Rhetoric, in the broadest sense of the word, is the art of communicating. Scholars from Ancient Greece until today have studied the finer points of rhetoric in every interaction they have, and as laypeople, we employ rhetorical strategies in every interaction we have. Government agencies disseminating information to the public, advertising firms selling a product, friends deciding which movie to see, and parents explaining the wonders of the world to their children all engage rhetorical skills in different ways to effectively reach their audience. An understanding of the fundamentals of rhetoric (1) improves our skills to communicate any message more effectively and (2) provides us with an ability to dissect and analyze the many messages all around us.
