Prose Reader, The: Essays for Thinking, Reading, and Writing

by Flachmann, Kim; Flachmann, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780131850163
• ISBN10: 0131850164
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

The Prose Reader promotes the skills of thinking, reading, and writing, enabling the user to think more clearly and logically--both in his/her mind and on paper. Prose models are intended to inspire, encouraging improved writing with a partnership with some of the best examples of professional prose available today. Each chapter begins with an explanation of a single technique, with essays that follow each chapter introduction selected from a wide variety of well-known contemporary authors. It helps readers discover various ways of thinking about and analyzing the essay. The book progresses from selections that require literal skills (Description, Narration, and Example) through readings involving more interpretation (Process Analysis, Division/Classification, Comparison/Contrast, and Definition) to essays that demand a high degree of analytical thought (Cause/Effect and Argument/Persuasion). An excellent and demanding reader for anyone interested in building their reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Table of Contents

Thematic Table of Contents	xv
Preface to the Instructor	xxiii
INTRODUCTION: Thinking, Reading, and Writing	1	(574)
Thinking Critically	3	(2)
Reading Critically	5	(16)
Preparing to Read	5	(4)
Reading	9	(7)
Rereading	16	(4)
Reading Inventory	20	(1)
Writing Critically	21	(14)
Preparing to Write	21	(6)
Writing	27	(3)
Rewriting	30	(1)
Writing Inventory	31	(4)
Conclusion	35	(1)
1 DESCRIPTION: Exploring through the Senses	36	(66)
Defining Description	36	(2)
Thinking Critically by Using Description	38	(2)
Reading and Writing Descriptive Essays	40	(5)
Student Essay: Description at Work	45	(4)
Some Final Thoughts on Description	49	(2)
RAY BRADBURY
Sinner Rituals	51	(7)
The description of a simple, comforting ritual-the putting up of a front-porch swing in early summer confirms the value of ceremony in the life of small town.
KIMBERLY WOZENCRAFT
Notes from the Country Club	58	(14)
Have you ever wondered what being in prison is like? Kimberly Wozencraft takes us for a no-nonsense tour of the "correctional institution" in Kentucky that was her hone for over a year.
JOHN MCPHEE
The Pines	72	(9)
John McPhee's gift of richly detailed prose is captured in this compelling description of two very different natives of "The Pines," a wilderness area in the eastern United States.
MALCOLM COWLEY
The View from 80	81	(13)
In this humorous, touching, and ultimately optimistic essay, the author introduces us to the unfamiliar "country" of old age.
BERNARD COOPER
Labyrinthine	94	(23)
Bernard Cooper's brilliant analysis of his childhood obsession with mazes reminds us of how easily we all become "lost in the folds and bones" of our advancing years.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	101	(1)
2 NARRATION: Telling a Story	102	(56)
Defining Narration	102	(2)
Thinking Critically by Using Narration	104	(1)
Reading and Writing Narrative Essays	105	(4)
Student Essay: Narration at Work	109	(6)
Some Final Thoughts on Narration	115	(2)
LEWIS SAWAQUAT
For My Indian Daughter	117	(7)
A Native American responds to prejudice by searching for ethnic and cultural pride.
MAYA ANGELOU
New Directions	124	(6)
Deserted by her husband, a proud and determined Annie Johnson decides to "step off the road and cut...a new path" for herself.
RUSSELL BAKER
The Saturday Evening Post	130	(11)
In this autobiographical essay, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Russell Baker offers an unflinching look at his childhood days in the small town of Morrisonville, Virginia.
SANDRA CISNEROS
Only daughter	141	(7)
The only daughter in a large family, Sandra Cisneros feels overwhelming pride when her father praises her skill as a writer.
GARRISON KEILLOR
How the Crab Apple Grew	148	(23)
Humorist Garrison Keillor mixes a delightful literary stew out of marriage, mushrooms, a Piper Cub airplane, and an English assignment.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	157	(1)
3 EXAMPLE: Illustrating Ideas	158	(50)
Defining Examples	158	(2)
Thinking Critically by Using Example	160	(2)
Reading and Writing Essays That Use Examples	162	(3)
Student Essay: Examples at Work	165	(4)
Some Final Thoughts on Examples	169	(2)
BILL COSBY
The Baffling Question	171	(6)
Why do people have children? Comedian Bill Cosby presents several hilarious and ironic reasons in this truthful look at the effects kids have on our lives.
WILLIAM LEAST HEAT-MOON
Red, White and Blue Highways	177	(7)
In this perceptive meditation on "America's roads," William Least Heat-Moon explains how our nation's highways unite us all geographically and spiritually.
HAROLD KRENTS
Darkness at Noon	184	(6)
How should we treat the handicapped? Blind author Harold Krents gives us a few lessons in judging people on their abilities rather than their disabilities.
AMY TAN
Mother Tongue	190	(10)
In this provocative and intriguing essay, author Amy Tan examines the relationship between her mother's "fractured" English and her own talent as a writer.
BRENT STAPLES
A Brother's Murder	200	(21)
Brent Staples's horrifying description of his brother's inner city killing lays bare the decay of urban America and its effect on the young African-America men who are imprisoned there.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	207	(1)
4 PROCESS ANALYSIS: Explaining Step by Step	208	(57)
Defining Process Analysis	208	(2)
Thinking Critically by Using Process Analysis	210	(2)
Reading and Writing Process Analysis Essays	212	(4)
Student Essay: Process Analysis at Work	216	(3)
Some Final Thoughts on Process Analysis	219	(2)
EDWIN BLISS
Managing Your Time	221	(8)
Feeling frantic and disorganized? Time-management expert Edwin Bliss reveals secrets of organization that will make your life much easier.
JESSICA MITFORD
Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain	229	(12)
In this chilling and macabre essay, celebrated "muckraker" Jessica Mitford exposes the greed and hypocrisy of the American mortuary business.
JAY WEINER
Sports Centered	241	(7)
Had your fill of overpaid, pampered, prima donna professional athletes? Jay Weiner has just the solution in this impassioned plea to save sports from the greed of corporate America.
LINDA FORMICHELLI
Engage in Word Play	248	(7)
Do your participles dangle? Does your syntax sag? Is your rhetoric stuck in a rut? Check out Linda Formichelli's helpful suggestions for giving your prose some pizzazz.
JULIA BOURLAND
Getting Out of Debt (and Staying Out)	255	(22)
Credit card bills getting you down? Author Julia Bourland suggests eight easy ways to pay off your balance and stay out of debt.
CHATTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	264	(1)
5 DIVISION/CLASSIFICATION: Finding Categories	265	(57)
Defining Division/Classification	265	(2)
Thinking Critically by Using Division/Classification	267	(2)
Reading and Writing Division/Classification Essays	269	(3)
Student Essay: Division/Classification at Work	272	(3)
Some Final Thoughts on Division/Classification	275	(2)
PHYLLIS SCHNEIDER
Memory: Tips You'll Never Forget	277	(6)
Ever forget where you parked your car? Phyllis Schneider suggests how to perk up your aging memory.
K.C. COLE
Calculated Risks	283	(12)
Do you like to gamble? Have you ever put all your money on one spin of the roulette wheel? Or are you the type of person who prefers to play it safe? K.C. Cole examines the types of risks most of us are comfortable with and comes up with some very interesting conclusions.
JUDITH WALLERSTEIN AND SANDRA BLAKESLEE
Second Chances for Children of Divorce	295	(10)
Children of divorce often have a difficult time coping with their parents' separation, but they can return to a happy, well-adjusted life if they accomplish a series of important "tasks" identified in this fascinating essay.
FRANKLIN ZINRING
Confessions of an Ex-Smoker	305	(7)
Are you a reformed smoker? Do you know someone who is? Franklin Zimring Offers a witty classification of people who've kicked the habit.
JUDITH VIORST
The Truth About Lying	312	(26)
Do you always tell the truth? Judith Viorst classifies and evaluates several types of lies that are a part of our morally complex world.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	321	(1)
6 COMPARISON/CONTRAST: Discovering Similarities and Differences	322	(67)
Defining Comparison/Contrast	323	(1)
Thinking Critically by Using Comparison/Contrast	324	(1)
Reading and Writing Comparison/Contrast Essays	325	(7)
Student Essay: Comparison/Contrast at Work	332	(4)
Some Final Thoughts on Comparison/Contrast	336	(2)
BRUCE CATION
Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts	338	(7)
Historian Bruce Catton vividly compares the backgrounds, personalities, and fighting qualities of two fascinating Civil War generals.
JIMMY SANTIAGO BACA
Past Present	345	(12)
When the author, formerly an inmate at San Quentin, returns to the prison as a free man to help film a movie he has written, the experience reawakens all the rage he felt while incarcerated and reminds him of the sweetness of freedom and the brutality of prison life.
WILLIAM OUCHI
Japanese and American Workers: Two Casts of Mind	357	(10)
The phrase "Made in Japan" will take on new meaning after you read this essay on "collective responsibility" in the Land of the Rising Sun.
GLORIA STEINEM
The Politics of Muscle	367	(9)
Feminist Gloria Steinem examines the muscle-bound world of women's bodybuilding and discovers that strength means sexual power.
SUCHENG CHAN
You're Short, Besides!	376	(25)
Blessed with an indomitable spirit, Sucheng Chan discusses the challenges, benefits, and cultural contrasts of being "non-white, female, handicapped...and short, besides."
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	388	(1)
7 DEFINITION: Limiting the Frame of Reference	389	(51)
Defining Definition	389	(1)
Thinking Critically by Using Definition	390	(2)
Reading and Writing Definition Essays	392	(3)
Student Essay: Definition at Work	395	(4)
Some Final Thoughts on Definition	399	(2)
ERMA BOMBECK
Grandma	401	(8)
What's the difference between a mother and a grandmother? Light years, claims columnist Erma Bombeck! Grandmothers can "shed the yoke of responsibility, relax, and enjoy their grandchildren in a way that was not possible when they were raising their own children."
ROBERT RAMIREZ
The Barrio	409	(8)
Robert Ramirez lovingly describes the "feeling of family" in a typical inner-city barrio.
MARY PIPHER
Beliefs About Families	417	(9)
What is a "family"? Psychologist Mary Piphor attempts to answer this intriguing question by evaluating the effect that different categories of family members have on our ability to function in society as a whole.
WANG PING
Ways to Ai	426	(7)
In "Ways to Ai," author Wang Ping dissects the many different and often contradictory meanings of the word "love" in her native Chinese language, all of which converge at the human heart.
ELLEN GOODMAN
A Working Community	433	(22)
Been back to visit your old "neighborhood" lately? Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman gives new meaning to the term in her essay on the "communities" we all belong to.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	439	(1)
8 CAUSE/EFFECT: Tracing Reasons and Results	440	(56)
Defining Cause/Effect	441	(3)
Thinking Critically by Using Cause/Effect	444	(1)
Reading and Writing Cause/Effect Essays	445	(3)
Student Essay: Cause/Effect at Work	448	(5)
Some Final Thoughts on Cause/Effect	453	(2)
STEPHEN KING
Why We Crave Horror Movies	455	(7)
Seen any good horror movies lately? Best-selling author Stephen King explains why we are so fascinated by films that appeal to our darker instincts.
MICHAEL DORRIS
The Broken Cord	462	(8)
An angry and frustrated Michael Dorns describes the long-term damage done to his adopted son, Adam, by the ravages of fetal alcohol syndrome.
RICHARD RODRIGUEZ
The Fear of Losing a Culture	470	(7)
How can Hispanics "belong to America without betraying their past"? Richard Rodriguez offers some helpful insights on a complex cultural topic.
MARY ROACH
Meet the Bickersons	477	(6)
"Waddya Mean I never do the dishes?!" Mary Roach presents a light-hearted, but sensible view of arguing fairly within a relationship.
ALICE WALKER
Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self	483	(29)
Looking back on an accident suffered many years ago, Alice Walker analyzes the connection between physical beauty and her own self-image.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	495	(1)
9 ARGUMENT AND PERSUASION: Inciting People to Thought or Action	496	(79)
Defining Argument and Persuasion	497	(2)
Thinking Critically by Using Argument and Persuasion	499	(2)
Reading and Writing Persuasive Essays	501	(5)
Student Essay: Argument and Persuasion at Work	506	(4)
Some Final Thoughts on Argument and Persuasion	510	(2)
bell hooks
Justice: Childhood Love Lessons	512	(12)
Do you believe children should be spanked when they misbehave? Author bell hooks examines the interrelated issues of love, discipline, and maturity in this interesting essay on "Childhood Love Lessons."
ROBERT HEILBRONER
Don't Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgment	524	(7)
Whom would you rather date: Gloria or Bertha? Richard or Cuthbert? What specific images do these names conjure up in your mind? Robert Heilbroner invites us to avoid stereotypical thinking when we encounter the world around us unless we are content with becoming a "stereo-type" ourselves!
DAVE GROSSMAN
We Are Training Our Kids to Kill	531	(15)
Retired Col. Dave Grossman questions the role models we are creating for our kids through the violence on TV. In this essay, he challenges us to regain control of child abuse, racism, and poverty in American society.
Opposing Viewpoints: Media Coverage	544	(6)
DAVID SHAW
Embedded Reporters Make for Good Journalism	546	(4)
JUSTIN EWERS
Is the New News Good News?	550	(8)
Should our armed forces overseas permit print and television journalists to be "embedded" in military units engaged in combat? David Shaw and Justin Ewers square off on this controversial and timely issue that illustrates our insatiable appetite for news.
Opposing Viewpoints: Immigration	556	(8)
MICHAEL SCOTT
America Must Take Stronger Measures to Halt Illegal Immigration	558	(6)
RICHARD RAYNOR
Illegal Immigration Does Not Threaten America	564	(29)
Is the United States "under year-round siege by hordes of illegal aliens," as Michael Scott claims, or is Richard Raynor correct when he argues that "America is an immigrant nation" that needs drive, generosity, and energy of people from other countries.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	574	(1)
10 DOCUMENTED ESSAYS: Reading and Writing from Sources	575	(43)
Defining Documented Essays	575	(2)
Reading and Writing Documented Essays	577	(7)
Student Essay: Documentation at Work	584	(7)
Some Final Thoughts on Documented Essays	591	(2)
BARBARA EHRENREICH
The Ecstasy of War	593	(10)
Do men and women possess a natural "warrior instinct" that enables them to kill their enemies during battle? Not so, claims Barbara Ehrenreich, though many social and cultural rituals help transform ordinary people into effective soldiers.
JILL LESLIE ROSENBAUM AND MEDA CHESNEY-LIND
Appearance and Delinquency: A Research Note	603	(17)
Criminologists Rosenbaum and Chesney-Lind offer some fascinating evidence about the relationship between the attractiveness of female offenders and the severity of their punishment.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	617	(1)
11 FURTHER THINKING, READING, AND WRITING	618	(47)
Essays
ROGER ROSENBLATT
"I Am Writing Blindly"	620	(1)
What is the basic, primal urge that drives us to communicate with each other? In this brief yet brilliant essay, Roger Rosenblatt examines the reasons why we write "blindly" to the world around us.
RITA MAE BROWN
Writing as a Moral Act	622	(1)
Novelist Rita Mae Brown argues persuasively that good writers should always tell the truth. "If you aren't reading books that challenge you, you're reading the wrong books," she claims.
Fiction
RICHARD WRIGHT
The Library Card	629	(1)
Set in the segregationist South, Wright's short story illustrates the triumph of one brave man's lust for learning over a society that seeks to keep him "in his place."
JESS ROW
The Secrets of Bats	638	(1)
In this enchanting narrative, an American instructor in a Hong Kong school earns the secrets of inter-cultural communication from one of his students.
Poetry
BILLY COLLINS
Books	653	(1)
"A choir of authors murmuring inside their books" calls to the author of this poem, inviting him to read about the universe around him.
ROBERT FRANCIS
Catch and Glass	655	(1)
These two poems depict poetry as a "ball" being thrown between two boys and as a "glass" through which life is seen most clearly.
Drama
NEENA BEBER
Misreadings	657	(1)
In this brief dramatic vignette about a teacher and her reluctant student, Neena Beber lays bare the distinctions between two entirely different world views of thinking, reading, and writing.
CHAPTER WRITING ASSIGNMENTS	664	(1)
Glossary of Useful Terms	665	(13)
Credits	678	(4)
Index of Authors and Titles	682