The Bedford Handbook carries on the Hacker tradition by responding to student writers’ needs and to the way students need their handbook to work. Still a full-size handbook that doubles as a reference, the Handbook features clear, straightforward advice, hand-edited sentences, a user-friendly index, and a handy format. The eighth edition combines classic Hacker usability with a next-generation focus on academic writing and research and new navigation that helps students pull together advice and models for each assignment. Developed with the help of students and teachers at more than 35 colleges and universities, the new edition reflects the ways students write and revise in their composition course and beyond. What’s more, The Bedford Handbook remains a portable size; it’s still a comprehensive reference that’s as easy to consult as it is to carry.

The Bedford Introduction to Literature is a best-seller for a reason: It brings literature to life for students — helping to make them lifelong readers and better writers. Classic works drawn from many periods and cultures exist alongside a hefty representation of today’s authors, including women, writers of color, and voices that reflect the quirkiness and humor of modern life. There is plenty of support for students, with a dozen chapters of critical reading and writing support, helpful sample close readings, writing assignments, and student papers. And, because everyone teaches and learns a little differently, there are lots of options for working with the literature, including in-depth chapters on major authors and case studies on individual works and themes that everyone can relate to.