Writing Analytically

Rosenwasser and Stephen (Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA) show undergraduate students in first-year writing courses, as well as those in more advanced writing-intensive courses in various subjects, how to learn to analyze information and use writing to discover and develop ideas. They explain how to become more observant and push observations to implications and conclusions; use evidence, evolve claims, and converse with sources to write analytical papers; and understand organization, disciplinary formats, introductions and conclusions, and grammar and style. Writing exercises that can be applied to print and visual, text-based, and experiential materials are included, as are tips from professors on differences in disciplines other than English, rhetoric, or composition. This edition has a new introductory chapter previewing key topics, more examples, and more lists and rationales. It has two toolkit chapters on analytical methods instead of one, some reorganization and reformatting, more description of discipline-specific writing (especially the natural and social sciences), and new material in chapters on form. It has new sections on Rogerian argument, practical reasoning, and figurative logic, and expanded treatment of the four documentation styles. It clarifies step-by-step instructions, uncovering assumptions, and the method of looking for patterns of repetition and contrast. Another edition of the book includes readings. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)