The community of faculty using rhetorical theory to help MBA students and business executives strengthen their communication skills is small. Many trained rhetoricians struggle to make their knowledge meaningful to business professionals. With its clear discussion of both classical and modern rhetorical theories and many examples of their value in communication scenarios encountered by both start-ups and established businesses, this book is tremendously helpful to communication faculty members in business schools or those teaching business communication electives in English and communications departments. Indeed, the author's goal is to help “applied rhetoricians ... gain a greater appreciation for the rhetoric of the workplace ... to more effectively utilize those principles for both their scholarship and pedagogical purposes.” Highly valuable, this volume is most appropriate for collections in rhetoric with both depth and breadth. Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty.

Choice Reviews

In the growing field of applied rhetoric, this volume stands out as a remarkable contribution. Elizabeth C. Tomlinson balances careful explanations of foundational rhetorical concepts with practical, modern applications to business. Her work shows a thorough understanding of both ancient and modern rhetoric, and the examples and case studies make the concepts relatable and applicable for students and scholars of business.

Jacob D. Rawlins, Brigham Young University

The growth of entrepreneurship across the globe has led to an increased need for understanding a variety of entrepreneurial processes, and Elizabeth Tomlinson’s Applied Business Rhetoric focuses on elements of pitching and relating to others that many approaches to entrepreneurship unfortunately overlook. Tomlinson’s Applied Business Rhetoric is a timely and important text for students of rhetoric and entrepreneurs or small business owners who want to better understand the inner-workings of persuasion. At the college and university level, this book makes a valuable contribution to rhetoric, marketing/advertising, PR, entrepreneurship, and strategic communication courses. This is because Tomlinson’s book provides interesting extended examples and cases that make the concepts accessible and relevant to the world outside the classroom. Based largely on data drawn from original research studies, Tomlinson has pulled together a state-of-the-art text for entrepreneurship and rhetoric today. I don’t know of another book with this focus and depth of research!

Rebecca Gill, Wake Forest University

Tomlinson expertly and inventively shows how ancient and modern rhetorical concepts contribute to business success via rhetorical analysis, data-driven methods, historical study, and pedagogical work. This thoroughly researched, carefully argued book should be top of mind for entrepreneurs, managers, and rhetoricians who want to better understand the complex relationship of language and commerce.

Stephen Carradini, Arizona State University