Almost nobody noticed. In January 2011, President Obama completely changed the structure of his speeches. A few people, like Peggy Noonan in The Wall Street Journal and Gustav Niebuhr in The Huffington Post, figured out something was up. But neither could pin it down.

Now the complete story is told and the technique is revealed. This is the one Obama book everyone should read. It is the one book on how to craft a persuasive speech that everyone needs.

Authors David Hirsch and Dan Van Haften show precisely how President Obama’s 2011 speeches have the same structure used by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address (and in virtually all of Lincoln’s great speeches). The authors summarize and analyze President Obama’s speeches and demonstrate how structure conveys meaning. Hirsch and Van Haften broke “Lincoln’s code” regarding how Lincoln wrote his speeches, identifying and explaining this unique structure in Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason (November 2010). Now, they reveal President Obama’s use of this same structure and how it is easier to understand, and more straightforward than Lincoln’s.

This book not only tells the story and explains the technique. It lists links to video of the Obama speeches discussed. Read it, see it, and understand it. A short analysis before each speech points out unusual or special structural characteristics. After each speech is a summary of its contents derived from the structure.

Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, and the Structure of Reason presents an easy to understand, new perspective on the modern presidency. It provides tools everybody can use in their daily life. Anyone who needs to persuade can use these tools to save time, be sharper, and be convincing.

About the Authors: David Hirsch is an attorney in Des Moines, Iowa. He has a bachelor of science from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctorate, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law. He clerked for an Iowa Supreme Court Justice from 1973-1974. Hirsch was a columnist for the American Bar Association Journal for over a decade.

Dan Van Haften has a bachelor of science, with high honors, and master’s degree in mathematics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He began his career with AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1970 and retired from Alcatel-Lucent in 2007. Dan lives in Batavia, Illinois. Website: http://www.thestructureofreason.com

• Front Cover
• Author
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Chronological List of Demarcated Barack Obama Speeches
• Preface
• Acknowledgment
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Poetry
  • The Declaration of Independence—July 4, 1776
  • The Gettysburg Address—November 19, 1863
  • At “An Evening of Poetry” at the White House— May 11, 2011 (Video)
• Chapter 2: Comfort
  • At a Memorial Service for the Victims of the Shooting in Tucson, Arizona—January 12, 2011 (Video)
  • On the Shooting of American Service Members in Germany—March 2, 2011
  • On the Situation in Japan—March 17, 2011
  • About Storms Throughout the Midwest—May 24, 2011
  • At a Memorial Service in Joplin, Missouri—May 29, 2011
• Chapter 3: Culture
  • At the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration—January 20, 2011
  • At “In Performance At The White House: The Motown Sound”—February 24, 2011
  • At a Cinco de Mayo Reception—May 5, 2011
  • At a Reception in Honor of Jewish American Heritage Month—May 17, 2011
• Chapter 4: Economy
  • On the National Wireless Initiative in Marquette, Michigan—February 10, 2011
  • To Chrysler Workers in Toledo, Ohio—June 3, 2011
  • On the Critical Role the Manufacturing Sector Plays in the American Economy—June 28, 2011
• Chapter 5: Budget
  • On the Unveiling of the Budget in Baltimore, Maryland—February 14, 2011
  • On the Budget Talks—April 6, 2011
  • On Fiscal Policy—April 13, 2011
  • At a Press Conference by the President—June 29, 2011
• Chapter 6: Energy
  • On America’s Energy Security—March 30, 2011
  • In a Town Hall Discussion on Energy in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania—April 6, 2011
• Chapter 7: Education
  • During a Classroom Tour in Miami, Florida—March 4, 2011
  • At the Miami Dade College Commencement—April 29, 2011
  • At the Booker T. Washington High School Commencement—May 16, 2011
  • At the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Commencement—May 18, 2011 (Video)
  • At a “Skills for America’s Future Manufacturing” Event—June 8, 2011
• Chapter 8: The World
  • On the Situation in Egypt—February 1, 2011
  • On Egypt—February 11, 2011
  • In an Address to the Nation on Libya—March 28, 2011
  • Welcoming the “Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride”—May 4, 2011
  • At the “Pride of Midtown” Firehouse, Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9—May 5, 2011
  • On the Middle East and North Africa—May 19, 2011
  • At the AIPAC Policy Conference 2011— May 22, 2011 (Video)
  • At the Official Arrival Ceremony for Chancellor Merkel—June 7, 2011
  • At a Reception Honoring Greek Independence Day—March 25, 2011
  • On Osama Bin Laden— May 2, 2011 (Video)
• Epilogue—
• Endnotes—
• Bibliography—