Writing: A College Handbook, Fifth Edition

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Summary: Building Rhetorical Power
Review: Writing: A College Handbook is designed to teach students to write effectively for a variety of purposes and contexts. As a reference tool, a rhetoric, and a research guide, this handbook presents a detailed composite on the nature, form, and style of writing available to students. The emphasis here is on what the writer can do rather than what they cannot do. The scope of the book is "to show that good writing is not simply the absence of grammatical error but the presence of rhetorical power" (xxvii). The handbook is organized in a logical fashion that mirrors the writing process. Thus, instructors using the handbook and accompanying workbook can easily adapt it to their course. Part 1, "The Process of Writing," includes information on planning strategies, purpose, audience, modes of writing, word choice, editing and revising, and document design. The next section is "Crafting Sentences," where the emphasis is the rhetorical power of the English language and making sentence structure work for the writer. Part 3 deals with "Punctuation and Mechanics." Part 4, "Research and Writing," provides an in-depth guide to the process and development of the research paper. It includes an up-to-date MLA style guide and new approaches to the use of technology used in research. "Writing in Academic Contexts" covers writing about literature as well as research for other disciplines. The final section, "Writing in Nonacademic Contexts," is new to this edition. As students move outside the classroom, they need to be prepared to write in the workplace, which is often overlooked as a separate form of writing. The logical layout of the handbook and the instructive features make this a comprehensive writing tool. The approach to writing presented in this handbook and the sequence of topics make it accessible to both student and teacher. The examples, student writing samples, and instruction is detailed, informative, and concise. As a textbook to accompany writing instruction in the classroom, I think this book is extremely valuable. However, through personal experience, I find the lack of section tabs a slight drawback. To find information, you have to look at the road map (inside front cover), the table of contents, or the index. I searched for "organization," under which it said "see planning and organizing your text." There I found 16 pages devoted to everything from tree diagrams to composing a title. While the information is clearly outlined and detailed, there is more here than I needed for an overview and brief lesson. Use of this handbook in your classroom depends on your main purpose for having students purchase a handbook. If your purpose is to provide material for students to find answers to individual questions about writing, this may be more than you need. The comprehensive nature of the book gives it more of an instructive quality, rather than simple answers to often asked questions. There are many positive features of the handbook to be applauded. The layout and design, with full-page color, is visually attractive. The accompanying workbook and online reference provide an ample supply of exercises and reinforcement with sentence structure, punctuation, mechanics, revising and editing. The samples of writing are well-chosen and marked with appropriate directions and details. In the chapter "Revising Your Text," I particularly like the marginal comments as a model for responding to writing. The variety of writing selections and topics included shows an awareness of cultural assumptions and gender equality. Writing: A College Handbook is an extensive guide to writing processes, contexts, styles, and skills. It achieves its goal of presenting the power of writing both in and out of the classroom. It succeeds in demonstrating a concise, innovative approach to writing and creates a positive atmosphere in which to learn and practice the necessary skills for effective communication. While I find this book to be a wealth of information on just about any writing topic, I think your purpose for choosing a handbook will determine whether this is the right one for your course. Writing: A College Handbook is a comprehensive instruction guide to writing and more than just a reference book.