Explaining to a newcomer the rhetorical art, its principles, methods and structures, can be a challenge.  Although we use rhetorical techniques everyday, many of us have never really thought about the underlying mechanics and governing rules of persuasive speech.   

 I find that one of the best ways to approach this challenge is to pick up the rhetorically interested audience where it stands and to explain rhetoric by illustrating its parallels with in the physical world. There are a striking amount of these parallels, and some of them allow for a surprisingly detailed explanation of a rhetorical tool, an argumentative principle or a persuasive technique.   

 A little while ago I have started collecting pictures that visualize these parallels. Bit by bit I am supplementing them with a brief narrative that explains the underlying allegory and additionally with a more detailed background that links the picture and the narrative to the rhetorical theory and thus enables an interested reader to explore further.   

 Like Polemos , this project is very much work in progress, and it might remain so for a while. Unlike the card game though, I do see a clear long-term perspective for this pet project however. Ultimately I hope to collect enough visualizations of key elements of rhetorical theory and practice to cover the entire subject and create a rhetorical picture book that allows an interesting and alternative entrance to our fascinating field.