Figaro Brings You the Gift of Immortality

Billions of people have said to me (using Figaro’s nickname), “Jay, your arguing book has saved my marriage, found me the love of my life, and made me a multi-millionaire. But something’s still missing from my life. Or, rather, my afterlife. I want to become immortal without spending a dime, so I can leave my millions tax-free to my job-creating children.”

Well, Figaro has listened to the People. Next Tuesday, Three Rivers Press (a division of Crown, which is a division of Random House, which is a house undivided) will publish Word Hero, a book that allows you to bon-mot your way to eternal life.  Employing the figures and tropes you see in this blog, I show how to craft memorable lines that make people remember you.

As a special treat to my fellow Figarists, here’s an extended excerpt.  You’ll find even more meaty samples on the Word Hero website.

Word Hero is already getting pre-pub raves on Amazon, though the book can sure use a few hundred more five-star reviews (hint). 

Email me if you have any questions, or just want to thank me for eternal life. (You’re welcome!)

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Those Amazon reviews are impressive! I plan to buy copies for my reading group, Fig.

[Manolo V.]

The "job-creating" link goes to your Word Hero page for "belonging trope." A mistake?

[Figaro]

Many thanks, Elizabeth! Manolo, the link was not a mistake. "Job-creating" is a synecdoche, a kind of belonging trope that takes a representative of a group and makes it stand for the whole group. (You could also say it's a metonymy, another belonging trope, which does the same thing with a characteristic or ingredient.)

Only 6% of people with household incomes over $200,000 actually employ other people. Calling every rich person a "job creator" makes for a great, if misleading, trope. (Of course, you could say that all of us are job creators, since we contribute in some way to the economy, and the economy creates jobs. Congrats, Job Creator!)

[MNPilot]

As of Oct. 4, my Kindle is now a portable, rhetorical arsenal. "Thank You for Arguing" and "WordHero" are a one-two punch. Thanks, Fig!

Curious about the source of the "6% stat."

Also, what are your thoughts on refraining from using rhetorical labels created by political adversaries? By this I mean truly never repeating their labels in public. As an example, supposing one has left-leaning poltiical values, would it not be better to avoid using the "job creator" label and create a different, less-friendly label instead?

Since reading your blog and books I've found myself playing an armchair PR consultant for any politician blabbering on TV. I don't do it for the money :)

[Peter Feddo]

My pre-ordered copy from Amazon came in today! Looking forward to reading your new book this weekend (unless my girlfriend gets hold of it first!) Any ideas about what subject matter you will tackle in your next book?

[Figaro]

Thanks, all! Peter, I'm currently pitching a book about "identity persuasion," using values to influence choices. (Tentative title: "The Swallow.") I'm also going to write a book on rhetorical parenting.

MN, I love labels, and teach workshops on how to create them. Better to make your own than to blindly repeat those of others, though. And feel free to abuse and misuse others' labels. Every time I buy something my wife doesn't like, I remind her that I'm a job creator. Keep talking to that TV!

Manolo, the Word Hero link was deliberate. I'm consolidating my sites and making them talk to each other.