Everything's An Argument, with Readings

by Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz, Keith Walters

All too often, students feel the writing course has nothing to do with their own lives and goals. Drawing on more than 35 years of combined classroom experience, Kate Mangelsdorf and Evelyn Posey give beginning writers the skills and confidence they need to choose topics and approaches that matter to them, providing them with step-by-step guidance for producing well-written, meaningful essays. Maintaining a supportive yet respectful tone, Choices helps students understand writing as a process, see the connections between reading and writing, and use rhetorical strategies, among other necessary academic skills. A wealth of professional and student models, reflecting an impressive diversity, chapters on writing for different situations, and a comprehensive handbook provide everything students need to become effective academic writers — far blow the cost of comparable rhetorics.

907 pages, Paperback

Reviews

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This textbook was assigned as part of my AP English Language and Composition summer work, and overall it served its purpose as an introduction to rhetorical thinking. The textbook is informative and clearly organized, breaking down concepts like claims, evidence, and rhetorical appeals in a way that’s easy to follow. Some sections were genuinely interesting, especially when the authors explained how argument shows up in everyday life.

However, parts of the book feel outdated, especially the cultural references and examples that don’t quite match the world students live in now. Because this was a required assignment, I didn’t have a choice in which edition I read, and that definitely affected how relevant some chapters felt. In the end, it’s a solid, average school textbook: educational, occasionally engaging, but not something I would choose to read on my own. If I could, I would read it a 2.5.

[Max Ostrovsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this would be more about rhetoric, understanding rhetoric, using rhetoric. Instead, it was a textbook. I wasn't expecting that. While it has good and applicable information, there wasn't anything new for me.