Now after analyzing your books in your journals, you have the chance to discuss your thoughts and reactions to the arguments you encountered in your books. Feel free to use any of the prompts to respond to--DON'T feel like you need to answer all of them.
* Why should people read this book? What is important, significant, or life-changing about the argument and the information presented? Or, why shouldn't they waste their time with this book? What was disappointing, frustrating, or even disturbing about what the writer did here?
* How did this book affect and influence your own thinking about the issue? What did you think/believe before you started the book? What do you think/believe now? What was the most compelling part of the book that influenced your own thinking?
* What did you learn by reading this book that you would like to share with others? What connections did you make with the reading? What new insights and understandings do you now have?
* How successful was the author's argument? What did the author achieve? What didn't he/she achieve?
A good blog post will have an angle or a focus that will be hinted at in the title. This angle will be the driving focus of the blog post. It will discuss only a few really important specifics from the book, but it will discuss them deeply. It will make connections between the reading and personal observations and/or experiences. The writing will be clear, effective, and have a sense of voice. Length: approx. 250-300 words.
After you post your blog, read the posts of your peers and respond to them. Try to engage in a conversation with at least 2 or 3 other people today. Be respectful in your responses and share ideas.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhy everyone, everywhere, should read “The Age of Reason”
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone in the world should read “The Age of Reason” by Thomas Paine, for it contains the kind of rational thinking that everyone, at least everyone who follows a religion, seems to be lacking. I don’t want to go too much into a summary of what was in the book here, but in the book, Thomas Paine shows the very simple and easily understood logic of why all religion is false and also detrimental to the world. He also does it in a very simple and easily understandable way. The idea of reading a book such as this may offend some people who are religious or who support religion in general, but if everyone took the time to read it and introduced themselves to the kind of logical thinking that is so absent in our modern world, I think “The Age of Reason” could change the world. I think it also necessary that people become more secular, for in Paine’s book, he talks about how religion has been the cause of many atrocities, clouded people’s thinking and halted scientific progress for many years. If everybody read this, I think we would see a lot more good in the world than we do now. Now, this book isn’t the only text or example of a-religious thinking nowadays, and if one looks, they can find many talks or books that can introduce them to secular ideas, though I think that “The Age of Reason” would have the most potency in its persuasion because it was written by such a credible author.
Is the author's sole supporting evidence against religion the fact that it has caused enumerable historical atrocities? I feel as if that would be a gross exclusion of the many more negative events in history that were caused by motives as simple as greed and prejudice, unconnected to religion entirely.
DeleteAlso, does the author address any positive effects of religion and refute them? While I am not religious, I've always thought that despite the negative nature of backward religious doctrines, they also promote solidarity and above all comfort to people who are especially unhappy with their current lives. I think there have been many instances in history where religion has been a major unifying factor, and has provided solace to those who would most likely never achieve a comfortable lifestyle in their reality, but might find happiness in religion.
It is understandable that you, as a civilian in modern America, would propose this blasphemy because you fail to realize the positive aspects religion has brought to the world, not only today but also in the historical context.
DeleteIn order to fully demonstrate the positive effects of religion on a large-scale, I shall present my argument chronologically.
From an early time, people have felt the need the explain the reasons for events by any means necessary. Polytheistic religions evolved for this exact reason, to fulfill the need for an explanation to events around them. Without this greater force in their lives, people may not have been able to comprehend what was happening. The gods were the reasons for famine, flood, sunrise, sunset. People needed something to depend on diurnally.
As time passed, science evolved, and thus many ideas clashed with those of major religions, including Islam and Christianity.
I do concede that religion has led to the deaths of millions, between the Crusades, Nazi persecution, and religious wars. However, the religion does not necessarily condone the prospect of war. "On top of all this, no religion advocates war, especially not those two most accused of starting conflicts, Christianity and Islam. Jesus of course said that if any of his followers was attacked they were to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-42 and Luke 6:27-36) and to be merciful even to their enemies, a message reinforced by the parables of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)". -debatewise.org
I feel that religion has brought benefits that greatly outweigh the negatives. Religion, historically, has led to essential exchange of ideas, without which we would not be where we are today. Each time something tragic or catastrophic has occurred due to religion, the world has rebounded and made something better because of it. The Crusades led to the spread of many ideas, and the Nazi regime led to the realization that power must be held in check.
Lillian, though were many terrible things that happened that were unconnected to religion, the fact that any horrible things happened in the name of religion is already a case against religion. Also, he does address the good things that religion has done, and he is an advocate for spiritual beliefs; he is just against all the current organized religions, though i personally, am against religion as a whole
DeleteThe Relevance of “The Feminine Mystique” in Modern Society
ReplyDeleteI would like to start by saying that people should absolutely read this book. Despite its focus on American women in the 50s and 60s, her message and argument, especially in the epilogue, remains largely applicable to modern times. Something I felt was especially important about this book was the fact that it addressed the stigmatism surrounding the Feminist Movement, as well as the prevalent defamation of feminists not only in her time but since their inception. Her analysis of the enumerable factors that led to the oppression of women in this time period are also factors that appear when one analyzes the manipulation of the food market, or racial inequality. Many falsehoods of the Feminist Movement (such as the idea of the “feminist man-eater”, family haters, and man-impersonators) are also not only refuted but explained in depth.
I feel it is also important to note that one of the main claims of The Feminine Mystique, which is a cornerstone of the modern feminist movement, is that men and women should work together for a more equal future. She also emphasizes that for a woman, career and home are both possible to maintain together, refuting the mystique’s claim that with a career, and woman could never find love.
Above all, this book surprised me in how recent this kind of oppression was (1950s-70s), and how blatantly women were seen as the lesser gender, despite an outward view of “equality”. I think, while it is wonderful to see how far American society has come,the subtle biases she addresses in how we raise our children using (now less prominent) gender roles still result in gender inequality today. There are also outside biases and perceptions that, even in our modern times, result in women being paid less than men at the same level, with racial differences further exacerbating that margin. Today, we call women and men equal, and most of us believe it. But it will take several more decades of repeating this sentiment until it will truly be understood not only on the personal level, but in mainstream society and media as well. Just as Friedan's time was influenced by hundred year old prejudices, our society still carries bits and pieces of antiquated gender inequality.
** Last note: Her epilogue also briefly addresses the role of lesbian feminists (of the next generation) joining the movement she, in part, started. Betty Friedan had a somewhat indifferent attitude towards the LGBT+ movement during her lifetime, but I found it so interesting to see small hints of it within her epilogue’s account of the early Second Wave of feminism. In many ways, the LGBT+ movement was the next large scale equal rights movement to take place in America, and with this the book remains even more relevant to modern times.
It could also be argued that women have more rights than men in some areas of today's society, as women win the vast majority of custody cases, don't have to participate in military drafts, and are given less severe sentences for the same crimes. Just something to keep in mind.
Delete@Northern Actually, those are really a result of society's view of women as easily broken, and as not strong enough to participate. Those are not WOMEN saying that they don't want to, but in fact MEN saying that women are not good enough for those roles. Women are always seen as some property, and you see in media that shows objectification of women. Women are oversexualized by men, which is WHY they seem to have "advantages".
DeleteThe recent publicity of the first female military graduates to certain specialized forces should be enough proof that women want military gender equality as well. Keep in mind also that 1 in 3 women are raped in the military, and that the last military draft occured in the 1970s, which is when the Feminist Movement was in its infancy. Women having more wins in custody cases is actually a result of the widespread cultural perception that women somehow have more responsibility of the home than men (women will commonly be asked to give up careers for the family whereas men almost never are), and this too is negative. Obviously inequality in crime sentences are unfortunate. The sexualization of women in every movie genre except for say a NatGeo documentary is also unfortunate. The double standards present in terms of gender inequality are widely skewed in the favor of men.
Delete@mj and @lillian are not men also sexualized in media with models and actors women find attractive as well? Also both of you mentioned that the reason women have these advantages is due to their image in society, such as seeming more responsible, but wouldn't this also mean that men are seen as being less responsible which would be a stereotype of their image? All I'm trying to say is that both men and women have some inequalities, but it is not just women that are victims in society.
Delete@Northern
DeleteI don't know what you really mean by the first one?? Actors in general are meant to be attractive because that is showbiz?? All the women characters are generally seen with larger breasts and larger butts to make them more "sexy" and to be honest women are rarely known for anything else besides beauty and sex appeal.
Lillian said "the cultural perception that women somehow have more responsibility of the home than men". She did not say it is seeming more responsible in general. It does not mean that there is a stereotype suggesting men are irresponsible. I said "advantages" sarcastically. These "advantages" literally are things to appease men.
Men are not oppressed. Women, for the larger part, are oppressed. I'm not saying men don't have disadvantages. There is this cultural mentality that men have to be these big, muscular, "manly" creatures which is absolutely ridiculous. "Boys will be boys" has been said so many times to girls who have had dress codes imposed on them or have complained about boys' behavior. Girls are taught to watch for rapists and any dangers from a very young age. Girls are sluts if they aren't virgins, while guys are seen as some legend if they have lots of sex. The double standards list goes on and on.
What you really seem to be saying is that because women have these advantages imposed by society objectifying and sexualizing them, they have advantages. You imply that feminism doesn't make sense because these inequalities are strict guidelines for society that should be left be because they balance out with their advantages and disadvantages.
@NORTHERN
Delete"
1) @mj and @lillian are not men also sexualized in media with models and actors women find attractive as well?
2) Also both of you mentioned that the reason women have these advantages is due to their image in society, such as seeming more responsible, but wouldn't this also mean that men are seen as being less responsible which would be a stereotype of their image?
3) All I'm trying to say is that both men and women have some inequalities, but it is not just women that are victims in society."
^For ease of refuting your claims.
1) The point is NOT that sexualization of either gender is negative, in of itself. The point is that women are sexualized in almost EVERY genre of popular culture, whether it be a crime drama or historical. Obviously there is a time and a place for sexualized characters (ex: romances, an Old Spice Commercial, etc) but the misrepresentation comes when there are an overwhelming amount of older, or objectively unattractive male leads to certain genres of television, whereas their female counterparts are statistically younger and more attractive in all genres, a vestige of older sentiments of female objectification. This also carries over to the fact that even in romances, as the male characters get older (50s, 60s), their female love interests almost always remain around 20 years their junior, still considered "attractive".
2) You read my response incorrectly. I do not state that society perceives women as more responsible and men as less. I state that society perceives women to be more responsible FOR the home, i.e. it is still common for women to give up their jobs for housewifery but the stay-at-home dad is still highly uncommon and stigmatized. This is a good example of gender inequality directly harming both binaries. This in no way implies that women are better at the job, just that is supposed to be their job. I don't think masters gave slaves the job of tending fields because they thought the slaves were better at it.
3) Obviously gender inequalities swing in both directions in terms of harm. The point is, as I have already state, GENDER INEQUALITY OVERWHELMINGLY BENEFITS MEN OVER WOMEN, though it obviously is detrimental to both in some way. But pointing out the few ways in which women have an advantage over men, in OPPOSITION to feminist values, is going against progress itself, especially when modern feminism does address areas of negative inequality for men. It is asking people to step back and think about the minor issues over the major ones. You should not put out the candle before dousing the house fire.
Lastly, your argument seems to be based in the common assumption that feminism does incorporate INTERSECTIONALITY. Feminists can be concerned about the prevalence of dismissed rape cases AND the societal shaming of male rape victims. They address wage gaps between genders and ethnicity.
It is a movement for gender equality, not female dominance. Also no one claimed women and only women are victimized in society.
Men have privilege over women in society. This refers to the overall state of affairs, NOT specific disadvantages. This does not mean that men are not discriminated against. This does not mean women are all victims.
The inequalities addressed by you are not very relevant when opposing a movement that has not only taken into account all such claims, but is actively attempting to end GENDER ROLES (read: not oppress men, who have been the oppressors). A major byproduct of eliminating gender roles would be an end to male dominance/privilege, but it is only one of many positive results. It is not the end-game most anti-feminists seem to believe it is.
wow grammar is not working for me this late, apologies !
DeletePay Any Price
ReplyDeleteThe political/economics book Pay Any Price by James Risen was an excellent and informative read. I believe everyone should read this book or books like it because it causes you to think past just what you hear on the news about politics and the state of the country. It is important for citizens to know what the government is doing with their tax money and why, so they can make informed decisions when voting and help expose government corruption. For instance, before reading this book I had no idea that billions of government dollars had mysteriously gone missing during military operations in Iraq. Also, it completely changed my mind about the war on terror when I read that trillions of dollars have been put into fighting terrorism with few saved American lives to show for it, while many times the number of people could have been saved if the money was put into other areas like cancer research. I don’t believe the wars were only driven by profits for defense and oil companies, however the book did show this was a factor, as oil profits and stocks in weapons companies skyrocketed throughout the duration of the war, with the Super PACs of many politicians funded by these companies. In addition, I have realized that James Risen is a master of crafting arguments, as his claim persuaded me and most likely multitudes of other readers into changing their entire outlook on American politics almost instantly. It would be great if every American would read books like these, to at least expose themselves to different ideas if not change their minds all together. If this could happen I think the country would be in much better shape as people would make more informed decisions and corruption could be destroyed all together.
This seems like a very interesting book! I agree with you in that more people need to know where their tax money is going. Are there any statistics to back up the claim that more lives may have been saved if more money was funded into cancer research compared to fighting terrorism?
DeleteWhy I Can’t Ever Eat Meat Again
ReplyDeleteEating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer is an extremely emotional book. This past June, I went vegan. Before reading this book, I was pretty sure that I wanted to stay vegan, but there was a tiny bit of doubt left in me. I didn’t know how I could fit my moral decisions into my future life (i.e. college, marriage, raising kids). After reading this book, I know that I will have to fit veganism into the rest of my life. I simply cannot go back to eating meat.
Foer’s book includes many descriptions of various factory farms and “traditional” farms. As I expected, the conditions of factory farms are shockingly repulsive. Even the “traditional” farms that tend to claim to be better for the animals aren’t free from cruelty. One thing that stuck out to me was that at one of these farms, male pigs were castrated without any anesthesia the day after they were born. I can’t justify that sort of cruelty. My fleeting moments of flavor are not worth the destruction of the life of a sentient being.
The end of Eating Animals was extremely empowering for vegetarians and vegans. It mentioned that choosing to not eat meat means that every time you eat, you are making a conscious choice of compassion towards others. Even though sometimes it is socially difficult to refuse meat and animal products, reading this book has strengthened my confidence in my values. I have an assortment of ethical and environmental facts from this book to support my beliefs, and that helps a lot when some people feel that it is necessary to question my values. It does get frustrating sometimes to be scrutinized for my choices, but this book has reminded me that there are other people who share my beliefs about eating animals.
I’ve spoken to a few other people who have read this book, and they all agree that they cannot go back to eating meat after reading Eating Animals. I would highly recommend that everyone read this book, whether they are considering vegetarianism/veganism or not. Even people who choose to eat meat should be fully informed on the industry that they are supporting.
http://www.holistichelp.net/why-you-shouldnt-be-vegetarian.html
DeleteRead this for opposing arguments
Your book seems to take this issue from one side, not creating a balanced debate including the nutritional benefits of meat and the fact that these are mostly corporations and large industrial farms that are being dealt with. From the other side of the issue did you know that "Vegetarian diets can cause the death of animals too. According to a 2003 study by Steven Davis at Oregon State University, about six animals per acre, or 52-77% of the animals (such as birds, mice, and rabbits) that live in agricultural crop fields, are killed during harvest."
DeleteSource:
United States Department of Labor
While the mass slaughter and constant consumption of meat can be harmful to our planet's natural population of animals, living without meat is a change our bodies physically can not make. Meat provides essential nutrients our bodies require to function. Without it, we can develop serious illnesses, permanent ones, even. Even though in a lot of places, we're killing too many animals and castrating them without anesthesia is appaling, that doesn't mean that every meat producing company in the world is doing so, just the very greedy, very few meat producing organisations.
Delete@Colin
DeleteThe book doesn't dispute the possible nutritional benefits of eating meat (though recent studies are pointing out how meat may actually be detrimental to your health http://time.com/4086823/processed-meat-red-cancer-who/ ). This book addresses more of the ethical side of veganism, which I personally find more compelling than health reasons (because there are many different ways to eat healthily).
Also, veganism is not perfection. Animals are still going to be used in so many human activities because that's what humans have done for a very long time. Most people who go vegetarian or vegan are trying to reduce their harmful impact on animals.
Even though there are technically government organizations to control big meat corporations, they are widely insufficient. These corporations have lobbyists to influence the government. Laws are also not actually very strong at all. For example, CFEs (Common Farming Exemptions) make legal any widespread practices throughout the farming industry. This means that corporations can practically decide what is and isn't legal.
As I said, read this book. It isn't as biased as I am (I have no issues admitting that I am biased on this topic, as pretty much everyone is).
@Northern @Colin Excuse me, but your article literally says things like "plants don't have enough fat". Animals get their energy from animals that get energy from plants. Protein does not just appear out of nowhere; animals are not THAT amazing. They cannot just build muscle without a source. It is necessary for some animals to eat meat because they are carnivores, and they don't have the physical means to use the plants directly. Humans are not carnivores. Humans are in fact omnivores, meaning they can, in fact, break down the plants. They are not actually in NEED of meat.
DeleteAlso, there are many bodybuilders and athletes on a vegetarian/vegan diet that are receiving all the nutrients required. Meat is not required in order for people to actually get all the nutrients. There's also not a deficit in protein ingestion. In fact, people are getting way too much protein, more than is actually suggested.
@Northern, @Connor
DeleteAccording to the American Dietetic Association, vegan and vegetarian diets "are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes."
This is coming from the ADA, made of professional dietetics who know what they're talking about.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864
http://www.the300poundvegan.com/
Deletehttp://www.greatveganathletes.com/vegan_athlete_patrik-baboumian-vegan-strongman
These vegan athletes seem pretty healthy to me.
I have never thought about going vegan. However, I have thought about being a vegetarian but I Have never found the courage to do it. I think if that if read this book, it will give me more of a motivation.
DeleteBioterrorism? A threat to us?
ReplyDeleteFor the nonfiction reading project , I read The Killer Strain by Marilyn W. Thompson. The author relives the events of The Anthrax Attacks of 2001, immediately following the events of September 11th. The book leads some interesting points about many of The United States’ security weaknesses concerning bioterrorism and terrorism in general. Before actually reading this novel, I had only briefly heard about the anthrax attacks of 2001 and was interested about learning more. I have known that September 11th exposed multiple security concerns within in the country but I didn’t realize that the country’s mail system also was flawed. The author used many facts and eyewitness accounts during the events to show just how scared the country was during the crisis. At some points people working for our government didn’t actually know more information than just regular people living in our country, which is scary to even think about. The author argued that The United States was severely unprepared for the attack and that innocent lives were lost that could’ve been saved. As the reader, I believe she achieved her argument as she showed how slow-paced the FBI were with their investigation, how the perpetrator was never apprehended, and multiple government agencies including the CDC delayed vital antibiotic treatments that could’ve saved lives. By the end of the book I was almost furious at the government for its treatment of the crisis and lack of responsibility that should’ve been there for the American people who were still recovering from the horrid attacks of September 11th. The author did however also explain some of the worst-case scenarios that could’ve occurred with a large scale anthrax attack on the public. Knowing that at least the attacks were contained is somewhat comforting. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a good thriller and wants to learn more about effect of potential deadly viruses such as anthrax and how they are used within bioterrorism.
That sounds really interesting i've never heard of anything like that before. It sounds like this book really apeals to peoples emotions from the way you said at the end you were "furious". Good responce
DeleteAdvertisers are Actually Adroit
ReplyDeleteThe Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is a fascinating book exploring the theories regarding epidemics, and more specifically, their tipping points. When most people envision an epidemic, they think of sickness and famine; however, Gladwell defines it as more of a sudden, widespread occurrence of a trend or idea. Examples of epidemics he sites range from the syphilis outbreak in Baltimore to the surge in popularity of hush puppies (shoes).
In one chapter, Gladwell talks about the “stickiness” of an idea, or in other words, how well it stays in one’s mind. This chapter had especially high significance to me due to the vast amount of television and advertisement I am exposed to on a daily basis living in this age of communication. Prior to reading the book, I was aware of the vast amount of money and effort put into advertisement by various companies (just look at Super Bowl commercials), however I never really considered the science behind it.
Gladwell uses the example of a well known children’s television show, Sesame Street, to demonstrate the science and analytics behind making ideas stick. The purpose of Sesame Street is to get educational concepts to stay in the minds of children. In order to achieve this, a vast amount of science was incorporated by the producers and writers. Groups of children were selected to “preview” the episode. Both the quantity and quality of the scientific tests behind each episode were astonishing to me, with each episode being tested multiple times on different groups before making it onto prime time. This book has impacted the way I see every commercial, billboard, and web advertisement. I now consciously think about not only the purpose of the advertisement, but also the intent behind it, and most importantly, how it is supposed to impact you.
My book had a chapter dedicated to advertisement as well, though it was less focused on the subtle ideas adverstisements convey and more on target demographics and the effects they had on larger social movements, such as the resurgence of the "modern housewife". Does he talk about advertisement only in the modern era? I wondered how different it was back before television was highly popularized.
Delete@Lillian,
DeleteGladwell's spiel on advertisement and the "stickiness" of messages is really only covered in Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, both targeted at children. Because of this, the only different target audiences discussed were children and adults, in the modern world.
Wow this book sounds really good! I don't think I'll be able to watch another commercial without really thinking about it! However, I think these ideas only stick if you are exposed to too much television and advertisement. If these ideas are really stuck in your mind, it would be a good idea to lay off the T.V. for a while and do something away from a screen like exercise or hang out with some friends.
Delete@Alex,
DeleteSee, the success of the advertisers is based exactly on that. If you see a really good Superbowl commercial, you're probably gonna remember it having only seen it once. That's precisely the point Gladwell makes about certain things "sticking".
What Do You Know About Your Gadgets?
ReplyDeleteI read When Gadgets Betray Us by Robert Vamosi. Before reading this book I thought that my phone and the other electronics that I use were great. I understood that they can definitely affect you negatively but I had no idea how much. While reading I thought that my author, for most of the book, discusses all the negative sides of technology and how they can hurt us but looking back I got a different opinion. He wasn’t just listing off how technology is going to hurt everyone all the time but he more talked about how if you use it incorrectly then it can hurt you. One part of the text that specifically stuck out to me about public wifi. Most people including myself usually check for a public wireless connection if we are waiting in a public place for a while, which i knew could probably be a bad idea. Vamosi reinsured my doubt by going into a long example about how it's a horrible idea. He also used examples about more important things like United States military.
In today’s society how we use technology in almost every aspect of our lives, I think it’s important that everyone should read this book. The author did a good explaining this though the arguments he made. Most of his arguments were very similar. He would start with an example that was very important and that affected a large group of people. He would then relate his argument back to smaller sub claims that works with some pathos. I think Vamosi did achieve his goal, which was to warn the reader about the downfalls of technology and when and why it can hurt us.
It seems like the book you read is really one sided as their are a ton of benefits to techonolgy. In this day and age you can't simply disreagard how techology has brought humans together and through this many problems can be resolved. I would have been nice if the book had shed light on these matters as well and if they could show the negatives of the benefits.
DeleteWhen he talks about how it's a bad idea to use public wifi, what specific reasons does he cite? (I'm not challenging it, by the way. I recently read a thing about hackers targeting Starbucks networks and am wondering if it was along the same lines as that.)
DeleteTrue, too much technology can hurt us, most of the time it's a welcome tool in our lives that helps us run more efficiently. Many technologies in the world help save lives, like MRI's and cat scans. However, you do have a point. Everyday, our phones and computers become smarter, and what happens if we break it or it does something it isn't supposed to, we bring back to where we got it and have them fix it. If they can't fix it, it's a problem. If that happened to everyone in the country, it's an epidemic. If one day our phones become too smart for their owners, we're in trouble. This is a possible problem that our world leaders need to look at. And while it is a possible problem, it's not an inevitable one.
DeleteMy book had a similar approach towards technology. The author seems to be heavily biased towards one side of the argument, but so was my book. I think the authors missed the point that, technology can highly benefit our society. But, I would agree that too much technology can hurt. So there are pros and cons to the new technology.
DeleteMade Made (a stupid quest for Masculinity) is a lot less stupid than I thought
ReplyDeleteI can recommend this book to anyone for it's genuinely funny humor. However, the real star is the surprisingly deep look into what defines a “man”. I went into this book having a sense of knowing what to expect as I had read the author's articles in Time before. For the most part I got what I expected, some very humorous experiences that are exemplified by his unrelenting show of wimpiness. As the book states it is a stupid quest for masculinity so there are a lot of very funny interactions and reactions to all the journeys the author goes on as he faces challenges that are completely new to him. All of this “questing” is ultimately to find his inner masculinity and show his son how to grow up and not be a wimp like he was.
Towards the end of the book it takes a bit of a dark tone, one that I did not expect. The author beings to really question if all of his journeys made him anymore manly, and then the deep stuff begins to appear. It initially starts when he talks about the loss of connection he had with his father and how he wants his son to become better than himself. Then the topic of his failures comes up and he realises his fears of being alone and how much he had lost in life due to the pathetic choices he made. Although it seems gloomy the author is able to make these ideas humorous and ultimately he redeems himself and refines what a man is. At first the author had a very generic and stereotypical view of what made a man, a man. Such as being physically fit, drinking a lot, and loving dogs and cars.
After the realization he beings his real quest and believes a man as someone who was always glad with what they had, trying to make the best of every situation, and facing fears. I found myself getting emotionally connected as the author is trying to make sense of all these new thoughts.He really is able to convey the depressing atmosphere of his mind while not making it too dark. The ideas themselves are not to new, though it made me think a little bit more about why I think people are masculine and brought up fears I never really paid much attention too. In the end his inner problems are solved and the last chapter is a hilarious montage of the author being beat up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its great writing that not only made me laugh but also allowed me to actually evaluate myself. For that, I believe I can recommend this book to anyone.
This book does seem like a fun read, I would like to explore deeper the author's exploration of what a man really is and his journey from his basic sterotypical definition of a man to his new idea.
DeleteI found a few connections between our books. The idea of evauluating yourself during the read just in a different way and how you ask yourself questions while reading. Another similarity was the idea of failure. My author talked about how we can learn from past mistakes and I feel like your author may have done the same.
DeleteThis book seems very funny and different from anything ive read before, I was suprised how the author would switch the tone to a darker one and not keep the good feeling also. How did you react to that did u enjoy it becoming more serious or not? Good responce
DeleteSports in The Lives of Children and Adolescents
ReplyDeleteI read Sports in the Lives of Children and Adolescents by Robert Griffin and i believe it is a great book for those who are interested in sports and how they affect the development of children, mostly towards parents of athletes.. An investigation of the role of sports in the process of healthy maturation from childhood through adolescence, this resourceful book helps parents make informed decisions about their children's involvement in sports. Griffin also explains effective parenting techniques for those whose children are involved in athletics. This book is also highly useful and thought-provoking reading for professionals, including educators, coaches, and counselors.
From this book I have learned the highly stressful, competitive, “win at all costs” attitude present at the college and professional athletes affects the world of children’s sports and athletics; creating an unhealthy environment. It is important to note that the attitudes and behavior children develop from sports carry over to adult life. Parents should take an active role in helping their child develop good sportsmanship. This is similar to the article we read in the beginning of the year regarding high school and how everything that happens to you carries over to the rest of your life.
Before reading this book, I didn’t realize the significance sports has on children. Being an athlete myself, I didn’t notice the characteristics that carry over from my character on the field to my character in my normal life. This book explores all the aspects of a child’s life such as academics and strongly relates them to athletics. For any parent inquiring how to help your child succeed both on and off the field, this is a great book that you should take a gander at.
This actually sounds kind of interesting...
DeleteSometimes I think that certain aspects of people's lives can affect other completely separate aspects in surprising, unexpected ways. The example you gave about sportsmanship is particularly relatable, nobody likes a sore loser.
What I am curious to find out is the impact different sports have on a person's life. For example, say Bobby and Billy were identical twins, raised in the same household by the same two parents. Hypothetically, if Bobby were a star football player and Billy an elite speed skater, how would those two sports impact their lives? There are common aspects to both, such as sportsmanship, but football is a much more popular sport (in America), and is much more physical. Maybe the author could analyze this in a sequel.
The ripple effect
ReplyDeleteWorld Without Fish was a great read and something I highly recommend. The book provided me with education towards the effects of overfishing, pollution and global warming. Mark Kurlansky provides information about the possibility of a cataclysm in our near future. He explains how if nothing is done about this issue in the next 50 years our world can go into a counter revolutionary process. This book contains necessary information that can be used towards making a difference before it's too late.
After reading this book I have a newfound motivation towards fixing this problem, which was precisely Kurlansky's goal. The book includes many stories of how these problems have already began to affect marine life. Some of these stories included extremely tragic incidents making me feel frustrated towards the issues presented. World Without Fish was a relatively easy read targeted towards our generation, making it a perfect book for this project because it was argumentative alongside being very compelling.
Kurlansky's argument is highly relevant and extremely convincing. He brings up points that I would generally overlook and expands on them showing me how these points play a role in the bigger picture. Something that can be easily overlooked is the already occurring extinction of many species of fish. What we don't realize is the loss of one species of fish affects the entire marine ecosystem. Which in turn could begin to affect land animals and eventually all living things.
Throughout the book Kurlansky asks essential questions leaving the reader wondering “What would the world be like without fish??” These questions are substantial for the text because that hint of wonder can be used to spark the movement towards putting a stop to this. Overall World Without Fish was a success for Kurlansky. He composed a inspiring text providing the reader with great hindsight on this topic.
Sounds similar to my book in concept. My book also talks about a topic that is easily overlooked. World Without Fish does sound like a very interesting read from what you described.
DeleteI think it is great that your book has inspired you to make a change towards this topic. It is sort of similar to how my book has inspired me to make a change because of the points it brought up and discussed.
DeleteI completely agree with how we need to stop thinking that our natural resources will never end. People need to understand that if we stay with that kind of mindset, in a short time there will be nothing left.
Delete
ReplyDeleteFinding Happiness, and How You're Probably Doing it Wrong
Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert, is a book relating to the concept of happiness (as the title suggests). In the book, the author claims that humans strive to find happiness, and that it is one of their main goals in life. He then goes into how humans are wrong, and how they try to find it in the wrong places. He mentions lots of experiments and metaphors to help the reader understand.
The author follows a common structure throughout all of his chapters, which proves to be a simple yet effective one. First, they go into detail about a certain behavior, then use science to reinforce the ideas. Many times the author will also use complex metaphors to help the reader understand the concept. At the end, the author explains how this behavior affects us, and if we should try to change or eliminate the behavior. I also found it interesting how he asked many rhetorical questions. Not only were they intriguing questions, they also guide the reader into a certain mindset, which helps them understand the key concept the author is trying to talk about in the chapter.
The content itself was surprisingly varied, which helped keep me engaged in the text. As Daniel Gilbert is also a psychologist, he mentions many ideas relating to the science. Overall, though, his book is more about his theories about happiness. For instance, he claims that when humans are told of an upcoming event, they have a certain expectation about how it will go. If the event goes just as they expected, the person will be happier than if it did not go like they expected, even if the event was better than what the person thought.
The book presents many more concepts like these, and the author does a much better job of explaining them than I ever could. I recommend that you read this book, especially if you are into ideas of psychology and neuroscience. Daniel Gilbert balances these ideas of theory and science to create an alluring book that could quite possibly change the way you look at your life.
This book seems very interesting, especially on the front of the structure that he used in most of the chapters. I was wondering specifically what kinds of studies he gathered information from to use as evidence.
DeleteThe evolution of Earth
ReplyDeleteBy Connor Millett
For my nonfiction argument journal, I read the novel Eaarth, a book about global warming. The book’s author, Bill McKibben, provides an interesting to say the least point of view. His book is not so much about global warming, instead he continually makes references to a planet called Eaarth, the same planet we live on now, but drastically changed, and not at all for the better. But good things can come of it, he says. McKibben argues throughout the book that we need to change our lifestyles to adapt to the planet we live on now, because our old way of life isn’t going to work in our new world. One of the things we must first adopt, he says, is a sense of worldwide community. Studies show that people who live in tight knit communities, where everyone knows everybody, tend to live longer, and happier. That’s the key. What really stuck out to me in Mckibben’s book was his ability to begin telling a story and then lose the audience in it, in a good way, of course. His stories were personal, and they made you feel for the subject. And when the story was over, even if you didn’t realize it, he had been piecing his point together the entire time, subtly, slowly, and then, there it was, at the end. His point suddenly seemed much more credible and believable then it ever would’ve if he’d just introduced it straight out. Another tactic of McKibben’s: Guilt. Guilt was a driving force in his novel. McKibben has a way with words, making the reader feel guilty or even depressed at what was happening in the world. I definitely felt like that at times while I was reading McKibben's book. He could make the reader feel like the horrible event or tragedy he’d been talking about was actually the reader’s fault, not the bigwigs heading the government. Reading this book would be a very good idea for anyone looking at it in the bookstore. It’s powerful, moving, and McKibben’s point, while subtle at times, is actually blatantly clear. He does a very good job conveying his point, and the end of the novel is incredible, an amazing finale to the entire thing. His book provides insight into the world’s real problems, politics and rivalries aside. Because no matter how big our militaries are, no matter how much money we have, it won’t mean anything when the planet begins fighting back.
My book was also about how humans are messing up the world and if what we are doing isn't stopped, it will lead to detrimental consequences. My book also talked about global warming even though it wasn't the main focus as it seems your book was too, but it mainly focused on how humans our messing up the natural world as a whole through environmental changes, deforestation, and other reasons. It then ended with one of many main points that if humans don't do anything to try and make things right with the Earth then our future won't be too good.
DeleteThe author of my book though used more a logical approach to try and persuade the reader instead of a more emotional approach as it seems the author your book did. This means that there are multiple approaches for how people can present their argument and still be very effective at getting their point across and convincing their audience.
It seems like your book will be interesting for me to read later so I can be exposed to the more emotional approach of the argument in this subject.
Why Science and Religion Cannot Mix
ReplyDeleteThank God For Evolution by Michael Dowd didn’t sway my point of view at all. In fact, it affirmed my views, having the opposite intended effect. Dowd was trying to persuade the audience that science and religion and not only be put together (“married” as he puts it”) but that science can in fact help deepen the relationship between people and “God”. My view upon the topic before reading Dowd’s argument was that science in fact negates religion (Christianity), and that it is in fact ridiculous to try and put the two together. For one, many fundamentals of Christianity are directly disproved by science.
A key portion of Christianity is the belief that “God” created the world as it is only a few thousand years ago, but this is directly negated by evolution, which is a scientific theory based off of actual facts, rather than selectively chosen sources that are written with heavy bias. Dowd’s argument doesn’t actually make sense, either, because another key portion of Christianity is the belief that “God” is this superior, separate being, but to try to make his argument irrefutable, he says that “God” is not something that can be believed in, since “God” is a real, existing thing, and that “God” is in fact the Universe as a whole. The one continuity he has with Christianity is the belief that the purpose of humanity is the serve this “God”.
As someone who has been forced into Christianity and does not in fact believe in “God”, this argument that this “God” is the Universe and that the sole purpose of life is to serve this “God” is quite angering. Science cannot be interpreted in many ways, as Dowd likes to say. Science is factual and based off of concrete experimentation, unlike the Bible. It is also just rude to say that “God” is irrefutable, because there is no actual evidence to back this up besides “faith”. It’s honestly quite shocking to read reviews upon this book saying that it is a perfect argument that humanity needs.
Could it not also be argued that many scientific theories supporting the big bang theory and other such theories have evidence that is not completely solid either. For instance, if the Big Bang occurred then there would be the presence of lithium would be very common, however there is only 1/10 the expected amount of lithium remaining that should be here with such a large explosion. Also, the Big Bang theory implies that Dark matter Exists, as this is a central part of the theory, however dark matter has never been proved completely. And as you say, science is not something you can argue with.
DeleteIt's really interesting that you chose a book like this knowing that it's topic goes against your beliefs. Did you read it expecting to be swayed by it?
Delete@Northern Actually, funnily enough, the author of my book says that the Big Bang theory is real. He in fact confirms that humans are made of stardust. But he just uses this factually supported scientific theory to "substantiate" his argument.
DeleteI think that science and religion can mix because there are also a lot of things that happened in the bible that sience has proven. Because science has disproved and proved topics it just boils down to individual beliefs on religion. However, I believe that science proves more things in the bible than disproves which is why I think that science and religion can mix.
Delete@nate agreed completely, and @mj I didn't read that book so I wouldn't know that he made that claim, however I was using evidence against your claim you made in your post, his book is irrelevant as that is not what we are debating
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete@mj keep in mind that the Bible doesn't need to be taken literally in every case, however there is scientific backing for many stories in the Bible. Also, theories are called theories for a reason, as they have not been fully proven yet, so you can't say they are fact if even the world's greatest scientists don't. Finally, reading a book of someone's opinion as "comedy" is a bit immature, would you like it if someone read a women's rights book as comedy? Just something to keep in mind to avoid offending people in the future.
DeleteRt @nate
Delete//Because apparently I was being offensive this is an edit
Delete@Nate Thank you for the most mature response.
@Katrina Perhaps my saying that it was comedy was not the best way to suggest what I was doing. I read it because I wanted to see someone's whole point of view upon the topic, seeing what evidence they give to support this claim that I personally don't.
@Northern Just a point, but I don't think there is real proof and backing of the stories in the Bible. Yes, I agree with your point about the whole "literal interpretation" because some people do in fact go to extremes and also are very selective of the messages they interpret. Theories, as I've mentioned before, are created from a basis of actual scientific experiments. "A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world." That is literally the definition of theory. I'm pretty sure the theory of gravity is a thing, I am in fact still grounded upon Earth and not suddenly floating off.
I admit, me saying I read it as comedy was not the best choice of words, and it was rude, so I apologize for that.
Economic Crisis Interesting,...but don't Waste Your Time
ReplyDeleteMarcus Manzoni
11/3/2015
Reading the book The Bullies of Wall St really opened my mind to the idea that greed was and still is the main cause of our financial problems including the crisis of 2008. Before reading this book I believed that the main reason for problems in our economy were caused by government conflict, with business and countries but Bair argues and attempts to persuades the reader, with large amounts of both qualitative and quantitative evidence, that the greediness of banks and and big corporations are the antagonists to our economy. Bair starts out the book with giving the reader the hard truth about our economy, and to me this was the most compelling part of the book. The evidence presented immediately spoke to me because I myself along with many other people I knew went through a financial struggle during this time, and seeing actual quantitative evidence supporting the idea, that existing greed in our world is the source of our financial struggle really upset me. However her point of view is extremely bias, and it isn't a surprise because of her position in the business world. Her main goal working for the FDIC was to protect and aid people in trouble during the crisis. Although if this book was written without the bias it would be very stale.
The main thing I learned from reading this book is that to avoid problems like this from happening. We as a society need to be more empathetic of each other and not always try to do things to benefit yourselves. Bair believes if this ideal can become a reality, our economy and society as a whole be become much more prosperous and I agree with her 100%.
My recommendation to people is to not read this book. My reasoning behind this is for a couple reasons. The first being that the book is really slow from all the background information Bair uses as an intro to her argument, and to me a lot of it is unnecessary. I enjoyed reading the stories in the first part, but as the book enters the second part (which is her telling about her own experiences) it gets dull and sways off her main claim really fast. My final reason is that it is a 250 page book all about economics and sometimes the information she bestows upon the reader is just not intriguing to learn about. Most of the information Bair presents can be found online in a matter of a couple of hours. If you really want to learn about the 2008 crisis My advice is to save your time and money and simply going on the computer and do your own research.
My book was similar on how the authors helps the reader understand how they can avoid problems that other people already had. Were the tips your author gave helpful?
DeleteIt seems that you do not like the subject of economics as a whole, and this may have affected your thoughts on the book. If other people do find economics interesting, would you still tell them to not read this book, or would it still be better to do a couple of searches on Google?
DeleteA HORRIBLE BOOK THAT’S KIND OF WORTH THE READ
ReplyDeleteI read Freakonomics by economists Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt and it was absolutely agonizing to read. I hated it. That is not to say someone who actually enjoys economics wouldn’t love it, but I find economics extremely boring. However, despite all the countless graphs and statistics I didn’t care about, I did actually learn from this book.
The authors of the book are trying to teach the reader how to analyze incentives in a way that gives the reader a different view of how people work. They looked at what people do, and how they function in society, and then proved how people’s incentives affect economy. One of the less boring chapters to read was the one about names. Levitt and Dubner talked about how the name you give your child could reflect on your own life, and predict how your child will turn out.
Overall, it was basically a 200-some page book about the study of people. And by the end of it, I actually did feel more educated about the human race, why we do the things we do, and how involved we actually are in the economy. Surprisingly, I would recommend this book to almost everyone, not because I liked it (It should be very clear that I did NOT LIKE IT AT ALL, and anyone reading it should be aware that there is a chance they may die in the process of reading it), but because it is well written, and the information you get from it could be considered valuable. It also gives you an interesting insight on the world around you. The only people I would not recommend this book to is anyone who does not find economics, or non-fiction writing interesting, because that was me reading this book, and I fell asleep more than a few times while reading.
Really interesting to recommend a book that you hated reading. If the imformation inside is really that good it might be worth checking out. But, I think you made a strong arguement about how dry it would be and already gave away the "fun" part so... Nice title, really drew me in.
DeleteThe Reality of Human Impact on the Natural World
ReplyDeleteby Nathaniel Kim
In the book The Devouring Dragon by Craig Simons the main argument is how China is destroying the natural world through a variety of reasons. However, Craig also brings up many reasons for how it isn’t just China that is negatively impacting the world, but it’s humans as a whole, that are causing the world’s decline. This book made me realize the extent of damage that humans have done and continue to do, to our natural world. This book has information about collapsing ecosystems through the extinction of species, environmental decline, and the severity of global warming and climate change. Knowing more information about these topics from reading this book has changed my mindset about how the world is faring from human impacts.
China’s demand for more and overall human gluttony has led numerous species becoming endangered and have even led many to becoming extinct. This book was very enjoyable because it was very interesting and informational. I gained a lot of insight from reading this book which is why I would recommend it to others. This book allowed me to see specific examples of how humans are negatively impacting the world which is what makes the book so good. Before reading this book, I didn’t think that global warming was that big of a deal. However, after reading this book I now realize that it is a big deal and if it isn’t stopped or at least slowed, then it will cause major problems for the future.
The author’s arguments were mostly focused around appealing to logos. This appeal worked really well because by giving specific examples and facts, it made the argument more convincing and plausible. Also, by using logos, the author was able to show trends that expressed how the natural world was declining like: the decline of populations of endangered animals which leads to unbalanced ecosystems; the increase of carbon emissions through deforestation; and warming temperatures due to the increase of carbon in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. All this information is very persuasive evidence for how humans are negatively impacting the world which is why I think that the author’s strategy of appealing to logos worked very well in supporting his argument.
This sounds like a really interesting book! Seems like the author must have written from a very interesting view point, discussing the negative impacts of China and then other places. Also, from what you described the book being about I find the title quite clever. I might actually consider reading this.
DeleteMan I never knew China had such a negative impact on the world! I wonder if there are any ways they can improve the way they treat the Earth but then again China has been known for not putting much effort into creating a safe and healthy environment.
DeleteDo you really know what's up?
ReplyDelete“Reviving Ophelia” is a book by psychologist Mary Pipher that eminently changes the way people think about the problems girls face in society. Everyone should read this book because it acknowledges the ignorance of society towards the problems most girls face in their teenage years. It shows people how they are part of the problem and makes them question their role in it.Pipher’s argument was very successful because she used promising evidence and wrote in a way that the reader could relate.
When I first chose to read this book I thought it would be like any other typical feminist book that talks about the negative effects of society on girls. But, Mary Pipher takes a deeper look at societal effects on adolescent American girls. She discusses that whilst the feminist movement has aided adult women to become empowered, teenagers have been neglected especially during a crucial time in their development. She uses about 39 accounts of various girls she had in treatment and discusses how problems like eating disorders, rape, appearances, and importance of sexual relationships ruined their lives. Most people fail to realize that teenage girls are affected ten times more horribly than adult women because traumatizing events and lifestyles stop their mental development. Reading the accounts of the girls opened my eyes up to impacts of society, specifically on teenage girls. Something I, along with many other people overlooked. Pipher helps you become aware of the repulsive events and occurrences in the life of teenage girls that most people shake off, if they even acknowledge them.
The book's title itself portrays the message that Pipher is trying to get through to the reader. Help teenage girls become the leaders of their own lives, save them from society's wrath. Ophelia was a girl from one of Shakespeare's famous plays, Hamlet. She was a teenage girl who because society said she should, began to live for the approval of her father. She then falls in love and begins to live also for the approval of her love. Not being able to satisfy them both at the same time, she becomes distraught and commits suicide. In other words Pipher is saying “Bring Ophelia back to life”, don’t let teenage girls like Ophelia be negatively affected by society and let them live for the approval of others. It’s a time to bring change and help teenage girls pick themselves up from the ditch society has pushed them in. It’s time to notice the huge hole in the ground.
My book is the almost exact same format only it's the opposite! Raising Cain was written by two child psychologists and the book is based on how society can negatively affect the emotional said of boys. I definitely need to read this one and compare the two
DeleteDid “Made to Stick” Make It Stick?
ReplyDeleteLying underneath my author’s search to prove his ideas was exactly the proof they needed. During every chapter the authors would endlessly use examples to try and argue their point, but while doing so, they were using the technique he was trying to teach. This not only allowed the reader to see the practicality of their argument, but also showed the success their claim can have if used within the guidelines.In the book “Made To Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, the authors attempt to teach readers that five main qualities are what make ideas stick. The qualities are: Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotional, Stories. By using all of these qualities to argue their own point, they proved that these qualities could be used to help other people communicate ideas. The authors made this very clear to us right at the beginning and then continued to use this method throughout the book. By connecting all of their ideas together, the authors were able to make their claim more sticky and compact, teaching us that if we follow along, our ideas will have the same impact. Not only is the success of the authors claim very evident throughout the book, after reading the book closely, it has changed my analyzation of texts and my writing of them as well. This is first hand evidence that the authors claim has the ability to resonate. The authors claim wants us to succeed, and by using such a clear path to success, the author succeeded as well. By using simplicity there was no room for the argument to fail, the clear cut statements provided information without the fancy language or need for interpretation. By structuring the book as a how to guide rather than a persuasive literary argument, the understanding comes more easily on part of the reader. The simplicity is so clear that the author was able to compress the entire contents of the book into 3 pages summarizing the argument efficiently. Clarity and practicality in the author's argument is exactly what made it stick.
"Excuse Me, is the Fish You Serve here Sustainable?"
ReplyDeleteOceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them by Ted Danson is a nonfiction book that discusses the impact humans have on the environment. The author argues and provides evidence that said impacts are negative, also that the detriments we have caused can be prevented and alleviated.
As someone who is very interested in oceanography and the environment and the effects we as humans have had on it, this book appealed to me greatly. Normally when people think of what we’ve done to the environment they think of the rise in global temperatures and sea levels, the extinction of certain animals by poaching or destruction of habitat, deforestation in the rainforests and the resulting loss of biodiversity, among other things. However, most people don’t think about the oceans and what goes on in them because of us, because as the author of the book says, it’s “out of sight, out of mind.” When we eat fish or see fish in the store,we don’t think about what has gone into the process of taking the fish from their natural environment, in the oceans. We don’t see the thousands of tons of bycatch that are pulled up by unsustainable fishing practices, or the sharks or sea turtles or whales or countless other animals that are caught by accident and thrown back into the ocean, dead. This isn’t to say that eating fish is a bad thing or an immoral sin to commit; instead, we should be more conscious of how what we need and take affects the oceans, which comes full circle to affect us.
This book has cemented my opinion on our impact on the environment, that we should do everything we can to reduce our impact on the environment, and I think it will do so for everyone who reads it. Although I already had a decent amount of knowledge on this topic, I still learned a lot about the oceans, especially with the statistics and images in the book. Also provided by the book were many tips and ways to help reduce our impact on the environment, and the oceans, especially. Now when I purchase seafood I will think to ask whether it is sustainable, I will try to reduce my carbon emissions by carpooling, and many other minor changes to my lifestyle that are also ways to help the oceans
This seems like a great book to raise awareness about the effect we have on our environment. As someone who is against eating and killing fish, this seems like a book i might like to read.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThe One “Set Off” You Want
ReplyDeleteThe book The Plug In Drug written by Marie Winn is a book I would recommend for people of all ages, but most definetly children attending school. Today, in the “technology era,” people don’t know that they are abusing television, and they are not aware of the negative impact from television.
I watch kids in the High School come to school in their pajamas and a questionably large cup of coffee every day, and have told me they do not get enough sleep. I try to make suggestions, but they are blown off. After reading this book, I have a deeper understanding of why most kids don’t sleep as well as they did fifty years ago. Marie Winn explains that one major change in kid’s lives is the introduction of television into almost every household. Kids feel the need to stay up late to watch certain programs. This book should be read in classrooms all around the country, because students would definitely benefit from having this knowledge. Students who feel as if they are sleep deprived may find this interesting, and may be inspired to make a change in their life. I can’t even begin to count the amount of times my friends have told me they can’t seem to find time to do their homework, and their test grades have decreased tremendously. Now, I am on the Varsity Dive team, and on average I am able to get to homework around 7:00 every night, and I am able to finish, or at least mostly complete my work. Why is this different? It’s the hook of television and the presence of kids cellphones when they do their homework. It’s a distraction. I always make sure to have no distractions when I do work, unlike my fellow students. If only my friends could find time in their “busy” schedule to read this book, they may be more inspired to kick their bad habits, and be more inspired to try to be a better student.
It is common knowledge that television has a negative influence on people, but before reading this book, I didn’t really know how or why it negatively affected people. I used to read in all of my free time. Every waking moment of my life included my nose buried deep in a book, not to mention the time I finished the Harry Potter series in less than two weeks at age seven. I was a pretty strong reader. Then, earlier this year, I picked up a book voluntarily for the first time in what seemed like forever, and it took me ten minutes to get through the first two pages! I was so confused. What happened to me? Where did my Harry-Potter-talent go? This book answered my questions. It explains that the more television kids watch, the less creative they are, and the more passive they become. This makes kids weaker readers, because they expect the plot to just be laid out for them, like on television. They can’t imagine characters, and it is harder work than watching a movie, so the reader may get bored and give up. This chapter of the book made me really question how I spend my free time. Reading is one of the most important life skills, and at the mere age of 15, I am already a worse reader than my 7 year old self. That thought is terrifying. It’s almost unfathomable to think that watching television is self destructive.
This book is truly an eye-opener. Reading this book really has inspired me to be more cautious when it comes to using electronics. It has made me wonder how I can better myself, and maybe try to help others better themselves. The book The Plug In Drug is undoubtedly the best non-fiction book I have ever read. By providing different kinds of evidence and making connections to the reader, Marie Winn successfully informs the reader of how television has a negative impact on people, and has most definitely influenced me to watch less television.
I think this book sounds really interesting! From what you are saying, it sounds like the author has valid evidence to support her claim, so it must be an accurate book to read. I also have noticed at school that people wear pajamas and drink ten tons of coffee... I never really thought that television might have something to do with it. I have to pick up this book sometime and read it!
DeleteThis really interests me! I would defiantly agree with the author, children and teenagers have different struggles these days because of the new technology. My book kind of touched upon this topic, as we are changing as humans because of technology. I would consider reading this book to gain more of insight on this topic and to learn new ways to rid some bad habits.
DeleteI feel like this really ties in with my book! My book also said how T.V. changes student's performance in school. But mine focused more on how the brain changed because of the influence of T.V. This book seems really interesting to read, because I sometimes have to go to bed pretty late to finish my homework. So maybe this book will help get rid some of my bad staying-up-all-night habits.
DeleteMan Up
ReplyDeleteIn the book, “Raising Cain” by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson, a reader learns a lot about how the emotions of boys are greatly affected by society. There are topics mentioned in this book that everyone has seen, but there are other topics brought up that people usually don’t bring up. That’s why I think people should read this book. It gives you information on how people hurt the emotions of a boy, why it happens and why it needs to be stopped, and how people as individuals can help make a difference for a boy in their life.
In the book, it is evident that these two authors intended for parents to read it, but I think maybe not just parents should read it. I believe that this information applies to everyone, including teachers, uncles, aunts, doctors, and even students. Especially students. Kids should be aware of their actions and how they can hurt others (or even themselves). This book is very informative about how different actions, ideas, and people can hurt boy’s emotions. Also, it is clear to the readers that all information is relevant and true because both authors have their P.H.d in child psychology and use quantitative and qualitative evidence to support their argument.
Before reading this book, I never really thought about how boys can be emotionally damaged, and how people, maybe even including me, can hurt boys’ proper growth and development to have healthy emotions.Initially, I thought this book would just say something like “Boys have feelings too!” and just spout claims like that but it actually goes into a lot more detail about their emotions and how they’re affected. EVERYTHING in this book was undoubtedly interesting, however, the most compelling part for me personally was chapter 8, when they discuss the reasons and/or causes of depression in boys (and could potentially cause them to commit or attempt suicide). The reason why I thought this chapter was the most intriguing is because this is one of the most sensitive topics that no one feels comfortable discussing, and this chapter can help you have a better understanding of why boys can be depressed and why they might want to commit suicide (whether you’re a victim or not).
One example that the authors used that really stuck out to me was a story about
a boy named Keith. Keith was a darker boy and not many people approached him. One day he gave a note to his friends saying that after school he was going to kill himself, and his friends brought the note to Michael (one of the authors). Michael knew that this was no laughing matter, and so he pulled Keith out of class (and Keith said the note was a joke), and called both of his parents. Now, one would think that parents would be very concerned and would want to try to help their child, but to my surprise (and to Michael’s), they were not. They both thought it was just Keith’s dark humor, and his mother actually took the note and crumpled it. Eventually, the family moved away and Keith went to another school. There, at Keith’s new home and new school, he attempted suicide and was hospitalized for it. Keith confessed that a few years back, his uncle beat and abused and threatened Keith, and from then on Keith has never been the same.
This story may have been the one that most stuck out to me because of the sadness I feel for Keith and the anger for his parents, and especially his uncle. I learned so much just from that one story: signs that say boys are depressed and/or thinking about suicide and also how ignoring this is the worst decision ever.
The authors were very successful in their argument because they provided different sorts of evidence to support their argument. I definitely recommend this book to all people because you take so much from it.
My book is so similar to this! Except it discusses the problems of teenage girls rather than boys. I had the same exact reaction reading my book as yours. It's quite deppressing how so many problems are easily overlooked.
DeleteMy book was also intended for parents to read, but mine was for more parents that wanted their kids to do better in school subjects, and how they could do that. But my book, however didn't include any long stories, it was more just some examples of doctor's patients, which the author put in to prove her claim.
DeleteThe book with no clear set path
ReplyDeleteIn the book Guilty? by Teri Kanefeild, there was no clear argument, which caused the reader to struggle to identify the main topic. The authour changed the topic in each chapter, for example she jumped from a person's race changing laws and the attitudes of people to deciding what actions are a danger to society. Since the authour does this, she created a different sub claim for most of the chapters; in the chapters that she does not create a new sub-claim, she does not share a personal opinion on the topic that was covered. Theses chapters were not only disconnected from each other, but their subclaims were also unable to connect to one another or to the original claim. The authour does not tie the sub-claims into the main claim, which was stated in the the beginning of the book. Also, the fact that she did not share personal opinions in every chapter made it hard for the reader to see her side of the situation(s). The authour used tactic of using rhetorical questions towards the middle or end of a chapter. Although this was to get the reader thinking, I found that it did not help the authour to prove her side to the audience because this gave the reader the ability to form their own opinions.
Although the authour did not present a clear argument, she used logos and pathos in order to get the reader engaged and interested in the topic. However, she focuses on a topic for a mere five pages. This limits the reader's capability to fully understand and analyse the topic. This also causes the reader's emotions to change drastically every few pages. This causes the reader to become or feel confused and overwhelmed.
Cole Pipa
ReplyDeleteThe Price of Legalized Greed: An Analysis of Predator Nation by Charles H. Ferguson
Charles Ferguson’s Predator Nation has quite possibly been the most incriminating and well-founded argument for significant changes in policy regarding the financial systems employed by the globalized economy during and after the events known as the Great Recession. It claims that the deregulation policies instituted by the Reagan and Clinton Administrations and the rise of the financial industry in the United States created an ideal environment for large financial corporations to begin exploiting their investors as an easy and highly illegal means of obtaining a profit. These acts would be left unattended, even though most corporate and government agencies knew the consequences of this particular pursuit of profit, and this lack of action would directly result in the massive financial losses that became an aspect of The Great Recession. Ferguson reinforces his claim beautifully, as his overview of events effectively presents his evidence, which is then constantly used to prove why a particular event contributed to the crisis.
Ferguson’s overall argument was powerful, and his argumentative techniques proved to be the backbone of his condemnation of the various corporate amoralities that nearly brought the global economy to its knees. One strategy that Ferguson used that was very effective in convincing me of his point of view was his use of a legal transcript as qualitative evidence followed by an analysis that included strong emotional appeals. The transcript came from a Senate hearing involving the CEO, the CFO and their head mortgage trader. Through the exchange, it becomes clear that these financial leaders knew exactly what they were doing to people even though they vehemently deny it.
Senator Levin: And when you heard that your employees in these emails and looking at these deals said, “God, what a shi**y deal,” “God, what a piece of crap,” when you hear your own employees or read about those in emails, do you feel anything?
Viniar [CFO of Goldman Sachs]: I think that is very unfortunate to have on email. [Laughter].
After presenting this entire exchange, Ferguson highlights the implausibility of the financial leaders being so utterly confused when they deliberately misled thousands of people. Ferguson often uses sarcasm in his analysis, “isn’t it wonderful how confused someone can be when testifying before Congress?” This use of sarcasm appeals to me and probably to other readers because it appeals to the cynical feeling you are having while reading the transcript.
This book further solidified my belief that the economic system at present is detrimental to our country and our global society. I believe the problem goes a step beyond what Ferguson addresses in his book. Ferguson feels that the lack of regulation was the problem. I believe that having a society whose prime motivation is profit breeds this kind of irresponsible behavior that can have dire consequences for the majority of people.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLearning from different perspectives
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the book How We Learn by Benedict Carey, I found the the points and topics he discusses have introduced me to a new ideas about psychology. These things have also changed my views on studying, and I think that many other people could learn new and helpful information from reading this book as well. In this book Carey discusses the benefits of straying from the traditional study habits that people usually use such as flash cards and sitting down for an hour or two and focusing only on one task. I was surprised to read that he was claimed and supported that interrupted study, forgetting and pretesting are valuable study tools.The evidence he provided was substantial in helping me understand his views.
In How We Learn the author talks highly of the advantages a person can have while studying if they change their study areas and and don’t stay in the same spot each time they study. He claims this is beneficial because you will have more clues to help you try and remember materials from your surrounding environment. I have recently tried this strategy and found that it was very successful in helping me retain more information and perform better on exams. I will definitely continue to use this new study tool that I have learned. I also thought it was very helpful for Cary to add into the book that forgetting is necessary. His emphasis and explanation on understanding how the different parts of the brain work and using that information to optimize learning was very persuasive. I think any student trying to do well in school would find the book helpful.
Endangered Minds, More like Bored Minds
ReplyDeleteI thought the book “Endangered Minds; Why Children Don’t Think - and What We Can do About It” by Jane M. Healy was an extremely boring book to read for a month. One frustrating thing the author did was she repeated the same information over and over. All the chapters after some point started to just become one endless cycle of sources., this might have been because I didn’t really the book. The book was most likely meant for parents or teachers. The author constantly told the reader to look back on their experiences with kids to help drive her point home. So for some the author’s points I couldn’t fully understand what she was trying to say. Another thing that was a little disappointing was that the book was from late 1980s , so some of the information wasn’t really up to date. Some of the claims that were made back in 80s might have been true, but today they aren’t so true. So I think this weakened her whole argument
Those were some of the negative points of the book, but there were plenty of positives ones too. One positive thing the article did was that it did prove its source very well. The author was able give multiple reports and data to show that her claims were correct. She also went down to the specifics of her claim. For example, her main claim focused on how the brain changes during generations, so we spend a whole chapter just explaining how the brain works and is created. But overall that was pretty much all the positive things about this book.
So overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book, unless you are interested learning about how the brain works and how T.V is mad for it. But for the rest of us, it would be better to find another book.
Could Robots Replace the Human Touch?
ReplyDeleteSherry Turkle in her novel Alone Together, shares her feelings about the ever changing technology world. This book influenced my way of thinking about technology especially because I have grown up with technology at my fingertips that is constantly improving and I guess I was naive before reading her book.
Initially, I only thought of technology as benefiting us and as I read this book I started to understand the other side to this argument. I didn't think much about technology as being detrimental or hurting society. There are obviously many benefits of technology and the technical advances that have come along, but Turkle specifically talks about the cons. People rely more on technology and prefer the electronic devices over social interactions, because they are more convenient and less demanding.
The most compelling argument Turkle made involved robots. There are many new robots performing jobs that replace humans, such as a girlfriend robot, baby robot and robots that clean. Turkle describes an elderly woman holding a robot doll that acts like a human baby. The woman laughed when asked the question “is this baby alive?” But surprisingly, when the woman's two year old great-granddaughter began to cry, she went for the doll first. People are more apt to be drawn towards the easiness of robots and technology. There is less effort required with instant satisfaction in most cases. This eventually will weaken people's ability to communicate and interact appropriately with each other, which is why Turkle blames technology for making us feel alone.
A Good Book For Everyone
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the book, Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax I gained many new insights about the difference of the two genders and how society sometimes fails to understand and respect that difference. Right off the bat, Leonard Sax clearly stated his claim and I found that to be extremely helpful because it helped me to better understand his point of view and it helped to get his point across faster.
I think people should read this book because it would help a lot of people to better understand some of the behavior differences of girls versus boys and acknowledge it. As I was reading, I was able to make better sense of the reason why boys are so different than girls are at some aspects and how we are the same in many others. There were some ideas that I didn't quite agree with because the author, being a man and only focusing on the science of the whole thing, wasn't able to accurately understand how girls really are and why they do the things they do. And while reading this book there were many instances where he explained the reason for why some girls do what they do, but in my head I knew there were a lot more to it. So, I did not like how for some differences the author just spit out scientific facts instead of actually looking from the girl's point of view. But, besides that I felt like this book is definitely worth the read.
A compelling argument that makes you question your upbringing
ReplyDeleteBefore reading the book Killing Monsters by Gerard Jones, I had always believed that make believe violence, fantasy, and superheroes were damaging to a child's upbringing. They could plant hurtful and destructive ideas into an unsuspecting child's mind, and possibly doom the child's future. They would make for a troubled childhood and a violent unpredictable adulthood. I believed this because of the way I was brought up. All my life my mom has been against watching violence herself, and against my brother and me watching it. I would read fantasy books, but purely for enjoyment, never anything too violent or horrific. I grew up like most little girls playing with dolls, playing sports, and dress up games. But after reading this book i questioned everything i had believed before, including my own upbringing.
Jones uses a compelling appeals of Ethos, Logos and Pathos throughout his book to convince the reader of the possible positive effects of fantasy, super heroes, and make believe violence. The authors use of anecdotal evidence throughout the book was one of the most compelling parts of the book. In the first chapters, the author disproved studies on children by finding faults and misdescriptions with them that would cause incorrect tainted data. The author then used anecdotal evidence, which he gathered from either personal experiences, observing his own child grow up, or from anecdotes told to him by professional associates, or even parents/kids themselves. All these anecdotes proved to the reader how the author had done his research and really knew what he was talking about. This along with his previously established credibility (of being a parent, him interviewing professionals and getting their direct quotes and opinions due to years of experience). Not only is he a professional, but he has all of these other professionals to back him up. This gives the author your trust, and clearly establishes his credibility. I now believe that fantasy, superheroes, and make believe violence can be benefactory to the upbringing of a child, but only in small limited amounts. I don't believe in violent video games or extremely violent movies.