* Chapter topics and themes offer a wide spectrum of issues affecting contemporary life and society.

• Each chapter focuses on an appealing, thought-provoking theme, so students are more likely to be engaged and to develop their own points of view. 
• Juxtaposed "Viewpoints" essays present multiple sides of an issue in greater depth, so students learn that there is more than one side to most issues and that there are many ways to present opposing arguments effectively.
• Essays reflect a wide range of writing styles and genres, including academic essays and dialogues by today's best writers and featuring the work of numerous women and minority authors. Notable authors include: Margaret Atwood, Al Gore, Roger Ebert, Anna Kamenetz Peggy Orenstein, Kay S. Hymowitz, David Brooks, Stephanie Coontz, John H. McWhorter, and many more.

•  The Culture Shock features found throughout this book reflect the kind of images that confront students every day--cartoons, advertisements, statistical maps, and charts--and the questions that accompany them encourage students to analyze the arguments being made visually and rhetorically.

• The introduction includes strategies for critical writing, with coverage of pre-writing, audience-awareness, developing a thesis, documenting sources, drafting, editing, revising, and proofreading, as well as critical reading.  Students are offered the tools they need to process the theme-based chapters that follow, as well as guidance on how to respond to the readings thoughtfully and persuasively.

• Useful writing and discussion exercises follow each reading, including "Critical Reading," "Critical Writing," and "Group Projects."