Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface

INTRODUCTION: Thinking, Reading, and Writing What Exactly Is Critical Thinking? -- LINDA ELDER Looking to the Future with a Critical Eye: A Message for High School Graduates -- BRIAN DENIS EGAN The Role of Critical Thinking in Effective Decision Making -- HOWARD GABENNESCH Critical Thinking: What Is It Good For? (In Fact, What Is it?) -- My Definition of Critical Thinking -- What Do I Need to Know About Reading and Writing Critically? -- Reading Critically -- Preparing to Read -- Reading -- LEWIS THOMAS To Err Is Human -- Rereading -- Writing Critically -- Preparing to Write -- Writing -- Rewriting -- Conclusion -- Reading and Writing Inventories -- Reading Inventory -- Preparing to Read -- Reading -- Rereading -- Writing Inventory -- Preparing to Write -- Writing -- Rewriting

Chapter 1 DESCRIPTION: Exploring Through the Senses Defining Description -- Thinking Critically Through Description -- Reading and Writing Descriptive Essays -- Reading Descriptive Essays -- Writing Descriptive Essays -- Student Essay: Description at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Description -- Description in Review -- Reading Descriptive Essays -- Writing Descriptive Essays -- TOMSON HIGHWAY What a Certain Visionary Once Said "In this descriptive essay, Tomson Highway paints a vibrant picture of the landscape, climate, and wildlife of the Canadian North" -- JEAN YOON Halmonee "Actor and writer Jean Yoon creates a vivid portrait of her grandmother, in both life and in death. -- EDITH IGLAUER Red Smile "The idea of a first appointment with a psychiatrist makes Edith Iglauer anxious in the first place, and then a grooming ritual results in red teeth." -- JOE FIORITO Night Shift on the Main "What is it like to work a night shift at The Main in Montreal? Joe Fiorito's description appeals to the full range of senses." -- LISA MOORE Between the North Bridge and the King George IV Bridge "At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Canadian novelist Lisa Moore eavesdrops on travellers and observes street performers, including the fire-juggling Super Scott."

Chapter 2 NARRATION: Telling a Story Defining Narration -- Thinking Critically Through Narration -- Reading and Writing Narrative Essays -- Reading Narrative Essays -- Writing Narrative Essays -- Student Essay: Narration at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Narration -- Narration in Review -- Reading Narrative Essays -- Writing Narrative Essays -- STEVEN HEIGHTON Elegy in Stone "The author, who is a poet, short-story writer, and novelist, recounts the moving experience of visiting Vimy Ridge. Heighton's visit leads to reflections on Canada's participation in WWI and the essential nature of Canada and Canadians." -- K'NAAN Between the Highs and the Lows, Life Happens "Award-winning musician and rap artist K'naan claims his childhood dream was to become an eye doctor, not an artist. In this essay, he reflects on his journey from war-torn Somalia to Toronto and the role that poetry and music played in leading him safely out of a turbulent adolescence." ANIK SEE Borderland "In this essay, Anik See relates the story of trying to cross the Canadian-U.S. border and her resulting confrontation with the border officials when they deny her entry." -- MATT COHEN Zada's Hannukkah Legacy "As an adult, Matt Cohen reflects on past Hanukkah celebrations with his grandparents and the important lessons he learned." -- JOWI TAYLOR "Beginning" from Six String Nation "Broadcaster and writer Jowi Taylor wanted to build a special guitar and hoped it would be ready for the 1995 October referendum in Quebec. After all, how long could it possibly take to put together a guitar using material from every province and territory of Canada?" -- JENN LAMOTHE Giving Up the Fight "Usually we are encouraged not to give up, but freelance writer Jenn Lamothe believes that sometimes giving up the fight is the right thing to do."

Chapter 3 EXAMPLE: Illustrating Ideas Defining Example -- Thinking Critically Through Examples -- Reading and Writing Example Essays -- Reading Example Essays -- Writing Example Essays -- Student Essay: Examples at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Examples -- Example in Review -- Reading Example Essays -- Writing Example Essays -- ANITA RAU BADAMI My Canada "What constitutes your Canada? In this essay from the Imperial Oil Review, Anita Rau Badami uses a multitude of examples to make her Canada come alive and to explain why it is now her home" -- RYEN MCNUTT The Music We Hate: Joanna Newsom "Ryann McNutt can't stand the music of Joanna Newsom! In this essay, he explores what he dislikes about her harp-inspired compositions and why." -- KATRINA ONSTAD John Lennon, Michael Jackson: Do Celebrities Die Anymore? "In this essay, Katrina Onstad discusses the ownership of a dead celebrity's image and the various reasons advertisers might want to splice images of Fred Astaire into a commercial for a vacuum cleaner." -- BARBARA KINGSOLVER Life Without Go-Go Boots "What fashion item was essential to you when growing up? Barbara Kingsolver discusses the role of fashion in her life." -- NAOMI KLEIN Co-opting Dissent "No Logo author Naomi Klein is well known for her frequently dissenting positions on various issues. In this essay, she uses multiple examples to show how companies respond to dissent by attempting to co-opt it." -- STEPHEN OSBORNE The Lost Art of Waving "In this meditative essay, Stephen Osborne opens up the simplest of gestures, the goodbye wave, to uncover a lost world of meaning."

Chapter 4 PROCESS ANALYSIS: Explaining Step by Step Defining Process Analysis -- Thinking Critically Through Process Analysis -- Reading and Writing Process Analysis Essays -- Reading Process Analysis Essays -- Writing Process Analysis Essays -- Student Essay: Process Analysis at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Process Analysis -- Process Analysis in Review -- Reading Process Analysis Essays -- Writing Process Analysis Essays -- MALCOLM GLADWELL Is the Belgian Coca-Cola Hysteria the Real Thing? "The author of the Tipping Point focuses his attention on the phenomenon of mass hysteria and the case of the smelly Belgian Coca-Cola." -- STANLEY COREN Dogs and Monsters "What's all the fuss about genetic engineering? Scientist, author, professor, and television host Stanley Coren walks us through the history of dog breeding." MAUREEN LITTLEJOHN You Are a Contract Painkiller "Canadians consume almost one billion Aspirin or ASA tablets each year. In this essay, Maureen Littlejohn considers exactly how ASA works and traces its history in medicine." -- DAKSHANA BASCARAMURTY My Parents Killed Santa (and Nobody Cared) "Growing up in a Hindu family in Toronto, Dakshana Bascaramurty convinces her parents to celebrate Christmas with all the traditional trimmings. Her parents do their best to accomModate her wishes, until they move to Winnipeg and forget the tree." -- NICK PAUMGARTEN Master of Play "Do you remember the first video game you ever played? In this article, Nick Paumgarten describes how Nintendo transformed itself from a company that manufactured playing cards out of crushed mulberry bark to a video game company that changed the way we play." -- ADAM GOODHEART How to Mummify a Pharaoh "American historian Adam Goodheart outlines the steps in the lost art of mummification for the readers of Civilization, the magazine of the U.S. Library of Congress."

Chapter 5 DIVISION/CLASSIFICATION: Finding Categories Defining Division/Classification -- Thinking Critically Through Division/Classification -- Reading and Writing Division/Classification Essays -- Reading Division/Classification Essays -- Writing Division/Classification Essays -- Student Essay: Division/Classification at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Division/Classification -- Division/Classification in Review -- Reading Division/Classification Essays -- Writing Division/Classification Essays -- ALISON GILLMOR Repress Yourself "Television shows are increasingly populated with emotionally reserved characters defying the edict to "express themselves." This essay outlines the role of prime-time television in repopularizing the values of privacy, modesty, discretion, and restraint." -- WILL BRAUN Seven Criteria for the Adoption of New Technology "When Will Braun was wondering whether to buy a car, he consulted a farmer, a sociologist, an Amish bishop, and a seven-question test to help him decide." -- FAITH MOOSANG Nancy Drew Knows It's Hard "In this satirical piece, Faith Moosang considers whether the techniques of sleuth Nancy Drew can help identify and catch "perps" in our crime- and terror-obsessed world." -- DANIEL J. LEVITIN The Music of My Mind: A Neuroscientist Examines the Recipe for Listening Ecstasy "Why do we like the music we do? Musician and neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin categorizes the musical techniques that appeal to listener's brains." -- ALEX BOYD In Defense of Graffiti "In an essay originally published on the Bookninja website, Alex Boyd uses classification as a strategy to examine the role of graffiti and defend its value."

Chapter 6 COMPARISON\CONTRAST: Discovering Similarities and Differences Defining Comparison/Contrast -- Thinking Critically Through Comparison/Contrast -- Reading and Writing Comparison/Contrast Essays -- Reading Comparison/Contrast Essays -- Writing Comparison/Contrast Essays -- Student Essay: Comparison/Contrast at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Comparison/Contrast -- Comparison/Contrast in Review -- Reading Comparison/Contrast Essays -- Writing Comparison/Contrast Essays -- MONTE HUMMEL A Passion for the Environment: Two Accounts "The former president of the World Wildlife Fund Canada explains the roots of his passion for the environment in this essay from the Queen's Quarterly." -- MICHAEL MCKINLEY Opera Night in Canada "According to Michael McKinley, hockey and opera may have a lot more in common than you realize." -- IRSHAD MANJI Status Anxiety? Consider Socrates and the Sewer Saviour "What do Facebook, Socrates, and an animated rate have in common? Irshad Manji traces the connections among them as she explores how we might liberate ourselves from our overwhelming desire to be accepted." -- CHRISTOPHER DEWOLF Montrealers, Cherish Your Clotheslines "Do you hang your clothes out to dry? In this essay from Spacing Montreal, Christopher DeWolf compares attitudes toward clotheslines in different Canadian cities." -- JENNIE PUNTER Crime and Punishment in a Foreign Land "In this essay, the author compares two foreign-language films about crime: the original Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the Argentinean thriller The Secret in Their Eyes. She argues that, unlike many Hollywood crime dramas, these films are made "for grown-ups"."

Chapter 7 DEFINITION: Limiting the Frame of Reference Defining Definition -- Thinking Critically Through Definition -- Reading and Writing Definition Essays -- Reading Definition Essays -- Writing Definition Essays -- Student Essay: Definition at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Definition -- Definition in Review -- Reading Definition Essays -- Writing Definition Essays -- DREW HAYDEN TAYLOR Pretty Like a White Boy: The Adventures of a Blue-Eyed Ojibway "Like Kermit the Frog, Drew Hayden Taylor doesn't always find it easy to live with the way that he looks. In this essay he discusses the difficulties of not "looking the part."" -- JUNE CALLWOOD Forgiveness ""Forgiveness is hard work," June Callwood tells us, but in this "age of anger", it is worth striving for." -- DOUGLAS GLOVER On Winning and Responsibility "Looking at various types of victory, Glover shows us that winning is never as clear or as simple as the victors would like it to be, and reminds us of another, more constructive use of the word "winning."" -- CYNARA GEISSLER Fat Acceptance: A Basic primer "A lot of time, effort and capital has been invented in making us believe that fat is a dirty word," Cynara Geissler writes. In this essay, she explores body image, self-acceptance and the real meaning of health." -- SIMON BLACK The Search for Mandela's Gun "How do you define terrorism? How is a terrorist different from a freedom fighter? In this column from Pound, an urban music magazine, Simon Black explores the spectrum of perspectives on violence for political ends." -- LAWRENCE HILL Don't Call Me That Word "Lawrence Hill makes a powerful argument against a single word on the basis of the hateful racist sentiments it carries."

Chapter 8: CAUSE/EFFECT: Tracing Reasons and Results Defining Cause/Effect -- Thinking Critically Through Cause/Effect -- Reading and Writing Cause/Effect Essays -- Reading Cause/Effect Essays -- Writing Cause/Effect Essays -- Student Essay: Cause/Effect at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Cause/Effect -- Cause/Effect in Review -- Reading Cause/Effect Essays -- Writing Cause/Effect Essays -- STEPHEN KING Why We Crave Horror Movies "Seen any good movies lately? Best-selling author Stephen King explains why we are so fascinated with movies that appeal to our darker instincts." -- PETER NICHOLSON Information-Rich and Attention-Poor "Peter Nicholson examines the effect of technology on attention and memory. What are we losing as our devices acquire more memory and speed and generate ever-increasing amounts of information?" -- JOHN MOORE Sporting Life "In this essay, which won a Western Magazine Award, John Moore explores the appeal of X-treme sports, adventure tourism, and eco-tourism in an increasingly urbanized world." -- CARMEN EVEREST WAHL Gluten Intolerance: Why Are More People Suffering Than Ever Before? "Intolerance to gluten, the protein in wheat, seems to be growing. Carmen Everest Wahl considers possible causes for the increase and explores gluten-free options and opportunities." -- JEANNIE GUY Newfoundland Coooking "Monday night: leftovers, Tuesday night: boiled dinner. Wednesday: fish, brewis, and scruncheons. In this essay, Jeannie Guy remembers home cooking in her Newfoundland community and explains why Thursday was the only day they might get a "modern, foreign kind of food for supper like pork chops." -- EVELYN LAU More and More "What is an addiction? What causes someone to become an addict? Evelyn Lau explores her addictive behaviour that begins with the consumption of sweets in her childhood."

Chapter 9 ARGUMENT/PERSUASION: Inciting People to Thought or Action Defining Argument/Persuasion -- Thinking Critically Through Argument/Persuasion -- Reading and Writing Argument/Persuasion Essays -- Reading Persuasive Essays -- Writing Persuasive Essays -- Student Essay: Argument/Persuasion at Work -- Some Final Thoughts on Argument/Persuasion -- Argument/Persuasion in Review -- Reading Persuasive Essays -- Writing Persuasive Essays -- ARLENE PERLY RAE, IRSHAD MANJI, and ANNA PORTER A Call to Arms on Anti-Semitism "Three writers - one Jewish, one Muslim, and one Christian - have come together to write this Essay advocating that Canada take a leading role in fighting anti-Semitism." -- JUDY REBICK The Culture of Overwork "Judy Rebick argues against the growing culture of overwork and prescribes action to counter this unhealthy trend." -- DANIEL FRICKER AND LARS KUSHNER Anti-Gay Bullying "Daniel Fricker and Lars Kushner call for an ed to the bullying of gay, lesbian, and transgendered youth and explore innovative solutions to the problem, including the It Gets Better project." -- JANICE GROSS STEIN Whisper, Echo and Voice "When Canada speaks, does the world listen? How can Canada ensure a strong voice in world affairs? Janice Gross Stein argues for Canada's capacity to make a difference on global issues and the steps we must take to do it." -- RUSSELL SMITH Potty-Mouthed and Proud of It "Why are taboo words taboo? Globe and Mail columnist Russell Smith explores the nature of profanity." -- SHEEMA KHAN Hijabs: Don't Kick Up a Fuss "Soccer mom Sheema Khan discusses the controversy in Quebec over the religious symbol of the hijab on the soccer field." -- RAFE MAIR Raise the Driving Age "In this essay from online magazine The Tyee, Rafe Mair argues that the driving age should be raised to 19." -- ADAM GOPNIK Shootings "Using the example of the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shootings, Gopnik makes a case for gun control focused on handguns." -- OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS Hockey Violence "In this pair of essays, Aaron Wherry and Laura Robinson present their views on violence in hockey." -- AARON WHERRY Violently Happy: Why the NHL Needs to Make Hockey Safe Again for Those Who Appreciate Bloodshed -- LAURA ROBINSON Sports Breeds Real-Life Violence

Chapter 10 DOCUMENTED ESSAYS: Reading and Writing from Sources Defining Documented -- Documented Essays Reference Chart -- Reading Documented Essays -- Reading Documented Essays in Review -- Reading Documented Essays -- BARBARA EHRENREICH The Ecstasy of War "Do men and women possess a natural "warrior instinct" that enables them to kill their enemies during battle? Not so, claims Barbara Ehrenreich, though many social and cultural rituals help transform ordinary people into effective soldiers." -- LAWRENCE NORTON Facilitated Communication & the Power of Belief: How Time Magazine Got It Wrong "In this documented essay, Lawrence Norton explores the flawed research regarding facilitated communication and the cost of uncritically accepting what we want to believe is true." -- Preparing to Write Documented Essays -- Finding Sources -- Sources That Are Relevant, Reliable, and Recent -- Consulting Interdisciplinary Databases, Subject-Specific Indexes, and Electronic Journal Collections -- Avoiding Plagiarism -- Types of Material -- Acknowledging Sources -- Direct Quotation, Paraphrase, and Summary -- When to Quote? When to Paraphrase? -- Staying Organized -- Taking Notes on Sources -- making a Working Outline -- Writing Documented Essays -- Writing the Introduction -- Writing the Supporting Paragraphs -- Introducing Sources -- Documenting Sources -- Documentation Format -- Writing the Conclusion -- Creating the Title -- Revising and Editing a Documented Essay -- Revising -- Student Essay: Documentation at Work -- Writing Documented Essays in Review -- Writing Documented Essays

Chapter 11 ESSAYS ON THINKING, READING, AND WRITING MARGUERITE ANDERSEN Passion for Language -- NATALIE GOLDBERG The Rules of Writing Practice -- BENOIT VIROLE Harry Potter's Cauldron: The Power of Myth and the Rebirth of the Sacred -- RYAN BIGGE Speak English, Dammit: Why Has Jargon Become the Language of Business?

"Reader's Choice challenges you to think, read, and write on a literal, interpretive, and critical level by discussing various rhetorical strategies through the use of both student and professional essays. Each chapter discusses in detail a single rhetorical technique and includes a selection of professional readings in order to demonstrate the use of that particular technique. Questions following each reading are designed to guide you from a literal understanding of the piece, to interpretation, and finally to analysis." (Publisher's Website)