from making our
survival on earth more meaningful and may be one day even help us
possess the cosmos. Reid appears to have exerted considerable influence
in US public affairs, highlighting the importance of making effective
speeches, and the above book has many interesting asides that could be
interesting to the experts here as well.
Of course, perfection in use of language is stressed in Tholkappiam,
Nanool and others. Very sophisticated debating rules are contemplated in
texts like Tarka Samgraha, our ancient flame war manual. All these
resources help to sharpen our tools, and I HTH :)
Ramanraj K
