Argument in America: Essential Issues, Essential Texts

by Jack Selzer

Brief, flexible, and economical, this Penguin Academics anthology presents classic and contemporary arguments on landmark issues in American the environment, education, censorship, civil disobedience, the struggle for liberation, and immigration and assimilation. Argument in America offers multi-sided dialogues on timeless issues fundamental to American culture and civic identity. The book introduces students to an historical dimension as well as contemporary perspectives from a wide range of authors writing in many essays, speeches, poems, stories, and visual arguments. The final section of the anthology, "Arguments on Argument," features several selections on the nature of argument itself. Helpful but unobtrusive editorial apparatus includes a brief general introduction, introductions to the seven sections, discussion questions, and headnotes for the selections, many of which explain how the selection contributes to the argumentative issue at hand.

560 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great; a few comics, pictures, and essays are scattered amongst more pages of heavy and essential reading - from Thoreau on wilderness to the relatively newer topic of border patrol from Leslie Silko. All in all, there is much to be learned from this book. I'd suggest flipping through the table of contents to see what topics you might be interested in and going from there.