Writing to Reason presents the principles of writing a clear and well-argued philosophy paper in an easily-referenced numerical format, which facilitates efficient grading and clearer communication between instructors and students.
I think this book is informative, insightful, and interesting. It teaches new philosopher students how to DO philosophy, what is required to be philosophically curious and write essays. The book is crystal clear, although at the end of the book he goes into different tangents on what the 'real' purpose of philosophy is.
Philosophy isn't just a course or degree. It is an activity that helps individuals to self-reflect and evaluate their beliefs. I think everyone can benefit from reading 'how-to' philosophy books to expand their mind, and develop curiosity.
Would recommend.
QOTD: "Philosophers hope their writings and lecturers will make a valuable contribution to the discussion of matters of fundamental human significance." -p.82
Decent. Mogck confirmed quite a few things I'd heard before and solidified them in my mind, while at the same time giving me a couple of different ideas for how to approach writing a philosophical criticism. My only complaint was that the last chapter, "What Does it Mean to Do Philosophy", was quite a bit more difficult then the rest of the book. I'm not sure that covering such a varied and complex topic with any degree of clarity or depth is possible with such a space limitation-- only 24 pages were devoted to the topic.
Definitely worth a read for students who plan on writing a lot of philosophy.