The Blair Reader

The Blair Reader is a book of different essays that everyone can relate to. There are stories in this book that will make some people say,"thats what happened to me". Some of the stories in the Blair Reader will have you looking at certain situations differently. It acually opens your mind up to things around you in everyday life that you don't normally think about.So, read it, and you'll probably find it enjoying too.

This book was a core requirement for my freshman english class in college. It is a great text that familiarizes the student with many diverse writing styles and subjects, as well as the essentials of analyzing and interpreting literature. Though this is no doubt a dread to most college students, I really enjoyed the discussion in-class that was brought about by entries in this book (and i'm not even a nerdy English major!). One that stands out to me is an excerpt from Jonathan Kozol on illiteracy in america. I wrote an in-depth analysis of that work for the class, and have kept the skills I learned to this day. Whether used as a text, for leisurely reading, or for exposure to critical thought, the Blair Reader is an exellent volume. I highly recommend this book (even if your Enlgish professor doesn't make you buy it!).

As a core text for my freshman writing classes, I use the Blair Reader to integrate the diverse ethnic backgrounds of my students through writers with whom they can relate. The Blair Reader also provides an instructor's resource manual that guides the teacher through the use of collaborative group and multimedia activities to stimulate student writing. I would highly recommend this text to any writing or reading instructor who faces the challenge of the diversified classroom.