Written for the upper-level developmental courses, THE READER S CORNER features compelling reading selections and strategies that build strong critical-thinking and analytical skills. The readings vary in length and reflect a range of sources, from the Associated Press to the works of authors such as Shankar Vedantam, Caroline Hwang, Donna Brazile, and Leonard Pitts. Longer selections allow students to apply new skills and strategies to material similar to what they will encounter in other college courses. Unlike traditional texts that teach reading skills through skill and drill exercises, THE READER S CORNER inspires students to think critically about what they read by offering a more authentic reading experience. The fifth edition presents refocused themes in Part 2, Changing Times, and Part 5, Life and Work in a Digital Age, and a new pair of readings in each part that look closely at opposing viewpoints on a topic. A robust pre- and post-reading apparatus accompanies each selection and helps build students vocabulary, critical-reading, and critical-thinking skills.