Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments

by Lester Faigley, Jack Selzer

This brief rhetoric of argument with an anthology of readings on contemporary issues takes a non-Toulmin based approach to writing arguments in an electronic age. By stressing the rhetorical situation and the audience, the rhetoric avoids complicated terminology in favor of providing readers with the practical means to find "good reasons" for the positions they want to advocate. The rhetoric includes readings by professional and student writers, including a pivotal selection from Rachel Carson's extraordinarily influential argument, Silent Spring. The anthology reprints over 60 arguments on interesting current issues: the environment, affirmative action, censorship, Title IX, substance abuse, gay rights, and "the body." For anyone interested in argument composition.

672 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2000

Reviews

[Sarah Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extensive and insightful. Sometimes it was hard to navigate however, especially between the two books. I couldn't figure out why they just didn't make them one.

[Melanie Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really useful when teaching rhetoric to college freshman. It's organized and provides some interesting examples of modern arguments.