Lively and conversational in tone, the second edition boasts a writer-to-writer perspective that will set students at ease. As a process-oriented handbook, it is structured to walk students through the main elements of the writing process within the span of a semester. At the same time, Toby Fulwiler allows for many detours in his step-by-step approach, with frequent reminders that everyone's processes are unique, and that "there ain't no rules ... whatever works, works".

Among the book's new features are an up-to-date electronic reference section, expanded discussions on research writing strategies, new presentations on argumentative and interpretive writing, and a review of creative revision techniques. Some 75 percent of the student writing samples are new, representing a variety of genres -- from research papers to critical essays to journal writing and beyond.

Perhaps the audience for College Writing is best summed up by the author himself: "College Writing is written to students and instructors who believe that writing is central to the whole academic enterprise, that it is at once a tough and wonderful business, and that it can be both learned and taught. It is also written to students and instructors who do not believe these things but think they might be worth considering".