Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments: Reading, Designing, and Writing Effective Arguments, 3/E
Lester Faigley, University of Texas at Austin
Jack C Selzer, The Pennsylvania State University

ISBN-10: 0321364961
ISBN-13: 9780321364968

Publisher: Longman
Copyright: 2007
Format: Paper; 784 pp
Published: 02/17/2006

This item has been replaced by Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments, 4/E .

This popular rhetoric/reader combines a brief, accessible introduction to argument with an anthology of provocative readings on contemporary issues.

 

By stressing the rhetorical situation and the audience, this rhetoric avoids complicated schemes and terminology in favor of providing students with the practical means to find "good reasons" for the positions they want to advocate to their audiences. Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments helps students write and understand various types of arguments, including visual as well as verbal arguments. Supporting the authors' instruction are numerous readings by professional and student writers and over 50 photographs.

 

Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments is distinctive in providing the most thorough coverage of rhetorical analysis and visual analysis. It has a new emphasis on visual argument throughout that responds to the need for greater visual literacy in a media-saturated culture. Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments is also distinctive in beginning with why people write arguments.

 

The anthology in Part Four features more than 80 selections on interesting current issues such as privacy, globalization, science and ethics, the media, and the environment. Distinctive in its emphasis on visual rhetoric, the text includes a thorough discussion of how good document design can support good reasons.

  • "Understanding Visual Arguments: Visual Analysis," discusses visual persuasion and how visuals are used as supports for textual arguments. The chapter includes student examples of visual analysis (Ch. 5).
  • Presents steps for writing six kinds of arguments: definition, causal, evaluation, rebuttal, proposal, and, interestingly, narrative (Chs. 6-11).
  • Guides students in finding and supporting good reasons (Ch. 3).
  • Emphasizes student work throughout and encourages students to understand themselves as agents and to see the range of topics their colleagues are investigating, including five new student essays (Chs. 4, 5, 7, 8, & 11).
  • Begins by asking why people write arguments, using Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring as an example (Ch. 1).
  • Shows how to make effective oral arguments using visual aids (Ch. 14).
  • Provides an extensive discussion of the basics of visual design (Ch. 13).
  • Demonstrates how to research arguments using print sources, library databases, and the Web (Ch. 15).
  • Covers both MLA and APA documentation with additional examples (Chs. 16 and 17).

  • In Part Four, “Contemporary Arguments,” new chapters on globalization, privacy issues, science and ethics, and media; and more than fifty new selections (out of about eighty altogether).
  • In Part Four, five new segments feature "Issues in Focus": detailed conversations on the USA Patriot Act, stem cell research, habitat loss, same sex marriage, and the regulation of smoking that all feature essays, speeches, cartoons, photos, and commentaries.
  • Part Four also includes many new visual arguments (ads, cartoons, Web sites, photos).
  • Three new chapters in Part One aid students in the process of creating and analyzing arguments.
  • A greater emphasis on student work throughout encourages students to understand themselves as agents and to see the range of topics their colleagues are investigating.
  • New student essays appear in Chapters 4, 5, 7, 8, and 11, as well as new student-produced Web sites in Part 3.
  • A new emphasis on visual argument throughout responds to the need for greater visual literacy in a media-saturated culture.
  • A new chapter on invention. Chapter 2, "Finding Arguments," helps students decide what to argue about, how to think about audience, and how to craft a thesis statement for the argument. These processes, typically difficult for students to accomplish, include invention strategies such as freewriting, brainstorming, using online subject directories, and making idea maps in addition to reading in the subject area. The thesis discussion including both focusing the thesis and evaluating it.
  • A new chapter on rhetorical analysis. Chapter 4, "Understanding Written Arguments: Rhetorical Analysis" gives an overview of two main forms of rhetorical analysis: textual analysis (via classical rhetorical theory) and contextual analysis (text as a part of a larger conversation). The discussion is simple and easy to follow, and each type of analysis is demonstrated by analyzing a narrative argument from Part Two, Leslie Marmon Silko's "Border State Patrol." A student paper, "The NRA Blacklist: A Project Gone Mad,"also uses both kinds of analysis.
  • A new chapter on visual analysis. Chapter 5, "Understanding Visual Arguments: Visual Analysis" discusses visual persuasion and how visuals are used to support textual arguments.   The chapter covers visuals that make explicit claims, photos and ads whose claims must be inferred or co-created by the viewer, and visual metaphor. A new student paper analyzes an advertisement.
  • Chapter 1 includes a new visual argument to accompany Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. The visual continues the environmental theme of chapter 1: it is a map on global warming by the Union for Concerned Scientists. This map, published on the web, demonstrates that the web is a forum for new types of nonlinear argument.
  • Chapters open with photos: Small photos now open each Part One chapter, and photo collages open each Part Two chapter to contextualize the chapter information.
  • Photos are used to exemplify concepts: In Chapter 4, for example, two photos of a Roman statue exemplify textual and contextual analysis. All the photo openers in Part Two have a pedagogical function.
  • A glossary of terms helps students remember important concepts.
  • Discussions of MLA and APA documentation guidelines have been updated. Note that a sample student MLA paper is now found in chapter 11, "Proposal Arguments."
  • A new design makes the book easier to use and more pleasing to read.

New selections in Part Four are marked with an asterisk.

 

I. PERSUADING WITH GOOD REASONS: WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ARGUMENT?

1. What to Argue About.

A Book that Changed the World.

Why Silent Spring Became a Classic.

            Tactics of Silent Spring.

            Analyzing Arguments: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos.

Reading Arguments.

            Become a Critical Reader.

            Position and Proposal Arguments.

Rachel Carson, "The Obligation to Endure."

Union of Concerned Scientists, “The Impact of Global Warming in North America.”

2. Finding Arguments.

What Exactly Is an Argument?

The Basics of Arguments.

            What is Not Arguable.

Find a Topic.

            Read Your Assignment Carefully.

            Think about What Interests You.

            List and Analyze Issues.

Explore Your Topic.

            Freewrite.

            Brainstorm.

            Use an Online Subject Directory.

            Read about Your Topic.

            Make an Idea Map.

Think about Your Audience.

            What Does Your Audience Know–And Not Know?

            What Is Your Audience’s Attitude Toward You?

            What Is Your Audience’s Attitude Toward Your Subject?

Write a Thesis.

            Focus Your Thesis.

            Evaluate Your Thesis.

3. Finding and Supporting Good Reasons.

The Basics of Reasoning.

Find Good Reasons.

            Can You Argue by Definition?

            Can You Argue from Value?

            Can You Compare or Contrast?

            Can You Argue from Consequence?

            Can You Counter Objections to Your Position?

            Questions for Finding Good Reasons.

Find Evidence to Support Good Reasons.

            Fallacies in Arguments.

Organize Good Reasons.

Create Credibility.

            Argue Responsibly.

Choose an Appropriate Voice.

4. Understanding Written Arguments: Rhetorical Analysis.

What is Rhetorical Analysis?

            The Goals of Rhetorical Analysis

Textual Analysis: Using Rhetorical Concepts as an Analytical Screen.

            Silko's Purpose and Argument.

            Silko's Use of Logos, Pathos, and Ethos.

            Silko's Arrangement.

            Silko's Style.

            Metaphors in Ads.

Contextual Analysis: Communication As Conversation.

            Silko's Life and Works.

            The Context of Publication.

            The Larger Conversation.

            Silko's Political Goals.

Write a Rhetorical Analysis.

Sample Student Rhetorical Analysis: Erica Strausner, "The NRA Blacklist: A Project Gone Mad."

            STEPS TO A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS.

5. Understanding Visual Arguments: Visual Analysis.

What Is a Visual Argument?

Visual Persuasion.

Visual Evidence.

            Photographs.

            Tables.

            Charts and Graphs.

            Evaluating Charts and Graphs.

Write a Visual Analysis.

Sample Student Visual Analysis: Angela Yamashita, "Got Roddick?"

            STEPS TO A VISUAL ANALYSIS.

II. PUTTING GOOD REASONS INTO ACTION: OPTIONS FOR ARGUMENTS.

Using Different Approaches to Construct an Argument

 

6. Definition Arguments.

Kinds of Definitions.

            Formal Definitions.

            Operational Definitions.

            Definitions from Example.

Building a Definitional Argument.

Scott McDonald, "Setting the Record Straight."

            STEPS TO A DEFINITION ARGUMENT.

7. Causal Arguments.

Methods of Finding Causes.

Building a Causal Argument.

Sample Student Causal Argument: Jennifer May, “Why Are Teenage Girls Dying to Be Thin?”

            STEPS TO A CAUSAL ARGUMENT.

8. Evaluation Arguments.

Kinds of Evaluations.

            Where Do Criteria Come From?

Building an Evaluation Argument.

Sample Student Evaluation Argument: DeMarcus Taylor, “A Unhealthy Practice”

            STEPS TO AN EVALUATION ARGUMENT.

9. Narrative Arguments.

Kinds of Narrative Arguments.

Building a Narrative Argument.

Leslie Marmon Silko, "The Border Patrol State."

            STEPS TO A NARRATIVE ARGUMENT

10. Rebuttal Arguments.

Critical Thinking.

Two Ways of Rebutting.

            Refutation.

            Counterargument.

Linda Chavez, “The ‘Separation of Church and State’ Myth.”

            STEPS TO A REBUTTAL ARGUMENT.

11. Proposal Arguments.

Components of Proposals.

Building a Proposal Argument.

Sample Student Proposal Argument: Brian Witkowski, “Need a Cure for Tribe Fever? How About a Dip in the Lake?”

            STEPS TO A PROPOSAL ARGUMENT.

12. Revision: Putting It All Together.

Keep Your Goals in Mind—But Stay Flexible.

Read As You Write.

Take the Perspective of Your Reader.

Revision Checklist: Focus on Your Argument.

Revision Checklist: Focus on Your Style and Proofread Carefully.

Get Help on Your Draft.

III. MAKING EFFECTIVE ARGUMENTS: DESIGNING, PRESENTING, AND DOCUMENTING.

13. Effective Visual Design.

Design Basics.

            Arrangement.

            Consistency.

            Contast.

Understanding Typefaces and Fonts.

Creating Images and Other Graphics.

            Pictures.

            Other Graphics.

Writing Arguments for the Web.

            The First Page Is the Most Important.

            Divide Your Text into Chunks.

            Make the Text Readable.

            Determine the Visual Theme of Your Site.

            Keep the Visuals Simple.

            Make Your Site Easy to Navigate.

14. Effective Oral Presentations.

Planning an Oral Presentation.

            Getting Started.

            Selecting Your Topic.

            Thinking About Your Audience.

            Supporting Your Presentation.

            Planning Your Introduction.

            Planning Your Conclusion.

Delivering an Oral Presentation.

            The Importance of Practice.

            Speaking Effectively.

            Nonverbal Communication.

            Tips: Effective Speeches.

            Handling Questions.

Multimedia Presentations.

            Visual Elements.

            Tips: Readable Transparencies and Slides.

            Presentation Software.

15. Effective Research.

Research: Knowing What Information You Need.

            What Makes a Good Subject for Research.

Planning Your Research.

            Interviews, Observations, and Surveys.

Finding Library Sources.

            Scholarly, Trade, and Popular Journals.

Finding Web Sources.

            Kinds of Search Engines.

            Tips: Search Engines.

Evaluating Sources.

            Traditional Criteria for Evaluating Print Sources.

            Additional Criteria for Evaluating Web Sources.

Taking Notes.

16. MLA Documentation.

Intellectual Property and Scholastic Honesty.

            Avoiding Plagiarism.

            Using Sources Effectively.

MLA Works-Cited List.

            Citing Books.

            Citing Articles in Periodicals.

            Citing Online Sources.

            Citing Visual Sources.

            Citing Other Sources.

17. APA Documentation.

APA Reference List.

            Citing Books.

            Citing Articles in Periodicals.

            Citing Online Sources.

            Citing Other Sources.

IV. CONTEMPORARY ARGUMENTS

18. Negotiating the Environment

E. O. Wilson, The Conservation Ethic

            Sidebar: Excerpts from Aldo Leopold, The Land Ethic

N. Scott Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain

Alice Walker, Am I Blue?

Wendell Berry, Manifesto, The Mad Farmer Liberation Front*

James Howard Kunstler, The Long Emergency*

Daniel Glick, The Big Thaw*

Thomas Derr, Strange Science*

Issue in Focus: Habitat Loss–The Reintroduction of Wolves into Yellowstone*

            Dan Neel, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf*

            Editorial: Let the Gray Wolf Roam Free*

            William Norman Gregg, Thrown to the Wolves*

            From Reading to Writing*

19. Confronting Sexual Difference

Carmen Vasquez, Appearances

Jay Budziszewski, Homophobia:  An Unfinished Story

Jay Budziszewski, The Seeker

Peter Gomes, Homophobic?  Read Your Bible

Issue in Focus: Same Sex Marriage

            Andrew Sullivan, Here Comes the Groom

            Hadley Arkes, The Closet Straight

            Anna Quindlen, Evan’s Two Moms

            From Reading to Writing*

James Poniewozik, Queer Eye for Straight TV*

William F. Jasper, Subversion through Perversion*

Alexa Hackbarth, Vanity, Thy Name Is Metrosexual*

20. Globalization:  Importing and Exporting America*

Patrick J. Buchanan, To Reunite a Nation

Richard Rayner, What Immigration Crisis?

            Sidebar:  Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus*

            Sidebar:  Thomas Bailey Aldrich, The Unguarded Gates*

Henry Payne cartoon

James Baldwin, Stranger in the Village*

Gregory Rodriguez, Why We’re the New Irish*

Todd Gitlin, Under the Sign of Mickey Mouse & Co.*

Laura Carlsen, Wal-Mart Vs. Pyramids*

Kishore Mahbubani, American Culture:  The People’s Choice or a Form of Imperialism*

Jeremy Rifkin, The European Dream*

21. Science and Ethics*

Bill Joy, Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us*

Francis Fukuyama, A Tale of Two Dystopias*

Ralph C. Merkle, Nanotechnology:  Designs for the Future*

Kenan Malik, The Moral Clone*

Charles Krauthammer, Crossing Lines*

Issue in Focus:  Stem Cell Research*

            Ron Reagan, Speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention*

            Steven Milloy, Ron Reagan Wrong on Stem Cells*

            Richard Doerflinger, Don’t Clone Ron Reagan’s Agenda*

            From Reading to Writing*

22. Privacy (all selections in this chapter are new)*

Issue in Focus:  Debating the USA Patriot Act

            American Civil Liberties Union, In Defense of Freedom at a Time of Crisis

            Mike Keefe cartoon

            Tom Toles cartoon

            American Library Association Council, Resolution on the USA Patriot Act

            John Ashcroft, The Patriot Act:  Wise Beyond Its Years

            David Sarasohn, The Patriot Act on Trial 

            TalkLeft Blog

            From Reading to Writing

James Bovard, Federal Surveillance:  The Threat to Americans’ Security

David Brin, Three Cheers for the Surveillance Society!

Paul Saffo, A Trail of DNA and Data

Ted Koppel, Take My Privacy, Please!

            Sidebar: Randall Larsen, Traveler’s Card Might Just Pave the Way for a National ID Card

Jeffrey Zaslow, The End of Youthful Indiscretions:  Internet Makes Them

            Permanent Blots

23. Regulating Substances, Regulating Bodies*

Joseph A. Califano, The Right Drug to Target:  Cutting Marijuana Use*

Eric Schlosser, Make Peace With Pot*

Issue in Focus:  Smoking*

            American Legacy Foundation, Antismoking Ad

            Garry Trudeau, Doonesbury

            Douglas Bettcher and Chitra Subramaniam, The Necessity of Global Tobacco Regulation*

            Walter E. Williams, Nazi Tactics*

            From Reading to Writing*

Malcolm Gladwell, Drugstore Athlete

Frank Shorter, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection*

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Anti-Drinking and Driving Ad

David Hemenway, Regulation of Firearms*

Keith Bradsher, High and Mighty*

Terrence Rafferty, Kate Winslet, Please Save Us!

Consumer Freedom, Obesity Ad

Susan Llewelyn Leach, Those Extra Pounds–Are They Government’s Business?*

Ynestra King, The Other Body:  Disability and Identity Politics

Evan Wright, Sister Act

24. Media*

Ben Bagdikian, Grand Theft:  The Conglomeratization of Media and the Degradation of Culture*

Matt Wuerker, Freedom of the Press Meets Merger Mania*

Tom Goldstein, Does Big Mean Bad?*

Cathleen Cleaver, The Internet:  A Clear and Present Danger?

John Perry Barlow, A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace

Walt Handelsman, Information Superhighway

American Civil Liberties Union, Fahrenheit 451.2:  Is Cyberspace Burning?

Ruben Bolling, Tom the Dancing Bug Presents*

Matt Welch, Blogworld and Its Gravity*

Joshua Kurlantzick, Dictatorship.com*

Naomi Klein, Culture Jamming:  Ads Under Attack*

Sidebar:  Adbusters, Absolut Impotence:  An Argument about Alcohol*

Michel Marriott, The Color of Mayhem*

    <>This popular rhetoric/reader combines a brief, accessible introduction to argument with an anthology of provocative readings on contemporary issues.

     

    By stressing the rhetorical situation and audience, this argument rhetoric/reader avoids complicated schemes and terminology in favor of providing students with the practical ways of finding "good reasons" to argue for the positions they take. Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments helps students read, analyze, and write various types of arguments, including visual, verbal, and written. Supporting the authors' instruction are readings by professional and student writers and over 150 visuals.

     

    Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments is distinctive for its discussion of why people write arguments, its coverage of rhetorical analysis and visual analysis in a brief format, its close attention to reading arguments, its thorough attention to research, and its emphasis on new, provocative topics in the reader section of the book.

  • 0205616801Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments, 4/E
    Faigley & Selzer
    © 2009 | Longman | Paper; 656 pages | Instock
    ISBN-10: 0205616801 | ISBN-13: 9780205616800
    Brief Description | Buy from myPearsonStore

For First-Year Composition - Reader


For First-Year Composition - Rhetoric


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