Elements Of Arguments by Annette T. Rottenberg, Donna Haisty Winchell (2005, Paperback)

Rottenberg's text (Winchell just came on in the latest edition... her role miniscule...) can be somewhat dry at times, but her writing, her explanations are very concise and elucidating. Her book is arranged logically, but as she seems to chase too many concepts in a given chapter, I almost feel more chapters are in order, in other words, greater subdivision. What's distinctive about her text is the lack of visuals... even lack of varying fonts and sizes and just space! There's little else but text packed on text; of course, there are the chapter and part breaks, and it's true that a few ads and political cartoons (all in black and white to match the text) do dot the textbook. For this reason, and for book's relative long length, getting through the book may seem a little daunting.
That aside, Rottenberg knows her stuff! Especially helpful are her specific examples that seem to crop up in most every paragraph she writes... and true to the apt logician she is, her writing cuts to the quick, makes nothing other than exposition her focus. She's so objective and exacting that I feel she must have great respect for truth, communication, and the written word. She's never aruging herself--she includes no argument essay of her own nor a passage from any she's written; however, she can turn a keen a eye on any argument (a few in Part One she analyzes in depth) and strip it down to its clockwork and then carefully explain the functioning of its parts. Maybe text would be a bit more engaging to read were Rottenberg more personal, yet her prose is a model for any student of persuasive/argumentative writing. Final note: her coverage of logical fallacies is very comprehensive.