Richard E. Vatz Blog

The Washington Examiner https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/.../aaron-farinacci.../ By Richard E. Vatz Published August 14, 2026 9:00am ET Aaron Farinacci, the alleged arsonist in the Washington state catastrophic wildfires, has, according to prosecutors, “admitted to starting one Spokane wildfire and more than two dozen others since last year.” Whoever the arsonist was, he is eminently deserving of the death penalty, and if it was Farinacci, he deserves it in spades.

For over five decades, Dr. Richard E. Vatz has been a leading voice in rhetorical theory, and The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion distills his award-winning pedagogy into an indispensable resource. It is designed not just for academic scholars, but for marketers, media professionals, politicians, and students who need to cut through the noise of the modern information age. Through clear, compelling writing and his renowned "Article Assignment" exercise, Dr. Vatz provides a

One of the most profound takeaways from Dr. Richard E. Vatz’s The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion is its unwavering commitment to the ethical dimensions of communication. While many texts treat persuasion merely as a toolkit for manipulation or corporate advantage, Dr. Vatz elevates the conversation by focusing on the "rhetor-as-creative-agent." Because persuaders have the immense power to choose which issues gain public salience, they also bear a profound moral responsibil

In a world saturated with media, public relations, and political discourse, how do skilled communicators actually shape our reality? In The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda-Spin Method, Dr. Richard E. Vatz dismantles the common misconception that communication is simply a reaction to objective events. Instead, he introduces the groundbreaking Agenda-Spin model, arguing that humans actively create meaning through discourse. By deciding what issues we pay attention