The Routledge Reader in Rhetorical Criticism

by Brian L. Ott (Editor), Greg Dickinson (Editor)

Bringing together 50 key readings on rhetorical criticism in a single accessible format, The Rhetorical Criticism Reader furnishes instructors with an ideal resource for teaching and practicing the art of rhetorical criticism. Unlike existing readers and textbooks, which rely on cookie-cutter approaches to rhetorical criticism, The Rhetorical Criticism Reader organizes the field conceptually, allowing teachers and students to grapple with the enduring issues and debates surrounding criticism over the past 50 years. The readings are organized into four sections, each representing key conceptual issues and debates in rhetorical criticism: critic/purpose, object/method, theory/practice, and audience/consequentiality. Each section is preceded by an introductory essay that puts the readings into context. For added flexibility, an alternative table of contents is also included for instructors and students to customize their teaching and reading. Intended for upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses in rhetorical criticism, The Rhetorical Criticism Reader uniquely lends itself to thoughtful discussion of the role of the critic in the critical process. It assists readers not only in learning the tools of criticism, but also in reflecting on the values that underlie the critical endeavor.

840 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2012

Reviews

[Nanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this compilation of classic scholarly essays on rhetorical criticism by leaders in the field. This text is like the "bible" of rhetorical criticism. By reading it I learned the history of the field, ways in which I can participate in the discussion, and potential directions the field may go. The criticism I have for this textbook is that it's huge and heavy--hard to tote to class. There's really no solution for that. The other criticism I have for this text is that the neither the table of contents nor the actual chapter included the original publication information so it was hard to contextualize the essay. I had to add these notes to the beginning of each essay by looking in the back regarding contributors. Knowing the year something is published is essential in evaluating its position and its influence. I highly recommend this book for students of rhetorical criticism.