Everyday Arguments: A Guide to Writing and Reading Effective Argument

Everyday Arguments combines highly practical and student-oriented argument rhetoric with an anthology of illustrative readings drawn from arguments of everyday life. The practical rhetoric section is based upon a single and sensible four-part taxonomy of argument derived from the various purposes of arguments. Students are led step-by-step through the processes of generating, drafting, composing, and revising written arguments in all four categories. Stimulating writing exercises throughout each chapter encourage students to practice stills as they learn them, and to keep earlier skills fresh as they learn new ones. The anthology of readings is closely tied to the principles and practices introduced in the rhetoric section. The overarching philosophy of the reading selections (and of the book as a whole) is that written argument -- in all its variety -- is the most common form of writing and that much can be learned about its practice from the texts we encounter on a daily basis.

Table of Contents:
I. TODAY'S COLLEGE STUDENT. INTRODUCTION. "RETREAT FROM INTIMACY," Arthur Levine & Jeanette S. Cureton. "TALKIN' BOUT MY GENERATION," Liz Croteau. "SUPER EGOS," Peter Francese. "WHO IS A TEACHER?" Celeste M. Condit. "A LOST MOMENT RECAPTURED," Sara Rimer. "STUDENTS BEHAVING BADLY," Richard Flacks. II. THE INTERNET. INTRODUCTION. "STOP ME BEFORE I SHOP AGAIN," James Gleick. "LISTENING FOR THE SILENCE," Stephen E. Talbott. "WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST," Laura Miller. "INFORMATION LITERACY," University of Maryland. "POLITICS ON THE INTERNET," Doug Bailey. "DAEMON SEED," David S. Bennahum. III. SPORTS. INTRODUCTION. "LITTLE GIRLS IN PRETTY BOXES," Joan Ryan. "WHERE HAVE ALL THE HEROES GONE?" Stephen D. Mosher. "THE CHOSEN ONE," Gary Smith. "RUNNER'S STORY," Sharon Robb. "BIZBALL," Harvey Araton. IV. WORK. INTRODUCTION. "THE THREE JOBS OF THE FUTURE," Robert B. Reich. "THE END OF WORK," Jeremy Rifkin. "THE AGE OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION," Peter F. Drucker. "LESSONS FROM TWO GHOSTS," Scott M. Fisher. "CAREER TRANSITIONS," Nancy Kollamer. "ON DUMPSTER DIVING," Lars Eighner. V. DIET. INTRODUCTION. "THE DIET BIZ," Donald Jackson. "INTUITIVE EATING," Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch. "PUBLIC EATING," Michelle Stacy. "DIETING DIALOGUE". "MY STORY". "BED CONFESSIONS," K.D. Elliott. READING POPULAR CULTURE. INTRODUCTION. "POPULAR CULTURE AND THE FAMILY," Kenneth A. Myers. "LISTENING TO KHAKIS," Malcolm Gladwell. "THE CONTENTS OF WOMEN'S PURSES," Daniel Harris. "WHAT DOES THE INDIAN SYMBOL MEAN". "WHY WE CRAVE HORROR MOVIES," Stephen King. "ALLY McBEAL'S YOUNGER SISTER," Jane Rosenweig.