A textbook for the courses in composition & critical thinking that are at the core of the student’s general education. A thematically organized multicultural anthology of essays, fiction, interviews, reviews, & poems by Americans of diverse backgrounds. Focuses on issues that define our multicultural society. Substantial Writing Workshops in every section help students move from personal forms of writing to more academic forms including the research paper. The book is built around selections by committed writers who demonstrate the power of the written word to record, interpret, & change the social & cultural reality in which we live.