In Persuasive Pro-Life, Trent Horn draws from his extensive experience as both a pro-life advocate and trainer of other advocates to teach us how to be effective advocates for life wherever God has placed us. He covers what to say and how to say it, dos and don'ts, and specific strategies that can effectively persuade. He also shares mistakes he's made and what he's learned from them, which both allows us to benefit from his errors as well as points to the right attitude toward our own inevitable mistakes.

The publisher describes Horn's book this way:

"Are you scared to talk about abortion? Don't worry—almost everyone is. Either we think the subject is too impolite, or we don't want to be branded an [sic] intolerant fanatic, or we're afraid we won't represent the pro-life side well enough. Whatever the reason for this fear, it causes many of us pass up opportunities to speak out on behalf of the unborn. You can overcome this fear, says Trent Horn in his new book Persuasive Pro-Life. With a little knowledge and a few proven techniques, you can become a bold and effective apologist for life."

His favorite approach is to use questions to spark a dialogue or invite deeper thought, much as Jesus or Socrates did. He especially recommends asking what he calls "dumb" questions, such as:

• What is abortion?
• What is a child?
• What is a human?
• Why is abortion a sad or difficult choice?

Horn also covers - rather encyclopedically - arguments for abortion, why they fail, and how to respond. One of the best features is the many realistic conversations he includes, based on his past experiences. These dialogues show how his approach plays out in real life and help the reader to apply the principles in various circumstances.

He doesn't shy away from the most difficult objections, which may be emotional rather than logical. I particularly loved the part where he discusses the inconsistency of the "tolerant" position held by people who say they are pro-life themselves but at the same time say that others should still have the right to choose abortion.

I recommend this excellent book and give all my students a copy of it at the end of my high school seminar class on philosophy, ethics, and life issues.