The 58 selections engage students with issues and topics relevant to their everyday lives. Representing a range of voices and kinds of writing -- personal, analytical, argumentative, and literary -- each of the collected readings offer students a way into the issue or topic at hand. Throughout the book, selections showcase the ethnic and geographic diversity of the state.
Six chapters give students an overview of the history, culture, and most pressing issues facing California. The opening chapter defines California dreams against historical and current realities, providing a background against which subsequent chapters on immigration, education, geography, culture, and politics can be read.
Critical reading and writing skills are highlighted throughout the apparatus. Prepared by two California instructors who have also published a nationally successful composition reader, the editorial apparatus fosters critical thinking and writing by providing opportunities for personal writing, critical analysis, argumentation, and research.
--A general introduction covers critical reading strategies, and includes a model analysis of an essay by Jack Lopez, "Of Cholos and Surfers."
--Chapter introductions and introductory notes for each selection provide background information and serve as starting points for reading.
--2 sets of questions after each selection prompt analysis, stimulate discussion and debate, and provide varied writing opportunities.
--End-of-chapter research assignments help students formulate projects that will deepen their understanding of the issues discussed in the selections and encourage them to explore the local, and larger, implications.