Customer Reviews

The Blair Reader: Exploring Contemporary Issues

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Take it from somebody who got a "C" in college English and who now is an editor of college English textbooks and a published fiction and non-fiction writer: if you want a way to get completely turned off to reading critically and writing clearly, spend $70 for this bloated book. Be sure to read a bunch of the essays reprinted here--the quality of which can be found in hundreds of free essays available on the internet. Then read a bunch of obvious suggestions for clear writing like including a thesis sentence in your essay. Try answering some of the dumb questions the authors provide after each reading selection, like "What is the author trying to claim about gender in the workplace?" Then pracice a few exercises for writing contained herein that you can find on any university English tutorial website. The result will be that you'll probably hate college English more than when you started the course. I'm not sure why this book is called _The Blair Reader_ simply because the publishing firm "Blair" published it. I have a copy of Don Quixote published by HarperCollins, and it's not called "The HarperCollins Don Quixote." The subtitle to this book is "Exploring Contemporary Issues. To which contemporary issues are the authors referring? And what gives them the authority to know what they are? Besides, what's so contemporary about justice, gender roles, society, education, etc. They've always been 'issues.' If your teacher assigns this book, and you have to pay for it, ask why you can't just get the 4th or 5th edition for a couple of dollars? It will essentially be the same book, and even though it will be awful, at least you won't get ripped off. If you wonder where the assignments in this book came from, try reading the novel _I, Claudius_ by Robert Graves. The 'narrator,' writing 2,000 years ago, describes some of the same assignments his tutor gives him. They're pretty much the same assignments. This is just old wine in a new bottle, and the bottle itself is cracked.

The book arrived promptly and in excellent condition. It has proved very helpful in class.

I bought this for a class, English 1A, luckily I ordered it in December 2010 for a Spring Semester class that started on January 10, 2011 with a roar...no time to get your books with this teacher. She wanted assignments to be done with this book on Thurs Jan 13, 2011 at 11:59 a.m. Had I not ordered over two weeks in advance I would not have gotten them on time. So, to not skimp on words the SHIPPING IN SO SLOW I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET TO ME. Ordered on 12/17/10 and received it almost 3 weeks later.

The price was good, especially when it is compared to buying it from the college bookstore or one of the other bookstores that prey on students who need textbooks (one of the sleaziest rackets in the country). Although not that great.

The earlier edition has the same stories as this 7th edition. Of course there are a couple of stories about FAcebook and social networks and the way children are with them. Other than that just another scam to remove money from people trying to get an education so that they may be able to actually make money after college (to pay back student loans).

Just remember, if you need it for this spring semester of 2011 and there isn't one in the campus library for you to read at the library, then you would be better off buying it at the college bookstore or one of the other ones that are usually right across the street from any college campus in the USA. If there is one in the library, well you decide how much time you want to spend in the college library because textbooks that are available for students usually have to stay in the library and can't be checked out.

Good Luck and Happy learning.

Just what I needed to get started for school. Everything I needed for the assignment was in this book.