DK Handbook, The (spiral), (with MyCompLab NEW with E-Book Student Access Code Card)
Anne F. Wysocki, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Dennis A. Lynch, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

ISBN-10: 0205661629
ISBN-13: 9780205661626

Publisher: Longman
Copyright: 2009
Format: Kit/Package/ShrinkWrap; 656 pp
Published: 06/24/2008

Suggested retail price: $64.00
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"I would describe The DK Handbook as visually arresting and a breath of fresh air in the market of composition handbooks…I think this text is remarkably suited to today's generation of visual learners."  -Joel Henderson, Chattanooga State Technical CC

 

Transforming student and instructor expectations for textbooks, The DK Handbook presents information in newly accessible, scientifically tested, and student-friendly ways. 

 

Never before seen in the handbook market, The DK Handbook’s design is a true marriage of visual and textual content, in which each topic is presented in self-contained, two-page spreads for at-a-glance referencing. Explanations are concise and “chunked” to be more approachable and appealing for today’s readers, and accompanying visuals truly teach – making concepts and processes visible to students.  The ground-breaking layout creates a consistent look and feel that helps students connect with the material, find information, and recognize solutions to writing problems they often don’t have names for.

 

In planning this new kind of handbook, Longman commissioned an in-depth usability study to learn more about how students use handbooks and where they have difficulties.  The results not only informed the handbook's development, they confirmed that The DK Handbook's distinctive presentation is more effective and "useful" than the market-leading handbook. 

 

In addition to the groundbreaking design, The DK Handbook provides the content that students need.  With more attention to research—particularly online research—than other handbooks, DK gives students a solid foundation in information literacy.  The handbookalso presents grammar and documentation (MLA, APA, CMS and CSE) in new ways that makes the material more accessible, including unique “pattern pages” that help students grasp principles visually. 

 

With strong attention to the rhetorical situation, a visual presentation of the writing process, and usablity tested grammar, research and documentation coverage, The DK Handbook offers all the standard material expected in a handbook, but presents it in a revolutionary format that will motivate students to use their handbook – and help them become better writers and researchers.


  • A unique partnership.  The DK Handbook is the result of a unique partnership between authors Anne Wysocki and Dennis Lynch, Longman Publishers, and Dorling Kindersley (DK) Publishers.  The author team combines expertise in rhetoric and composition with a background in design; DK brings its signature clean and engaging page layout in which visuals “show” and text “tells”; while Longman offers decades of experience in publishing innovative, best-selling course tools. 
  • At-a-glance, visual and verbal presentation of information. Almost all explanation and examples for a given topic are presented within a two page spread, so that students see all pertinent information at a glance, without having to flip pages.  Each two-page spread offers an abundance of white space on which visuals and concise “chunks” of text work together seamlessly to help students better grasp concepts.
  • Unique “layered” presentation.  The DK Handbook offers a consistent, “layered” structure throughout that students access intuitively.  This structure approximates what students experience when using the Web, making it familiar and easy for students to use.
    • Overview pages introduce each topic and help students understand the key steps in a process.
    • Detail pages explore each step in the process in more depth, helping students to focus on just that step.
    • Application pages take the detail pages one step further, with illustrated examples that demonstrate how to apply the steps in a process to a specific example or scenario.
  • Usability testing.  During the development of content and design, the book’s unique presentation of information was student-tested in formal scientific studies (go to www.ablongman.com/dkhb to read more about the usability testing).  Students overwhelmingly preferred The DK Handbook to the current market-leading handbook.
  • Emphasis on examples. Usablity research highlighted the fact thatstudents search for examples that match the writing or research problem they have and locate information by pattern matching. By presenting abundant examples with a minimum of explanatory text, DK allows students to quickly locate examples that match what they are looking for.
  • Unique “pattern pages.” Students often struggle with the details of grammar and documentation because their handbooks don’t help them see the forest through the trees. The DK Handbook uses unique pattern pages–a combination of examples laid out with color coding and annotations--that make underlying grammar and documentation patterns visible for students.  
  • Emphasis on research. Research is presented early in the book, as an important part of the pre-writing process, and is woven throughout, offering the most coverage of research strategies and skills available in a brief handbook.
  • Market-leading coverage of online research.  With extensive and detailed instruction on understanding different types of sources, developing search strategies, using databases, evaluating, incorporating, and documenting sources, DK helps students master critical information literacy skills. Sample print and online sources are richly illustrated and annotated, and unique “pattern pages” cut through the clutter of documentation to show students basic principles.
  • Unique, usability tested grammar coverage.  Students are often unfamiliar with grammar terminology and impatient with long pages of explanatory text. Grammar coverage in The DK Handbook relies on a combination of elements: visible pattern pages, extensive examples, and layered presentation. These features combine to offer students an accessible and usable grammar handbook that responds to their need for quick and practical information.  
  • Extensive support for multilingual learners.  Part 6, developed in consultation with a specialist in applied linguistics/ELL, offers expert support for multilingual learners, while also addressing the need to write for global and diverse audiences in today’s world.
  • Strong attention to rhetorical situation.  From the very first chapter, DK asks students to consider their rhetorical situation.  There is an entire part (Part 4) on audience, while Part 5 presents the different types of writing a student might do given specific audiences and purposes.
  • Excellent coverage of writing in the disciplines.  Part 5 provides examples and instruction in writing in the sciences and technology, social sciences and humanities.
  • Superior argument coverage. Author Dennis Lynch brings his expertise in argument theory to this coverage in Part 3, which includes how to read and evaluate both written and visual arguments, as well as how compose arguments.

  • The DK name.  This handbook was named “DK” in honor of our partner in its design, Dorling Kindersley Publishers.  DK is a pioneer in creating engaging and accessible print designs for today’s readers.  At the heart of “the DK look” is the principle that every page needs to appeal to both visual and verbal learners. The signature element is the vivid photograph silhouetted on white, wrapped by expository text blocks. The words and the pictures illuminate one another in what DK calls a “lexigraphic” design approach. In this approach, pages are less linear than in traditional books: a reader has quick access to any idea. Ideas come alive in a way that captures the imagination of a generation brought up in a visual age.

 

1. A PROCESS FOR COMPOSING

What is composing?

What is rhetoric?

    Audience

    Purpose

    Context

    Strategies

Rhetoric and a process for composing a research paper

    Understanding your project or assignment

      

2. FINDING IDEAS

Composing to learn and composing to communicate

A research process

Getting started with research

Finding a topic

Narrowing a topic

      How do you know when you have a narrowed topic?

      Other strategies for narrowing a topic

Questions to guide research

      Using research questions to develop a topic

Kinds of sources, kinds of research

    Kinds of research

      Determining where to research

      Choosing sources

      Choosing sources—books

      Choosing sources—periodicals

      Choosing sources—webpages

Finding sources

      Library research

                  Using library indexes

                  Using library catalogs

                  Using library journal databases

                  Steps in using databases

      Online research

                  Search engines and directories

                  Online references

                  Online newspapers

                  Government sources

      Archival and special collection sources

      Field research sources

                  Interviews

                  Observations    

                  Surveys

What if you can’t find anything on your narrowed topic?

Keeping track of sources

Starting a paper

 

3. ANALYZING ARGUMENTS AND EVALUATING SOURCES

What is analysis?

Understanding and analyzing texts

      Developing a sense of the author

      Understanding appeals to emotion

      Understanding arrangement and logic

      A sample analysis essay

Analyzing arguments

      Thesis statements

      What counts as evidence?

                  Expert testimony

                  Personal experience

                  Analogies

                  Facts

                  Field research

                  Shared values

                  Examples

      Further questions to guide critical reading

      Critical reading

                  Sample argumentative essay

                  A sample rhetorical analysis

      Questions to guide critical looking

                A sample analysis of a visual text

Evaluating sources

      Evaluating sources for relevance

                  Sample sources

      Evaluating sources for credibility: Print

                  Sample sources

      Evaluating sources for credibility: Online

                  Sample sources

Researching ethically

                  Shared culture, academic research, and fair use

Developing a thesis statement

 

4. CONNECTING WITH AUDIENCES

 Understanding your audience

      Characteristics your audience might share

      What do people know, think, and feel about the issue?

      Making audiences real and specific

      Some complexities of audience

      Developing a statement of purpose

Starting to write for an audience

        How to write a statement of purpose

        Choices a writer can make based on a statement of purpose

        A sample rough draft

        Developing a revision plan

Writing for different kinds of audiences

      Academic audiences

      Workplace audiences

       

5. ORGANIZING AND SHAPING TEXTS

What is organization?

Organization and medium

Organization, audience, and genre

       Online genres

            Email

            Blogs and other social networking websites

      Popular genres

            Letters to the editor

            Letters of complaint

            Magazine articles

      Academic genres in the disciplines

            Writing in the humanities

            Writing in the sciences

            Writing in the social sciences

       Workplace genres

            Memos

            Resumes

            Cover letters

Shaping paragraphs for audience and purpose

    Unified and coherent paragraphs

    Paragraphs that develop

        Paragraphs that describe

        Paragraphs that define

        Paragraphs that narrate

        Paragraphs that give examples

        Paragraphs that use analogy

        Paragraphs that divide

        Paragraphs that blend organizations

Visual organization

        Major elements of texts that mix words, pictures, and other visual pieces

        Building visual organizations

        Make some elements stand out

        Group elements or make them similar

        Align elements

Organization for oral presentations

        The parts of an oral presentation

        Other organizational features

Figuring out what to do with a paragraph that is too long

 

6. WRITING FOR DIVERSE AUDIENCES

Varieties of English

        Language standardization and language variety

        Academic English

        English as a global language

Writing English when English is not your home language

      Writing as a second language

      Multilingual writers writing in English

Using inclusive language

      How do you show respect for your readers?

      Including all ethnicities

      Including all ages

      Including all genders

      Including all abilities

      Including all sexual orientations

      Including all religions

Using an ESL dictionary

 

7. COMPOSING WITH STYLE

Style and audience

Style in writing

      Clarity, concision, coherence, emphasis, engagement

Styling words

        Dictionary definitions and associations

        The names we use

        Action verbs

        Concrete nouns

        Clichés

        Jargon

        Too many words

Styling sentences

        Academic sentences

        Sentences that are easy to read

        Using coordination and subordination

        Parallelism

        Figurative language

Styling paragraphs

        Concluding paragraphs

        Introductory paragraphs

        Transitions between paragraphs

        Passive voice

Style in visual texts

      Typography

      Headings

      Color

Style in oral presentations

      Body language and gestures

      Using visual supports

               

8. DOCUMENTING

Why cite and document sources?

      What is plagiarism?

      Plagiarism—or misuse of sources?

      Tips for avoiding plagiarism

Four facets of citing and documenting

Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing

      Quoting the words of others

      Summarizing the words of others

      Paraphrasing the words of others

Five kinds of sources

Collecting citation information from printed books

Collecting citation information when you are citing part of a printed book

Collecting citation information when you are citing printed periodicals

Collecting citation information when you are citing webpages

Citation information for databases to journals

Collecting citation information for other kinds of sources

 

MLA Documentation

MLA documentation for in-text citations

    Variations on the pattern

MLA documentation for works cited

       For books

       For parts of books

       For articles from periodicals

       For webpages other than databases

       For texts from online databases

       For other kinds of texts

       Author’s name

       Titles

       Website titles

       A very long URL

       Place of publication

       Year of publication

        Periodical volume and date

        Page numbers for articles from periodicals

        Additional information

        A works cited page in MLA format

        For other kinds of texts

        Sample paper in MLA format

        Guide to MLA documentation models

 

APA Documentation

APA documentation and in-text citations

        Variations on the pattern

APA documentation for reference list entries

        For periodical sources

        For nonperiodical sources

        Author's name

        Year of publication

        Titles

        Additional information

        Place of publication

        Periodical volume and issue

        For online texts

        For other kinds of sources

A references page in APA format

Guide to APA documentation models

 

CSE Documentation

CSE references

CSE in-text citations

Details of the patterns

CSE sample references

 

Chicago Manual of Style documentation and in-text citations

CMS in-text citations and footnotes

CMS sample references

  

9. EDITING AND PROOFREADING YOUR WORK

Editing and proofreading

 

Grammar

      There are 4 sentence functions

      There are 4 sentence patterns

                 Simple sentences 1 / 2

                 Simple sentences 3

                    Subjects and predicates

                    More on predicates

                    Compound subjects and predicates

                    Prepositional phrases

                 Compound sentences

                 Complex sentences: Working with independent and dependent clauses

                     Complex sentences with adverb clauses

                  Compound-complex sentences

      Avoiding sentence fragments

      Avoiding run-on sentences

      Parts of speech

                  Nouns

                  Pronouns

                        Choosing the expected personal pronoun

                        Pronoun agreement

                  Adjectives

                  Articles

                  Verbs

                        The tenses of English verbs

                        Using the tenses of English verbs in academic writing

                        Shifting verb tenses

                        Subject-verb agreement

                        The subjunctive mood of English verbs

                  Adverbs

                  Prepositions

                  Conjunctions

     Avoiding shifts in grammatical forms

        Shifts in person and number

        Shifts in voice

        Shifts in levels of formality

    Avoiding misplaced and dangling modifiers

 

Punctuation

Commas

    With numbers, place names, and dates

    When you are quoting the words of others

    To separate words in lists

    To build sentences with multiple parts

    When not to use commas

Semicolons

    To separate the ideas in a list

    To join two sentences

Colons

    In certain conventional patterms

    To prepare readers for information at the end of a sentence

    To link two sentences

Parentheses

    To explain abbreviations

    For numbers in lists

    For in-text citations

    To add information

Dashes

Brackets

Hyphens

Slashes

Ellipses

Quotation marks

    For titles of short works

    To indicate you are using a word as a word

    To indicate technical terms

    To show irony

    To indicate direct quotation

    To indicate speech

Apostrophes

Periods

Question marks

Exclamation points

 

Mechanics

Using italics and underlining

Spelling

    Using spell checkers

Capitalizing words

Abbreviations

Numbers

 

Glossary of grammatical terms and usage

“I would describe The DK Handbook as visually arresting and a breath of fresh air in the market of composition handbooks. . . . I think this text is remarkably suited to today’s generation of visual learners.”
—Joel Henderson, Chattanooga State Technical Community College

“Users were extremely positive about the use of examples and the distinctive formatting of the headers vs. the examples”
–Tharon Howard, Director of Usability Testing Facility, Clemson University

“These pages show that the authors have considered both the students’ desire for ease in accessing information and the instructors’ concerns about organizing their lectures. When may I have a copy of this textbook?”
–Cheryl Clements, Blinn College-Bryan

“Too often, students just want to use the handbook to check their punctuation. This text puts those concerns into context and connects them to a larger writing process. It shows students that it is ridiculous to worry about comma splices before you have figured out who you are writing to, what your purpose is, and how you are going to arrange your work.”
–Erica Messenger, Bowling Green State University

“I love it! Great! Easy to read, the layout makes locating information fast even when scanning the pages. . . . The visual approach is fantastic. Stunning.”
–Sharon McGee, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville (Advisory Board Member)

“Such a large chunk of material is available at a glance. Students can use the icons as they do on MS Windows and on the cell phones. This entire project makes so much sense.”
–Scott Douglass, Chattanooga State Technical Community College

“The audience section seems to be among the most comprehensive I’ve seen. I like it and could easily envision a detailed lesson built around this section.”
–Michael Knievel, University of Wyoming (Advisory Board Member)

“This is the most visually appealing handbook out there. The visuals are actually useful, not just decoration. The book is very user-friendly—easy to flip through. I think students will find it easy to use and will find it very useful for their writing.”
–Valerie Russell, Valencia Community College–East

“The DK Handbook is informative, clearly organized, and written in a way that speaks directly to the student rather than the teacher. Its design has website-like appearance, which most students would be familiar and comfortable with. The visual component of The DK Handbook makes it stand apart from most other handbooks I’ve read.”
–Kip Knott, Columbus State Community College

“Research = EXCELLENT! I especially like the sections on using library databases… this is not covered in such depth in other handbooks. I also like the way you talk about evaluating the relevance of sources and appropriateness. Examples here are great.”
–Kerith Dutkiewicz, Lansing Community College

“What strikes me foremost about this book is the layout and design. Instead of putting too much information onto one page, a concerted effort was made to highlight important sections of, for example, citations, and then build on those skills over several pages. I think this is a significant improvement over our current text in terms of layout and usability.”
–Darren DeFrain, Wichita State University

“This handbook covers the same material as my current handbook, but this one is clearer and more enjoyable to read. I like the design, the introductions, the examples, and the way the steps are broken down into bite-sized chunks of information.”
–Gary Zacharias, Palomar Community College

“The combination of simple language and layout make this most unlike other handbooks I have used. Of course, all handbooks strive to be accessible but this one seems to be aware of the student as audience—not the teacher. The readability and layout are exceptional!”
–John Allison, Morehead College (Advisory Board Member)

“I’ve never seen argument presented this clearly before.”
–Joseph Schrer, Community College of Allegheny County (Advisory Board Member)

The DK Handbook does for textbooks what the iPod did for music.

Just open to any page and look . . .

An unprecedented marriage of design and text, The DK Handbook, by Anne Frances Wysocki and Dennis A. Lynch, makes finding the information you need—and understanding it—so much easier. Whether you’re wondering how to start a paper, how to use the Web for research, or when to use a comma, The DK Handbook gives you quick and reliable answers that will help you write better papers and do better research--and get better grades.

Uniquely suited to the questions you face and the way you learn, The DK Handbook will help you succeed in any course that involves writing and research.

Another amazing resource for writing and research . . .

MyCompLab
Explore it today! www.mycomplab.com

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