Critical Thinking, Thoughtful Writing : A Rhetoric with Readings

Critical Thinking, Thoughtful Writing begins with the premise that thinking well involves using language well, and vice versa. This rhetoric with readings--written by critical-thinking scholar John Chaffee and English professors Christine McMahon and Barbara Stout--provides thorough coverage of the writing process, going beyond the traditional rhetoric to teach students how to evaluate sources, images, and arguments. Each chapter focuses on a critical-thinking skill--such as problem solving or analysis of complex issues--that is explored through Thinking-Writing Activities and thematically linked readings. The text helps students develop these skills through carefully sequenced pedagogy and a cross-disciplinary approach that asks them to complete writing assignments and critically evaluate readings drawn from a variety of disciplines. The Fourth Edition features an enhanced discussion of plagiarism with critical-thinking exercises, as well as a special focus on using and documenting Internet sources appropriately.

John Chaffee, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at The City University of New York, where he has developed a Philosophy and Critical Thinking program that annually involves 25 faculty and 3,000 students. He is a nationally recognized figure in the area of critical thinking, having authored leading textbooks and many professional articles. He also has conducted numerous conference presentations and workshops throughout the country. In developing programs to teach people to think more effectively in all academic subjects and areas of life, he has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Ford Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He was selected as New York Educator of the Year and received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Diversity in Teaching in Higher Education.

Christine McMahon was a professor in the Department of English Composition, Literature, and Professional Writing at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. She planned and coordinated "Critical Literacy," a professional development program for Montgomery College faculty, librarians, and counselors on educational theory and techniques for fostering critical thinking across the curriculum. In 1997, she received a NISOD Excellence Award (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development from the University of Texas at Austin) for this work. Her work has been published in Teaching Writing in the Two-Year College.

Barbara Stout was professor of English at Montgomery College. She was chairperson of the Department of English and helped establish the "Writing Across the Curriculum" and "Critical Literacy" programs. Professor Stout was secretary of the Conference on College Composition and Communication and is active in the Two-Year College English Association. She has made presentations at CCCC, TYCA-Northeast, NCTE, and other conferences. Her publications include chapters in NCTE publications and books about two-year college writing programs.