moving, dull? Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not? Which book did you prefer: your first choice or this one? Completed by Wednesday, May 28
Blogpost #4: What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting,
moving, dull? Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not? Which book did you prefer: your first choice or this one? Completed by Wednesday, May 28
20 Comments
Austin Madden
5/26/2014 11:12:37 pm
My overall response to "Into the Wild" is that the book was an easy and more than interesting read. For a person like me who doesn't like reading I was pulled into this book very fast and it didn't disappoint like most books I choose to read. I would recommend this book to someone who needs a book that can peak your interest. I personally would choose this book over Columbine which was my first read because its a lot less violent and its still as interesting.
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Oscar Ryland
5/26/2014 11:30:25 pm
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book Outliers by Malcolm Galdwell. His compilation of stories were all intriguing to me and he related these stories to each other effectively. I thought his writing style was highly attractive, even in the more dull areas. His implications for reaching success were all well-founded and helped persuade me that I have a strong ability to be successful. I would definitely recommend it to others. The stories are all interesting. Any reader should be able to closely identify themselves with, at the very least, one of his success stories. Also, Gladwell implies paths to success, which are helpful to anyone looking for a successful life. I preferred my first book choice over this one, but only by a narrow margin. My first book, Quiet, by Susan Cain, more closely related to my current struggles as an introvert in the extroverted world. Outliers has helped me grow and appreciate my gifts, but Quiet helped me more and was a bit more exciting of a read for me.
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Megan Eckstein
5/27/2014 10:35:17 am
I enjoyed reading Quiet by Susan Cain very much. It was very interesting to me because it discussed introversion in a multitude of aspects. Cain illustrated introverts in a positive light, even though they are usually viewed negatively, due to the extrovert ideal in our society. Her book gave me a new perspective on introverts and it helped me to appreciate the characteristics of introverts like myself. I would definitely recommend this book to others because I found the book and its overall points very intriguing. For example, many projects emphasize utilizing team work, but Cain wrote about how independent work actually produces more creative ideas. I found the points brought up in this book very interesting and so I would highly recommend this book, especially to introverted people. I preferred Quiet, not only because I found it extremely intriguing, but because I did not enjoy my first book that much. My first book was Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Although he brought up interesting points and the book was very well written, I could not become attached to the book. On the other hand, I could breeze through Quiet.
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Paige Chesney
5/27/2014 10:10:55 pm
I really enjoyed reading Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard. I thought that the book was very moving because of how much he accomplishes and how many tough obstacles he gets through to achieve his goal. I would highly recommend this book to others, especially teenagers and adults, because his story is very inspiring and shows that although life can be difficult at times it is important to continue to strive to reach your goals. I prefer this book over my first choice, Freakonomics, because although it had some interesting facts it was harder to get into because it didn't really have a story line. Scratch Beginnings caught my attention right from the start because of its shocking events.
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Sam Webb
5/27/2014 11:23:53 pm
I thought that "The Hot Zone" was a very interesting book. Richard Preston helps keep the reader's attention through the intense and horrifying events that went on in the American capital. Preston keeps the suspense throughout with all the horrible events involving the level 4 viruses that could cause a major crisis within America. I would definitely recommend this to other people, but I would warn them about the disgusting and horrible symptoms that Preston describes throughout the book. I preferred "Unbroken" over "The Hot Zone" because "Unbroken" talked about perseverance and the will to stay alive, while also bringing in faith in the end. "Unbroken" told a tragic story while also teaching the reader a lesson about faith, while "The Hot Zone" tells a story about the most dangerous viruses in the world. There wasn't really a lesson to be learned.
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Katie Lake
5/27/2014 11:24:10 pm
I did not find "Three Cups of Tea" as intriguing as I thought I would. While the overall message was motivational and inspirational, the content was very dry and dull. I would only recommend this book to someone who is interested in hearing the story of Mortenson's failure and how it resulted in an unexpected, yet world changing outcome. This book was my first and only choice. I chose it because the front cover caught my attention, but as I read on I realized that I did not enjoy the novel as much as I thought I would have.
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Anthony Jantzen
5/27/2014 11:26:50 pm
Overall, I loved The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It was an intense, disturbing, and exciting read all the way through. I was captivated by the detail in which Preston wrote, and his cliffhangers kept me wanting to read more. I would definitely recommend this book to others because of its thriller-like story, although I would tell others to avoid it if they have a weak stomach for the vividly disgusting accounts Preston illustrates. Ultimately, I enjoyed this book better than my first choice, Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell. I found Outliers interesting, but that interest faded away as I read more and more of the book. I just thought it was bland after awhile, and it didn't really suit me. The Hot Zone, however, was actually fun for me to read and a book that I wanted to keep reading until the end.
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Brett Glass
5/27/2014 11:27:59 pm
Finally in the correct class. Just thought I would point that out. Anyway I was fascinated with The Prince. I enjoyed it because of its different view on how someone should rule. Coming from a democratic country it was different to read a book with someone saying that a totalitarian government was the way to go. I figure based on my response to this book, books like Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto or Hitlers Mein Kaumpf would be similar, although Hitlers would be more appalling. I would recommend it because of what it says. People who are interested in politics or history would love this book.
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Megan Wessel
5/27/2014 11:30:38 pm
Overall, I liked Lone Survivor very much. This was definitely a book that kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. Lone Survivor was also very moving. The reader gets to experience a first person account of what it was really like for the Navy SEALS in their mission to Afghanistan. Marcus Luttrell describes enjoyable moments, but sad, emotional ones as well. He is also very patriotic throughout the book and describes his opinions on the media and the government. I would strongly recommend Lone Survivor to anyone. I believe it is important to read of a real experience instead of only knowing what the media tells us. This book teaches many lessons and lets us see an uncensored experience and opinions of someone on the battle field. I would choose Lone Survivor over The Shallows because it caught my interest a lot more and had a more valuable lesson to me. It was an easy read, but very interesting.
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Haley Wakelam
5/28/2014 12:22:07 am
I loved my choice, “I am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai. If I was impressed by the premise of Yousafzai’s story when I first picked this book up, I’m impressed now more than ever. It helps that Yousafzai and I are around the same age; it has allowed us to share some of the same experiences. We were both very young, for example, when the attack on the World Trade Center took place, and neither of us understood how it would come to impact our lives. My government protected me from the threat of terrorism, whereas Yousafzai’s progressively weakened, unable to protect its citizens from the Taliban, which was creeping ever closer. I went on to endure what I though of as a normal childhood. I went to school, I had playdates, and was generally encouraged to invent the possibility of a better life for myself. But Yousafzai endured a very different kind of normal. She too attended school, but instead of jauntily making her way to school each morning, she hid her school books under her clothing and watched at night as the news reported yet another school bombing. Her normal dictated that she walk past public whippings on the sidewalk, watch as her female friends were gradually pulled from school to observe purdah (the Muslim practice of female seclusion), and feel ashamed because of her desire to better her life. Still, despite all this, Yousafzai continued to attend school and speak out on women’s rights. Then, of course, she was shot. Reading about the strength Yousafzai possessed, even after the incident, has led me to believe that even a tragedy as terrible as the shooting of a teenage girl can have extraordinary results. I am inspired by Yousafzai courage in the face of such an imaginable event, but I share her sadness in that she’s since been unable to return to her native Pakistan. The love she possesses for Pakistan makes for a moving testimony, and I've been made to feel a certain tenderness towards its people.
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Haley Wakelam
5/28/2014 12:22:59 am
I tried to indent but it just wouldn't let me.
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Jacob Brinkerhoff
5/28/2014 04:36:58 am
I found Columbine to be inspirational and very informative. I learned so much about the Columbine shooting and shooters. Some of the things I thought I knew about Columbine were completely wrong. This book moved me in a sense that I won't take life for granted because you never know what might happen. I know that sounds a bit morbid but it's the truth in my eyes. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read. This book, in my opinion, should be read by every student in America. The Columbine shooting changed America forever and students everywhere should know how and why the events that took place, took place. I would say that I liked Columbine better than my first choice The Blind Side because I had already seen The Blind Side Movie and it kind of ruined the book for me. Columbine was an eye opener and a very intriguing book, and I'm glad I chose to read it.
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Becca Johnson
5/28/2014 07:26:32 am
Overall I enjoyed "David and Goliath." I found it very interesting and it made me think of things in ways that I had never even imagined before. I had never thought that losing a parent as a child could ever turn into an advantage that would help someone find the cure to leukemia. The book was also very informative. In the examples that Gladwell used I learned about many events that I had never known about, such as the story of a village that resisted the Nazis. I would recommend it to others because it is not hard to read and it can broaden your perspective. The book looked at things in different ways than are typical and can help you think differently. My first independent reading choice and this one were very similar since they were by the same author. Although I like them both about equally I would have to say I liked "David and Goliath" better because "Outliers" talked about what had already happened that led to people's advantages. Though some of that same principle was in "David and Goliath" there were also parts of the book that could be more applicable to my life than there were in "Outliers".
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Alexandra Klumb
5/28/2014 07:45:54 am
I enjoyed reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls very much. The stories of her childhood were very intriguing. Oftentimes I had to remind myself that I was reading a memoir; some of the things that happened in her life I could not imagine. I definitely recommend this book to others. It is a great story about a girl who has been through just about everything and rose above it. Both loved both my first and second choices. They were both similar in that the books took you through a journey throughout a person's lifetime. If I had to choose, I would say that I prefer The Glass Castle over Eat, Pray, Love (my first book), just because I really enjoyed reading Walls' stories. I thought the way she told them was very interesting and definitely kept me wanting to read more. I also like that the book started with her earliest memory of her childhood.
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Victoria Radcliffe
5/28/2014 10:30:09 am
I found " The Discovery of the Titanic" to be very interesting and enlightening on the pains it takes to conduct an underwater expedition. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the story of the Titanic as it portrays a new aspect of the story. I would also recommend it to anyone that enjoys underwater exploration or marine technology. I liked this book better than "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" because The author was better at explaining technical terms than the author of my first choice. When reading my first choice I wa sometimes confused about the experiments taking place.
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Austin Bolger
5/28/2014 12:21:35 pm
I was very pleased with The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. After reading Outliers (also by Gladwell) earlier this year, I found this book to be equally enjoyable and enlightening. Much like in Outliers, the book was very revealing in concepts and theories that I had never thought of before, and with his strong use of examples in his support create a great argument. I would recommend this book to anybody in the fields of business, the fine arts, or political science due to its possible applications in these fields. I liked The Tipping Point better than Outliers due to its reliability to my field of study, marketing. This book went into depth on how trends develop from a couple of teenagers in the Bronx to millions of teenagers across the nation. It really opened my eyes into how there are the few people who have a much greater influence than anybody else, and are part of the reason for starting trends. The only thing I disliked about this book (which occurred in Outliers too) was the unnecessarily excessive use of examples in some parts of the book. While it does provide more support for his thesis, I feel that sometimes he went a little overboard. Regardless, I really enjoyed this read and will be reading more of Gladwell's books in the future.
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5/28/2014 12:41:41 pm
Overall this book is down right kick butt!! I loved it, Not only was it motivational but it moved me to tears. From beginning to end it was hard for me to put the book down, also because my mother was reading it again and was going to spoil everything so I had to stay ahead of her. I found this to be a very interesting book with many hidden meanings and lots of quotes that I will probably plaster my college dorm room with. I will and have recommended this book to others because not only did I love the book but Mitch Albom is one of my favorite authors of all time and I would recommend all his work to anyone. Honestly it is very difficult to choose between to amazing books, The Child Called It and Tuesdays with Morrie, but Child Called It was just overwhelmingly emotional and left something I will never forget. I did though thoroughly enjoy both works of art.
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Alisse Urig
5/28/2014 01:26:07 pm
My overall response to "Into the Wild" is a mixture of awe, confusion, and sympathy. It's truly amazing all the places Chris traveled to and all of the people whose lives he impacted tremendously. I found the book very interesting, yet overwhelming. There was just so much information! It was hard to keep everything straight and all the places he went and all the people he encountered. There were just so many with all different stories all pieced together to make sense of Chris's life and his travels. I would recommend it to others because it really teaches that money isn't everything and when you want something go out and get it. It also teaches not to rush things, and DO PLAN your adventures/thoughts before you do them. It teaches that a person can find happiness in the smaller things in life. I preferred the first book I read, "Scratch Beginnings" because it was a much easier read and I understood everything that was going on and I could follow along better.
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Jessalyn Fedrick
5/28/2014 01:26:32 pm
I read Twelve Years A Slave, to be honest, I don't recommend it. I found the book to be very dull and way to detailed for my taste. There wasn't really any story line to the book, which bored me to death, but there were some good parts. I recommend this book to someone who adores novels by Dickens. Since this was my only choice, I kind of regret my decision. As the phrase goes however, You never know until you try. I tried and I failed.
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Chris Rosing
5/28/2014 01:55:25 pm
The book Why Smart Executives Fail And What You Can Learn From Their Mistakes was kinda interesting. I was interested in the amount of informative facts and examples the author gave about how certain companies fall through poor executives or mismanagement. The only downside to the book is that it is consists of highly negative stats and topics. However, you understand what and why executives make mistakes whether they are control freak, obsessed with company image, or if they lack perception of reality. I would only recommend it to someone who is interested in entering high ranks in the corporate world because it contains multiple information about corporations and includes lots of business examples of companies failed. Outliers, my first choice, was more interesting to me because it changed my outlook on the world. This book made me more informed about executive and effective styles of leadership but I felt bitter reading it at times. For example, it talks about protecting a company from it's own pride. The book explains that employees shouldn't "congratulate themselves too often" (pg 183). I understand the authors point that excessive pride can slightly harm a company but I almost wonder if these statements can come close to the worth of the company's fail or success.
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