This text includes 76 readings--essays, letters, interviews, speeches, short stories, and poems--that demonstrate the connections that exist within and among our country's varied cultures. Among the topics discussed in the readings (in part 2) are popular culture and media messages, technology and ethics, and different ways of learning. In addition, part 1 offers strategies for critical thinking, reading, and writing, with numerous examples of student writing. Part 3 provides a concise overview of the process of research as well as a detailed explanation of MLA and APA documentation styles.