The plan of this book is to help students move progressively to greater successes and challenges. In the first few chapters readers will find punchy, beautiful examples of skillful short prose, and then they will move onward to the rich, complex essays at the end, intended to challenge the best readers in the classroom--instructors included....Students in my classes these days represent in their diversity the student populations that colleges have come to know: a marvelous mix of people with a wide and fascinating range of cultural backgrounds, language abilities, ages, genders, political convictions, social attitudes, intentions, ambitions, academic preparations. Their backgrounds may be widely diverse, but their processes as learners are remarkably similar. -- from the prefaceOne Step at a TimeShort, straightforward readings at the beginning of the book--can be read and reread quickly.Longer, more challenging readings toward the end of the book that require and develop increased attention spans, greater vocabulary skills, and more advanced comprehension and critical abilities.High-Interest Selections85 contemporary pieces include essays, editorials, memoirs, short fiction, poetry, and biography.Wide-ranging and varied, the reading cover the following topics popular--dating, family, literacy, food, movies; controversial--race identity and relations, gene therapy; political--the poor, crime; and philosophical--Zen, our relationship to the environment and animals.Reading and Writing In FocusShort, pithy, and packed with information, In Focus essays following almost every selection pinpoint a key aspect of reading or writing, then explore that aspect in the context of the selection.In Focus essays are progressive, moving from topics like subject, theme, purpose, and thesis to critical analysis, using evidence, and literary language. See the Table of Contents for a complete listing of In Focus topics.Ad... Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rig