写作必以观念或思想为先导，这是一条不变的法则。对于批判性思维的培养和高级写作能力的提升就更为如此。《观念的生成：主题写作读本》就是一本为达此目的而编撰的英美大学一年级写作课教材，在中国适用于英语专业本科高年级阅读和写作课。所谓“观念的生成”，说的是作文中所要表达的思想，大致要回答下面这些“说来容易写起来难”的问题：思想从哪儿来?是关于什么的?该如何表达?怎么去总结和评价?本书通过理解、生成、扩展和应用思想这四个步骤来提高学生的批判性思维能力和写作能力。理解就是理解所读文本的特殊观点；生成就是通过这种理解性阅读让学生提出自己的观点；扩展就是扩展文本的语境，使其与其他相关文本联系起来，扩大思考的幅度；应用就是在这三个步骤之后让学生将理解、生成和扩展的思想用于自己的写作实践。全书共分八章，除第一章总序外，其他七章汇集的文章中都就大学生所敏感的问题进行了热烈的讨论：年轻人的反叛精神，成长的烦恼，个人主义、孤独和异化，大学生的身份，金钱、社会阶级和自我，个人的权利以及梦想或理想等。所有文本不但思想性强，而且语言精湛，都是名家名篇。学生既能在无垠的思想海洋里畅游，又能在增进思考能力的同时学到隽美的语言。

Preface
1 An Introduction to Ideas：Critical Thinking and Writing
Generating Ideas
The Processes of Writing
Critical Thinking
Close Reading and Rhetorical Strategies
Defining and Aligning
Evaluation
Understanding Perspective
Summarizing
Close Reading
Connecting and Comparing
Two Examples of Student Writing：Finding the Self
What to Expect in the Next Seven Chapters
2 Reacting to Authority：Youth Rebellion
Bringing Up Ideas
Mark Twain。“Advice to Youth”
Maya Angelou，“Mary”
Michael Moore。“Idiot Nation”
Judith Rich Harris, “'Nurture' Is Not the Same as'Environment'”
Judith Ortiz Corer, “Volar; Maria Elena; Exile”[short story]
John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), “I Want You to Know That I Hate You, Baby” 73
Ralph “Sonny” Barger, from Hell's Angel
Helen Nissenbaum, “Hackers and the Battle for Cyberspace”
Thinking Through Ideas: Beatniks on the Road
Gregory Corso, from “Variations on a Generation”
Jack Kerouac, from On the Road
Brenda Frazer, “Breaking Out of D.C.”
Joyce Johnson, from Minor Characers
Applying Ideas
3 Act Your Age: When Does Adulthood Begin?
Bringing Up Ideas
David Mamet, “The Rake: A Few Scenes from My Childhood”
　……
4 l Am a Rock: lndividualism, lsolation, and Alienation
5 From Minor to (What's Your)Major: ldentity in College
6 Can't Buy Me Love: Money,Social Class,and the Self
7 Walking the Walk: Assimilation and Classification
8 Hi-Ho,Hi-Ho!American Dreams of American Drones?