27 rich and demanding readings. Drawn from major books and journals in current cultural and academic debates, the readings challenge students to wrestle with material from a variety of perspectives, including those of premier intellectuals such as Michel Foucault and Edward Said.
Unique assignment sequences connect reading, critical thinking, and writing. Each sequence asks students to read several selections and write several essays on a single subject as an extended project. The assignments build on each other, allowing students to work with a selection, connect one selection to another, and bring the ideas of one writer to bear on another.
A challenging book like no other -- but a proven success. Although the readings and assignments in Ways of Reading are demanding, hundreds of instructors have for over two decades successfully taught students how to read and write about this material.
An approach that complements the interests of TAs and new Ph.D.s. By bridging the gap between contemporary critical theory and composition, Ways of Reading allows instructors to bring pieces they themselves find interesting into the composition classroom. The writing assignments ask students to work seriously on academic projects.
Editorial apparatus that helps students learn to approach -- and talk back to -- complex texts. The introduction prepares students for academic work. Substantial headnotes and questions after each selection guide give students context and strategies for dealing with the readings.
Uniquely qualified editors. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky are the two names most associated with sequenced writing and two of the most prominent members of the composition community.