Reading Critically, Writing Well

by Axelrod, Rise B.; Cooper, Charles R.; Carillo, Ellen

• ISBN13: 9781319194475
• ISBN10: 1319194478
• Edition: 12th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2019-10-03
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

About This Book

Reading Critically, Writing Well: A Reader and Guide

ISBN: 9781319194475

Reading Critically, Writing Well: A Reader and Guide is a comprehensive textbook designed to help students read critically and write effectively. This book is a go-to resource for students and educators alike, offering a detailed exploration of critical reading and writing strategies.

Who Uses It?

Primarily, this book is used by students and instructors in introductory composition and writing courses at the college and university levels. It's also a valuable resource for anyone interested in improving their critical reading and writing skills, including professionals looking to enhance their communication abilities.

History and Editions

The 12th edition of Reading Critically, Writing Well has been updated to address user feedback, incorporating the latest research and discussions on critical reading and writing techniques. This edition includes detailed updates on reading strategies and writing assignments, with a new emphasis on inquiry, curiosity, and habits of mind. It also provides more opportunities for students to learn and practice complex reading and writing strategies.

Author and Other Works

Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper are the authors of Reading Critically, Writing Well. Rise B. Axelrod is known for her expertise in composition and her ability to explain complex concepts clearly and simply. Ellen Carillo, a noted reading scholar, has contributed to this edition, ensuring that it remains current and relevant.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Coverage: The book covers core concepts in critical reading and writing, including detailed explanations and examples.
• Interactive Approach: The text is designed to be interactive, focusing on concepts that encourage readers to think deeper and apply these techniques to their own essays.
• Engaging Readings: The book includes a robust catalog of reading strategies and provocative readings that represent an array of topics and disciplines.
• Step-by-Step Guides: Each chapter starts with a guide to reading that challenges students to analyze authors’ techniques, and concludes with a step-by-step guide to writing and revising.

Detailed Information

ISBNs and Formats

• Hardcover: ISBN-13: 9781319194475
• eTextbook: ISBN-13: 9781319194475 (Note: Some e-book formats may have the same ISBN as the hardcover for consistency across platforms)
• Other Editions:
• 11th Edition: ISBN-10: 1319032753, ISBN-13: 2901319032752

Publication Details

• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's
• Publication Date: 2019
• Number of Pages: Varies by edition
• Language: English

Other Editions and Formats

• 11th Edition: Available through various retailers
• ISBN-10: 1319032753
• ISBN-13: 2901319032752

• Related ISBNs:
• 10th Edition: ISBN-10: 1319032753 (Note: This may be a different edition or format)
• 12th Edition: ISBN-13: 9781319194475

This detailed information section provides a quick reference for all the available formats and sources for Reading Critically, Writing Well, making it easier to find and access the book in the preferred format.

Table of Contents

Contents by Theme
Contents by Discipline
1  Academic Habits of Mind: From Reading Critically to Writing Well        
Joining the Academic Conversation
*Ben Greenman, The Online Curiosity Killer     
From Reading Critically to Writing Well
The Writing Process
2  A CATALOG OF READING STRATEGIES     
Annotating
Martin Luther King Jr., An Annotated Sample from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Taking Inventory
Outlining
Summarizing
Paraphrasing
Skimming 
Synthesizing
Analyzing Assumptions
Contextualizing
Exploring the Significance of Figurative Language
Analyzing Visuals
Looking for Patterns of Opposition
Reflecting on Challenges to Your Beliefs and Values
Comparing and Contrasting Related Readings
Lewis H. Van Dusen Jr., Legitimate Pressures and Illegitimate Results
Evaluating the Logic of an Argument
Recognizing Logical Fallacies
Recognizing Emotional Manipulation
Judging the Writer’s Credibility
Reading Like A Writer            
3  AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND LITERACY NARRATIVES
Rhetorical Situations for Autobiographies and Literacy Narratives
A GUIDE TO READING AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND LITERACY NARRATIVES
Annie Dillard, An American Childhood (Annotated Essay)
READINGS
David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day  
*Molly Montgomery, In Search of Dumplings and Dead Poets
Saira Shah, Longing to Belong
Jenée Desmond-?Harris, Tupac and My Non-?Thug Life
*Rhea Jameson, Mrs. Maxon (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND LITERACY NARRATIVES
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
4  OBSERVATION
Rhetorical Situations for Observations
A GUIDE TO READING OBSERVATIONS
The New Yorker, Soup
READINGS
John T. Edge, I’m Not Leaving Until I Eat This Thing
Gabriel Thompson, A Gringo in the Lettuce Fields
Amanda Coyne, The Long Good-?Bye: Mother’s Day in Federal Prison
*Robin Wall Kimmerer, Asters and Goldenrods
*Linda Fine, Bringing Ingenuity Back
A GUIDE TO WRITING OBSERVATIONAL ESSAYS
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
5  REFLECTION  
Rhetorical Situations for Reflections
A GUIDE TO READING REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
Brent Staples, Black Men and Public Space (Annotated Essay)
READINGS
Dana Jennings, Our Scars Tell the Stories of Our Lives (Annotated Essay)
Jacqueline Woodson, The Pain of the Watermelon Joke
Manuel Muñoz, Leave Your Name at the Border
*Maya Rupert, I, Wonder: Imagining a Black Wonder Woman
*Samantha Wright, Starving for Control (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
Writing Your Draft 00
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
6  EXPLAINING CONCEPTS             
Rhetorical Situations for Concept Explanations
A GUIDE TO READING CONCEPT EXPLANATIONS
Susan Cain, Shyness: Evolutionary Tactic? (Annotated Essay)
READINGS
John Tierney, Do You Suffer from Decision Fatigue?
*Jeff Howe, The Rise of Crowdsourcing
Melanie Tannenbaum, The Problem When Sexism Just Sounds So Darn Friendly
Michael Pollan, Altered State: Why “Natural” Doesn’t Mean Anything
*William Tucker, The Art and Creativity of Stop-Motion (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING ESSAYS EXPLAINING CONCEPTS
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
7  EVALUATION
Rhetorical Situations for Evaluations
A GUIDE TO READING EVALUATIONS
Amitai Etzioni, Working at McDonald’s (Annotated Essay)
READINGS     
*Mathew Hertogs, Typing vs. Handwriting Notes: An Evaluation of the Effects of Transcription Method on Student Learning
*Ian Bogost, Brands are Not Our Friends  
Malcolm Gladwell, What College Rankings Really Tell Us
Christine Rosen, The Myth of Multitasking
Christine Romano, Jessica Statsky’s “Children Need to Play, Not Compete”: An Evaluation (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING EVALUATIONS
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
8  ARGUING FOR A POSITION       
Rhetorical Situations for Position Arguments
A GUIDE TO READING ESSAYS ARGUING FOR A POSITION
*Christie Aschwanden, There’s No Such Thing as ‘Sound Science’ (Annotated Essay)
READINGS
*Isiah Holmes, The Heroin and Opioid Crisis is Real
Sherry Turkle, The Flight from Conversation
Daniel J. Solove, Why Privacy Matters Even If You Have “Nothing to Hide”
Miya Tokumitsu, In the Name of Love
Jessica Statsky, Children Need to Play, Not Compete (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING POSITION ARGUMENTS
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
9  SPECULATING ABOUT CAUSES OR EFFECTS            
Rhetorical Situations for Speculating about Causes or Effects
A GUIDE TO READING ESSAYS SPECULATING ABOUT CAUSES OR EFFECTS
Stephen King, Why We Crave Horror Movies (Annotated Essay)
READINGS
*Anna Maria Barry-Jester, Patterns Of Death In The South Still Show The Outlines Of Slavery
*C Thi Nguyen, Escape the Echo Chamber
Nicholas Carr, Is Google Making Us Stupid?
Sendhil Mullainathan, The Mental Strain of Making Do with Less
Clayton Pangelinan, #socialnetworking: Why It’s Really So Popular (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING ESSAYS SPECULATING ABOUT CAUSES OR EFFECTS
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
10  PROPOSAL TO SOLVE A PROBLEM           
Rhetorical Situations for Proposals
A GUIDE TO READING PROPOSALS
*Alice Wong, The Last Straw (Annotated Essay)
READINGS
Harold Meyerson, How to Raise Americans’ Wages
*Maryanne Wolf, Skim Reading is the New Normal
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 Beverages
*James Benge, Adapting to the Disappearance of Honeybees (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING PROPOSALS
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
11  Multi-Genre Writing: Pulling it all together          
Rhetorical Situations for Multi-Genre Writing
A GUIDE TO READING MULTI-GENRE ESSAYS
*Atul Gawande, The Heroism of Incremental Care
READINGS
*Wesley Morris, Who Gets to Decide What Belongs in the Canon
*Phil Christman, On Being Midwestern: The Burden of Normality
*Tajja Isen, How Can We Expand the Way We Write About Our Identities
*Jonathan Jones, Leonardo v Rembrandt: Who’s the Greatest
*Aru Terbor, A Deeper Look at Empathetic and Altruistic Behavior (Student Essay)
A GUIDE TO WRITING multi-genre essays
Writing Your Draft
Reviewing and Improving the Draft
12 STRATEGIES FOR RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION        
PLANNING A RESEARCH PROJECT
Analyzing Your Rhetorical Situation and Setting a Schedule
Choosing a Topic and Getting an Overview
Focusing Your Topic and Drafting Research Questions
Establishing a Research Log
Creating a Working Bibliography
Annotating Your Working Bibliography
Taking Notes on Your Sources
FINDING SOURCES
Searching Library Catalogs and Databases
Searching for Government Documents and Statistical Information
Searching for Websites and Interactive Sources
CONDUCTING FIELD RESEARCH
Conducting Observational Studies
Conducting Interviews
Conducting Surveys
EVALUATING SOURCES
Choosing Relevant Sources
Choosing Reliable Sources
USING SOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR IDEAS
Synthesizing Sources
Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
Using Information from Sources to Support Your Claims
CITING AND DOCUMENTING SOURCES IN MLA Style
Using In-?Text Citations
Creating a List of Works Cited
CITING AND DOCUMENTING SOURCES IN APA Style
Using In-?Text Citations
Creating a List of References

Index to Methods of Development
Index of Authors, Titles, and Terms