About the Book
This new text uses the theme of art (integrated through reading selections, visuals, and exercises) to create an exciting and engaged approach to reading and learning. The Art of Critical Reading offers a wealth of effective exercises and reading selections drawn from a variety of sources (college textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and classic and contemporary literature) to inspire students to read with passion and care.
Table of Contents:
PART 1 Learning How to be a Successful StudentIntroduction Art:The Scholar (1926) by Norman RockwellMarian Wright Edelman Commencement AddressMichael J. Fox "Wake-Up Call," excerpt Lucky ManDennis Coon "Critical Thinking-Uncommon Sense," excerpt from Understanding Psychology (psychology textbook)Dr. Seuss "My Uncle Terwilliger on the Art of Eating Popovers" CHAPTER 1 Life in College and BeyondArt: The Persistence of Memory (1931), by Salvador DaliPaul M. Insel and Walton T. Roth "Stress: The Constant Challenge," excerpt from Concepts in Health(health textbook)Study Technique 1: Underlining, Highlighting, AnnotatingMarilyn Vos Savant Excerpt from The Art of SpellingBetsy Morris "Overcoming Dyslexia" Study Technique 2: SQ3R Study MethodStedman Graham "Win By a Decision" excerpt from You Can Make It Happen Test-Taking Tip: Be PreparedPART 2 Discovering Meaning Through StructureCHAPTER 2 Topics, Main Ideas, and Details Art: Relativity (1953) by M.C. EscherTopics and Main IdeasBrent Staples "Black Men and Public Space" Loretta Malandro and Larry Barker "The Look of a Victim" (Psychology Textbook)Review Test 1: Main Ideas and Details in Textbook MaterialParaphrasingJohn G. Saxe "Six Men of Indostan" "The Cracked Pot"Nasreddin Hodja Islamic Folk StoriesDave Barry "Eye of the Beholder," excerpt from Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting DownMark Getlein "Public Art," excerpt from Gilbert’s Living with Art (Art History textbook)Study Technique 3: Summarizing Short ArticlesVocabulary: Homonyms and Other Confusing Words (Unit 1)Test-Taking Tip: Day of the TestCHAPTER 3 The Author’s Purpose and the Rhetorical Modes Art: Oath of the Horatii (1784) by Jacques-Louis DavidDetermining the Author’s PurposeAn Introduction to the Rhetorical ModesRobert S. Feldman "Motivation and Emotion," excerpt from Understanding Psychology (psychology textbook)Study Technique 4: OutliningAesop "The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse" Judith Ortiz Cofer "Crossings" Terry Barrett "Interpreting Out Loud," excerpt from Interpreting Art (art history textbook) Karl Taro Greenfield "Life on the Edge" Review Test 2: Context Clue Practice Using Textbook MaterialVocabulary: Homonyms and Other Confusing Words (Unit 2)Test-Taking Tip: After the Test Is ReturnedCHAPTER 4 Transition Words and Patterns of OrganizationArt: The Cardsharps (1954) by Michelangelo Merisi da CaravaggioTransition WordsSome Common Patterns of Organization "Lies, Lies, Lies"Study Technique 5: Creating a Comparison-Contrast ChartReview Test 3: Main Ideas, Details, Purpose, Patterns of Organization, TransitionsStoddard King "Crime at Its Best" Ann Landers "And the Third Biggest Lie Is..." BurglaryStudy Technique 6: MappingBrancusi's Bird: Manufactured Metal or Work of ArtStudy Technique 7: Time LinesReview Test 4: Identifying Patterns of Organization in Textbook materialJodi Wilgoren "School Cheating Scandal Tests a Town’s Values"Study Technique 8: Summarizing Longer ArticlesReview Test 5: Transition Words, Main Ideas and Supporting Details, and Vocabulary in ContextMark Getlein "Whose Grave Is This Anyway?" excerpt from Gilbert’s Living with Art Test-Taking Tip: Dealing with Test-Taking AnxietyPART 3 Interpreting What We ReadCHAPTER 5 InferenceArt: The Horse Fair (1853) by Rosa BonheurIntroduction to Inference SkillsWill Stanton "Barney" Kenneth Chang "A Remote-Controlled Rat: Using Robotics, Researchers Give Upgrade to Lowly Rats; Study Sees Job for Rodents at Disaster Sites" Drawing Inferences from Textbook MaterialDrawing Inferences from LiteratureCharles Finney "The Life and Death of a Western Gladiator" Drawing Inferences from CartoonsAesop The Wolf in Fables Farley Mowat "George," excerpt from Wolf SongsLaura Hillenbrand "The Race of the Century," excerpt from SeabiscuitRita Gilbert "Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899)," excerpt from Living with Art (Art History textbook)Test-Taking Tip: Creating Review Tools CHAPTER 6 Figurative Language Art: The Two Fridas (1939) by Frida KahloTypes of Figurative LanguageAnalyzing Figurative Language in PoetryPaul Muldoon "Symposium"Rita Dove "The First Book" Marge Piercy "To Be of Use" Analyzing Figurative Language in FictionSandra Cisneros "Acapulco," excerpt from CarameloAnalyzing Figurative Language in NonfictionDiane Ackerman "Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall"The Use of SymbolsColor CommunicationAnalyzing ImageryAnnie Dillard "Heaven and Earth in Jest," excerpt from Pilgrim at Tinker CreekReview Test 6: Main Ideas and Supporting Details, Transition Words, Vocabulary in Context, and ImageryHayden Herrera "Accident and Aftermath," excerpt from Frida Nina Siegal "From the Subway to the Streets"Test-Taking Tip: Taking Multiple-Choice TestsCHAPTER 7 Tone Art: American Gothic (1930) by Grant WoodInferring ToneArt Buchwald "Daughter's Friend is a Boy" Irony and SatireWislawa Szymborska "Bodybuilder's Contest"Tom Mather "Waiting in Life’s Long Lines" Patrick Rogers and Peter Mikelbank "The Arts Breakers" Test-Taking Tip: Taking Multiple-Choice Tests (continued)PART 4 Reading CriticallyCHAPTER 8 Fact and Opinion Art: Mona Lisa (1503) by Leonardo da VinciIntroduction to Fact and OpinionDennis Koons "Pseudopsychology-Astrology," excerpt from Introduction to Psychology (psychology textbook)Kenneth C. Davis "What Does Astrology Have To Do with Astronomy?" excerpt from Don’t Know Much About the UniverseRoger Ebert "A Review of The Sixth Sense"Distinguishing between Fact and OpinionPaul M. Insel and Walton Roth "Herbal Remedies--Are They Safe?" excerpt from Core Concepts in Health (health textbook)Benjamin J. Ansell, M.D. "When Health Supplements May Do Harm" Mary Carmichael "Are We Dying to Be Thin?" Evaluating Health NewsThe Facts About Health Information on the InternetReview Test 7: Supporting Details and InferenceMark Getlein "Vincenzo Perugia," excerpt from Gilbert’s Living with Art Test-Taking Tip: Improving Your Performance on Essay Tests (1)CHAPTER 9 Point of View Art: Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1981–1983) by Maya Ying Lin Introduction to Point of ViewRaymond Carver "Popular Mechanics"Frank R. Stockton "The Lady or the Tiger" Robert A. Divine "Surviving Vietnam," excerpt from America Past and Present (American history textbook)Vietnam Memorial: Multiple Points of View: The New Republic "What's in a Name" ART News "Vietnam Memorial War" Michael Sorkin "What Happens When a Woman Designs a War Monument?" Tom Wolfe "Vietnam Memorial" Maya Ying Lin "Boundaries" Congressional Quarterly "A Quiet Place for Personal Reflection"Test-Taking Tip: Improving Your Performance on Essay Tests (2)CHAPTER 10 Bias Art: The Uprising (1841) by Honoré DaumierIntroduction to BiasDenotative and Connotative LanguageEuphemismMyra and David Sadker "Seven Forms of Bias," excerpt from Teachers, Schools, and Society (education textbook)Diane Ravitch "Textbook Bias Cops Ban Ideas: Kids' Free Thought Loses to Sensitivity"Myra and David Sadker "Cultural Literacy or Cultural Imperialism?" excerpt from Teachers, Schools, and Society (education textbook)Patrick J. Buchanan "The New History," excerpt from The Death of the West Is the United States Going Test Crazy?James R. Wilson "Propaganda," excerpt from Mass Media Mass Culture (communications textbook)Test-Taking Tips: Improving Your Performance on Essay Tests (3)CHAPTER 11 Analyzing and Evaluating Arguments Art: Trial by Jury (1964) by Thomas BentonIdentifying ArgumentsEvaluating ArgumentsAn Introduction to Logical FallaciesOur Heritage Legal and Political: David McCullough "Jefferson, Adams, and the Declaration of Independence," excerpt from John Adams Walter Isaacson "Benjamin Franklin--Declaring Independence," excerpt from Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Thomas Jefferson The Declaration of Independence Sandra Day O'Connor "The Evolution of the Bill of Rights," excerpt from The Majesty of the Law The Bill of Rights USA Weekend/First Amendment Center Poll "Five Tests of Your Freedom" Study Technique 9: Venn DiagramTest-Taking Tips: Key Words That Often Appear in Essay QuestionsCHAPTER 12 Evaluating the Evidence Art: The Thinker (1880) by Auguste RodinEvaluating Persuasive WritingCharacteristics of the AudienceOutliningIntroduction to Deductive and Inductive ReasoningDeath and Dying: Elissa Ely "Dreaming of Disconnecting the Respirator" Sheryl Gay Sto
lberg "The Good Death: Embracing a Right to Die Well" Paul M. Insel and Walton T. Roth "El dia de los muertos-- The Day of the Dead," excerpt from Core Concepts in Health (health textbook)Animal Rights Eli C. Minkoff and Pamela J. Baker Excerpt from "Animal Experimentation Raises Ethical Questions" Deborah Blum "The Monkey Wars" Matthew Scully Excerpt from Dominion Test-Taking Tip: Key Words That Often Appear in Essay Questions (continued)PART 5Study SkillsCHAPTER 13 Studying Textbook ChaptersArt: Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin (1995) by Christo and Jeanne-ClaudeStudying Textbook ChaptersConrad Phillip Kottak "The Arts," from Cultural Anthropology (anthropology textbook)Test-Taking Tip: Preparing for Standardized TestsPART 6 VocabularyCHAPTER 14 Vocabulary, Units 1-8Test-Taking Tips: Taking Standardized TestsAppendices: Visual Aids; Using a Thesaurus; Spelling Tips; Sample Summary; Vocabulary Word Parts; Internet Site Evaluation Sheet
About the Author :
Dr. Mather earned his B.A. in Government from the University of the Redlands, his M.A. in African Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, his M.A. in Reading from California State Univeristy, Los Angeles, and his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Southern California. He has taught reading at the secondary, adult-education, and community-college levels for over twenty years. He has published articles in the Journal of Reading.
Ms. McCarthy earned a B.A. in Sociology and History from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.A. in Education from Arizona State University. She has taught at the elememtary, secondary, adult-education, and community-college levels for over twenty years. For the past ten years, she has taught developmental reading and E.S.L. classes at Glendale Community College. Ms. McCarthy has published articles in professional journals and other media on the use of bibliotherapy. She has also published reading lists for beginning and remedial readers and is a reading specialist.
