SO WHAT? The Writer's Argument, with Readings

by Schick, Kurt; Schubert, Laura

• ISBN13: 9780190209131
• ISBN10: 0190209135
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2016-11-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

So What? The Writer's Argument, Second Edition, teaches students how to write compelling arguments and explains why practicing argumentation is essential to learning and communicating with others. Practical exercises throughout each chapter reinforce this broader academic aim by focusing on the key issue of significance--helping writers answer the "So What?" question for themselves and their audiences. By showing students how their writing fits within the broader context of academic inquiry, So What?, Second Edition, encourages them to emulate and adapt the authentic academic styles, foundational organizing structures, and helpful rhetorical moves to their college classes and beyond.

Author Biography

Kurt Schick is Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication at James Madison University.

Laura Schubert is Instructor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication at James Madison University. She is also a faculty member in James Madison University's Writing Center.

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1 : Why Do We Argue?
Chapter 2: How Do We Argue?
Chapter 3: How Do We Read Arguments?
Chapter 4: What's a Good Source?
Chapter 5: Where Can We Find a Compelling Thesis?
Chapter 6: How Do We Support Arguments?
Chapter 7: What about Faults and Gaps in Arguments?
Chapter 8: How Do We Develop and Organize Arguments?
Chapter 9: How Do We Use Sources Responsibly?
Chapter 10: What about Style?
Appendix A: How to Benefit from Peer Review and Collaboration
Appendix B: Templates for Organizing Arguments

Readings
How Do We Know What We Know?
"Is Google Making Us Stupid?" by Nicholas Carr
"How to Know What to Believe Anymore" by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
"When Prior Belief Trumps Scholarship" by Charles R. Marshall
"How Does our Language Shape the Way We Think" by Lera Boroditsky
Excerpt from Introduction to Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11 by Kathryn S. Olmstead
"Post Hoc Rides Again" by Darrell Huff

Does Social Media Make Us More or Less Social?
"The Flight from Conversation" by Sherry Turkle
"Lying, Cheating, and Virtual Relationships" by Cynthia Jones
"Activism or Slacktivism" by Christopher Jones
"The Psychology of LinkedIn" by Bernardo Tirado
"Online Social Networking's Effect on Adolescent Social Development" by Mary Wilks
"Selfie Loathing" by Jessica Winter

What's the Point of Good Writing?
"9 Qualities of Good Writing" by Ann Handley
"The Impact of Undergraduate Education on Workplace Writing: Are Students Ready to Write?" by Justin Grandinetti
"Through Glasses Half Full" by Kurt Schick
"Washington State Sees Results from 'Plain Talk' Initiative" by Rachel La Corte
"Zombie Nouns" by Helen Sword
"N/A 101, Prof. Blank, A Month/Some Day/The Year, A Love Story" by Alan Linic

What Makes Us Happy?
"Pursuing the Science of Happiness" by Andrew Guest
"A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind" by Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert
"What Happy People Do Differently" by Robert Biswas-Diener & Todd B. Kashdan
"For the Love of Money" by Sam Polk
Excerpt from"Interview on 'The Paradox of Choice' with Barry Schwartz" by Elizabeth Cosgriff
"How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy" by Maria Konnikova

How Do We Balance Individual Rights with Public Concerns?
"The Caging of America" by Adam Gopnik
"With Liberty and Justice for Some" by Emanuel Grant
"Only Minorities Need Apply" by John D. Skrentny
"Why Should Married Women Change Their Names? Let Men Change Theirs" by Jill Filipovic
"New Home School Law a Threat" by Katie Brown
"The Gender Wage Gap Lie" by Hanna Rosin