Chapter two of Writing Analytically focuses on analyzing what you read. The tools you use to analyze these are called heuristics. All of the tools in this chapter attempt to better your understanding of the text. The chapter ends with an overview of all of the falsities that are commonly associated with reading. The chapter begins by overviewing the heuristics one can use while reading. It says that these can be put into two broad definitions; observation strategies and interpretive prompts. Both of these are used to focus your attention on more specific things rather than the general theme. The first activity outlined by the book is called Notice and Focus. It encourages you to not spend too long on one idea. It asks you to repeatedly …show more content…
It can be very useful to help you figure out what is most important in what you read. It differs from Notice and focus in that it is more systematic and exacting. A third tool described in the chapter is asking, “So what?” Doing this can spur the move from observation to implication and often times interpretation. A second way to pose this question is “Why does this matter?” It also states that you often have to move away from patterns to find the deeper meaning. The book goes on to give examples of someone asking “So what?” Another heuristic is Paraphrasing. The book states that it can be one of the simplest and often times most overlooked ways of discovering ideas and stimulating interpretation. The book goes over the steps of paraphrasing. It also goes on to discuss other uses for paraphrasing and also gives examples of how to paraphrase. The fifth and final tool outlined in the book is identifying the “go to” sentence. The “go to” sentence is the writer’s way of putting things. The chapter strives to outline the ways a reader a can identify the “go to” sentence. It goes on to let the reader know ways that the “go to” sentence can be used and gives tips for finding