“A comprehensive source book for libraries serving advanced undergraduate and graduate students in rhetoric and communication….Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.”

—Choice Reviews


“The treasure trove of thematically grouped essays that I found so useful in the first edition is now supplemented by reflections on the digital environment, changing cultural practices, and evolving intellectual interests. This book is just the right anchor for a course designed to encourage graduate students or advanced undergraduates to think seriously about the possibilities of rhetoric. I relish the thought of using it for that purpose.”

—John Lyne, PhD, Department of Communication, University of Pittsburgh


“For anyone interested in rhetorical theory, the revised second edition of this reader is simply a 'must have.' The second edition still contains the indisputable classics of rhetorical theory, but now also covers pertinent present-day topics: digital rhetoric, invitational rhetoric, cyberspace, and social media. The book keeps the tradition of rhetorical theory alive while helping students, as well as scholars, to pursue new directions.”

—Jens E. Kjeldsen, PhD, Department of Information Science and Media Studies, University of Bergen, Norway; President, Rhetoric Society of Europe


“The book is organized around recurring problems and topics in rhetorical theory, which departs from the more conventional way of organizing readers around particular theorists. I have always liked the topical approach; it helps students see how rhetorical theory is constructed to solve specific problems, as well as how certain questions and concerns persist across decades.”

—J. David Cisneros, PhD, Department of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign