Amazon.com description: Product Description: The Curious Writer by Bruce Ballenger is an assignment-oriented, all-in-one rhetoric-reader-handbook that stresses the connections between personal and academic writing. Writing in a friendly, accessible voice that embodies his philosophy, the author emphasizes inquiry as a driving force behind the writing process and suggests that writers who begin with questions, rather than answers, are more likely to approach writing as a method of discovery and learning. The Curious Writer treats research, revision, and critical reading skills (of both texts and visuals) as organic components of every writing process. Each of the eight writing assignment chapters offers integrated coverage of these three key activities and also provides special attention to the Web as a resource for invention and research. The readings include 28 by a diverse range of professional writers, 17 by student writers (9 final drafts and 8 early drafts), and numerous excerpts and shorter examples by both professionals and students. The four-color art program includes 50 illustrations ranging from fine art and photographs to magazine advertisements and Web pages. Pedagogy includes eight full-length writing assignments, numerous shorter journal exercises, and helpful boxed features such as Inquiring Into the Details, Writing With Computers, and One Student's Response.