Everyday Use: Rhetoric at Work in Reading and Writing

Brief and accessible, this rhetoric teaches students to read closely, critically, and rhetorically, and to write effectively to achieve their rhetorical goals.

Everyday Use answers the basic question, “What is rhetoric?” It shows rhetoric as set of activities—reading, writing, speaking, listening—that all intellectually engaged people participate in every day. And it shows that a knowledge of rhetoric is essential in understanding how written and spoken texts influence thought and action every day, in private and in public forums, for good or ill. By demystifying rhetoric and rescuing it from common public misconceptions, Everyday Use equips students to be effective communicators in the academic world and in everyday life.