Cosmos by Carl Sagan is a book which has the main idea that the universe is very complex, but humans are beginning to understand more and more about it.
This is a theme very evident in the book. For example, in the text it says "We will have the will and the resources and the technical knowledge to go to the stars". In this statement, the author is saying that although we don't currently have the technology to go to other worlds, we will eventually be able to. Another example of this is when the author writes "Will we ever come to an end in our understanding of the nature of matter, or is there an infinite regression into more and more fundamental particles? This is one of the great unsolved problems in science". When the author wrote this, he is showing to the reader that humans do not know everything about the universe- in fact, we still have a ton of things to learn. We are beginning to understand some of it, but not even close to all of it. One final example is when the author talks about elements. He talks about the 94 stable elements, but notes that there are still many elements that are yet to be discovered. This shows humans' partial understanding of our universe. We know some, if not many, elements, but there are still more to be discovered.
When the author wrote the book, I think he intended for the audience to be amazed at the vastness and complexity of the universe, but also amazed at how far humans have come. One technique the author uses is images, with captions. One image the author shows is of a painting of the Milky Way Galaxy. Although it is just a painting, it seems extremely realistic, and has the same effect- it shows how big, and powerful-looking, the universe is. It makes the reader amazed at the size of it. Another technique used by the author is the use of diagrams. Diagrams are especially helpful in this book for understanding concepts visually. One example of a diagram of Kepler's second law: All areas a planet travels between take the planet equal times to travel. In the context of the book, it may be difficult to understand. But with the diagram (3 equidistant pairs of points, with a line from each point to the sun, and shading inside the lines), and the caption (which says that the shaded areas are equal and the travel time between the pairs of points are equal), it is very easy to understand. This also shows the complexity of the universe, but it is simplified by the diagram to be easily understood.
When I read the book, I thought about how interesting the universe really is. I thought about how it isn't just stars and planets, it is individual atoms making up giant stars and even us, and the human race is becoming more knowledgeable on the subject, and doing more things to learn more about the universe we live in. I think the book really promotes that idea.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
SA Inquiry #3 For Lord Of the Rings 3: Return of the King
When I was reading The Return of the King, the third book in the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien, I noticed that there was a theme of justice involved in it, and it can relate to the real world. I think the theme that includes justice is that justice can sometimes be cruel or violent, and not perfect.
In the book, "justice" would mean the destruction of Mordor, an evil power, and getting the ring of power destroyed as well. In this case, this would Mordor would be blocking justice from being served because it tries to prevent its destruction and the destruction of the ring. In the book, there is a circle of people and places blocking, protecting, or serving justice. Frodo, the main character who has to destroy the ring, is the person who brings justice, by destroying the ring, and therefore destroying Mordor as well. The Fellowship of the Ring, the people protecting Frodo, are protecting justice. They don't serve it, but they help block people trying to block justice. The kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan also are protectors of justice because they also try to stop Mordor from having an effect on Frodo. The theme relates to this because it was a very violent justice being served- the destruction of nations and many people. It doesn't just come easily and smoothly.
When reading the book, it appeared to me that the people had wants that made them on the side they were on. Mordor, on one hand, wanted power, so they were the antagonists, who would not want justice to be served upon them. Rohan, Gondor, and the Fellowship want to protect their land, so they end up protecting justice, to make sure it can be served. Frodo wants more than anything to get over the whole war and to live in peace, so he is an unlikely candidate to carry out the justice, but he ends up being the one to serve justice in the end- which changes his character. This shows that their wants influence their purpose when it comes to who serves justice, and who tries to block it. Also, because the antagonists are very successful, doing a lot of damage to many people, the justice being served is harsh in turn.
This scenario of justice can be seen in the real world too. In World War Two, the roles of the Axis and Allies are quite similar to those in The Return of the King. The Axis, like Mordor, look for power. They are the antagonists who started everything. They also do cruel things, so that's why justice is supposed to be served to them. The Allies have both the roles of protecting justice and serving it. They protect justice by fighting off the Axis powers from their lands, and serve it by finally attacking and winning the war. The main difference in this is that there is no "Ring", it is more of a collective effort. Obviously, the post-war effects of WWII were devastating to many people- with extreme casualties and the destruction of towns, cities, and economies. Even though it isn't a clone, this shows that in the real world, there are scenarios that show things close to this scheme of justice from The Return of the King.
Overall, there is a lot of justice at play. It is harsh, and not simply delivered. It also has many real-world scenarios that have similar roles of justice involved. This makes the book enjoyable- it isn't obvious and simple to understand, and it is very relate able.
In the book, "justice" would mean the destruction of Mordor, an evil power, and getting the ring of power destroyed as well. In this case, this would Mordor would be blocking justice from being served because it tries to prevent its destruction and the destruction of the ring. In the book, there is a circle of people and places blocking, protecting, or serving justice. Frodo, the main character who has to destroy the ring, is the person who brings justice, by destroying the ring, and therefore destroying Mordor as well. The Fellowship of the Ring, the people protecting Frodo, are protecting justice. They don't serve it, but they help block people trying to block justice. The kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan also are protectors of justice because they also try to stop Mordor from having an effect on Frodo. The theme relates to this because it was a very violent justice being served- the destruction of nations and many people. It doesn't just come easily and smoothly.
When reading the book, it appeared to me that the people had wants that made them on the side they were on. Mordor, on one hand, wanted power, so they were the antagonists, who would not want justice to be served upon them. Rohan, Gondor, and the Fellowship want to protect their land, so they end up protecting justice, to make sure it can be served. Frodo wants more than anything to get over the whole war and to live in peace, so he is an unlikely candidate to carry out the justice, but he ends up being the one to serve justice in the end- which changes his character. This shows that their wants influence their purpose when it comes to who serves justice, and who tries to block it. Also, because the antagonists are very successful, doing a lot of damage to many people, the justice being served is harsh in turn.
This scenario of justice can be seen in the real world too. In World War Two, the roles of the Axis and Allies are quite similar to those in The Return of the King. The Axis, like Mordor, look for power. They are the antagonists who started everything. They also do cruel things, so that's why justice is supposed to be served to them. The Allies have both the roles of protecting justice and serving it. They protect justice by fighting off the Axis powers from their lands, and serve it by finally attacking and winning the war. The main difference in this is that there is no "Ring", it is more of a collective effort. Obviously, the post-war effects of WWII were devastating to many people- with extreme casualties and the destruction of towns, cities, and economies. Even though it isn't a clone, this shows that in the real world, there are scenarios that show things close to this scheme of justice from The Return of the King.
Overall, there is a lot of justice at play. It is harsh, and not simply delivered. It also has many real-world scenarios that have similar roles of justice involved. This makes the book enjoyable- it isn't obvious and simple to understand, and it is very relate able.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Blog Review for Non-Fiction Critical Analysis on "After Mandela" by Pietro Costa
While reading Pietro's blog post about the Upfront magazine's article "After Mandela", I noticed immediately that it was both engaging, and gave very good information.
It was really engaging, first of all. It talks to the reader a lot, like when Pietro writes "Why after all these years of Mandela's praise for fixing the country, will presidents return to become corrupt?" This makes the reader think a lot about what Pietro is writing, which is very engaging. It makes the reader concentrate a lot on what the writing says, and also makes the reader try to answer questions presented to them, or at least have some feelings about the questions or statements put at the reader. In the post, Pietro also talks a lot about how he felt. For example, he wrote " I personally that the country seriously needs to be put into shape." When the author talks about himself, it allows the reader to connect with those feelings, and makes the story more relate able to the reader. This makes the story more engaging for the reader because they can actually connect with someone with the ideas presented in the book, which allows the reader to think more and spread their ideas, along with combining the ideas with the ideas that the author has. Overall, Pietro used many engaging techniques that helped the reader think about the text while still being engaged.
Secondly, it gave me a lot of information. Pietro tries to show how the author thinks that South Africa is still not completely good. For example, he writes "Jacob Zuma has been suspected of corruption and accused of rape." This is one example of Pietro adding in information to prove his point. The information he used was also very on-point, being only about things pertaining to the article, and his main idea, which means the information was helpful, and specific. Another example is when Pietro writes "Smith uses according examples and quotes that trump the thought of the 'utopian' country after Mandela. Even after apartheid, of all blacks, only 15% aren't poor." Not only is this a good quote, which helps the reader understand the main idea and help prove the Author's point, but it is good information too. It includes a statistic, which makes it very obvious to the reader, and very easy to understand, which helps make the information even better. In the end, Pietro used great information that easily told readers why his point was correct in visible and logical terms.
Here's a link to the blog- enjoy!
Pietro's Blog
It was really engaging, first of all. It talks to the reader a lot, like when Pietro writes "Why after all these years of Mandela's praise for fixing the country, will presidents return to become corrupt?" This makes the reader think a lot about what Pietro is writing, which is very engaging. It makes the reader concentrate a lot on what the writing says, and also makes the reader try to answer questions presented to them, or at least have some feelings about the questions or statements put at the reader. In the post, Pietro also talks a lot about how he felt. For example, he wrote " I personally that the country seriously needs to be put into shape." When the author talks about himself, it allows the reader to connect with those feelings, and makes the story more relate able to the reader. This makes the story more engaging for the reader because they can actually connect with someone with the ideas presented in the book, which allows the reader to think more and spread their ideas, along with combining the ideas with the ideas that the author has. Overall, Pietro used many engaging techniques that helped the reader think about the text while still being engaged.
Secondly, it gave me a lot of information. Pietro tries to show how the author thinks that South Africa is still not completely good. For example, he writes "Jacob Zuma has been suspected of corruption and accused of rape." This is one example of Pietro adding in information to prove his point. The information he used was also very on-point, being only about things pertaining to the article, and his main idea, which means the information was helpful, and specific. Another example is when Pietro writes "Smith uses according examples and quotes that trump the thought of the 'utopian' country after Mandela. Even after apartheid, of all blacks, only 15% aren't poor." Not only is this a good quote, which helps the reader understand the main idea and help prove the Author's point, but it is good information too. It includes a statistic, which makes it very obvious to the reader, and very easy to understand, which helps make the information even better. In the end, Pietro used great information that easily told readers why his point was correct in visible and logical terms.
Here's a link to the blog- enjoy!
Pietro's Blog
Friday, January 10, 2014
Critical Analysis for "El Clasico"
El Clásico by Ryan Fitzpatrick, is a book about the famous Barcelona v Real Madrid matchup in Spanish Soccer. The main idea of the book is that the rivalry between the two clubs runs deeper than just the soccer itself. One example of this is when the author says "A giant Catalan flag was spread out over the pitch while a 58-person choir sang the Catalan national anthem". This is running deeper than just the soccer because the Real-Barca game, being that Barca is from Catalonia and Real from Spain's capital, brings back the essence of the Spanish Civil War, in which Catalonia bore the brunt of the war. Catalonia is still a part of Spain that would like independence, so the Real-Barca matches reflect the peoples' feelings on the subject- in this case, the match was at Barca, so there were many Catalan flags. Another example is "There's a sense that the tension between Catalonia and Madrid can never be resolved, which feeds into the eternal nature of the Real-Barca rivalry". This means because of the political struggle between Spain and Catalonia, the Soccer matches are much more important to the people there. A final example is when the author talks about what fans would do at games. They will sing songs from the country, wave flags, and insult the other sides. These games can get so heated that some fans decided to boycott Catalan goods! This means that in this matchup, fans will go to extreme lengths to support their side.
In the book, the author wants the reader to feel like you are in the midst of one of these games. He wants the reader to think about how this would compare to other soccer matches in other countries, or other games. He gives comparisons to English soccer to show that it's not even close, and leaves you to think about that. The author uses several craft techniques to make the reader think and feel what the author wants. One example of this is the author's use of stating facts, including Head-To-Head wins for real, Barca, and draws. The author also includes Titles won by each club, and information about their managers. A second technique used is quoting people that have experienced something talked about in the book, or an expert on a subject in the book. For example, the author quotes Charley Rexach, a youth academy director at Barca. Rexach said "Historically, the... seleccion [Spain's national team] hasn't got... spirit. Here in Spain, if you ask someone "What's your team", the first answer is Madrid or Barca." Rexach was an ex-National Team Player for Spain. The author quotes experts to make the book more authoritative. It makes the book seem right, so when you think about things the author says, you know they are correct because experts have said the same thing.
When I read the book, I felt more sympathy for Real Madrid, being that my family are all fans of Madrid. I think that if you are a supporter of one side and read this book, the book allows you to keep supporting that club throughout the book, even if it lets you see the other side, too.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Critical Analysis for "China Puts Up Green Wall to US Trash"
"China Puts Up Green Wall to US Trash" by Peter Ford is a text about how China is cutting down on the trash it receives. The main idea is that the US will have to be creative, doing new or different things, to get rid of trash if less of it goes to China. One example of this is when the author quotes Jeff Powell, publisher of the Resource Recycling magazine saying "The new Chinese policy... will force US recyclers[sic] either to sort recyclables more carefully, or to recycle more materials in the US, or both." This means that because the US cannot give so much trash to China, it will have to do new and/or different things to get rid of its waste. Another example in the text is when the author quotes Micheal Schipper, a scrap trader with International Alloys saying "We are going to find ourselves forced to be much more innovative". The author then says that he means being innovative with our waste. Schipper goes on to say "We will have to find ways of processing that material here in a much more cost-effective way." Because we cannot give as much trash to China, a lot of the work will be done in the US, so it will have to be done, effectively, and cheaply. A final example is when the author talks about what has been done so far. He explains that people are being more careful, and trying to find the best way to solve the issue. This means that people in the US are looking for new ways to solve this issue.
In the text, the author makes the reader think about how bad the conditions are in China- both for people handling the garbage and just citizens in larger cities. The author makes readers feel bad for them, but a bit happy because this will end up not only helping China, but the US as well. To do this, the author uses some craft. One example of this is using facts that look really bad. For example, the author says "Chances are it [Your Garbage] ends up in China- like 75 percent of Aluminum Scrap that are the United States exports. Or 60 percent of its scrap paper exports. Or 50 percent of its plastic." This shows that we give a lot of trash to China, and it also seems really bad- which it is- but also makes it so it is probably more than the reader expected. A second craft move is quoting experts. This makes the text seem very authoritative, and definitely not having false information. One quote is "Also in 2011, the US exported 23 million tons of scrap... two-thirds of it went to China, according to figures from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington." Here, it cites and expert source, so that the reader believes the facts stated beforehand. This gives credibility to the facts, and makes the text sound more authoritative.
When I read this, I felt that the US relied to heavily on China for its export of garbage- but we can change this and become more independent after this "Green Wall" was put up. I also think that we could cut down on having so much waste in the first place with better recycling.
In the text, the author makes the reader think about how bad the conditions are in China- both for people handling the garbage and just citizens in larger cities. The author makes readers feel bad for them, but a bit happy because this will end up not only helping China, but the US as well. To do this, the author uses some craft. One example of this is using facts that look really bad. For example, the author says "Chances are it [Your Garbage] ends up in China- like 75 percent of Aluminum Scrap that are the United States exports. Or 60 percent of its scrap paper exports. Or 50 percent of its plastic." This shows that we give a lot of trash to China, and it also seems really bad- which it is- but also makes it so it is probably more than the reader expected. A second craft move is quoting experts. This makes the text seem very authoritative, and definitely not having false information. One quote is "Also in 2011, the US exported 23 million tons of scrap... two-thirds of it went to China, according to figures from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington." Here, it cites and expert source, so that the reader believes the facts stated beforehand. This gives credibility to the facts, and makes the text sound more authoritative.
When I read this, I felt that the US relied to heavily on China for its export of garbage- but we can change this and become more independent after this "Green Wall" was put up. I also think that we could cut down on having so much waste in the first place with better recycling.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Social Action Inquiry Question #2 for Pride of Carthage by David Anthony Durham
In the book Pride of Carthage, by David Anthony Durham, several perspectives are left out of the book to put the reader more into the shoes of the Barca family.
One way this is accomplished is by not giving perspectives of the Roman people. The Romans as a whole people, the poor and rich, of all jobs, do not have a perspective in the book so far. This is a point of view that I think is often represented, but I believe the author chose not to include it in Pride of Carthage to make it more in the shoes of the Barca family. For example, Hannibal would not know how the people would respond to his victory at the Trebbia, because he was not in Rome. By not showing the perspective of the Roman people, you are led to be in the shoes of Hannibal because you are forced to come to your own conclusions about what is happening inside of Rome and her cities at the time.
Another way that the author puts you into the shoes of the Barca family is not showing very much of the Roman Army. This is a perspective I think is used very often. When the author chooses not to include it very often, the effect is that the author limits your knowledge to about the same as what the Carthaginians knew at the time. When the author includes a Roman perspective, it's always when Hannibal is always near the army, or the intention of the army is clear. Because this perspective is not very prominent whatsoever, you are forced to listen to the perspective of Hannibal and his army more often. For example, one time where the Roman perspective is used is at the battle of Cannae. In this situation, Hannibal knew everything the author revealed to readers about the Romans- so you are put into the situation where you essentially have to think "Hannibal already knows this- I don't really know anything more than he does about the situation".
In the book, there are many perspectives. There are 3 or 4 from Hannibal's army, 1 or 2 from Carthage itself, and 1 or 2 others depending on the time in the book. This is an interesting craft move, and when none or 1 out of 6 or 7 perspectives at any one point is a Roman one, you really see how the author wants to "black out" what the Romans are doing. This really becomes evident when the other perspectives have so much variety- There are perspectives from Hannibal, soldiers in the army, camp followers, generals, and family, so you are sucked deeply into the perspectives of these Carthaginians. You are allowed much more time to connect with the characters on one side, and very little time at all with the Romans. The effect of more Carthaginian perspective than Roman is that you end up in the Carthaginians' shoes.
All in all, the multi-perspective craft in the book forces you into the Carthaginians' shoes. The Roman people are deprived of their perspective almost completely, and the Roman army only has enough to show you what Hannibal already knows. The fact that you're in Carthaginian shoes almost all of the time is put their to force you to emphasize with the Carthaginian Characters, who the book is based on.
One way this is accomplished is by not giving perspectives of the Roman people. The Romans as a whole people, the poor and rich, of all jobs, do not have a perspective in the book so far. This is a point of view that I think is often represented, but I believe the author chose not to include it in Pride of Carthage to make it more in the shoes of the Barca family. For example, Hannibal would not know how the people would respond to his victory at the Trebbia, because he was not in Rome. By not showing the perspective of the Roman people, you are led to be in the shoes of Hannibal because you are forced to come to your own conclusions about what is happening inside of Rome and her cities at the time.
Another way that the author puts you into the shoes of the Barca family is not showing very much of the Roman Army. This is a perspective I think is used very often. When the author chooses not to include it very often, the effect is that the author limits your knowledge to about the same as what the Carthaginians knew at the time. When the author includes a Roman perspective, it's always when Hannibal is always near the army, or the intention of the army is clear. Because this perspective is not very prominent whatsoever, you are forced to listen to the perspective of Hannibal and his army more often. For example, one time where the Roman perspective is used is at the battle of Cannae. In this situation, Hannibal knew everything the author revealed to readers about the Romans- so you are put into the situation where you essentially have to think "Hannibal already knows this- I don't really know anything more than he does about the situation".
In the book, there are many perspectives. There are 3 or 4 from Hannibal's army, 1 or 2 from Carthage itself, and 1 or 2 others depending on the time in the book. This is an interesting craft move, and when none or 1 out of 6 or 7 perspectives at any one point is a Roman one, you really see how the author wants to "black out" what the Romans are doing. This really becomes evident when the other perspectives have so much variety- There are perspectives from Hannibal, soldiers in the army, camp followers, generals, and family, so you are sucked deeply into the perspectives of these Carthaginians. You are allowed much more time to connect with the characters on one side, and very little time at all with the Romans. The effect of more Carthaginian perspective than Roman is that you end up in the Carthaginians' shoes.
All in all, the multi-perspective craft in the book forces you into the Carthaginians' shoes. The Roman people are deprived of their perspective almost completely, and the Roman army only has enough to show you what Hannibal already knows. The fact that you're in Carthaginian shoes almost all of the time is put their to force you to emphasize with the Carthaginian Characters, who the book is based on.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
SA Inquiry Question #1 For Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
When I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, I noticed a some complex ideas and themes in the book.
One of these complex ideas is isolation. In the book, Ender is often isolated from most people. In the text, it says "He [Ender] recognized they were isolating them again..." He knows that the teachers isolate him, but that leads to more questions, like "Why are they isolating me?" Isolation in the book often forces Ender to think about who his "real" friends are. The fact that he is isolated means he has contact with few people- but since is isolation is controlled, he wonders if the people he does know are really his friends or not. In the text, it says "But Ender wasn't sure Dink was his friend anymore". Since the issue of "real" friends is caused by Ender's isolation, it kind of loops around infinitely.
Another complex idea is bullying. In the story, Ender is confronted by bullies multiple times, but it is more layered than that. He knows that the teachers will not help him confront the bullies, so he faces this issue: Should he try to beat them once, and hope they don't come back, or defeat them, permanently? In the text, Ender says "Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone". He doesn't want to continue attacking people, but he realizes it's the only way to keep himself safe.
One final complex thing is morality. Ender is forced into being cold-hearted and what others around him consider a "killer", which is not what he wanted to be like. When it comes down to destroying another alien race at war with the Humans, Ender doesn't want to, because he couldn't bear the weight of genocide on his shoulders. The question Ender is really thinking, in a deeper meaning, is "Is killing a race because they've killed humans moral?" Because Ender thinks that there isn't, he essentially asks "Is there another way?" He eventually is tricked into killing all but one queen of the race, but he finds a way to escape the genocide linked with the murder of the species by bringing the queen to another planet to start their race over for them. In the text, it says "And always Ender carried with him a dry white cocoon, looking for the world where the hive-queen could awaken and thrive in peace".
In Ender's Game, the complex ideas of morality, bullying, and isolation are very present and form challenges that help make Ender's Game a complex book. It is also a book that many people can relate to- issues like bullying are common in many places. Issues like the ones mentioned make the reader think about how Ender reacts to them, and that could lead to the reader thinking about how they would react to a similar situation.
One of these complex ideas is isolation. In the book, Ender is often isolated from most people. In the text, it says "He [Ender] recognized they were isolating them again..." He knows that the teachers isolate him, but that leads to more questions, like "Why are they isolating me?" Isolation in the book often forces Ender to think about who his "real" friends are. The fact that he is isolated means he has contact with few people- but since is isolation is controlled, he wonders if the people he does know are really his friends or not. In the text, it says "But Ender wasn't sure Dink was his friend anymore". Since the issue of "real" friends is caused by Ender's isolation, it kind of loops around infinitely.
Another complex idea is bullying. In the story, Ender is confronted by bullies multiple times, but it is more layered than that. He knows that the teachers will not help him confront the bullies, so he faces this issue: Should he try to beat them once, and hope they don't come back, or defeat them, permanently? In the text, Ender says "Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone". He doesn't want to continue attacking people, but he realizes it's the only way to keep himself safe.
One final complex thing is morality. Ender is forced into being cold-hearted and what others around him consider a "killer", which is not what he wanted to be like. When it comes down to destroying another alien race at war with the Humans, Ender doesn't want to, because he couldn't bear the weight of genocide on his shoulders. The question Ender is really thinking, in a deeper meaning, is "Is killing a race because they've killed humans moral?" Because Ender thinks that there isn't, he essentially asks "Is there another way?" He eventually is tricked into killing all but one queen of the race, but he finds a way to escape the genocide linked with the murder of the species by bringing the queen to another planet to start their race over for them. In the text, it says "And always Ender carried with him a dry white cocoon, looking for the world where the hive-queen could awaken and thrive in peace".
In Ender's Game, the complex ideas of morality, bullying, and isolation are very present and form challenges that help make Ender's Game a complex book. It is also a book that many people can relate to- issues like bullying are common in many places. Issues like the ones mentioned make the reader think about how Ender reacts to them, and that could lead to the reader thinking about how they would react to a similar situation.
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