Showing a wide range of examples from first-rate designers across the world, Shaping Text is a primer for graphic designers and typographers.

According to the fox koan, the second case in the Wu-men kuan koan collection, Zen master Pai-chang encounters a fox who claims to be a former abbot punished through endless reincarnations for denying the efficacy of karmic causality. In the end he is liberated by Pai-chang's turning word, which asserts the inexorability of cause-and-effect. Most traditional interpretations of the koan focus on the philosophical issue of causality in relation to earlier Buddhist doctrines, such as dependent origination and emptiness. Dogen, the founder of the Japanese Soto school, devoted two fascicles of the Shobogenzo exclusively to the fox koan. One fascicle supports a paradoxical view of causality and non-causality, the two being "two sides of the same coin"; the second strongly attacks this interpretation and defends a literal reading that asserts causality and denies non-causality. Dogen's apparent change of heart on this topic has inspired scholars of the recent Critical Buddhist methodology to evaluate the merits and weaknesses in Zen's attitude toward ethical issues and social affairs. Shifting Shape, Shaping Text examines the fox koan in relation to philosophical and institutional issues facing the Ch'an/Zen tradition in both Sung China and medieval and contemporary Japan. Steven Heine integrates his own philological analysis of the koan, textual analysis of koan collections and related literary genres in T'ang and Sung China, folklore studies, recent discourse theory, Dogen studies, and research on monastic codes and institutional history to craft an original and compelling work. More specifically, he illuminates a fascinating dimension of the entire Ch'an/Zen tradition as he carefully lays out the philosophical issues in the koan concerning causality/karma and enlightenment, the ethical issues contained therein, the bearing that certain interpretations of causality had on the creation of monastic codes and institutional security in China, the relation between Zen and folk religion as revealed by the koan, and the issue of possible antinomianism in Zen, especially as grappled with by later thinkers such as Dogen and contemporary representatives of Critical Buddhism. Finally he applies theories of "high" and "low" religion and contemporary discourse and in the process rethinks the theories and their applicability across cultures. Far-reaching yet rigorous, Shifting Shape, Shaping Text will not only attract the interest of Ch'an/Zen specialists, but also those studying folklore, popular religion, and issues concerning the nature of discourse and the relation between "high" and "low" religions.

The forms taken by scientific writing help to determine the very nature of science itself. In this closely reasoned study, Charles Bazerman views the changing forms of scientific writing as solutions to rhetorical problems faced by scientists arguing for their findings. Examining such works as the early Philosophical Transactions and Newton's optical writings as well as Physical Review, Bazerman views the changing forms of scientific writing as solutions to rhetorical problems faced by scientists. The rhetoric of science is, Bazerman demonstrates, an embedded part of scientific activity that interacts with other parts of scientific activity, including social structure and empirical experience. This book presents a comprehensive historical account of the rise and development of the genre, and views these forms in relation to empirical experience.

Shaping the Claim helps the preacher discover the core of the message to be preached — the sermonic "claim." In order to be effective, says McMickle, a sermon needs to address the hearers at three distinct levels; the head or the intellect, the heart or passion and conviction, and the hand or an expected and desired response. In order to discover the biblical "claim" that a sermon should make upon a particular congregation at a particular time, McMickle presents a helpful three-step process: (1) What? (2) So What? and (3) Now What? The book is keyed to online sermon samples and other Web-based features such as sermon illustrations and art.

Renovating Your Writing outlines the principles of effective composition by focusing on the essential skill set and mindset every successful writer must possess. Now in its second edition, this novel text provides readers with unique strategies for crafting and revising their writing, whether for school, work, or play. The new edition emphasizes, in particular, the importance of the writer embracing a rhetorical perspective, distinguishing between formal and social media compositional styles, and appreciating the effort needed to produce clear, concise, and compelling messages.

Shaping the Story teaches beginning fiction writers to hone their craft with a unique, step-by-step approach to writing a short story. Stepping students through an interlocking set of twelve easy-to-follow exercises Shaping the Story helps the beginning fiction writer understand the ways a short story changes and grows as it moves from its often-vague beginnings through a satisfying ending. As students step through the process, they learn about development of theme, point of view, voice, setting, character, dialogue, scene, plot, the treatment of time, and the crafting of satisfying endings. The text also offers an additional 48 skill-building exercises--four per chapter--plus an anthology of thirteen carefully chosen stories, which, through reading and analysis, will bring the book's lessons vividly to life.

How can teachers create a literacy curriculum that builds processing links between reading, writing, and spelling knowledge? In Shaping Literate Minds: Developing Self Regulated Learners , Linda J. Dorn and Carla Soffos illustrate how processing theory can be applied to the everyday practices of classroom teaching. If instruction emphasizes the interrelationships of these three language areas, students learn how to transfer knowledge, skills, and strategies across literacy events. This is complex theory, but the authors provide clear and practical examples to support teachers as they incorporate these ideas into their classroom practices. Grounded in authentic experiences from primary classrooms, this book provides: Explanations of processing behaviors among reading, writing, and spelling knowledgeObservational tools that support teachers in noticing changes over time in specific literacy behaviorsGuidance on creating conditions for developing self-regulated learnersAuthentic reading and writing samples and teacher/student interactionsFigures and pictures that clearly describe how teachers can use assessment to inform and guide instruction, with links to national standardsDetails for establishing a school-based literacy model that includes team meetings, assessment walls, high standards, and a curriculum for literacyAppendixes with reproducible assessment checklists, report cards, task cards for literacy corners, and guided reading observation forms for team meetingsWith a national emphasis on accountability, high standards, and literacy achievement, Shaping Literate Minds will help teachers and administrators implement a high-quality literacy curriculum that links to national and state goals.