Modern Challenges

All writers in this collection speak for themselves—and themselves alone.


Kevin Drum, writing for Mother Jones magazine, explains the effects that lead has had on crime rates.

Cause & Effect • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


New York Times science reporter Donald McNeil explains how retrieving a lost wine cork led to a potentially life-saving obstetrical device.

Analogy • Modern Challenges • Third PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Journalist TaNehisi Coates traces the history of systematic economic racism, from slavery through segregation up to contemporary housing policies, to support his argument in favor of reparations for African-Americans.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern Challenges • Third PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Author Lipika Pelham argues that low-income workers in Bangladesh deserve better conditions.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Amitai Etzioni, writing for the Washington Post, examines the hidden dangers of high school students having jobs.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Writer James Baldwin argues for human rights, using history to compare blacks/whites, southerners/northerners, and the haves/have-nots.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern Challenges • First PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Former Colorado Supreme Court justice Rebecca Love Kourlis lists five steps for changing civil court so that it is more simple, affordable, and effective.

Process Analysis • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Essayist Jo Ann Beard recounts a workplace shooting.

Narration • Modern Challenges • First PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Tips from Former Smokers, the US government's anti-smoking ad campaign, focuses not on the possibility of death but on the poor quality of life resulting from cigarette smoking, leading many smokers to quit their habit.

Cause & Effect • Modern Challenges • Third PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Therapist and minister Wayne Muller seeks to define on a personal level what the economic concept of GDP is.

Definition • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Writing for Nautilus, Rose Eveleth details how a computer bug in an online role-playing game might provide answers on the behavior of real-world diseases.

Comparison & Contrast • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Actor Arthur Chu describes his history as a gamer to show his understanding of and anger at the Gamergate community.

Narration • Modern Challenges • First PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Writer and father Joe DeProspero explains the differences between full-time professionals and full-time parents.

Comparison & Contrast • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Jake Halpern, reporting for the New York Times, explores the ways debt collectors operate and provides useful tips for beating them at their own game.

Cause & Effect • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Writer Stacey Ritzen explains how one person took back power from online bullies.

Example & Illustration • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


In a world where anyone can search Google for information on anyone else, do people have the right to be forgotten? Jeffrey Toobin, New Yorker staff writer and CNN legal analyst, considers this question in light of a 2014 decision from the European Court of Justice.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Most people want the secret to making a ton of money. Instead, argues freelance writer Molly Triffin, avoid the mistakes that keep that fortune out of reach.

Process Analysis • Modern Challenges • Second PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter offers ideas for gaining energy and lowering stress.

Process Analysis • Modern Challenges • Mixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author