Understanding Argument in a Post-Truth World
(Second Edition)
©2024, 288 pages
Paperback list price: $83.95
Cognella Direct Ebook: $71.95
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Understanding Argument in a Post-Truth World provides students with the necessary skills to help them critically evaluate the situations they face in a technologically driven, “post-truth” world. Authors Heather Walters and Kristen Stout explore how the use of technology has changed the way people argue, and how disinformation, information overload, and polarization have impacted the study of argumentation.
Ten focused and accessible chapters give students the information they need to effectively participate in everyday arguments and how to engage in productive civil discourse. It also covers the practical benefits of critical thinking, provides updated analysis of some core argumentation concepts, and demonstrates how to make better decisions. This thoroughly updated edition considers how recent events such as COVID-19 (and its ensuing debates over masking and vaccines) and the spread of disinformation (into areas beyond those of just politics) are impacting our lives and altering the culture of argument.
This is an ideal textbook for courses in argumentation, civil discourse, and communication and critical thinking in a variety of departments including Communication, Philosophy, Political Science, and English.
Heather Walters is a senior instructor in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film at Missouri State University. She earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in both communication and K-12 educational administration from Missouri State University. Her scholarly interests are at the intersection of emerging technology, ethics, and public argument. She has taught university-level graduate and undergraduate courses in communication and media ethics for over 15 years. She is the author of Communication Ethics and coauthor of the bestselling Understanding Argument in a Post-Truth World.
Kristen Stout is an instructor of communication at Missouri State University and director of debate/forensics at Crowder College. She is a former governing board member of the Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri. Her research interests include argumentation in the digital age, academic debate in the classroom, and the rise of non-traditional news and media outlets.
Other Cognella titles by Heather Walters:Cognella Active Learning is available for this title! Adopting instructors can provide students with dynamic online learning activities that reinforce key concepts from the text, provide engaging educational experiences, and support various learning styles.
Please note: Cognella Active Learning can be bundled for purchase with the text or posted separately. Contact us to learn about bundle discounts.
The Cognella Active Learning content for Understanding Argument in a Post-Truth World includes:
To see a full demo, please email us and one of our adoption specialists will follow up with you.
Please note: Cognella Active Learning can be bundled for purchase with the text or posted separately. Contact us to learn about bundle discounts.
The Cognella Active Learning content for Understanding Argument in a Post-Truth World includes:
- 10 flashcard decks featuring key terms from the book
- 10 chapter quizzes
- 10 relevant videos with discussion questions plus 10 interactive videos with embedded self-check questions
- skill-building exercises and more!
To see a full demo, please email us and one of our adoption specialists will follow up with you.
Formats and Bulk Order Pricing for Confirmed Adoptions
Publisher Direct Versions — Available through the Cognella Student Store for confirmed adoptions |
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$71.95
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Publisher Direct Ebook | Publisher Direct ebooks are available in your Cognella account immediately after purchase and provide access for 180 days. Our ebooks run on VitalSource and RedShelf with perpetual/annual options available. |
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$78.95
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Publisher Direct Paperback | These special, discounted paperback editions are sold exclusively through the Cognella Student Store (store.cognella.com) for confirmed adoptions. They are not available through other retailers. The books are printed on demand, do not have an ISBN, and are not intended for resale, which results in savings we pass along to students. Most Publisher Direct Paperbacks also come with free, immediate access to the first 30% of the ebook and shipping included. |
| $25.95 | Standalone Cognella Active Learning | Cognella Active Learning provides dynamic online content within a custom digital learning environment. Free with purchase of textbook or ebook. |
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| $83.95 | Paperback 978-1-7935-8629-2 |
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| $83.95 | Paperback + Cognella Active Learning Code 979-8-8233-0990-5 |
Cognella Active Learning provides students with dynamic online content within a custom digital learning environment. Access codes are available with print books or ebooks. Contact us for course adoptions; not available for individual purchase. |
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Other formats (perforated, hardcover, etc.) may be available. Contact us for course adoptions; specialty formats are not available for individual purchase. | |
| $25.95 | Standalone Cognella Active Learning Talk to a rep for ISBN details |
Cognella Active Learning provides dynamic online content within a custom digital learning environment. Does not include the ebook. Contact us for course adoptions; not available for individual purchase. |
Adopting instructors will receive sample syllabi, one for online courses and another for in-person courses; 10 PowerPoint presentations, one for each chapter of the text; and a robust test bank with sets of questions corresponding to each chapter.
Praise for the First Edition
"This book is indispensable for students who wish to critically engage the brave new world we have entered. After reading this book, no student can doubt the importance and relevance of critical thinking. This book demonstrates that critical thinking is not merely an arcane academic exercise but is crucial to our flourishing and even survival in the real world. Hands down, this is quite the best critical thinking text I have encountered. I shall recommend to my colleagues its adoption in our critical thinking classes."
Dr. Richard Hall, Professor of Philosophy, Fayetteville State University
“I think the book strikes a real need in the field. … [It is] a modern look at principles of argumentation that is relevant to the 21st century. … Walters & Stout’s text moves the field in an innovative and creative direction that would be more enticing to students. … The text does an excellent job updating scholarship to the Facebook/Internet/Twitter era. This points to the need for the text—it updates relevant scholarship to the technological world we now live in. … The adaptation of argumentative concepts to 21st-century modes of communication is a needed complement to existing argumentative research.”
Ryan Galloway, Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Director of Debate, Samford University
“This very much feels like a book talking about the here and now as opposed to my current text which I have to work hard at showing how it relates to the here and now. … I can honestly say that in 17 years of teaching this course, I have never been as excited about a text.”
James Thompson, Dean of Instruction, Porterville College
"This book is indispensable for students who wish to critically engage the brave new world we have entered. After reading this book, no student can doubt the importance and relevance of critical thinking. This book demonstrates that critical thinking is not merely an arcane academic exercise but is crucial to our flourishing and even survival in the real world. Hands down, this is quite the best critical thinking text I have encountered. I shall recommend to my colleagues its adoption in our critical thinking classes."
Dr. Richard Hall, Professor of Philosophy, Fayetteville State University
“I think the book strikes a real need in the field. … [It is] a modern look at principles of argumentation that is relevant to the 21st century. … Walters & Stout’s text moves the field in an innovative and creative direction that would be more enticing to students. … The text does an excellent job updating scholarship to the Facebook/Internet/Twitter era. This points to the need for the text—it updates relevant scholarship to the technological world we now live in. … The adaptation of argumentative concepts to 21st-century modes of communication is a needed complement to existing argumentative research.”
Ryan Galloway, Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Director of Debate, Samford University
“This very much feels like a book talking about the here and now as opposed to my current text which I have to work hard at showing how it relates to the here and now. … I can honestly say that in 17 years of teaching this course, I have never been as excited about a text.”
James Thompson, Dean of Instruction, Porterville College
Listen to Heather Walters fascinating talk with Jay Howard, host of The Humanities District podcast, here.
