Analyze Anything
A Guide to Critical Reading and Writing
Published on 28. June 2012
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-4411-5406-4 (ISBN)
Description
This title explains how to read, interpret and write about the world around us in a critical and informed way. How well are you able to decode the signs that surround us in our daily lives? All of us, consciously or unconsciously, are constantly engaged in the act of reading and interpreting the signs in the world around us. This book answers the needs of students of composition, rhetoric, creative writing, stylistics or literature: it provides a process orientated guide to analyzing anything. Fraser and Davidson teach the reader how to perform semiotic analysis and formulate in plain language a logical set of instructions on how to write it up. The central idea is that analytical writing can be performed on any kind of text. The authors move from theory to practical analysis, featuring sidebars throughout that expand on relevant points. There is a clear trajectory through research, planning and writing with concrete revision strategies. The book includes links to insightful and witty readings on its expansive Companion Website, together with a Lecturer Handbook, extra material and additional essay tasks. This is the textbook of choice for all students of writing.
Reviews / Votes
This is an excellent tool for knowledge-making inside and outside the classroom. -- Rich Rice, Texas Tech Univeristy, USA 'An excellent book about how to develop critical judgement, and a very lively exploration of human understanding. Analyze Anything does what it claims, and it does it with style.' -- Dr Graeme Harper, Professor of Creative Writing and Director of the Honors College, Oakland University, USA Critical thinking skills are at the core of the Humanities and here is one of the few books that explains how to analyse systematically. This is a 'how to' book for literature students but also for anyone interested in how to critique the world around them.It looks at symbols, layers, approaches, and techniques, but what's more it explains why they're important. Like all the best study guides this is a clear, accessible, and readable textbook that will greatly help students improve the ways they think and write. -- Peter Childs, Dean of Research and Professor of Modern English Literature, University of Gloucestershire, UKMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
505 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4411-5406-4 (9781441154064)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Chad Davidson is Associate Professor of English at the University of West Georgia, USA. Gregory Fraser is Associate Professor of English at the University of West Georgia, USA
Content
1. The Analysis of Signs; 2. The Characteristics of Theory and Analysis; 3. Choosing a Sign to Analyze; 4. Questioning the Meanings of the Sign; 5. Responding Analytically; 6. The Five-Theories Model of Analysis; 7. Polishing and Presenting the Analysis; 8. Beyond the Five-Theories Model of Analysis; Bibliography; Index.