a hand book of essays

Buy for others

Buying and sending kindle ebooks to others.

• Select quantity
• Buy and send Kindle eBooks
• Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the India. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

A Handbook of Essays For Competitive Examinations Kindle Edition

• ISBN-13 978-9388623896
• Publisher Oswal Printers & Publishers Pvt.Ltd
• Publication date 1 January 2020
• Language English
• File size 10876 KB
• See all details
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9"
• Kindle Fire HD(1st Generation)
• Kindle Fire
• Kindle Cloud Reader
• Kindle for Android
• Kindle for Android Tablets
• Kindle for iPhone
• Kindle for iPad
• Kindle for PC

Popular titles by this author

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08464N5Z6
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oswal Printers & Publishers Pvt.Ltd (1 January 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 10876 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• #700 in Science & Mathematics eTextbooks
• #4,277 in Sciences, Technology & Medicine (Kindle Store)
• #26,940 in Sciences, Technology & Medicine (Books)

About the author

Oswal publishers.

Oswal Publishers are Simplifying Exams for Class 9-12 Students.

Oswal-Gurukul's Latest Releases are Developed and Curated by India's Top Educators & Teachers to Master Each and Every Topic in an Easy and Simplified Manner.to Outperform in Your Upcoming Exams.

Our Most Recent Releases includes Chapterwise MCQs, Sample Papers & Final Revision of Term 1.

We are the Leading Edutech Publishing Company comprising Authors, Experts, Editors, Proof-readers, Designers, Marketers, and Managers striving towards the same goal of providing Quality Educational Books to crack the fear of examinations in this competition focused academic infrastructure in the country.

Oswal Printers and Publishers was founded in 1985 by Mr. Mukesh Jain!

Over the past 35 years, we have developed content that aids students and teachers in achieving excellence in education. We create content that is extensively researched, meticulously articulated, and comprehensively edited. We are catering to various Boards such as CBSE, ICSE, ISC, and State Boards like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra in India.

We publish books for ICSE, CBSE, State boards from class IX onwards, and we are also catering to various Competitive Exam Series such as Govt. Jobs, SSC, UPSC, Level 1, Level 2 Questions and Entrance Exams NEET, JEE, NET, etc.

For any queries or questions related to content please reach out at [email protected]

Customer reviews

Reviews with images.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from India

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

• Press Releases
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell under Amazon Accelerator
• Protect and Build Your Brand
• Amazon Global Selling
• Become an Affiliate
• Fulfilment by Amazon
• Advertise Your Products
• Amazon Pay on Merchants
• COVID-19 and Amazon
• Your Account
• Returns Centre
• 100% Purchase Protection
• Amazon App Download
• Netherlands
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Conditions of Use & Sale
• Privacy Notice
• Interest-Based Ads

You must enable JavaScript in order to use this site.

How to Make Notes and Write

(8 reviews)

Dan Allosso

S.F. Allosso

Copyright Year: 2022

ISBN 13: 9798842209415

Publisher: Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Aaron Lefkovitz, Professor, City Colleges of Chicago on 5/4/22

This writing manual the author wrote and used for decades at the University of California, Davis is very comprehensive. It reviews multiple aspects of how to get started with writing, such as analyzing texts and taking notes, discovering a topic,... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This writing manual the author wrote and used for decades at the University of California, Davis is very comprehensive. It reviews multiple aspects of how to get started with writing, such as analyzing texts and taking notes, discovering a topic, preparing for discussion, creating a thesis, ordering evidence, building an argument, coherent paragraphs, effective sentences, appropriate words, revising, and a revision checklist. Also, it has a valuable appendix and even references to such philosophers as Aristotle, so it is comprehensive in both a practical and theoretical sense.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content of A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. This can be read in the “Analyzing Texts, Taking Notes” section, where the author begins with unbiased, clear questions, such as “what is a text?” The author then goes on to quote from such sources as author W.H. Auden (1907-1973), English-born poet and man of letters who achieved early fame in the 1930s as a hero of the left during the Great Depression.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences does represent relevance and longevity, in the sense that its chapters can be carried down from one generation to another without much variation, for example read in the “Discovering a Topic, Preparing for Discussion” chapter. Here, the author mentions that texts students work with at the college level of their education are mostly givens, as far as English classics, History primary and secondary sources that are important to understand a particular event and period, as well as the ways texts were chosen out of multiple texts in that they fit together and lead to a particular place.

Clarity rating: 5

There is a great deal of clarity in A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences, as this text makes difficult subjects easier to understand for most students, simplifying such potentially daunting topics as “creating a thesis”. In this chapter, the author asks a variety of questions, including what interpretation is the author trying to persuade the reader is valid, what are the reasons for this interpretation, how is the interpretation different from other interpretations, and what part of the text will be examined and emphasized, as well as what are the author’s assumptions and potential objections. These clear questions provide a sense of clarity for the reader and add to the text’s strengths.

Consistency rating: 5

This text is very consistent. Each chapter starts with an interesting quote that frames the chapter narrative in a compelling way. Then, the chapters start with very first-hand/direct testimony given to readers who can read the paragraphs in a way that is meant to speak to them rather than use jargon and difficult to understand sentences. Chapters follow similar structures in terms of longer paragraphs followed by definitions and clear statements that function to provide additional information with regards to the content and theme of the chapter discussed.

Modularity rating: 5

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences does have easily and readily divisible sections that are useful to the reader in that they break up the narrative and provide all sorts of additional information in an aesthetically pleasing way that can be assigned at different points within the course. There are not enormous blocks of text without subheadings and the text does not seem to be overly self-referential. Instead, there are all sorts of references and data from disparate sources that provide for an interesting and informative read.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This text is full of effective, concise, and clear sentences, and is organized well in terms of the ways chapters are structured, starting with a quote that has a particular relevance to the chapter theme, including boxed reminders that set themselves apart from the general narrative, and including various bullet points and examples from literature.

Interface rating: 5

Everything that I have read in this textbook signals that it is indeed free of any kind of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Additionally, the text seems to be free of grammatical errors even as it does seem to contain some spacing issues but that could be on my computer only.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As far as the text’s cultural relevance, it does seem to rely quite heavily on dead White European philosophers, from Aristotle to Wittgenstein, to add to and accentuate a point, however it is not offensive in the sense that it does not go out of its way to denigrate a particular race, ethnicity, or other cultural background.

This text does a fine job of introducing students to basic essay writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences, its brevity functioning as a strength in that it keeps things fairly simple while adding philosophical and historical contexts to stay academic as well as relevant and consistent.

Reviewed by Megan Anderson, Assistant Professor, Limestone University on 12/7/21

With only 9 chapters, this text does not cover every essay writing skill students need, but it does include focus on the higher order elements of writing. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

With only 9 chapters, this text does not cover every essay writing skill students need, but it does include focus on the higher order elements of writing.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

As the title suggests, the content is sparse, but it appears accurate.

While there are various theories on the teaching of writing in terms of pedagogy, writing skills do not really change in the sense of timeliness. The examples used are relatively common references from history and literature.

Clarity rating: 4

Again the content is minimal, but the material is written in a clear, easy-to-understand manner that would work for even first-year students.

The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework, and even tone.

Modularity rating: 3

Each chapter is very short so they are easily assignable. And while there are headers, each chapter appears as one long page. Splitting up the content into just a few pages and spacing out the material a little more would be preferential.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

While I believe that the text covers many of the essential elements of writing, the chapters appear out of order to me. I would have the chapter on "Effective Sentences" before the one on "Coherent Paragraphs". It is also problematic to me to have a chapter on "Ordering Evidence, Building an Argument" listed before the chapters on basic writing components.

Interface rating: 3

The interface could be easier to navigate. There is no next button to move to easily move from chapter to chapter and to access the nine chapters, you have to click on a plus sign linked to what is called "I. Main Body". It is not very difficult to figure out, but it is just not as thought out as it could be. Like having a Roman Numeral I without a Roman Numeral II is a little odd. It also cannot be saved as a printable PDF.

I do not see any grammatical issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

While I do not see any references that are culturally insensitive, there is also no real attempt at diversity or inclusion. Examples are really all from canonical texts, meaning white male authors, like Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Melville.

Reviewed by Anthony Accardi Jr, Adjunct Professor, Middlesex Community College on 5/30/21

In the text "A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences" by Salvatore and Dan Allosso the authors present a simple, easy to follow guide for students to use when organizing, planning, researching, and writing an... read more

In the text "A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences" by Salvatore and Dan Allosso the authors present a simple, easy to follow guide for students to use when organizing, planning, researching, and writing an essay. In addition to essay structure, the authors also provide help with the “basics of effective writing”, including paragraph writing, sentence writing and avoiding common grammatical errors.

The concise format of the text requires that the author’s stay “right on point” which they do effectively and accurately.

By following each step outlined in this text, a student would undoubtedly improve his/her essay writing skills. Each topic the authors address is relevant to the development of a good essay. The strong emphasis put on the steps for writing an essay make this text a guide students will surely refer to again and again throughout their academic careers.

The conversational style used by the authors makes this text easy to read and understand. Most students find writing a nerve-racking ordeal. The authors deal with this by using straightforward language to explain concepts and reinforce the explanations with simple, easy to understand examples.

The authors have designed a textbook consistent from chapter to chapter and "as a whole". In general, each chapter begins with a quote from a famous author about writing, followed by an explanation of the chapter’s topic, followed by a working example. The authors' down to earth writing style is consistent in every chapter of the text.

The short length of the chapters makes them ideal to be read as individual assignments and their compartmentalized structure is suited well for associated writing assignments.

The structure of this text is one of its strongest points. The authors have organized the chapters in a logical order that students should follow when writing an essay.

The text interface is easy to navigate with no issues noticed.

The text is free of grammatical and syntactic errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The authors have created a text that shows an awareness of the need for cultural sensitivity and is inoffensive and completely class appropriate. . The Chapter titled “Appropriate Words” touches on avoiding the use of “Sexist Language”, which indicates concern for gender respect. Improvement could be made by using a more diverse group of authors for the opening chapter quotes.

I think this text is an excellent source for helping students understand the basic steps needed to write a good essay.

Reviewed by Aerie Bernard, Adjunct Faculty, Humanities, College of DuPage on 4/20/21

This short text provides an approachable primer for novice essayists and reminder of standard practices of academic writing for more experienced writers. Rather than go into great depth, the chapters briefly outline the process of writing academic... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This short text provides an approachable primer for novice essayists and reminder of standard practices of academic writing for more experienced writers. Rather than go into great depth, the chapters briefly outline the process of writing academic essays at the high school or undergraduate level. The text is comprehensive in that it is organized linearly to guide the writer from taking notes and developing a thesis through writing drafts and revisions. There is no index or glossary provided; however, the table of contents and short chapters ensure that the text is easy to navigate.

The content is accurate and error-free. The text is written by educators who attempt to address what they identify as common errors in student writing. As such, the bias present reflects a preference for standard English and traditional structure in academic writing.

Because the text focuses on standard practices in academic writing such as writing strong topic sentences, creating arguable theses, and avoiding passive voice, I doubt the text could become obsolete anytime soon. The text speaks to current trends in academic writing by including tips such as how to use gender neutral language and gears itself towards the high school and undergraduate level by modeling and promoting the use of a conversational tone in academic writing. Short, well-organized, worksheet-like chapters allow plenty of room for one to add to, update, or adapt this text.

The authors advise student essayists to use language and style that illustrates “genuine human conversation.” The text successfully models a balance of accuracy of language with a conversational tone. It is a pleasant read.

The text is consistent in its use of terminology, framework, and voice.

Short chapters with limited scope provide introductions and jumping off points for further discussions and activities related to academic writing in the humanities and social sciences.

The chapters are arranged to illustrate a start to finish approach to writing essays. Each chapter focuses on an element of essay writing. The organization is clear and logical.

Interface rating: 4

I had no difficulty accessing or reading the text online with my laptop and my phone. I was not as successful viewing the EPUB as a download to my phone. The text was too small in Bluefire reader and the app would not allow viewing at a larger font size. I do not know if the limitation was due to the EPUB or the reader app.

I did not notice any grammatical errors.

The text addresses the importance of avoiding problematic language in academic writing in the chapter “Appropriate Words” and cautions that writers avoid repetition and wordiness, cliches, jargon, pop culture references, empty words, words with contested meanings, code words, and overextended/mixed/misapplied metaphors. I notice the absence of resources, strategies, and discussions about words relating to race, ethnicity, background, or identity. Also, examples throughout the text are primarily Western, male, and white. Steps towards inclusiveness are present, such as strategies for gender neutral writing, but there is room for improvement.

Reviewed by Sarah Fischer, Assistant Professor, Marymount University on 2/1/21

The book is *short* and useful. It gives excellent advice for how students can and should select strong evidence, how to write effective openings and closings, and discusses many common grammatical errors. However, the book does not spend enough... read more

The book is *short* and useful. It gives excellent advice for how students can and should select strong evidence, how to write effective openings and closings, and discusses many common grammatical errors. However, the book does not spend enough time on how to organize the body of an essay or how to organize sentences within a paragraph.

This book is well-researched and contains no errors (in terms of subject matter, usage, or grammar).

Very relevant, especially because so many books on writing are long, and the longer they are the less likely students are to read them. This book does very impactful work in a very limited number of pages.

Clarity rating: 3

The book is very clear and accessible for professors and advanced students. Many of the examples from English and History papers utilized in the book would be quite difficult for many first-year students to follow, however.

Formatting is quite consistent; terminology is consistently and appropriately used.

Sections of this book are small, easy to understand, and not overwhelming for any level of student to read.

This book's organization flows in a logical way.

I did not notice any interface issues.

I did not notice any grammatical errors in the text.

The authors took care to be culturally sensitive.

A few short exercises at the end of each section, which instructors could create for their classes, would help students practice the book's lessons as sort of intermediary step between reading about possible pitfalls and working on their own to eliminate issues from their writing.

Reviewed by Deirdre Sullivan, Adjunct Faculty, English Department, Berkshire Community College on 6/27/20

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences by Salvatore Allosso and Dan Allosso is a comprehensive and concise work on how to write good essays on the humanities and the social sciences by clearly defining the... read more

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences by Salvatore Allosso and Dan Allosso is a comprehensive and concise work on how to write good essays on the humanities and the social sciences by clearly defining the definitions of those disciplines. I have not seen many indexes and/or glossaries with these online books, so I don't think it is really necessary for the comprehension of the text.

The content was accurate, without error, and unbiased in its content, syntax, and point of view.

I think the light tone, conversational style, and relevance to all who practice the art of writing is both timely and long-lasting. There is a universal appeal to this approach, and while language is always changing, the rules for written work have more longevity.

The book is written in such a way as to engage even the most reluctant reader into a kind of conspiratorial allegiance on how to approach the art of reading well and writing with lucid accuracy, technical prowess, and enlightened awareness.

The text incorporates terminology into the structure and framework of its chapters with clarity and consistency.

The text is proportionate to reasonable reading and writing assignments. In each chapter, there is a clear way of recognizing and analyzing concepts on writing for use toward student outcomes in a writing course.

This text is logically organized to support and sustain its thesis and the thorough exploration of its guiding elements.

There are no significant interface issues, problems with navigation, or distractions to confuse potential readers.

There are no grammatical errors to my reckoning.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. The book embraced multi-culturalism with quotes, questions, and persuasive argument as to how a writer must be objective, open-minded, and thoroughly engaged in standing by their work.

I really loved the conversational style between authors and readers. This father-son duo has clearly taken delight in sharing their love of the world through the art of writing. I really liked the quotes they chose to support their ideas. Perhaps one day, I will use their book in my composition classes. A truly remarkable discovery!

Reviewed by Dayle Turner, Professor, Leeward Community College on 6/27/20

The text covers fairly well the important considerations of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The authors assert their intention of taking students “step-by-step through the process of writing essays for an upper-level... read more

The text covers fairly well the important considerations of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The authors assert their intention of taking students “step-by-step through the process of writing essays for an upper-level high school class or a college course.” The steps of which they speak include analyzing texts, note-taking, formulating essay topics, creating theses, ordering evidence, building arguments, writing coherent paragraphs, composing effective sentences, using appropriate diction, and revising. The text lacks an index and glossary and the inclusion thereof would certainly strengthen the comprehensiveness of the work.

The content of this text is accurate and the steps covered are mostly applicable for first-year college students and high school juniors and seniors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content appears up-to-date. Text is devoid of visual imagery, making it potentially less appealing to contemporary/millennial students, but its structure invites relatively easy updating, and all links were accurate.

The text is mostly clear and provides adequate examples to explain the application of material discussed in each chapter.

Consistency rating: 4

The text's consistency would be excellent if an index and glossary were included.

Modularity rating: 4

This text is organized in such a manner that students can be assigned short readings without having to jump hither and yon between chapters or different parts of the book.

There are nine chapters in the text. They are presented in a logical and purposeful order. Critical reading and note-taking comes first while a revision checklist is available at the end. This makes sense as it is important to provide students with suggestions for information-gathering and revision.

The interface is free of any distracting issues. The text is mostly easy to navigate.

I noticed no grammatical errors.

The text successfully represents a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Examples are sensitive and free of stereotypes.

This book would have been beneficial to me as an undergraduate. Most of what it covers are things I had to learn by experience, and the quality of my earliest scholarship would have been much improved with the benefit of these lessons. The text has value as a supplementary or recommended material, particularly for students whose plans include graduate school or writing-intensive professions. Students who are most prepared will get the most out of it, but the text also offers good examples

Reviewed by Matilda (Tillie) Yoder, Librarian, Goshen College on 7/10/19

The scope of this text is very clearly outlined in its title - it aims to guide students through the process of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The Allossos succeed in creating a work that does just that, discussing... read more

The scope of this text is very clearly outlined in its title - it aims to guide students through the process of writing essays for humanities and social sciences courses. The Allossos succeed in creating a work that does just that, discussing techniques and strategies for writing well but assuming that readers will have a reasonable familiarity with English grammar. Contents included how to develop ideas, how to formulate effective arguments, how to identify weak points in writing, and how to revise effectively. It is worth noting that the authors are not concerned with formatting, emphasizing the writing process and not the finicky details of citation structure, title page layout, or font size.These issues are easily addressed on a great many websites and reference works; more concerning is that there is no real discussion of plagiarism or how to manage citations and references, which is an important part of any humanities or social sciences essay that requires research and not a single text.

There is no glossary or index for this work, though the table of contents lays out chapter topics very clearly. An index would be quite useful for instructors and students wanting to use the book in its entirety. Similarly, a reference list with links to related works and websites might also be of use for those who would like more in-depth information on particular techniques not elaborated on in this short work.

The content of this guidebook is accurate, although its narrow focus does mean that is not comprehensive (and it does not intend to be). The strategies outlined in it are standard practice and are conveyed succinctly. Quoted authors are all referenced by name but not in any further detail; simple citations for these quotes would model best practices for the students reading the material.

The content of this guidebook is general enough in nature to remain relevant for some time. The examples given throughout the book reference works of classic Western literature or established understandings of history that American schools are likely to continue to teach - Shakespeare’s plays, the history of slave uprisings in the Americas, the Civil War, and Hemingway all feature. Notably, references are only discussed in the context of example passages, and so no knowledge of the events or plots is necessary to understand what the authors are saying.

The Alessos practice what they preach in this instance, writing directly and clearly. Jargon is almost non-existent, and where it does exist it is always defined and explained. Concepts are clearly illustrated with multiple examples and outlined step by step. The overall vocabulary and level of writing is appropriate for students in grade 11 or above.

Key terms are used continually throughout this work; in particular, the authors emphasize the importance of unity, coherence, and emphasis in effective writing. Vocabulary terms are introduced and used consistently, although alternative terms are listed to ensure understanding.

This guide could be easily divided into distinct sections useful for a wide variety of classes throughout the humanities and social sciences. History and English classes would find it particularly relevant, but introductory writing teachers, writing tutors, and academic support offices would also find much that is useful here. The sections on how to construct a thesis and the revision checklist are particularly applicable to me in my work as a writing tutor. I can see myself having students read specific sections of this book depending on what their particular roadblocks to writing are.

The organization of this text is logical, beginning with the process of note-taking and brainstorming, and moving on to persuasive argument building, thesis construction, essay structure, writing, and revision. The revision checklist at the end of the textbook is also organized in such a way that it leads students to look for major issues in their writing before the minor ones.

Overall, the guidebook displayed well and is easy to navigate. There are no images included, and although images are not strictly necessary for this sort of topic, I believe that the text would benefit from some formatting changes. Some of the lists could use better visual clues in their subdivision, and example paragraphs would benefit from being presented in a diagram format where specific portions could be highlighted and remarked on more directly. Unfortunately, this title is not available in PDF format, which would be useful for anyone wanting access to the book without an internet connection. Epub format would be useful as well.

I noticed no grammatical errors or typos in this text.

All references to culture in this text appear in example writing passages. Because of this, no deep understanding of the referenced work or work is needed, because it is the writing and not the content of the passage that is the focus. However, almost all of the references included are focused on classic works concerning Western literature and history (Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Beowulf, etc.). A broadening of examples would be welcome, but as it stands the text is inoffensive and reflects what is taught in many English classes in American schools.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• 1. Inspiration, Interest, Anxiety
• 2. Writing is Thinking
• 3. Working with Ideas
• 4. Highlighting and Taking Notes
• 5. Making Source Notes
• 6. Discovering Topics and Connections
• 7. Organizing Output
• 8. Coherent Paragraphs
• 9. Effective Sentences
• 10. Appropriate Words
• 11. Revising
• Revision Checklist

Ancillary Material

About the book.

There are plenty of personal knowledge management systems out there, promising to help you take smart notes or link your thinking or build a second brain. And there are plenty of writing guides out there promising to teach you the elements of style. This book offers a simple and effective way to make effective notes on sources and your interpretations of them, then turn those thoughts into clear and compelling output.

About the Contributors

Contribute to this page.

Explore our new content updates to the MLA Handbook Plus platform!

What’s New on MLA Handbook Plus ?

What is mla handbook plus .

MLA Handbook Plus is a new, subscription-based digital product providing online access to the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. To learn more about MLA Handbook… Read More

What’s New in the Ninth Edition of the MLA Handbook (Spring 2021)

Published in April 2021, the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook works as both a textbook and a reference guide. You can order a copy… Read More

MLA Guide to Digital Literacy , 2nd Edition: An Interview with the Author

by Ellen C. Carillo

Ellen C. Carillo talks to the MLA about the MLA Guide to Digital Literacy , second edition. Read More

Forego versus Forgo

by Erika Suffern

Learn the difference between forego and forgo. Read More

Teaching Resources

A Century of Queer Korean Fiction : An Interview with Samuel Perry

Toward Educational Justice: An Interview with the Editors of Teaching Literature and Writing in Prisons

Henrique Maximiano Coelho Neto’s Sphinx: A Neo-Gothic Novel from Brazil : An Interview with M. Elizabeth Ginway

A Reflection on Disability Studies: Enabling the Humanities on Its Twentieth Anniversary

Teaching Claire de Duras’s Ourika

Teaching Nineteenth-Century Activist Rhetorics Today: An Interview

How and Why to Teach Late-Twentieth-Century Mexicana and Chicana Writers: An Interview

Advice from the Editors

Was and Were with the Subjunctive

Their , There , and They’re : Learn the Difference

Attributive Nouns; or, Why There Is Sometimes No Apostrophe in Terms Such As Teachers Union

Terms for Key Concepts

Laying versus Lying

Getting to the Bottom of Principle and Principal

Does It Really Go without Saying? On Needless Phrases

Ask the MLA

How do i cite a work that has incorrect citation information on its cover sheet.

Some works, especially works contained in databases, may list citation information for the work on a cover sheet or in a footer. If that citation… Read More

How do I cite Twitter now that its name has changed to X?

In 2023 the social media platform Twitter changed its name to X . What does this change mean for citations? When you cite a post published… Read More

How do I cite several e-mails sent on the same day to the same correspondent?

If you are citing several e-mails sent on the same day to the same correspondent, use the subject line of the e-mail to differentiate between… Read More

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Getting Started Writing

Anxiety is the writer’s first obstacle.  We often wonder, “what can I write that hasn’t already been written by someone else, and probably much better?” As you can see, we (the two authors of this handbook) are already on the way to overcoming this anxiety simply by writing a section heading and two sentences (now three). However, we’re still anxious about doing a good job and making this a useful tool that you’ll benefit from reading.

Our first paragraph above makes assertions and asks for development. This is what first paragraphs are often for. We’ll get to paragraphs soon enough. For now, we’ll expand on those assertions by making some observations that will move us forward.

•  Writing about anything – a text, a source, an exam question – is at least a three-way dialogue: between us, the writers; you, the reader; and the material. Therefore, it should serve at least three purposes: to explore the material; to describe our reactions to it; and to communicate with you.
• Waiting until you know exactly what and how you want to write is unproductive. You learn both by writing .
• Writing is a craft for most of us, not an art. That means we are not seeking perfection, and we learn by practicing .

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Then why state the obvious? Because new writers often forget, and because some writing manuals assume you know things that you don’t, since their authors have known them for so long. This handbook will take you step-by-step through the process of writing essays for an upper-level high school class or a college course. We have English and History classes in mind, because one of us is a History teacher and the other taught English. The advice we’re offering is intended to be relatively basic and direct, because most of your college writing should be basic and direct.

Remember, this is utilitarian writing, not poetry or the great American novel. You’re probably reading this because you have to. Either it’s been assigned or you’ve realized you need some help developing these skills (good for you!). Even so, if we want to hold your interest, we (your authors) need to get to the point. Nothing turns away readers as quickly as feeling that their time is being wasted. Therefore, just like you, we need to decide how best to use the time and space we’re given for this task. What words to use? What tone to set? How to organize the writing so that it makes sense and gets the job done; and so the reader feels the least possible amount of pain – or maybe even has some fun? These are all questions we’re asking ourselves as we outline, draft, and revise this handbook. These are the questions the handbook will help you ask and answer about your own writing.

A Short Handbook for writing essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences Copyright © 2019 by Salvatore F. Allosso and Dan Allosso is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Handbook of Writing Research

Second edition, edited by charles a. macarthur , steve graham , and jill fitzgerald.

• Multiple chapters connect research findings to the Common Core writing standards. See also Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Third Edition , edited by Steve Graham, Charles A. MacArthur, and Michael Hebert, an accessible course text and practitioner's guide. -->
• sample chapter
• All titles by Charles A. MacArthur
• All titles by Steve Graham
• All titles by Jill Fitzgerald
• contributors Laura K. Allen , MA, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona Nina Arcon , BA, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Samanta Baker , BA, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Charles Bazerman , PhD, Department of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California Richard Beach , PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota Virginia Berninger , PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Roger H. Bruning , PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska Tanja Burkhard , MA, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Jill Burstein , PhD, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey Amber B. Chambers , MEd, Learning, Literacies, and Technology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona Vince Connelly , PhD, Department of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom Julie A. Corrigan , BA, Department of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Alister Cumming , PhD, Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Julie Dockrell , PhD, Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, London, United Kingdom Norbert Elliot , PhD, Department of Humanities, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey Yueyue Fan , BA, School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware Michel Fayol , PhD, Social and Cognitive Psychology Department, Blaise Pascal University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France Ralph P. Ferretti , PhD, School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware Jill Fitzgerald , PhD, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Peter W. Foltz , PhD, Pearson Knowledge Technologies, Boulder, Colorado Exequiel Ganding III , MA, Language, Literacy, and Culture, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California Cristin M. Geoghegan , MA, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, Illinois Steve Graham , EdD, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona Karen R. Harris , EdD, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona Jennifer Higgs , MS, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California Richard Hudson , PhD, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom Glynda A. Hull , PhD, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California Matthew E. Jacovina , PhD, Learning Sciences Institute, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona Karin H. James , PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana R. Joanne Jao , BS, BA, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana Douglas F. Kauffman , PhD, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts Valerie Kinloch , PhD, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Perry D. Klein , PhD, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Michelle Nguyen Kwok , MA, School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Mariëlle Leijten , PhD, Department of Management, University of Antwerp, and Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Antwerp, Belgium Donald J. Leu , PhD, Professor of Education, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut Eva Lindgren , PhD, Department of Language Studies, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden Charles A. MacArthur , PhD, School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware Sarah J. McCarthey , PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, Illinois Danielle S. McNamara , PhD, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona Shayne Miel , BS, Turnitin, LLC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Elizabeth Birr Moje , PhD, School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan George E. Newell , PhD, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Pablo Pirnay-Dummer , PhD, Department of Educational Science, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany Gert Rijlaarsdam , PhD, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium David Rose , PhD, Department of Linguistics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia Tanya Santangelo , PhD, School of Education, Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania Katherine Schultz , PhD, School of Education, Mills College, Oakland, California Timothy Shanahan , PhD, College of Education, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Mark D. Shermis , PhD, School of Education, University of Houston–Clear Lake, Houston, Texas David Slomp , PhD, Department of Education, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Liliana Tolchinsky , PhD, Department of General Linguistics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Mark Torrance , PhD, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom Huub van den Bergh , PhD, Department of Language, Literature and Communication (Dutch), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands Jennifer VanDerHeide , PhD, Teacher Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan Elke van Steendam , PhD, Faculty of Arts, KULeuven, Brussels, Belgium Luuk Van Waes , PhD, Department of Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium Åsa Wengelin , PhD, Department of Swedish, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Lisa Zawilinski , PhD, Department of Education, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut -->
• prior editions First Edition, © 2006 ISBN: 9781593857509 -->
• Multiple chapters connect research findings to the Common Core writing standards. -->

Free Shipping on Online Orders!

• Applies only to prepaid online orders from US customers.
• Packages sent via USPS Media Mail. You may choose to pay for rush shipping instead.
• Shipping charges to Canada are a flat $10.00 per order via CanPar.
• You may return Guilford books (undamaged) within 30 days of receipt for a full refund.

• Higher Education Loading Higher Education...
• Professional Courses Loading Professional Courses...
• Competitive Exams Loading Competitive Exams...
• School Loading School...
• Study Packages Loading Study Packages...
• Free eBooks Loading Free eBooks...
• Mock Test Series Loading Mock Test Series...
• Videos Loading Videos...

A Handbook Of Essays For Competitive Examinations

Save extra with 2 Offers

Product Specifications

• About the book
• Sample book

A Handbook Of Essays For Competitive Examinations by Oswal Publishers Download Sample PDF

Top Searches in Entrance Exam After 12th :

• Banking Awareness Exam Booster 2023
• 2021-22 Computer Study Material And Question Bank For All Competitive Exams
• 2021-22 UPSSSC/SSC JE Civil Engineeing Bullet Exam Pointer And Numerical Book
• General Competitive Exam MCQs For Syllogism
• General Competitive Exam MCQs For Reasoning Inequalities
• General Competitive Exam MCQs For Direction Sense
• General Competitive Exam MCQs For Data Sufficiency
• General Competitive Exam MCQs For Coding Decoding
• General Competitive Exam MCQs For Blood Relation
• Jammu & Kashmir Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2022 | 1300+ Solved Questions (10 Mock Tests + 9 Sectional Tests)

Advertisement

Supported by

Poor Nations Are Writing a New Handbook for Getting Rich

Economies focused on exports have lifted millions out of poverty, but epochal changes in trade, supply chains and technology are making it a lot harder.

• Share full article

By Patricia Cohen

Reporting from London

For more than half a century, the handbook for how developing countries can grow rich hasn’t changed much: Move subsistence farmers into manufacturing jobs, and then sell what they produce to the rest of the world.

The recipe — customized in varying ways by Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and China — has produced the most potent engine the world has ever known for generating economic growth. It has helped lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, create jobs and raise standards of living.

The Asian Tigers and China succeeded by combining vast pools of cheap labor with access to international know-how and financing, and buyers that reached from Kalamazoo to Kuala Lumpur. Governments provided the scaffolding: They built up roads and schools, offered business-friendly rules and incentives, developed capable administrative institutions and nurtured incipient industries.

But technology is advancing, supply chains are shifting, and political tensions are reshaping trade patterns. And with that, doubts are growing about whether industrialization can still deliver the miracle growth it once did. For developing countries, which contain 85 percent of the globe’s population — 6.8 billion people — the implications are profound.

Today, manufacturing accounts for a smaller share of the world’s output, and China already does more than a third of it . At the same time, more emerging countries are selling inexpensive goods abroad, increasing competition. There are not as many gains to be squeezed out: Not everyone can be a net exporter or offer the world’s lowest wages and overhead.

There are doubts that industrialization can create the game-changing benefits it did in the past. Factories today tend to rely more on automated technology and less on cheapworkers who have little training.

“You cannot generate enough jobs for the vast majority of workers who are not very educated,” said Dani Rodrik, a leading development economist at Harvard.

The process can be seen in Bangladesh, which the World Bank’s managing director called “one of the world’s greatest development stories” last year. The country built its success on turning farmers into textile workers.

Last year, though, Rubana Huq, chair of Mohammadi Group, a family-owned conglomerate, replaced 3,000 employees with automated jacquard machines to do complex weaving patterns.

The women found similar jobs elsewhere in the company. “But what follows when this happens on a large scale?” asked Ms. Huq, who is also president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

These workers don’t have training, she said. “They’re not going to turn into coders overnight.”

Recent global developments have accelerated the transition.

Supply chain meltdowns related to the Covid-19 pandemic and to sanctions prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove up the price of essentials like food and fuel, biting into incomes. High interest rates, imposed by central banks to quell inflation, set off another series of crises: Developing nations’ debts ballooned , and investment capital dried up.

Last week, the International Monetary Fund warned of the noxious combination of lower growth and higher debt.

The supercharged globalization that had encouraged companies to buy and sell in every spot around the planet has also been shifting. Rising political tensions, especially between China and the United States, are affecting where businesses and governments invest and trade.

Companies want supply chains to be secure as well as cheap, and they are looking at neighbors or political allies to provide them.

In this new era, Mr. Rodrik said, “the industrialization model — which practically every country that has become rich has relied on — is no longer capable of generating rapid and sustained economic growth.”

Nor is it clear what might replace it.

There’s a future in service jobs.

One alternative might be found in Bengaluru, a high-tech center in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Multinationals like Goldman Sachs, Victoria’s Secret and the Economist magazine have flocked to the city and set up hundreds of operational hubs — known as global capability centers — to handle accounting, design products, develop cybersecurity systems and artificial intelligence, and more.

Such centers are expected to generate 500,000 jobs nationwide in the next two to three years, according to the consulting firm Deloitte .

They are joining hundreds of biotech, engineering and information technology companies including homegrown giants like Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and Infosys Limited. Four months ago, the American chip company AMD unveiled its largest global design center there.

“We have to move away from the idea of classic development stages, that you go from the farm to the factory and then from the factory to offices,” said Richard Baldwin , an economist at the IMD in Lausanne. “That whole development model is wrong.”

Two-thirds of the world’s output now comes from the service sector — a mishmash that includes dog walkers, manicurists, food preparers, cleaners and drivers, as well as highly trained chip designers, graphic artists, nurses, engineers and accountants.

It is possible to leapfrog to the service sector and grow by selling to businesses around the world, Mr. Baldwin argued. That is what helped India become the world’s fifth-largest economy .

In Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, a general rise in middle-class living attracted more people and more businesses that, in turn, attracted more people and businesses, continuing the cycle, Mr. Baldwin explained.

Covid sped this transition, by forcing people to work remotely — from a different part of town, a different city or a different country.

In the new model, countries can focus growth around cities rather than a particular industry. “That creates economic activities which are fairly diverse,” Mr. Baldwin said.

“Think Bangalore, not South China,” he said.

Free markets are not enough.

Many developing nations remain focused on building export-oriented industries as the path to prosperity. And that’s how it should be, said Justin Yifu Lin , dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University.

Pessimism about the classic development formula, he said, has been fueled by a misguided belief that the growth process was automatic: Just clear the way for the free market and the rest will take care of itself.

Countries were often pressured by the United States and the international institutions to embrace open markets and hands-off governance.

Export-led growth in Africa and Latin America stumbled because governments failed to protect and subsidize infant industries, said Mr. Lin, a former chief economist at the World Bank.

“Industrial policy was taboo for a long time,” he said, and many of those who tried failed. But there were also success stories like China and South Korea.

“You need the state to help the private sector overcome market failures,” he said. “You cannot do it without industrial policy.”

It won’t work without education.

The overriding question is whether anything — services or manufacturing — can generate the type of growth that is desperately needed: broad based, large scale and sustainable.

Service jobs for businesses are multiplying, but many offering middle and high incomes are in areas like finance and tech, which tend to require advanced skills and education levels far above what most people in developing nations have.

In India, nearly half of college graduates don’t have the skills they need for these jobs, according to Wheebox , an educational testing service.

The mismatch is everywhere. The Future of Jobs report , published last year by the World Economic Forum, found that six in 10 workers will need retraining in the next three years, but the overwhelming majority won’t have access to it.

Other kinds of service jobs are proliferating, too, but many are neither well paid nor exportable. A barber in Bengaluru can’t cut your hair if you’re in Brooklyn.

That could mean smaller — and more uneven — growth.

Researchers at Yale University found that in India and several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural workers jumped into consumer service jobs and raised their productivity and incomes.

But there was a catch: The gains were “strikingly unequal” and disproportionately benefited the rich .

With a weakening global economy , developing countries will need to wring every bit of growth they can from every corner of their economies. Industrial policy is essential, Mr. Rodrik of Harvard said, but it should focus on smaller service firms and households because that is going to be the source of most future growth.

He and others caution that even so, gains are likely to be modest and hard won.

“The envelope has shrunk,” he said. “How much growth we can get is definitely less than in the past.”

An earlier version of this article misidentified the location of IMD. It is in Lausanne, not Geneva.

How we handle corrections

Patricia Cohen writes about global economics and is based in London. More about Patricia Cohen

• Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Buy new: $47.89

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Other Sellers on Amazon

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Handbook of Writing Research Second Edition

Purchase options and add-ons.

• ISBN-10 1462529313
• ISBN-13 978-1462529315
• Edition Second
• Publisher The Guilford Press
• Publication date October 31, 2016
• Language English
• Dimensions 7 x 0.82 x 10 inches
• Print length 464 pages
• See all details

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Guilford Press; Second edition (October 31, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1462529313
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1462529315
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.85 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.82 x 10 inches
• #349 in Common Core
• #364 in Educational Psychology (Books)
• #1,204 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices