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Discovering Arguments: An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Writing, 3/E
William Palmer, Alma College
Dean Memering, Professor Emeritus , Central Michigan University

ISBN-10: 013602646X
ISBN-13: 9780136026464

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2009
Format: Paper; 672 pp
Estimated Availability: 08/04/2008

Suggested retail price: $71.00 (*Price subject to change)
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The only argument rhetoric/reader that emphasizes style throughout.

Presenting a holistic view of content and style, this all-in-one argument rhetoric, reader, research guide and handbook helps students analyze and evaluate what they read, argue persuasively, and communicate more clearly than they ever have before. Students discover, internalize and apply at increasing levels of sophistication the impact of persuasive appeals (logos, pathos and ethos), the principles of critical thinking and the hallmarks of effective style through more than 200 embedded, guided activities directed at their own papers.

Discovering Arguments presents the classical persuasive appeals throughout the text as the essential argument paradigm, while also exploring the contributions of Stephen Toulmin and Carl Rogers.

Five unique “interchapters” on style and voice– after each of the first five chapters.

~Enables students to learn about language in positive ways, and solve common problems with diction, punctuation, and sentences–so that they can excel at what they say, as well as how well they say it.

~ Each style interchapter contains numerous embedded activities to reinforce the concepts and directs students immediately to extend those concepts to their own drafts.

Over 200 guided discovery activities throughout the text-- systematically lead students to understand the most important ideas in argumentation and to apply them immediately to their own writing, reading and thinking.

Toulmin and Rogerian Models—presented as parts of Chapters Two and Three, respectively, and reinforced in activities throughout the book.

Readings by a wide variety of professional writers-- e.g., Ellen Goodman, Richard Selzer, Thomas Sowell, Deborah Tannen, and Martin Luther King Jr.

~Provides students with a large number of interesting articles, poems, essays, and stories on assorted topics. Discussion questions and writing topics follow each section in Chapter 2.

Four chapters devoted to research, sources, documentation and research writing–Based on guidelines of both MLA and APA styles.

~Offers students comprehensive chapters on library use (including virtual libraries), evaluation of evidence–especially Internet sources, documentation, and detailed guidelines for writing reports and persuasive research papers.

A full section on “Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage” teaches students to recognize and correct basic sentence problems such as fragments, comma splices, agreement, punctuation, and other language skills.

NEW! A major revision on research writing has been added to the Third Edition, complete with thought provoking model student papers.

NEW! Greatly expanded interchapters on style, giving students the opportunity to learn not only what to say, but how to say it better. The interchapters integrate instruction and practice early on, so students begin revising their work from the Chapter 1.

NEW! Enhanced research chapter containing “Ryan’s Process Notes.” This chapter follows Ryan, a student, through his journey on finding a topic, obtaining research, and writing an argument paper.

NEW! Additions to the Evaluating Evidence chapter include “The Wikipedia Dilemma,” in which students evaluate articles supporting or opposing Wikipedia. They then write reactions and evaluate their own research, leading up to an argument paper assignment.

NEW! Greater emphasis on Active-Discovery Learning. Students learn and correct while they are engaged in their assignment, not only after.

NEW! New poems, stories, essays, literary nonfiction, biographical notes and more! Essays include: “Preventing Another Massacre,” “The Gun Lobby’s Counterattack, “Children Last,” “Video Game Violence and Our Sons,” “No Change in Political Climate,” The Divide in Caring for Our Kids,” and “Expedience No Reason to Kill a Man.”

CHAPTER 1

COMMUNICATION AND PERSUASION: LOGOS, PATHOS, ETHOS

Noticing and Thinking

The process of thinking

The paradigm shift

Communicating Clearly and Effectively

Amy Wu, Stop the Clock

Specific evidence

Brian A. Courtney, Freedom from Choice

Writing an Opinion Essay

Finding your subject

Writing Persuasively

The Persuasive Appeals

Logos

Recognizing logos

S. I. Hayakawa, On Human Survival

Pathos

Recognizing pathos

Julia Kraus, If I Told You, Would You Want to Hear?

Rick Reilly, Making Up for Lost Time

Humor as pathos

Ethos

Recognizing ethos

John Edwards, A Trust Worth Winning

New York Times, Editorial, A Moment of Grace

Thesis Statements

Evaluating your thesis statement

Engaging Your Audience: Titles, Introductions, Conclusions

Features of good titles

Title strategies

Titles to avoid

Features of good introductions

Introductory strategies

Introductions to avoid

Features of good conclusions

Concluding strategies

Conclusions to avoid

How to Annotate

Vicki L. Wilson, My Smile Is Worth More Than Face Value

Ryan Grady Sample, Bigger, But Not Better

Guide for Evaluating Writing

A Note of Defining Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage

INTERCHAPTER 1

STYLE AND VOICE

Diction

Monosyllabic words

Multisyllabic words

Pretentious writing

Other Features of Diction

Specific or general

Concrete or abstract

Literal or figurative

Literal language

Figurative language

Avoid cliches

Precise words

Voice

The writing situation and voice

Tone

Analyzing attitude toward readers

Analyzing attitudes toward subject and self

Sentence Tools

Simple sentences

Joining complete thoughts: coordination

Using semicolons to join complete thoughts

Using semicolons with formal transition words

Solving Two Common Sentence Problems

Comma splices

Run-on sentences

CHAPTER 2

ARGUMENTS AND CONTROVERSIES

Critical Reading and Writing: Agree, Disagree or Maybe Both?

Deborah Tannen, How to Turn Debate into Dialogue

Reading Tools

Asking questions

Noticing insights

Noticing assumptions

Noticing overgeneralizations

ExploringTwo Essays on a Controversy

Analysis and evaluation of Mitch Albom’s essay

Mitch Albom, Don’t Shoot Holes in Gun Control Bills

Albom’s writing situation

Albom’s introduction

Noticing Albom’s insights, assumptions, and overgeneralizations

Responding to other arguments

Albom’s use of logos, pathos, and ethos

What is the solution?

Albom’s conclusion

Analysis and evaluation of Thomas Sowell’s essay

Thomas Sowell, Mass Shootings and Mass Hysteria

Two methods for analyzing an essay: outlining and summarizing

Outline of Sowell’s essay

Summary of Sowell’s essay

Sowell’s writing situation

Sowell’s introduction

Noticing Sowell’s insights, assumptions, and overgeneralizations

Responding to other arguments

Sowell’s use of logos, pathos, and ethos

What is the solution?

Sowell’s conclusion

Albom and Sowell: What Do You Conclude?

Mike Gallagher, Preventing Another Massacre

Hillary Hylton, The Gun Lobby’s Counterattack

Guns and More Guns, Editorial, New York Times

Kinds of Evidence for Arguing: Examples, Reasons, Authorities, Statistics

Using examples

Illustration

Using reasons

Using authorities

Using statistics

Writing an Essay about a Local Issue

Writing a Report to Explore an Argument

FiveEssays on Controversial Issues for a Report

Women in Combat

Kathleen Parker, Children Last

Video Games and Violence

Rebecca Hagelin, Video Game Violence and Our Sons

Global Climate Change

Ellen Goodman, No Change in Political Climate

Health Care for All Children

Bob Herbert, The Divide in Caring for Our Kids

Capital Punishment

Leonard Pitts Jr., Expedience No Reason to Kill a Man

Writing an Essay with Sources about a Controversy

Organizing an essay about a controversy

Present the other side first

Rogerian argument

Ending your essay

Student model essay

Readings on Controversial Issues: Three Case Studies

Drinking Age

Barbara Kantrowitz and Anne Underwood, The Teen Drinking DilemmaRobert Voas, There's No Benefit to Lowering the Drinking AgeJohn J. Miller, The Case Against 21Choose Responsibility, Education

Cheating for Success

Michael Josephson and Melissa Mertz, From Honor Above All

ABCNEWS, A Cheating Crisis in America's Schools

ABCNEWS, An Educator’s Worst Nightmare

Joe Smith, Mark Pogge, Jane Doe, Student Comments on the Ethics of Cheating

Charlotte Allen, Their Cheatin' Hearts

Same-Sex Marriage

Patricia Bertuccio, Coming Out: Parents Learn True Meaning of Family after Both Son and Daughter Announce They Are Gay

Evan Wolfson, Marriage Makes a Word of Difference

Ben Shapiro, The Homosexual Assault On Traditional MarriageCal Thomas, Dearly Beloved

Gregory Gadow, Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance: I-957 The Defense of Marriage Initiative

Venice Buhain, Lacey Woman Shares Tale of Denial at Bedside of Her Dying PartnerMaggie Gallagher, The Message of SameSex Marriage

INTERCHAPTER 2

VOICE AND EMPHASIS

Diction and Repetition

Repeating words for emphasis

Alliteration

Sentence Tools

Joining complete and incomplete thoughts: subordination

Colons and dashes and voice

Colons

Dashes

Using double dashes

Italics (Underlining) and Voice

Parentheses and voice

Fine-tuning Sentences

Sentence fragments: pros and cons

Conciseness

Omit needless words I

Omit needless words II

CHAPTER 3

STRATEGIES OF ARGUMENTATION

Using Opposites

Using Contradictions and Paradoxes

Contradictions

Paradoxes

Paradox and tolerance for ambiguity

Either/or thinking

Flip it

The wisdom of opposites

Using Comparison

Organizing comparison: block and alternate patterns

Using Refutation

Using Induction and Deduction

Induction

Deduction

Using Narration and Description

Narration

Description

Using analogy

Explaining the mind

Using Classification

Using Cause and Effect

Using Humor

Humorous tone

Rick Reilly, Swearing Off Swearing

Humor as Satire

Dave Barry, Taking the Manly Way Out

Using Definition

Digging for roots of words

Exploring an Essay

David Gessner, A Feeling of Wildness

Connie Schultz, Here’s a Little Tip about Gratuities

Rick Reilly, What Money Can't Buy

INTERCHAPTER 3

STRATEGIES OF REPETITION

Sentence Tools

Parallelism

Anaphora

Epistrophe

The Power of Threes in Sentences

Susan Ager, Baby, Baby, Baby, 3 Has Its Charms

Using threes in sentences: rising order or not

Varying Sentence Beginnings: Three Ways

Using -ing phrases

Misusing -ing Phrases: Dangling Modifiers

Using -ed or -en phrases

Using To phrases

CHAPTER 4

THE TOULMIN METHOD AND PROBLEMS IN REASONING

Using the Toulmin Strategy to Argue

Kinds of arguments—kinds of claims

Laws and policies

Reality, facts

Values, morals, taste

Warrants

Stating the warrant

Exploring an Essay Using the Toulmin Method

Roald Hoffman, The Tense Middle

Hoffman’s claim

Hoffman’s grounds

Hoffman’s warrant

Hoffman’s backing

Rebuttal of Hoffman’s claim, grounds, and warrant

Essays to Explore with the Toulmin Method

Caitlin Petre, The Lessons I Didn't Learn in College

Alice Waters, Eating for Credit

Dave Eggers, Serve or Fail

Problems in Reasoning

Finding the Facts

Implications, Assumptions, and Inferences

Implications

Assumptions

Inferences

Fallacies

Problems of Insufficient Evidence

Overgeneralizing

John Gray, Wallets and Purses

Card stacking

Ad ignorantium

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Problems Based on Irrelevant Information

Ad Baculum

Ad hominem

Fallacy of opposition

Genetic fallacy

Guilt by association

Ad misericordiam

Ad populum

Bandwagon

Plain folks and snob appeal

Ad verecundiam

Red herring

Weak opponent

Tu quoque

Oversimplification

Problems of Ambiguity

Amphibole

Begging the question

Equivocation

Loaded language

False analogy

Problems of Faulty Reasoning

False dilemma (either/or thinking)

Non sequitur

Rationalization

Reductio ad absurdum

Slippery slope

Reading and Writing Activities

INTERCHAPTER 4

STYLE AND OPPOSITES

Sentence Tools

Antithesis

Antithesis and balanced sentences

Loose and periodic sentences

Fine-tuning Sentences

False starts

Active and passive verbs

CHAPTER 5

VISUAL ARGUMENTS

Photographs

News photographs

Feature Photography

Staged images

Documentary photographs

Fotolog

Student Essays Exploring Photographs

Like a Photograph, a Painting