B O O K   R E V I E W

Stop talking and start persuading!

Michael Cloud's New Book Will Make

You a Better Libertarian Communicator

Reviewed by Bill Winter

Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion, by Michael Cloud. Published by the Advocates for Self-Government. Trade paperback, 240 pages.

Raise your hand if you've done this: You're talking to someone about libertarianism and he's generally agreeable -- but he defends one particular government program. So you helpfully explain to him, "You idiot! It's immoral to support such a wasteful, unconstitutional program!"

Or: You're talking to a friend about politics and you start reciting a litany of what's wrong with government. High taxes. Warmongering. FCC censorship. Politicians with the middle initial "W." Soon, you're more despondent than a Boston Red Sox fan in October, and your friend has vanished -- most likely to get a prescription for antidepressants.

Are you guilty? Sure, we all are. At one time or another, every libertarian has committed a communication felony that sabotaged what could have been a successful conversation. As a result, the liberty movement lost a potential ally, vote, or activist.

That's why Michael Cloud wrote Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion. For more than two decades, he's been researching, testing, and fine-tuning persuasion techniques -- trying to figure out how to better teach Americans about the benefits of liberty. Now he's sharing what he learned, so libertarians will do more of what works, and less of what doesn't.

The book is divided into three sections: Stories, Techniques, and Insights & Outlooks. The Stories are short narratives that make one concise point about communication. Some educate. Some inspire. Some motivate. All are engrossing.

The Techniques section is the nuts-and-bolts of the book. Each chapter explains a specific persuasion method. Here's one: "The Reverse." Instead of arguing with people about government programs they support, ask them: "What's one thing that government does now that you think it definitely should not do?" Then shut up and let them answer. As Cloud notes, this approach allows someone to "argue himself into a libertarian position." (Try it; it works!)

The Insights & Outlooks section takes a more big-picture approach. Some chapters address the philosophy of effective communication; others steer you away from common outreach blunders. Some address specific persuasion challenges (for example, how to handle people who rarely read books); others share communication strategies (for example, the benefits of building "brand loyalty"). There isn't a libertarian alive who won't have at least one "Ah-hah!" moment while reading this section.

If that isn't enough, Insights & Outlooks includes a bonus -- two of Cloud's classic essays, "The Myth of Mushrooms in the Night" and "The Late, Great Libertarian Macho Flash," in book form for the first time. Both were milestones in the libertarian movement's maturation from adolescence into adulthood, and both have become "accepted wisdom" among libertarians. If you've never read them, you're in for a treat. If you read them years ago, it's probably time for a refresher course. You'll be amazed at how well they stand up.

Quibbles? Sure, I've got a few quibbles with Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion. I think a handful of chapters don't quite measure up. For example, "The Black Door" fable strikes me as a bit silly and heavy-handed. And I've never found the "Wile E. Coyote is like big government" metaphor to be quite as clever as Cloud does. (It's funny, but not persuasive.)

But these minor gripes are redeemed by all the good stuff. For example, I love the story about the time Cloud met Rosa Parks (and the inspiring advice she offered). The "Weight Watcher's Test" argument is great -- I've already used it several times. And the chapter entitled "Optimism Pays" is alone worth the price of the book. (If it doesn't help you in your job and personal life, I'll be surprised.)

One more thing: In addition to being useful, the book is also marvelously entertaining. It's written with Cloud's trademark energy and wit. It's chock full of clever phrases, engaging stories, apt quotations, and astute insights. As you read it, you'll understand why Cloud won the Libertarian Party's Thomas Paine Award in 2000 as the best Libertarian communicator in America.

Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion is such an important book that I'm tempted to grab you by the lapels and explain to you (at an earsplitting volume) that if you don't read it, you're not just foolish, you're also immoral. But I won't. Thanks to Michael Cloud, I know better.

Instead, I'll just leave you with this thought: Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion may be, simply, the single best book ever written about effective political persuasion (libertarian or otherwise). If you want to make America a free nation, you owe it to yourself to read it.

* About the reviewer: Bill Winter was the editor of LP News, the Libertarian Party's national newspaper, from 1997 to 2004. He is currently Director of Communications for the Advocates for Self-Government.

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