Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing: A Brief Guide to Argument

by Sylvan Barnet, Hugo Bedau

A guide to critical thinking provides coverage of classic and contemporary approaches to argumentation, in an updated edition featuring a new chapter on the rhetorical analysis of pop culture as well as additional research and writing strategies.

Genres: Writing, Education, Nonfiction, Textbooks

560 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2004

About the author

Sylvan Barnet is an American literary critic and Shakespearean scholar. He is a Fletcher Professor of English Emeritus at Tufts University.

Barnet is the author of numerous books and articles on Shakespeare. He is the general editor of the Signet Classics Shakespeare,[1] the author of A Short Guide to Shakespeare,[2] and has written many textbooks. He is the co-author with William Burto of occasional essays on aspects of Japanese art.[3] He has also written books about the art of writing.

Reviews

[رَشَد الأرحيم]

I don't think I ever devoured a book as much as I did this. I probably highlighted close to 20 percent of it (and it was not a short one).
To me, the best part about this book is that with all the guides the writer provides, he also provides ample examples- which honestly is not very common in many of the writing guides I have read so far. The essays were diverse, and to the academic level you would expect from a college essay. Then after each essay you find some notes from the author; it was like a voice guiding you through every thought that came to the writer's mind as they wrote their essays.
I can tell you; it's not easy forming an argument, but the guides and exercises provided in this book, will get you on the track of writing the best essays you ever did, all in a matter of weeks!

[Ursula Heinrich]

Interesting contemporary arguments that are worth reading.

[Cade]

Tedious. The essay selections as examples of what the author was trying to get across were fine, but rarely necessary to read. Ended up half-heartedly skimming a lot of the later chapters, but enough that I'll call this fairly read. Desperately needed a good editor.

[Carla Hahn]

Good information, but giving more attention to Aristotle and his principles of rhetoric (refined later by the Romans) would improve the content.

[Irungu Mugi]

Good

[Jonathan Guerrero]

Didn’t read cover to cover.

[Dayana]

reading it for college.

[Andy]

DNF. Nothing in here about science reading and writing, so not sure how critical the thinking can be.

[Mohammad]

I highly recommend this gripping book for freshmen/graduate students - particularly those at an English-medium university.

All the best,
Mohammad

[Destiney]

Its a great book recommended for college students