Who would have thought that a rhetorical analysis of a simple little essay about a perfect butter and jelly sandwich could help students become better readers and writers? Or that the tale of a Shinto priest refereeing a sumo match would remind students to stay on the lookout for comma splices?

The * K.I.S.S. Principle Guide to Academic Writing and Critical Thinking does just that and much, much more. Using levity and off-the-wall analogies, this short but comprehensive handbook covers composition, grammar, and punctuation and provides students a mostly jargon-free guide that uses simple but thorough explanations and even punctuation formulas students can use on their journey to becoming competent writers. 

It’s safe to assume most of our students would rather go to the dentist than take a required composition course. We know that students mostly read textbooks –and read only enough to get through their courses—which has turned students into literal readers. We’ve learned that from middle school through high school students have received little instruction about grammar and punctuation, both of which affect meaning, and instead they learn through osmosis and their limited reading.

As Mary Poppins would say, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” and I hope you’ll consider The *K.I.S.S. Principle Guide to Academic Writing and Critical Thinking as your teaspoon of composition and critical thinking sugar.