Blogpost #1: Why did you choose this book? What are the author’s qualifications to write about this topic? Completed by Thursday, May 15
16 Comments
Shivani Patel
5/14/2014 04:10:54 am
Book: "I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai
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Brian Kurtz
5/14/2014 04:21:40 am
I chose the book, Why We Fight, because 197 pages devoted to justifying America’s military presence in the middle east sounded way more appealing to me than 300+ pages of someone’s life story that may have little effect on my future. I my mind, I will benefit far more from reading about such a relevant issue that affects my life every day, than from reading a true story in which I will have to search for inspiration that may not even exist. The author of Why We Fight, William J. Bennett, is qualified to write this book because of his experience co-directing Empower America, his founding of K12 (an internet based elementary and secondary school), and his work editing and writing books suchs as bestsellers: The Death of Outrage and Educated Child: A Parent’s Guide. Mr. Bennett is qualified to write this book specifically because he was personally threatened on 9/11/2001, for he lives in Maryland, and was only miles away from the sites of the terror attacks. Why We Fight is Bennett’s attempt at morally clarifying the United State’s presence in the middle east for those who may not have been so deeply affected by the terror attacks on 9/11.
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Stephanie Tam
5/14/2014 04:25:09 am
I chose the book Columbine by Dave Cullen because many friends and family members have given good reviews about the book itself. Also, I am taking psychology and the book introduces some psychological ideas influencing why the two boys started the shooting. I believe I can use what I know from psychology to further understand the book, allowing me to enjoy it even more. Dave Cullen is qualified to write Columbine due to the fact that he is “...considered the nation’s foremost authority on the Columbine killers.” Cullen is also a journalist, thus, he is capable of reflecting serious situations happen in society.
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Becca Eubanks
5/14/2014 06:56:10 am
I chose the book "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell. I chose the book because everyone gave great reviews about the movie and the book seemed to be just as good, if not better. It also sounded like such a captivating story about the men who fight for our country and the devotion they have to the safety of others, even if it means risking their own lives. Luttrell is qualified to write the book because it is the experience he went through while fighting and trying to survive while fighting for his country in his own words.
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Alisse Urig
5/14/2014 11:22:46 am
I chose to read to read the book "Into the Wild" because it seemed like a very interesting book. It's mysterious and adventure filled, at least it seems that way so far. An intelligent man from a good family went out into the wilderness in Alaska. He gave away all his savings and belongings. His body was found months later but the condition of his body was very peculiar. Jon krakauer, the author, is very intrigued by Chris's motives, ideas, and what exactly happened to him in those four months where he disappeared. Jon has so many unanswered questions. He tries to make sense of it all.
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Amanda Yang
5/14/2014 02:12:13 pm
I decided to read Susan Cain's Quiet. I have wanted to read this book since our first independent reading assignment, and now I finally have the chance to read it. While I am fairly certain that I am an introvert myself, I do not know much more about the basics of the topic of introverts and extroverts. Reading this book will hopefully open my eyes to signs in the world around me and give me a better understanding of something I have always wanted to know more about. Cain has not only done extensive research on the topic, but she has also incorporated her knowledge from her adulthood. She pulls from hundreds of sources and has collected her findings here. The dedication and thoroughness behind this book show her qualifications for writing it.
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Taylor Lane
5/14/2014 10:05:34 pm
I chose to read, Leading Beyond the Walls authored by Frances Hesselbein because it will help myself better develop the necessary leadership skills in order to become successful. Hesselbein is chairman of the board of governors of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management and editor in chief of its journal, Leader to Leader. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor, in 1998.
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Basma Garadah
5/15/2014 12:15:26 am
I chose to read 12 years a slave because the story of slavery has always fascinated me, because its amazing to see how they were able to get through their struggles and live to tell their stories. Before I knew about this reading project I watched the movie and the movie really captured my attention and when I saw the book on the shelf I knew I wanted to read it. The author of the book; Solomon Northup was the actual slave and he is writing about what happened to him so in that case this makes him very well qualified to write this book.
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Allie Robertson
5/15/2014 04:17:20 am
I choose a long way gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, because I had heard about child soldiers. Therefore, a long way gone had the most familiar topic among the books we were shown in class. I was curious and wanted to learn more and after I read the summary on the back cover I became intrigued. Ishmael Beah’s qualification for writing about child soldiers is personal experience, not from research. He is telling his story of being a boy soldier.
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Aaron Donahoe
5/15/2014 04:27:13 am
I chose the book "Endurance" because out of all of the choices this one intrigued me the most. As I read the back of the book it made me feel more intrigued. A story of 27 men all surviving Antarctica after there ship is shipwrecked is exhilarating to me because it is a real time adventure, not a myth. Alfred Lansing's qualifications to writing this book are described in the preface as an extensive research on all of the notes and events written by the men of the ship. He even includes pictures from the wreck and crew. In the preface it says that "Every effort has been made to portray the events exactly as they occurred" .
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Lily Sanders
5/15/2014 04:27:46 am
I chose to read 12 years a slave because the subject of slavery really interests me. In history I always loved learning about slavery. The idea of slavery still amazes me. This book goes into the detail about the slaves life and what he experienced and I thought that would be very interesting. The author is Solomon Northup. He is qualified to write this book because he was the actual slave writing about his life.
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Omar Brijawi
5/15/2014 04:31:42 am
I chose to read Start Something That Matters because I have an interest to open a business. I watch the TV show Shark Tank every week so I can expand my knowledge on business; so it made sense to read this book. Also the guy who wrote the book is the founder of TOMS which made it more interesting. Blake Mycoskine, the author of the book, is very qualified because he is the one who created the business TOMS.
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Ahmed Musaitif
5/15/2014 04:32:25 am
I chose to read "Into The Wild" because it seemed like an interesting book. The book is about a man named Christopher Johnson, who travels to Alaska and isolates himself from society. He hasn't talked to his family in a long time, donated his money to charity, and abandoned his car all for a new life in Alaska. His decomposed body was found 4 years later. The mysterious plot behind this book made me choose to read it. The author, Jon Krakauer is qualified to write about this topic because he was asked by the editor of Outside magazine to report the story of this young man.
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5/15/2014 07:34:05 am
I chose to read "The Devil in the White City" because it is a thriller story about a serial killer who lured victims to death during the World's Fair in Chicago. Personally, I haven't heard much about the World's Fair, so the insight to the history of this event should be exciting. The intensive research done by the author, Erik Larson, qualifies him as a writer. He has also written other books like the international bestseller "Isaac's Storm". Finally, the serial killer aspect of the story will probably keep me hooked to the book with the suspense it can easily provide similar to a fictional thriller story.
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Jessica Smith
5/15/2014 11:59:57 am
I chose to read Falling Leaves because it is different than any book I've read before. The author, Adeline Yen Mah, has gone through so many struggles, and I can't imagine her lifestyle. The book also takes place in China, and having such a penchant for history and historical books, I couldn't resist reading the book. Mah has qualifications to write the book because the struggles are her own. The main characters of the book are real people, and despite having changed the names of her living relatives, everything is depicted exactly as it happened. Her story deserves to be read since she was brave enough to put her personal life out there for people to read, and I am excited to read deeper into the book.
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Aaron Martinez
5/15/2014 11:06:07 pm
I chose to read Endurance because it seemed exciting and incredible that people managed to survive harsh cold in Antarctica. It just amazes me how people can survive things that normal people might not make it! But these scientists are able to put their heads together and survive and live to tell the tale. The author has great qualifications because there is a preface saying that he interviewed the survivors and that he wants to portray these events as accurately as he possibly can.
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