Nexus

Description

Based on extensive and extremely helpful comments from students and faculty using Nexus, we have made the following improvements to the second edition:

 

• An expanded chapter on Working with Sources (Chapter 3), including a complete student research paper that is a culmination of the student research throughout the chapter, helps students effectively integrate and document sources in their own writing.

• Eighteen exciting and timely new selections, including a fascinating descriptive essay by Amy Tan, an essay about women in science by Cara Santa Maria, a touching memoir on parenting by Peter Mercurio, an interesting analysis of “Spanglish” by Daniel Hernandez, a spirited defense of personal drones by Chris Anderson, a video on high speed robots, an article on female empowerment by Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg, and a new cluster of readings on sustainability with a cutting-edge set of PowerPoint slides and videos by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates. These new high interest readings help keep the text focused on contemporary issues and genres.

• New post-reading Multimodal Writing Projects for each reading selection offer students an opportunity to respond with both visual and verbal forms of expression.

• Learning objectives at the start of each chapter now provide students with an explicit framework for learning. These objectives are also correlated to Nexus content in MyWritingLab.

• A new focus on the interrelationship of reading and writing in reference to both prose and multimedia works helps students understand the importance of reading to their writing (Chapters 1 and 2).

• Updated Web links and QR codes enable students to easily access the online sources featured in the book.

Nexus presents the traditional rhetorical modes as different ways of thinking about our contemporary world, no matter the medium. It builds on students’ multimedia communication skills by using a mix of readings in contemporary and traditional genres to improve students’ college writing skills. 

 

Nexus starts where students’ interests lie—with engaging essays, interviews, blog conversations, Web sites, and YouTube videos.  These “readings” are presented in a lively, highly visual format that draws on the daily environment in which students are immersed, including electronic and visual sources that are stimulating, energizing, and directly related to topics they are studying.

While the format of Nexus is contemporary and stimulating, the content is substantive and pedagogically sound.  Students are asked continually throughout this text to pull ideas from multiple media and respond to them first with critical thinking and writing and then by creating a project through a written, oral, visual, or electronic medium of their own choice.

Kim Flachmann teaches at the California State University, Bakersfield, where she also administers the Composition Program—from remedial English through the Graduate Teaching Assistants. She was chosen Outstanding Professor at CSUB in 1998-99. She also was Rhetorician of the Year for the Young Rhetoricians’ Conference in 2007 and was the recipient of the California Association of Teachers of English Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009. She has published numerous articles on rhetoric and American literature and has written seven textbooks—among them a college reader (The Prose Reader (Pearson) in its eleventh edition), a series of three books for developmental English called Mosaics: Reading and Writing Sentences, Mosaics: Reading and Writing Paragraphs, and Mosaics: Reading and Writing Essays,

(Pearson), and Nexus: A Rhetorical Reader for Writers (Pearson), which combines traditional rhetorical modes with students’ interest in

technology.

 

Kim has dedicated her career to helping students achieve their goals in life through communication.  Her mission has always been to teach others how to write well, which she believes is one of the most important gifts we can give our students.  She believes that reading and writing are the gateways to each student’s full potential and success in life.

· Each modes chapter contains seven readings in a highly visual format–four conventional models (like essays, interviews, or speeches) and three nontraditional texts (like blog conversations, images, songs, collages, and Web sites)..

 

· Chapter 13, Argument, features ten essays and six nontraditional selections, with individual arguments as well as two clusters of multiple viewpoints on climate change and privacy.

 

·  Four important initial chapters provide students with the basic foundation they will need to improve their thinking, reading, and writing skills: 

            o   Chapter 1, Our Multimedia World, introduces students to the wide range of texts in this book.

            o   Chapter 2, Reading for Understanding, explains the interactive process of reading graphic and verbal texts. 

            o   Chapter 3, Writing for Understanding, discusses various aspects of the writing process.

 

·         Chapter 4, Working with Sources, demonstrates how to use sources in a documented essay. 

 

· Each modes chapter begins with a brief explanation of thinking in that particular rhetorical mode.  This method of critical thinking is highlighted throughout the chapter as a means of processing information in both reading and writing. 

 

· The readings helpstudents to think rhetorically by providing ample context including genre, a brief author biography,provocative prereading questions In Context boxes with background information, and a running glossary at the bottom of each page.

 

· Activities and writing prompts after the readings provide opportunities for both informal and formal writing:

            o   Conversations: Collaborating in Class and Online. These questions help students enter a larger conversation on the

                  Nexus Facebook page or in class discussion.

            o   Connections: Discovering Relationships Among Ideas. These questions encourage students to think more deeply

                  about the subject of the reading.

            o   Presentation: Analyzing the Writer’s /Artist’s Craft. These questions focus on the structure and style

                 choices the author or artist made to create the selection.

   &

Chapter 1 Reading in Our Multimedia World

Rhetorical Modes as Patterns of Thought

The Reading Process

Prereading

Reading

Rereading

Reading Different Forms of Media

Reading Verbal Selections

Reading Visuals Selections

Responding to the Readings

 

Chapter 2 Writing in Our Multimedia World

The Writing Process

Prewriting

Brainstorming

Freewriting

Clustering

Deciding on Subject, Purpose, and Audience

Writing a Tentative Thesis Statement

Writing

Developing Body Paragraphs

Organizing Your Ideas

Writing the Introduction, Conclusion, and Title

Sample Student First Draft

Rewriting

Revising

Editing

Writing in Different Forms of Media

 

Chapter 3 Working with Sources

Finding Sources

Library Sources

Evaluating Sources

Using Sources in Your Writing

Types of Sources

Avoiding Plagiarism

Using Direct Quotations, Paraphrases, and Summaries

Introducing Your Sources

Citing and Documenting Sources

MLA Citation Examples

Sample Student Research Paper

 

Chapter 4 Description

Introducing Description

Discovering How Description Works

Reading Description

Writing Description

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Description

Essay: “Raging Bulls,” Timothy Lavin

Cartoon: “The Ungooglable Man,” Roz Chast

Essay: “Plumbing the Depths,” Robert MacFarlane

Essay: “Magpies,” Amy Tan

Student Essay: “She,” Matthew Brooks Treacy

Vignette: “Hey, Look,” Simon Rich

Essay: “You Say God Is Dead? There’s an App for That,” Paul Vitello

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 5 Narration

Introducing Narration

Discovering How Narration Works

Reading Narration

Writing Narration

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Narration

Essay: “Rumspringa: Amish Teens Venture into Modern Vices,” Shachtman

Photograph: “Gas Station on Route 66,” Joseph Sohm

Essay: “I Will Never Know Why,” Susan Klebold

Essay: “We Found Our Son in the Subway,” Peter Mercurio

Essay: “After a Fall,” Garrison Keillor

Cartoon: “Academia,” David Sipress

Essay: “Only Daughter,” Sandra Cisneros

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 6 Illustration

Introducing Illustration

Discovering How Illustration Works

Reading Illustration

Writing Illustration

Choosing a Subject and Audience

Generating Illustrations

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Illustration

Essay: “Body Piercing,” Raquel Kirsch

YouTube Video: “A Vision of Students Today,” Michael Wesch

Essay: “When Foster Teens Find a Home,” Anita Hamilton

Essay: “When the Car Is the Driver,” Steve Henn

Essay: “Women in Science,” Cara Santa Maria

Blog: “How Twitter Is Hurting Students Today,” Geneva Reid

Essay: “The Multitasking Generation,” Claudia Wallis

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 7 Process Analysis

Introducing Process Analysis

Discovering How Process Analysis Works

Reading Process Analysis

Writing Process Analysis

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Process Analysis

Essay: “How to Say Nothing in 500 Words,” Paul Roberts

Web Site: eHow.com

Essay: “Boyfriend Rentals Boom during Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day,” Kaijing Xiao

Essay: “How to Read a Painting,” Dustin Wax

Essay: “What Makes a Successful Business Person?” Murray Raphael

YouTube Video: “The Most Advanced High Speed Robot Used for Video Ever”

Essay: “How Target Figured Out a Teen Girl Was Pregnant before Her Father Did,” Kashmir Hill

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 8 Division and Classification

Introducing Division and Classification

Discovering How Division and Classification Work

Reading Division and Classification

Writing Division and Classification

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Division and Classification

Essay: “No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch,” Ann Hodgman

Web Site: “World Clock,” Poodwaddle.com

Essay: “The 10 People You’ll Find in Any Gym,” Chris Sparling

Essay: “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Mediocre People,” James Altucher

Essay: “The Truth about Lying,” Judith Viorst

Graph: “The Real Threat to Americans,” St. Pete for Peace Organization

Essay: “A Peek into the Future,” David Colker

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 9 Comparison and Contrast

Introducing Comparison and Contrast

Discovering How Comparison and Contrast Work

Reading Comparison and Contrast

Writing Comparison and Contrast

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Comparison and Contrast

Essay: “Grandma,” Erma Bombeck

Cartoon: “Social Networking,” Mike Keefe

Essay: “Indecent Exposure,” Carla Power

Essay: “The Flight from Conversation,” Sherry Turkle

Essay: “Sex, Lies, and Conversation,” Deborah Tannen

Advertisement: “Smoking Ads,” Lucky Strike and New York Department of Health

Essay: “How the E-Book Will Change the Way We Read and Write,” Steven Johnson

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 10 Definition

Introducing Definition

Discovering How Definition Works

Reading Definitions

Writing Definitions

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Definition

Essay: “When Is It Rape?” Nancy Gibbs

Video: “Augmented Reality (AR): Will It Change Your Life?,” Luke McKinney

Essay: “The Millennials,” Pew Research Center

Essay: “Spanglish Moves into Mainstream,” Daniel Hernandez

Essay: “The Art of the Handshake,” Tom Chiarella

Photo Essay: “What Is a Sport?” Kim Flachmann and Michael Flachmann

Essay: “You Wanna Take This Online?” Jeff Chu

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 11 Cause and Effect

Introducing Cause and Effect

Remote and Immediate Causes

Causal Chains

Immediate and Ultimate Effects

Discovering How Cause and Effect Works

Reading Cause and Effect

Writing Cause and Effect

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Cause and Effect Analysis

Essay: “What Evolutionary Psychology Says about Social Networking,” Michael Rogers

Cartoon: “Read at Your Own Risk,” Roz Chast

Essay: “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples

Essay: “Why I Want Women to Lean In,” Sheryl Sandberg

Essay: “Does Thinking Make It So?” Erin O’Donnell

Interview: “On Reality TV, Less Sleep Means More Drama,” Joel Rose

Essay: “Skin Deep: Seeking Self-Esteem through Surgery,” Camille Sweeney

Chapter Writing Assignments

 

Chapter 12 Argument

Introducing Argument

Logical Appeals

Emotional Appeals

Ethical Appeals

Differing Viewpoints and Common Ground

The Appeals at Work

Discovering How Argument Works

Reading Arguments

Writing Arguments

Choosing a Subject

Generating Details

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Producing a Draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

Editing

Sample Student Essay

Reviewing Argument

Essay: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr

Photograph: “Watering Little Sprout,” Kristy-Anne Glubish

Essay: “Now You Take ‘Bambi’ or ‘Snow White’–That’s Scary!” Stephen King

Essay: “Letter From Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963,” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Essay: “Why We Shouldn’t Fear Personal Drones,” Chris Anderson

Web Site: Center for Immigration Studies

Student Essay: “Depression in College Students,” Alissa Steiner

Multiple Viewpoints: Sustainability Advertisement: “Beef’s Big 10,” Cattleman’s Beef Board

Essay: “America’s Food Crisis,” Bryan Walsh

PowerPoints/Videos: “The Future of Food,” Bill Gates

Multiple Viewpoints: Privacy Issues in Our Culture Today

Blog: “Online Privacy Fears Are Real,” Bob Sullivan

Advertisement: “Identity Theft,” Guard Dog Identity Solutions

Essay: “Privacy, Facebook, and the Future of the Internet,” Marshall Kirkpatrick

Chapter Writing Assignments

Additional information

Dimensions	1.00 × 8.20 × 10.05 in
Imprint	Pearson
Format	gen
ISBN-13	09780321964397
ISBN-10	032196439X
Author	Kim Flachmann, Michael Flachmann
Subjects	english, readers, composition, higher education, Language Arts / Literacy