The Active Reader: Strategies for Academic Reading and Writing

Designed to provide students with a practical, integrated approach to reading and writing, The Active Reader is divided into three parts. Part I: Academic Reading introduces students to the conventions of academic discourse and to critical thinking. Part II: Academic Writing begins with an overview of college/university essays and then discusses reports, critical analyses, summaries, and research essays. Part III: The Active Reader features thirty-nine diverse and cross-disciplinary readings that are organized into five thematic sections.Features* The essays--most of which are less than five years old--have been chosen specifically for their currency and relevance to students' lives.* Suggested activities for the individual essays will initiate class discussions and encourage students to work collaboratively as well as individually.* Diverse and cross-disciplinary, the readings focus on problems and/or solutions applicable to today's world.* A variety of rhetorical patterns are illustrated within a problem-solving framework, enabling instructors to use a more traditional rhetorical approach if they choose.* In "The Active Voice" features--which speak directly to students--experts offer their perspectives on particular issues or writing points.* The rhetoric and handbook section is integrated with the essay section, thus reinforcing all the principles outlined in the first two sections as students work through the essays.