26 new readings from important thinkers, including landmark essays from great thinkers of the past — such as Hsun Tzu, Maria Montessori, James Madison, and Alexis de Tocqueville, Ralph Waldo Emerson (e-Page) — and present — such as Julius K. Nyerere, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Michael Gazzaniga, Judith Butler, and Stephen L. Carter (e-Page).
Three new foundational ideas explore enduring themes that impact students
- Democracy. A variety of thinkers from Aristotle to Benazir Bhutto speak on the ideals, downfalls, and different models of democracy throughout time and across the world.
- Education. Writers ranging from Hsun Tzu to Howard Gardner discuss different forms of education and its universal importance.
- Language. Thinkers such as Susanne Langer, Mario Pei, and Noam Chomsky explore theories of language and its place in society.
More help for reading critically. A new section on provides students with helpful questions to help them understand and respond to the challenging ideas presented in this book
More guidance for creating a thesis and supporting an argument. A new section highlights different kinds of thesis statements and offers students advice on how to formulate and support an argument.