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Rating: 
Summary: Great for the GRE
Review: This book was my bible for writing the Issue and Argument essays on the GRE. I scored 5.0 (out of 6.0) on the analytical writing section and you can decide for yourself whether that score is a worthy result from using this book. Considering that I struggle with standardized tests, I commend the author for writing a useful and comprehensive book for GRE essay composition--I can't speak for the GMAT. The book provided valuable pointers for planning, outlining, and writing my essays. I used the book in conjunction with a printout of the essay topic pools from the ETS website. As the author states, these current essay topics for both the Issue and Argument essays are vital tools for practicing both essays. The author (I say "author" because I couldn't find an author other than the Thompson/Peterson publishers) gives a structure for timing each stage of the essay process. Planning the Issue Essay, for example, included: five minutes for brainstorming and outlining; 30 minutes for composing; and 10 minutes for review. It was the brainstorm and outline planning I found particularly helpful for both essays. For the Argument essay, outlining advice included quickly listing the evidence presented and then analyzing it. For outlining the Issue essay, the author suggests using a pro-versus-con technique for brainstorming both sides of the topic. Both approaches helped me to quickly organize ideas. As I practiced more, I got away from the suggested outlining and started to develop my own style, but the book's structure gave me a strong foundation to start with. As far as the example essays in the back of the book, they are not written under a time constraint and are probably beyond what is possible to write under timed conditions. But the author acknowledges this and offers the essays as ideal examples for reference. Given that they are so well-crafted, I found them useful to read for structure and diction. This book taught me a new term: "to qualify." Qualifying an Issue statement, I learned, means you don't completely agree or disagree with the statement and write your essay accordingly. This method, described as "hedging your position," was new to me and I would have liked a better explanation. That's my only complaint about this great tool for GRE essay preparation.
Rating:
Summary: Good refresher on rhetorics
Review: This first half of this book provided a much needed refresher on rhetorics, for someone (like me) who hasn't done such essays for some time. Using this book definitely contributed to my getting 6/6 on the GRE essay test.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for GMAT AWA, especially for non-native speakers
Review: This is the best GMAT AWA prep book around. It is even more helpful to the non-native speakers who have not been trained in writting essays in English. I, a non-native speaker, used this book to prepare for AWA and scored 5.5 (90 percentile). Moreover, this book not only teaches you how to write for the AWA, but also teaches you real writing techniques that can be used in your everyday job and life. A job well done, Mark Alan Stewart (the author)! Kudos to you!
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