The Bedford Reader, Ninth Edition [Paperback]

X. J. Kennedy (Author), Dorothy M. Kennedy (Author), Jane E. Aaron (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312433174 | ISBN-13: 978-0312433178 | Publication Date: May 18, 2005 | Edition: 9th

One of the most widely adopted composition readers of all time, The Bedford Reader continues to engage and inspire students with remarkable selections, outstanding instructional material, and a unique "Writers on Writing" feature in which 50 of the book’s writers comment on their process and their work. Thorough coverage of critical reading, effective writing, and working with sources guides students, now more than ever, through their own academic writing. And an exciting visual dimension shows that rhetorical methods apply to both images and text.

The Bedford Reader is a favorite of students for the Kennedys’ clarity and wit, of instructors for the flexible and realistic view of the rhetorical methods, and of both for the superior selections and perceptive commentaries by writers worth reading.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

X. J. KENNEDY is an acclaimed poet, children's writer, college teacher, and textbook author. He has taught freshman composition at the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Tufts University. Since 1966, more than two million students have treasured his introductory literature texts and The Bedford Guide for College Writers, Eighth Edition (2008), coauthored with Dorothy M. Kennedy and Marcia F. Muth.

DOROTHY M. KENNEDY is a writer and editor whose articles and reviews have appeared in both professional and academic journals. She has taught composition at the University of Michigan and Ohio University and, with X. J. Kennedy, is the recipient of the NCTE Teacher's Choice Award for Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry.

JANE E. AARON is a respected writer and editor who has taught composition at New York University and New School University. For Bedford/St. Martin's she is the author of The Compact Reader, Eighth Edition (2008), and 40 Model Essays: A Portable Anthology (2005).

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 784 pages
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's; 9th edition (May 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312433174
• ISBN-13: 978-0312433178
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

DOROTHY M. KENNEDY is a writer and editor whose articles and reviews have appeared in both professional and academic journals. She has taught composition at the University of Michigan and Ohio University and, with X.J. Kennedy, is the recipient of the NCTE Teacher's Choice Award for Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A college instructor's perspective..., August 6, 2007

By 

D. C. Elsbury (Oregon, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bedford Reader, Ninth Edition (Paperback)

As an English instructor at a community college, this collection as a text for essay writing offers great appeal with its diversity in voices, cultures, topics, and points of view (though the explanation of POV needs greater scope). In addition to the writer's bio before each story, one of my favorite features is the writer's shared insights afterward about his or her story, writing process, personal background, or career development (students enjoy this feature, too); and, there are discussion questions with "Suggested Journaling ideas," and suggestions for rewriting "Journals into Essays," that help students who always ask "What do I write about?" Story length as reading assignments are manageable for time-crunched, back-to-schoolers with already-full plates--juggling jobs, kids, and classes--and little time for 400-page novels. It may not be my text of choice for teaching argument and research, but as an introduction, it works.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best I've Ever Seen, January 28, 2003

By 

"x_opp" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bedford Reader (Paperback)

I was required to get this book for an Intermediate Composition course in college and it has to be the best college textbook I have ever had. First there is a wide variety of stories to choose from and at least one will appeal to everyone. Even though it is a educational textbook I still read it in my leisure time, as well.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Each work demands the reader's attention in its own way., January 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bedford Reader (Paperback)

My high school English class analyzes two essays from the book every grading period. I have seldom had an assignment that I enjoy so much; after analyzing the first essay assigned (Homeless), I sat back to think about what the writer had expressed. The essays are thought provoking and demand attention. The Bedford Reader is a book that I would recommend for the sheer enjoyment of exploring one's own mind and escaping to the world of another's.