Long one of the most popular composition readers on the market,The Bedford Readerprovides compelling readings by excellent writers. It takes a practical and flexible approach to the rhetorical methods, focusing on their uses in varied writing situations. The popular "Writers on Writing" feature illustrates the many ways writers create meaning from what they read and experience, and, as always, the Kennedys' wise and witty instruction engages and challenges students as they become academic writers.

The eleventh edition offers even more to guide students' critical reading and writing, with material on revising and editing, discussion and examples of academic genres, coverage of academic language, and annotated essays to illustrate reading and writing strategies.