Harris's "Taking an Approach" Unit 2-Post 7

The first thing that Harris mentions about his concept of "Taking an Approach" is that taking an approach, "is writing in the mode of another writer." (Harris 74)  When you are taking an approach you can use one of the two versions that Harris explains in this chapter, either weak or strong.  When someone is taking the weak version of an approach simply use the ideas of another writer without adapting their own point of view on the subject.  This version of taking an approach usually includes the writer plainly agreeing with what the original writer has said without promoting any new viewpoint in either the form of agreement or disagreement.  Personally, this seems like the easier way to take an approach that is predominantly used by those writers that are either trying to make a serious emphasis on what the other writer has expressed or by lazy writers that are seeking the simple road.  To describe the strong version of taking an approach Harris adds that, "When you take on the approach of another writer both your writing and theirs needs to change." (Harris 74)  The author shares the three ways in which you can "position your own work in relation to that of writers and intellectuals who have shaped your approach," (Harris 78) which are acknowledging influences, turning an approach on itself, or reflexivity.
An example of taking an approach would be the way the website Freakonomics creates a sort of environment for the reader where they can observe a factual and economically based approach on a broad range of subjects.