29 new readings (40% of the total) by authors from diverse backgrounds — including journalists, cartoonists, and social scientists:
• Roland G. Fryer analyzes the causes and effects of "acting white"
• Denise Grady looks at what modern medicine can — and cannot — do for wounded veterans
• Lynda Barry examines why houses smell good
More paired selections that take varied perspectives on contentious topics and encourage students to consider issues from more than one side:
• Jane Mayer considers torture as entertainment, while John Yoo makes his case for "necessary force" against enemy prisoners
• John Tierney, Christina Hoff Sommers, and Katha Pollitt tackle the question of gender bias in American schools
• Malcolm Gladwell and David Gratzer discuss the merits and drawbacks of the American healthcare system
• Gregg Easterbrook argues that U.S. schools should teach the controversy over Darwinian evolution, and Bobby Henderson explains his belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster to the Kansas Board
of Education
Commentary from other disciplines and fields. Two readings in each chapter feature commentary from scholars in disciplines other than English and from nonacademic professionals, showing students the ways in which conversation among disciplines and fields can enhance understanding.
A new full-color photo essay. This piece by photographer Dulce Pinz—n, originally published in The New York Times, appears in Chapter 7, "American Cultural Myths," and depicts the superhero side of immigrant workers.