21 provocative new readings on contemporary topics, 5 by students and 16 by writers such as Susan Orlean, Cass Sunstein, and Christine Rosen. Some highlights:
- Readings on college life: A college administrator explains that “hooking up” by students is a more complex process than it may appear, and a student argues for the regulation of energy drinks.
- Readings on popular culture: A student traces the origins of hip-hop.
- Readings on digital innovations: Nicholas Carr asks, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?;” Chris Anderson's “The Long Tail” explores the future of online retailing by the media and entertainment industries; and two essays explain the reasons for -- and question the effectiveness of -- multitasking.
New introduction to the academic habits of mind students need to develop. Chapter 1 now helps students begin to understand the distinctive kinds of thinking, reading, and writing they will need to do for college courses. Activities help them determine which skills they have already mastered and which others they still need to work on.
New guidance for analyzing visuals critically and writing about them.
- A new appendix offers criteria for visual analysis and includes a multistage model of a student's analysis of a photo by Gordon Parks.
- An “Analyzing Visuals” box following a reading selection in each assignment chapter helps students analyze salient features of an illustration accompanying the selection.
A new design that improves navigation. Marginal tabs, a more legible font for reading selections, varied designs for different kinds of boxed activities, and other changes help instructors and students orient themselves more easily within the assignment chapters. The lists of revision suggestions in each assignment chapter have been reworked into “Troubleshooting Your Draft” charts that are easier for students to reference and use.