The Brief Penguin Handbook, First Canadian Edition [Spiral-bound]

Norma Kathleen Greenfield, McGill Centre for the Study and Teaching of Writing, Faculty of Education, McGill University

The rhetoric sections are very good in this text. Much clearer on fallacies and a more student-centred text in terms of colour and headings...easier to read of course with the coloured tabs. All of Part 5 is very very good, and the sections on documentation are better, much better, than my current text. The level in this text is very good, very appropriate and the look and feel of the text make it user-friendly and appealing.  Overall, this text -- in the specific chapters on citation style and rhetoric, critical reading strategies -- is better than the text I currently use. Good level of language and style for my students. The concepts taught are explained as simply and clearly as those I've developed through years of teaching. The text is also useful for other courses later on in the degree program, so students will get more for their money as the text serves as a reference for other courses.

Anita Agar, General Arts and Sciences, Sheridan College

The strength of this book lies in its acknowledgment of communication advances and its more catholic use of the word "text" to describe multimedia communication in this digital and technological age. I wholeheartedly support this approach and the examples provided. The emphases placed on hypertext and multimedia composition, writing and analyzing "visuals" makes this particular handbook -- used in conjunction with the Companion Website and MyCanadianCompLab -- unique from others currently on the market. [This] handbook will be useful to students for their entire writing lives, and not solely as a resource to be used in a first-year composition course.

Shannon Lewis-Simpson, Department of English Language and Literature, Memorial University

I found the writing style appropriate for students. The clarity was particularly welcome.

Kathleen Wall, English Department, University of Regina

The writing style and level are appropriate. It's informal enough to engage students yet formal enough for a textbook. The balance between text and graphics is excellent. Overall, the examples are very good, especially the sample student essays. I especially like the two student sample essays on manure disposal and bears. They are excellent examples of their type and are also interesting and current topics.

Peggy Lynn Kelly, English Department, University of Ottawa

 This exciting, new text is the first Canadian handbook designed and written specifically to meet the diverse learning styles of digital natives — today’s students.

Boasting a full-colour, visual design, unique emphasis on rhetorical modes and superior coverage of technology, this text empowers students with the skills required to meet the complex writing demands of the digital era. 

The fully integrated online support package includes an extensive Companion Website and e-book with direct links to MyCanadianCompLab, Pearson Canada’s robust web-based resource designed to support Grammar, Research and Writing skills.