More than ever, successful argumentation is a major part of academic success—and has plenty of real-world application. But students don't benefit when they are bogged down with technical jargon and abstraction. That's where Practical Argument comes in.

Bestselling authors Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell make argumentative writing accessible with a scaffolded, step-by-step approach to convey what students need to know about argument, in understandable language. The Fourth Edition includes an even more contemporary and diverse array of readings, as well as new coverage of the kinds of visual arguments students are likely to encounter in their everyday lives.