A brief, affordable rhetoric and reader with a focus on curiosity, listening, and respect.

Five themes that will interest students

The Inequities That Bedevil Us. What’s Language Got to Do with It? What’s News, and How Do We Know What to Trust? Who Owns Nature? Do Sports Matter? Readings reflect a range of perspectives and topics that students will relate to: poetry and rap, the big bucks paid to many university coaches (and how else the money could be spent), a conservative case for conservation, and many more.

A book of many voices

Epigraphs, examples, and essays provide a wide range of voices and views, from Draymond Green to Joy Harjo, RBG to Ibram X. Kendi, Lemony Snicket to Gloria Anzaldúa—and many more, all listed in an Author/Title Index. Study questions help students engage the readings with open minds and respect for what others think and say.

A rhetoric, a reader, and an online library

Instructors can center their course on either the rhetoric or the readings: cross-references in the margins link from the rhetoric to specific examples in the readings—and the reverse, from the readings to pertinent writing instruction. And study questions in the ebook link to online selections in LetsTalkLibrary.

“Most textbooks I had in the past were unnecessarily long, and it took me a while to read through and understand. This book was straight forward and used interesting examples to actually help me enjoy the reading.”

— Adrian D., student at California State University, East Bay

"This book explicitly invites students to talk to each other, encounter ideas that differ from their own, and listen with an intent to understand.”

— Danielle Williams, Baylor University

"Both the approach and the readings align with our course outcomes and promote the kinds of critical reading, critical thinking, and writing I’d like my students to engage in."

— Jessica Bannon, University of Indianapolis