This is from the book Ackley, Katherine A. Essays from Contemporary Culture. 5th ed. Belmot, CA: Wadsworth, 2004. Print.

After reading “Men and Women in Search of Common Ground” by Wendell Berry (p. 244), write a paraphrase (roughly three to four sentences) of the essay. The paraphrase should not include direct quotes from the work; it should be a summation of the main points in your own words.

This is a difficult essay, so you will need to read it several times in order to digest the material. Highlighting passages in your book, taking notes, and asking questions are all tools that you can use to get at the central message.