"Elements of Persuasion" ruled too dangerous for inmates
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 8, 2010 — It is not unusual for books to be banned in prison, particularly those that are pornographic or describe exotic and effective martial arts techniques, but the recent banning of the business book Elements of Persuasion: Use Storytelling to Pitch Better, Sell Faster, and Win More Business from Texas prisons has left many on both sides of the Atlantic scratching their heads. According to an article in The American Statesman, a newspaper published in Austin, Texas, prison censors intercepted a copy of the book, read it, and in December it was banned by the Texas Bureau of Prisons. The reason? According to the authorities, "It could be used to persuade others."
The book's authors Robert Dickman and Richard Maxwell are confused and amused. "The book teaches how to use storytelling to communicate more effectively. Storytelling is as old as humanity," says Robert Dickman, "and is what many psychologists now believe separates humans from beasts. If there is one quality you'd think you'd want to improve in prison, it is the ability to communicate clearly and nonviolently. Studies on gang behavior have shown that good communication skills reduce physical violence across the board." "Frankly," adds co-author Richard Maxwell, "Texas is over-reacting. I'm not sure how our book made the list, but I'm not complaining. We are in very good company."
According to the U. K. Guardian, which picked up the story on the other side of the Atlantic, "Books by Nobel laureates Pablo Neruda and Andre Gide … and bestsellers by James Paterson, Carl Hiassen and Hunter S. Thompson have all failed the test of prison censors." The left-of-center Guardian makes no secret of its position on a prison policy that has banned over 5000 books in the last five years and specifically mentioned Elements of Persuasion. So it is not surprising that the right-of-center Telegraph responded. Writing on that paper's blog site, staff writer Oliver Marre stressed that conditions in prison were different from those in the general population and so he supported many of the bans, including the banning of dictionaries that had a definition of "oral sex," but even he found the banning of Elements of Persuasion "rather depressing."
The book discusses how individuals and organizations can learn to use the five central elements of storytelling to become more successful. It connects those elements to recent breakthroughs in brain science. The primary focus is to help leaders understand that if they want to lead they need to first convince someone to follow them. Richard Maxwell explains, "The best way to do that is to tell them a story that has real meaning. Think Abraham Lincoln." Mr. Dickman stresses, "Storytelling works. It's a powerful communication tool. But it isn't hypnosis and it isn't magic. It is not like the scene in Star Wars where Obi-Wan persuades the Troopers to let him pass with just a few words and a wave of his hand. What storytelling is, is a powerful means to touch people's hearts and minds."
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