Description
Book SynopsisThe Argument Handbook is a reference tool and classroom text designed to help students understand complex rhetorical situations and navigate the process of transforming private thoughts into persuasive, public statements.
The Argument Handbook is organized around three lenses that help students focus on the practical challenges of persuasive writing. Its modular organization makes it easier for students to find what they need and easier for instructors to assign the content that fits their course.
Trade Review“The Argument Handbook is a complete argument textbook. Students are systematically introduced to invention, audience research, genre—everything a rhetoric should have. Like any thorough treatment of argument, the Handbook is also readily adaptable for a variety of courses. Advanced writing classes will find it just as useful as first-year classes.” — Paul Lynch, Saint Louis University
“This book is well researched and insightful. In the current climate in which facts are questioned, all sides argue in the most heated fashion, and too much news is labeled as fake, thoughtful study of argumentation is necessary for a thorough education. Throughout the text, K.J. Peters recognizes the needs of various types of learners. The modular organization is flexible and allows changes of focus in the curriculum. Some of the modules concern methods of reading and analyzing arguments, a common focus of freshman courses. Within these genres, students can further see the importance of audience and purpose, of research, of planning, and of vivid language.” — Katherine H. Adams, Loyola University New Orleans
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What’s inside: Instructor’s Introduction
- Invention, Audience, Authority
- Why This Book: Student’s Introduction
- Private Thoughts to Public Statements
- Invention, Audience, Authority
- Part 1: Invention and Research
- Ch. 1. Assembling Arguments: an Introduction
- Module I-1: Argument Defined
- Module I-2: Invention and Research: How Will You Find Ideas and Evidence?
- Module I-3: Audience: Who Will Consider Your Argument?
- Module I-4: Authority: What Will Persuade Your Audience?
- Ch. 2. Planning Your Writing and Research
- Module I-5: Why Do I Need A Plan?
- Module I-6: Making a Writing and Research Plan
- Module I-7: Framing Your Subject
- Ch. 3. Looking Within and Around to Invent
- Module I-8: Why Take Time to Invent?
- Module I-9: Elements of Effective Invention
- Module I-10: Invention Strategies
- Module I-11: Moving From Invention to Drafting
- Ch. 4. Looking to Research to Invent
- Module I-12: Why Use Research to Invent?
- Module I-13: Using Research to Find and Develop Ideas
- Module I-14: Searching Efficiently
- Part 2: Types of Argument
- Ch. 5. Understanding Argument Forms and Genres
- Module T-1: Why Do I Need to Know Forms and Genres?
- Module T-2: Using Forms and Genres to Help You Invent an Argument
- Module T-3: Using Forms and Genres to Discover Audience Expectations
- Module T-4: Using Forms and Genres to Establish Authority
- Ch. 6. Using Stasis Questions to Build Arguments
- Module T-5: Why Do I Need to Know Stasis Questions?
- Module T-6: Primary and Secondary Stasis Questions
- Module T-7: Building an Argument Using Stasis Questions
- Ch. 7. Persuading
- Module T-8: What Audiences Expect of a Persuasive Argument
- Module T-9: A Persuasive Genre – Advertisement
- Module T-10: A Persuasive Genre – Reflection Paper
- Module T-11: A Persuasive Genre – Opinion Piece
- Module T-12: Building a Persuasive Argument
- Ch. 8. Analyzing Arguments
- Module T-13: What Audiences Expect of a Rhetorical Analysis
- Module T-14: A Rhetorical Analysis of a Photograph
- Module T-15: A Rhetorical Analysis of an Opinion Piece
- Module T-16: Building an Effective Rhetorical Analysis
- Ch. 9. Stating the Facts
- Module T-17: What Audiences Expect in a State-The-Facts Argument
- Module T-18: A State-The-Facts Genre – Research Paper
- Module T-19: A State-The-Facts Genre – Visual Résumé
- Module T-20: A State-The-Facts Genre – News Article
- Module T-21: Building a State-The-Facts Argument
- Ch. 10. Defining
- Module T-22: What Audiences Expect in a Definition Argument
- Module T-23: A Definition Genre – Opinion Piece
- Module T-24: A Definition Genre – Youtube Commercial
- Module T-25: A Definition Genre –Research Paper
- Module T-26: Building a Definition Argument
- Ch. 11. Narrating
- Module T-27: What Audiences Expect in a Narrative Argument
- Module T-28: A Narrative Genre – Editorial
- Module T-29: A Narrative Genre – Advertisement
- Module T-30: A Narrative Genre – Personal Narrative
- Module T-31: Building a Narrative Argument
- Ch. 12. Analyzing and Evaluating
- Module T-32: What Audiences Expect From an Analysis and Evaluation
- Module T-33: an Analysis and Evaluation Genre – Blog Entry: Thrill-Ride Review
- Module T-34: an Analysis and Evaluation Genre – Online Restaurant Review
- Module T-35: an Analysis and Evaluation Genre – Review of a Cultural Event
- Module T-36: Building an Analysis and Evaluation Argument
- Ch. 13. Determining Cause
- Module T-37: What Audiences Expect of a Causal Argument
- Module T-38: A Causal Argument Genre – an Editorial
- Module T-39: A Causal Argument Genre – A Political Cartoon
- Module T-40: A Causal Argument Genre – A Research Paper
- Module T-41: Building a Causal Argument
- Ch. 14. Proposing a Solution
- Module T-42: What Audiences Expect of a Proposal
- Module T-43: A Proposal Genre – Advocacy Speech
- Module T-44: A Proposal Genre –Billboard
- Module T-45: A Proposal Genre – Position Paper
- Module T-46: Building a Proposal
- Part 3: Appealing to Your Audience
- Ch. 15. Understanding the Audience
- Module A-1: Rhetorical Situation Defined
- Module A-2: Audience Defined
- Module A-3: analyzing an Audience
- Module A-4: Using Appeals, Media, and Conventions to influence Your Audience
- Module A-5: Common Academic Assignments: What Does Your Audience Expect?
- Ch. 16. Understanding the Academic Situation
- Module A-6: What You Need to Know About Writing in Universities and Colleges
- Module A-7: The Humanities, the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Module A-8: The Fine, Visual, and PerForming Arts
- Module A-9: Pre-Professional and Applied Sciences
- Module A-10: The Natural Sciences
- Ch. 17. Using Classical Rhetoric
- Module A-11: Classical Rhetoric and the Writing Process
- Module A-12: Arrangement of Argument
- Module A-13: Types of Appeals
- Module A-14: Building Authority Using Classical Virtues
- Ch. 18. Using Contemporary Rhetoric
- Module A-16: Toulmin’s Rhetoric Defined
- Module A-17: Using Toulmin’s Model to analyze Arguments
- Module A-18: Rogerian Rhetoric Defined
- Module A-19: A Rogerian Argument: A Persuasive Paper
- Module A-20: Reading Your Audience with Rogerian Rhetoric
- Part 4: Conducting Research to Build Authoritative Arguments
- Ch. 19. Using Databases and Search Engines
- Module R-1: Building Authority with Search Engines and Databases
- Module R-2: Using Databases and Search Engines
- Module R-3: Organizing Your Research
- Ch. 20. Evaluating Sources and Documents
- Module R-4: Why Do I Need to Evaluate Sources?
- Module R-5: How Do I Evaluate Sources?
- Module R-6: Evaluating for Relevance
- Module R-7: Evaluating for Authority
- Module R-8: Evaluating for Honesty
- Module R-9: Determining If a Source Is Questionable
- Ch. 21. Integrating Research and Avoiding Plagiarism
- Module R-10: Defining Plagiarism and Fair Use
- Module R-11: Avoiding Plagiarism
- Module R-12: integrating Sources Authoritatively
- Module R-13: integrating Sources Into an Argument: an Example
- Ch. 22. Citing and Documenting Sources
- Module R-14: Documentation Styles Express Authority
- Module R-15: MLA Style for in-Text Citation
- Module R-16: MLA List of Works Cited
- Module R-17: APA Style for in-Text Citation
- Module R-18: APA List of References
- Part 5: Projecting Authority
- Ch. 23. Crafting Style, Voice, and Presence
- Module P-1: Building Authority with Style
- Module P-2: Building Authority with Voice
- Module P-3: Building Authoritative Presence
- Ch. 24. Checking for Logical Fallacies and Flow
- Module P-4: Logical Fallacies Defined
- Module P-5: Awkwardness and Flow Defined
- Ch. 25. Using Conventions Persuasively
- Module P-8: Using Visuals in Your Argument
- Module P-9: Using Design Conventions in Your Argument
- Module P-10: Creating Effective Presentations
- Module P-11: Proofreading Your Argument
