The Well-Crafted Argument: A Guide and Reader (Special Second Edition)

This argument rhetoric/reader equips students with a complete set of skills for developing and writing argumentative essays in a wide variety of settings. The book has two parts: The Rhetoric of Argument, a guide to understanding and writing arguments, and The Reading Clusters, a collection of 75 high-interest readings.

After exploring the foundations of writing persuasively in Part 1, the second part of the book provides 75 readings organized thematically in reading clusters. Eight of the nine reading clusters in Section 2 present opposing and contrasting viewpoints on such controversial subjects as Internet privacy, media violence, and standardized testing. The ninth reading cluster features classic arguments, including Plato's Allegory of the Cave.

Skill-building exercises and projects help students apply what they learn and make the material their own. Each chapter ends with helpful pedagogical tools: a Chapter Summary, Checklist, and Writing Projects. In addition to guidance on drafting arguments, writing openings and closings, and revising, a variety of composing strategies are covered as they apply to writing arguments, including free-writing, outlining, and organizing materials.