Discovering Arguments: An Introduction To Critical Thinking And Writing With Readings (2nd Edition) Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
This book uses logos, pathos, and ethos in critical thinking, active reading, and persuasive writing. Accessible and stimulating, the versatile manual can be used as a rhetoric, a reader, a guide on research writing, and a guide on style. Through its chapters, users learn to excel at what they say; through our style interchapters users earn to excel at how they say it. Cheating, conservation, race, politics, male/female communication styles, gun control, abortion, same-sex marriage, stem cell research – many diverse and mature readings on these subjects engage readers and writers in analytical thinking and stimulate them to react with thoughtful discussions and compositions. For individuals who want to communicate clearly, argue persuasively, and analyze and evaluate what they read.
Paperback: 624 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2nd edition (December 11, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0131895672
ISBN-13: 978-0131895676
Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #793,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #129 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Academic & Commercial #1934 in Books > Self-Help > Creativity #1960 in Books > Medical Books > Psychology > Cognitive
I teach composition at a mid-sized Catholic university in the mid-Atlantic region and used this as my course text last semester (the department's choice, not mine) with decidedly mixed results. If you want your students to get beyond "mere rhetoric" and into critical analysis, this NOT the text you should be using. Most of the examples quoted are taken from newspaper editorials, which are notoriously one-sided and don't exactly encourage the reader to give the opposition's view a fair shot, and the last half is a handbook (useful if you don't want your students to have to purchase more than one book, but frustrating if you'd rather see those pages devoted to substantive material on teaching composition). If you like the argument/debate model of writing instruction (I don't), this will probably work out better for you than it did for me. I must also note that most of my students found the book's tone patronizing.
My sister, who has a BA in communications, recommended me this book during my junior year of high school. I was homeschooled, and was seeking a new English composition book. She heard good things about this, and got a teacher's trial version that I could use. I was blown away by how interesting, to the point, and how generally informative this book was (and still is). The book tends to lean toward the liberal side, but often plays devil's advocate on many issues. As a student pursuing a degree and career in journalism, I tend to think journalism has somewhat of a natural liberal bias, and to critically think, one needs to be open minded and objectionable. This book succeeds with blooming the hidden, critically-thinking mind.From illustrating and describing logical fallacies, to showing you how not to be so bland in your writing (my writing, bland as it is, has come a long way), this book goes over EVERYTHING which deals with the written language. As I went into English 101 and 102 in college, the required composition textbooks were absolutely horrendous compared to this one. This doesn't read like a textbook. If you are genuinely interested in improving your writing and comprehension, grab this book. Further understand what people are dodging or trying to say--learn to read between the lines. Beyond reading, writing, and composition, you will learn argumentative techniques that other people use on you, and that you can use on other people in defense. I refer back to this book very often--and sometimes just casually pick it up to skim some pages.Now, if only I could find a book on par with this that deals with verbal communication and body language.
Trying to save money, I purchased Discovering Arguments 2nd Edition thinking I'd get by with the older edition, and it led to a very stressful semester. DO NOT buy the older edition to save money. The 2nd edition in comparison to the 3rd edition (current ed.) is completely different! Sure, it still explains how to write essays the same way, but 75% of the stories, essays, and visual images are different. I spent many hours in the library comparing the two books, and taking pages upon pages of notes just so I could catch up for graded class discussions. So if you are debating on if you should get a cheaper, older edition save yourself the stress and spend the money on the newer version.
I was very pleased with my purchase of the used text book Discovering Arguments. When I received the book I was honestly surprised at the amazing condition it was in for a used book. And I was even happier with the money I saved by purchasing it through . Thank you
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