Mark Thompson (14) (1957–)

I found this book insightful and accurate; Thompson views the decline in the quality of civil discourse through the lens of rhetoric as defined and used by the classical writers, starting with Aristotle. He examines how the medium shapes the rhetoric, if only by cutting recordings of politicians' statements to very short sound bytes, and he discusses some things that the press, the public and the politicians can do to improve the quality of public discourse. None of his proposals are either show more radical or shockingly innovative, but I'd say we need to consider this book and perhaps act on Thompson's ideas and suggestions. show less

Promised much more than it delivers. From his biographical details and some remarks in the book I would conclude the author to be an upper-class English Catholic.

And Wikipedia confirms the diagnosis. I didn't think much of the book, but I've mentioned it several times when talking with coworkers, so it was hardly negligible.