[Argument Task]
The following is a recommendation from the personnel director to the president of Acme Publishing Company.

"Many other companies have recently stated that having their employees take the Easy Read Speed-Reading Course has greatly improved productivity. One graduate of the course was able to read a 500-page report in only two hours; another graduate rose from an assistant manager to vice president of the company in under a year. Obviously, the faster you can read, the more information you can absorb in a single workday. Moreover, Easy Read would cost Acme only $500 per employee — a small price to pay when you consider the benefits. Included in this fee is a three-week seminar in Spruce City and a lifelong subscription to the Easy Read newsletter. Clearly, to improve productivity, Acme should require all of our employees to take the Easy Read course."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the advice and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the advice.

Ans:
The author in this argument stated that in order to increase the productivity of the employees, Acme Publishing Company should make their employees take the Easy Read Course. Although the underlying issue may have some merits, while making a meticulous observation, it reveals the lack of concrete evidence and unaddressed assumptions, suggesting the author's argument, as unsubstantiated and deeply flawed.

Firstly, the author of the recommendation states that many other companies have made their employees take the Easy read course, and mentioned that the productivity of their employees have significantly burgeoned. But, the author has not revealed about what other companies were? Are they even related to the same working background as of the Acme Publishing Company? Adding to this, how does the success of one company assure the success for the next company when the course taking zeal is innate to the employees and not in the name of the company?

Secondly, the author has mentioned that one of the graduates of the course was able to read a 500-page report in only two hours, which doesn't necessarily mean the course is flawless. What about the other graduates? The record is shown superficially and what lies below the superficiality might be what the other customers would want to look for. Perhaps, the author doesn't want to reveal about the records and performances of majority of the graduates.

Thirdly, the author states the course is of only $500 per employee; which includes a three-week seminar in Spurce City and a lifelong subscription to the Easy Read newsletter. The details he has elaborated is too little for a course designed with that big amount. Moreover, a $500 course doesn't necessarily denote better performance. For example, A small campaign of $50 can sometimes be of more value if the output brought by another program of higher price is compared. What matters is quality and its assurance, for a business company. Furthermore, there might be ramifications if the suggestion of a $500 course for a normal employee is made compulsion by the Easy Read Course; the employess might leave the company too, to save the amount.

The author's argument, as it stands now, is really weak and unpersuasive. To bolster it further, the author needs to give up more evidences, which are really true, plausible, and the program details must be elaborated more, probably should add some recreational programs. The president of Acme Publishing Company, shall not take the argument into account, as of now, as some of the assumptions seem to be coming from poorly thought management.