Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings

by John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, June Johnson

The market leader in argumentative rhetoric/readers, Writing Arguments has been praised for its clear explanation of the Toulmin model, separate chapters on reading and writing arguments, and a wealth of interesting student and professional examples. (Regular includes the rhetoric plus an anthology of 58 arguments on contemporary issues.) Writing Arguments presents four approaches to the enthymeme; Toulmin's system of analyzing arguments; the categories of claims; and the three classical appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos. Focusing on argument as a social act, the book treats argument as a means of clarification and truth-seeking as well as a means of persuading audiences, and shows students the power of inquiry and discovery. For anyone interested in argumentation.

Genres: Writing, Reference, Education, Textbooks, Nonfiction, School

759 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

boring as fuck.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've taught out of a decent number of rhet/comp textbooks in my time--professionally published, anthologies of student writing created by English departments, custom readers, etc.--and this is one of the better ones in my opinion. There are somethings I'm not completely thrilled with, but basically, this book is relatively clear and accessible. The explanations of rhetorical concepts and their purposes are generally easy to read and understand, which is helpful for students. And the selections of readings are good because they are not only relevant to interests students might have (or, at least, relevant to important issues in today's world, whether students are interested in those issues or not), but also typically present multiple perspectives on a topic, allowing students to compare and contrast different arguments about a subject. For instance, there are several different readings about whether charter schools are a good innovation for the US education system, with authors taking different sides about the quality of education they provide, whether "school choice" is actually an effective way of providing better education, etc.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use this in my comp classes now. I'm required to, but I like it for its timely examples and its concise explanations of various aspects of rhetoric, though I'm uncertain whether I'll continue to use it in the future.

[Quynhanh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to know more about writing, which does not follow a fixed structure

[Everett]

ethos, pathos, logos, kairos. probably not the best textbook for developmental writers, but a good foundation for budding rhetoricians (and anyone else interested in the topic).

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a short classical argumentative essay published in this book, how could I not give it 5 stars!

[Michael Shilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frickin Awesome.

[Julie Kesler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used in my writing 2010 class, a good guide for rhetorical writing and a thorough breakdown of writing dynamics. Also a helpful MLA/ALA guide in the back. I keep it around.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually it is the 5th Edition. I really did enjoy learning about the different types of argument, and the elements of rhetoric. I found this book to have a lot of real life application.

[Michael Tabb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful in its simplicity but often over-simplistic to an extent that it was hard to fully trust as authoritative.

[Ali]

Best english textbook I have read. vey informative and helpful for writing arguments and papers!!

[Cari]

ENG 1010

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great textbook! Very clear and helpful.