Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought The Norton Sampler for an English 101 course at a community college. Amazon's price was the same as a used edition from my college bookstore, so I opted for the new version. I usually don't mind reading textbooks for classes, but I liked this one enough that I have read it purely for enjoyment.
The first two essays by Annie Dillard were a perfect introduction; it was helpful to read her final essay as well as the story behind it. I truly learned by example, as is the book's intention, and Dillard's vivid details covering inspiration, writing, and editing set the tone for the rest of the book. I did not enjoy every essay as much as the first two, but the variety of samples presented gave me a good idea of why I liked certain ones. Some essays are written by students, others by famous authors, and the essays are grouped together by type. An essay by Isaac Asimov is featured in the Definition category; one by David Sedaris is grouped with Compare and Contrast essays. Each category has a small section defining the type of essay which include example writing assignments and common applications for the essay type. The author, Thomas Cooley, includes a short intro for each essay and several questions, some for discussion, some for writing. The questions were often thought-provoking and covered the philosophical to the grammatical. I questioned my feelings towards the opinions stated in the essays and also why certain words or phrases were used. I recommend this book to anyone that usually enjoys anthologies, short stories, or essays, not just students and teachers.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition (Seventh Edition)
An outstanding collection of brief essays providing high-interest models of the rhetorical modes, along with beautifully written instruction that demonstrates its own lessons about good writing.
The Norton Sampler is a rhetorically arranged short-essay reader that provides models and guidelines for writing description, narration, and all the other modes of discourse. The readings are brief, reflecting the length of the essays students are required to write.From classic texts by writers such as Annie Dillard and E. B. White, to contemporary texts from writers like Barack Obama and Marjorie Agosín, The Norton Sampler includes a range of readings that will delight teachers and engage students. Texts from a range of everyday media-from billboards to coffee mugs-demonstrate that the rhetorical modes play an important role in all the writing and reading that we do. Now with enough writing instruction that students will not need a separate rhetoric.
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