Rise B. Axelrod is McSweeney Professor of Rhetoric and Teaching Excellence, Emeritus, at the University of California, Riverside, where she was also director of English Composition. She has previously been professor of English at California State University, San Bernardino; director of the College Expository Program at the University of Colorado, Boulder; and assistant director of the Third College (now Thurgood Marshall College) Composition Program at the University of California, San Diego. She is the co-author, with Charles R. Cooper, of the best-selling textbook
The St. Martin's Guide to Writing as well as
The Concise Guide to Writing and
Reading Critically, Writing Well. Charles R. Cooper is an emeritus professor at the University of California, San Diego. He served as coordinator of the Third College (now Thurgood Marshall College) Composition Program at the University of California, San Diego, and co-director of the San Diego Writing Project, one of the National Writing Project Centers. He advised the National Assessment of Educational Progress—Writing (1973-1981) and coordinated the development of California's first statewide writing assessment (1986-1991). He taught at the University of California, Riverside; the State University of New York at Buffalo; and the University of California, San Diego. He is co-editor, with Lee Odell, of
Evaluating Writing and Research on Composing: Points of Departure, and he is co-author, with Rise Axelrod, of the best-selling textbook
The St. Martin's Guide to Writing as well as
The Concise Guide to Writing and Reading
Critically, Writing Well.
Alison M. Warriner is Coordinator of Composition, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum, and professor of English at California State University, East Bay, where she has also been Director of the Collaborative Academic Preparation Initiative and the Summer Writing Institutes. Previously she was Director of Communications at Sacred Heart University. She is a coauthor of Academic Literacy: A Statement of Competencies Expected of Students Entering Californias Public Colleges and Universities (2002) and of the Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC) that is currently being introduced as Senior English into California public high schools through the Early Assessment Program of the CSU Chancellors Office.
CHAPTER 1 ACADEMIC HABITS OF MIND: FROM READING CRITICALLY TO WRITING WELL Activity 1: Exploring Your Habits of MindJoining the Academic Conversation
Activity 2: Developing Your Rhetorical Sensitivity Activity 3: Honing Ideas through DiscussionFrom Reading Critically to Writing WellThe Writing Process
Activity 4: Freewriting to Develop Ideas Activity 5: Asking Writers Questions Activity 6: Pulling It All TogetherCHAPTER 2 AUTOBIOGRAPHYAutobiography: The Rhetorical Situation
Composing Autobiography: Thinking about the Rhetorical SituationA Guide to Reading AutobiographyAnnie Dillard,
An American Childhood*Tom Ruprecht,
In Too DeepSaira Shah,
Longing to Belong*Jenée Desmond-Harris,
Tupac and My Non-thug LifeBrad Benioff,
Rick (Student Essay)
Reviewing What Makes Autobiography Effective[e-pages] Shanon Lewis,
We Were There (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Kate Beaton,
Treasure (graphic memoir)
A Guide to Writing AutobiographyThe Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and Composing Choosing a Subject Shaping Your Story Presenting Important People and Places Reflecting on Your Subject Drafting Your Story Considering a Useful Sentence StrategyEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Revising Your Draft
Troubleshooting Your Draft Editing and Proofreading Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Autobiography
CHAPTER 3 OBSERVATION Observation: The Rhetorical Situation
Composing Observations: Thinking about the Rhetorical SituationA Guide to Reading ObservationsThe
New Yorker,
SoupJohn T. Edge,
Im Not Leaving Until I Eat This Thing A Special Reading Strategy: Comparing and Contrasting Related Readings: "Soup" and Edges "Im Not Leaving until I Eat This Thing"*Gabriel Thompson,
Gringo in the Lettuce FieldsPeggy Orenstein,
The Daily Grind: Lessons in the Hidden Curriculum A Special Reading Strategy: Looking for Patterns of OppositionBrian Cable,
The Last Stop (Student Essay)
Reviewing What Makes Observation Effective[e-pages] Brianne O'Leary,
Fatty's Custom Tattooz and Body Piercing (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Sarah Kate Kramer/WNYC,
Niche Market: Fountain Pen Hospital (Web page and slide show)
A Guide to Writing Observations The Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and Composing
Working with Sources: Integrating Quotations from Interviews Considering a Useful Sentence StrategyEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, andProofreading
Troubleshooting Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Observation
CHAPTER 4 REFLECTIONReflection: The Rhetorical Situation Composing Reflections: Thinking about the Rhetorical Situation
A Guide to Reading ReflectionsBrent Staples,
Black Men and Public SpaceDana Jennings,
Our Scars Tell the Story of Our Lives*Dan Zevin,
Father Shops Best*Rob Walker,
Replacement Therapy: Why Our Gadgets Can't Wear Out Fast EnoughKatherine Haines,
Whose Body Is This? (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Justin Ton,
Hip-Hop You Don't Stop (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Linda Stone,
Continuous Partial Attention (video with transcript)
Reviewing What Makes Reflections EffectiveA Guide to Writing ReflectionsThe Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and ComposingEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Troubleshooting Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Reflections
CHAPTER 5 EXPLAINING CONCEPTSConcept Explanations: The Rhetorical Situation
Composing Concept Explanations: Thinking about the Rhetorical SituationA Guide to Reading Concept Explanations*Susan Cain,
Shyness: Evolutionary Tactic?Deborah Tannen,
Marked WomenBeth Bailey,
Dating*Dan Hurley,
Can You Make Yourself Smarter? Linh Kieu Ngo,
Cannibalism: It Still Exists (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Slate,
Walking Neighborhoods (interactive maps and screenshot)
Reviewing What Makes Concept Explanations EffectiveA Guide to Writing Concept ExplanationsThe Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and ComposingEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Troubleshooting Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Concept Explanations
CHAPTER 6 EVALUATIONEvaluations: The Rhetorical Situation
Composing Evaluations: Thinking about the Rhetorical SituationA Guide to Reading EvaluationsAmitai Etzioni,
Working at McDonalds*Malcolm Gladwell,
What College Rankings Really Tell UsChristine Rosen,
The Myth of Multitasking*Peter Travers,
Review of LincolnWilliam Akana, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World:
A Hell of a Ride (Student Essay)Christine Romano,
Jessica Statsky's "Children Need to Play, Not Compete:" An Evaluation (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Brittany Lemus, Requiem for a Dream:
Fantasy verses Reality (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Marlon Bishop,
Gig Alert: Bright Eyes (Web page and audio file)
Reviewing What Makes Evaluations EffectiveA Guide to Writing EvaluationsThe Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and ComposingEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Troubleshooting Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Evaluations
CHAPTER 7 POSITION PAPERPosition Papers: The Rhetorical Situation
Composing Position Papers: Thinking about the Rhetorical SituationA Guide to Reading Position PapersBrian Greene,
Put a Little Science in Your LifeKaren Stabiner,
Boys Here, Girls There: Sure, If Equalitys the Goal*Sherry Turkle,
The Flight from Conversation*Daniel J. Solove,
Why Privacy Matters Even If You Have "Nothing to Hide"Jessica Statsky,
Children Need to Play, Not Compete (Student Essay)U.S. Department of Transportation/Ad Council,
The "Its Only Another Beer" Black and Tan (PSA)
Reviewing What Makes Position Papers EffectiveA Guide to Writing Position PapersThe Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and ComposingEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Troubleshooting Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Position Papers
CHAPTER 8 SPECULATING ABOUT CAUSES OR EFFECTS (ALISON)Speculations about Causes or Effects: The Rhetorical Situation
Composing Speculations about Causes or Effects: Thinking about the Rhetorical SituationA Guide to Reading Speculations about Causes or EffectsStephen King,
Why We Crave Horror MoviesClaudia Wallis,
The Multitasking Generation*Shankar Vedantam,
The Telescope EffectNicholas Carr,
Is Google Making Us Stupid?Sheila McClain,
Fitness Culture: A Growing Trend in America (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Michelle Cox,
The Truth about Lying (Student Essay)
[e-pages] On the Media,
Reel Sounds of Violence (audio podcast/interview)
Reviewing What Makes Speculations about Causes or Effects EffectiveA Guide to Writing Speculations about Causes or Effects The Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and ComposingEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Troubleshooting Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Speculations about Causes or Effects
CHAPTER 9 PROPOSAL TO SOLVE A PROBLEMProposals to Solve a Problem: The Rhetorical Situation
Composing Proposals to Solve a Problem: Thinking about the Rhetorical SituationA Guide to Reading Proposals to Solve a Problem*David Bornstein,
Fighting Bullying with Babies (from SMG 10e)William F. Shughart II,
Why Not a Football Degree?*Kelly D. Brownell and Thomas R. Frieden,
Ounces of Prevention—The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared BeveragesKaren Kornbluh,
Win-Win FlexibilityLuigi Zingales,
College Graduate as CollateralPatrick OMalley,
More Testing, More Learning (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Molly Coleman,
Missing the Fun (Student Essay)
[e-pages] Phoebe Sweet and Zach Wise,
The Problem with Lawns: The Transforming Landscape of Las Vegas (video)
Reviewing What Makes Proposals to Solve a Problem EffectiveA Guide to Writing Proposals to Solve a ProblemThe Writing AssignmentWriting a Draft: Invention, Planning, and ComposingEvaluating the Draft: Getting a Constructive Critical Reading
Reading a Draft CriticallyImproving the Draft: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Troubleshooting Your DraftReflecting on What You Have Learned: Proposals to Solve Problems
CHAPTER 10 A CATALOG OF CRITICAL READING STRATEGIESAnnotatingMartin Luther King Jr.,
An Annotated Sample from "Letter from Birmingham Jail"PreviewingOutliningSummarizingParaphrasingSynthesizingQuestioning to Understand and RememberContextualizingReflecting on Challenges to Your Beliefs and ValuesExploring the Significance of Figurative LanguageLooking for Patterns of OppositionEvaluating the Logic of an ArgumentUsing a Toulmin AnalysisRecognizing Logical FallaciesJudging a Writers CredibilityComparing and Contrasting Related ReadingsLewis H. Van Dusen Jr.,
Legitimate Pressures and Illegitimate ResultsPublic Statement by Eight Alabama ClergymenCHAPTER 11 STRATEGIES FOR RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATIONPlanning a Research Project Analyzing Your Rhetorical Situation and Setting a Schedule Choosing a Topic and Getting an Overview Narrowing Your Topic and Drafting Research Questions Establishing a Research Log Creating a Working Bibliography Annotating Your Working Bibliography Taking Notes on Your SourcesFinding Sources Searching Library Catalogs Searching Databases Finding Government Documents and Statistical Information Finding Web Sites and Interactive SourcesConducting Field Research Conducting Observational Studies Conducting Interviews Conducting SurveysEvaluating Sources Choosing Relevant Sources Choosing Reliable SourcesUsing Sources to Support Your Ideas Synthesizing Sources Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism Using Information from Sources to Support Your ClaimsCiting and Documenting Sources in MLA StyleChristina Dinh,
Educating Kids at Home (Student Essay)Citing and Documenting Sources in APA StylePatrick OMalley,
More Testing, More Learning (Student References List)
CHAPTER 12 STRATEGIES FOR ANALYZING VISUALSCriteria for Analyzing VisualsA Sample AnalysisPaul Taylor,
The Rising (Student Essay)