Author: Jung Chang

Amount Read: 100/464 pages

I chose this book because I am interested in stories that involve strong rulers, where a monarch’s choices have far-reaching consequences.  Additionally, I am curious about the history of China before the 20th century, since I have heard about Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, and am interested in learning more about what traditions the Chinese Communist party was reacting against.  Finally, I would like to learn more about powerful women of history, who forged a path within a prejudicial society, and whose stories have been largely obscured by biased historians.  

This book is a biography of Empress Dowager Cixi (pronounced ‘Tse-she’) - a woman who ruled China between 1861 and 1908.  She began her life as a concubine, meaning that she was the romantic partner of the Emperor while being denied marriage or the formal status of Empress.  Following the Emperor’s death, Cixi staged a coup to depose the acting council of regents, thereby ruling China in her son’s name.  Though she could not formally hold the title of monarch, Cixi was in charge of China’s economy, government, and foreign policy for over forty years.  I hope to learn from this book how she was able to negotiate with imperialist Western powers to modernize China, without giving them an opportunity to take over China as a territory.  Also, I hope to see how Cixi changes over the course of her reign.

In my reading of book reviews, authors criticize Chang’s account on the basis that it is biased towards Cixi - showing her in an excessively favorable light.  Therefore I am interested in researching Cixi’s flaws as well as her strengths, to create a balanced picture of the famous ruler.  

Two possible essential questions that I’m considering are:

Author: Bryan Stevenson

Publication date: September 18, 2018
Amount read: 40/262

I chose this book because I have seen the movie and found the story line extremely interesting. I wanted to read the book to see how it varies from the movie and because I am very interested in the criminal justice system since it is such a big part of everyday life. 

Just Mercy is an autobiography about a lawyer (Bryan Stevenson) who dedicates his life to people who may not have gotten a fair trial when they were sentenced. There is one specific story that is highlighted within the book, which is when Walter McMillian was wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death. We see as Bryan works extremely hard to reopen this case and prove that Walter is innocent because he truly was. I hope to learn more about how the criminal justice system works and what evidence is enough to be able to reopen a case.

I plan to read around half of the book (roughly 125 pages) by Update #1 and I want to see what story I reach and where they are in trying to reopen the case with Walter and his wrongful conviction. 

Two essential questions

Author: Anne Frank (it was translated by B.M. Mooyaart and introduction by Eleanor)
Publication Date: 1993
Amount read: 0/208

I chose this book, because I have always been interested in the stories of people who have been though the Holocausts: survivors and those that have lost their lives (Anne Frank). I think it is a horrific story about real events and struggles the Jewish population went through and that is very impactful on the modern world and how we chose to react to these events. I am also interested in this book because when I was in the fourth grade I read a book about Anne Frank, not specifically this one, but made for an obviously younger audience. I have always wondered the true event of her life: those gory and those that brought her some joy in the midst of her hardships. 

In 1942, with the Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, the Franks and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annexe” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period.

My goal is to read at least around 71 pages per deadline to complete the novel. 


Two Essential Questions:
1. What are the Phycological effects on a developing teenage girl, when she is locked away from society for years?
2. Why did some people chose to risk their lives to hide the Frank family in their workplace? Where they the few that realized Hitler's rule was extremely wrong or did everyone know he was being horrible and they just went along with it due to fear?

Author: Trevor Noah

Pages read: 96/288

Essential questions:

To what extent does family affect your morals/values?

After reading a third of the book, I’ve found that family shapes someone’s morals to a significant extent. Trevor Noah, throughout the memoir, repeatedly states how he constantly looks up to his mother. Because she went against society’s standards/norms, she became a huge role model to him as she encouraged him to be rebellious and different, just like she was. A main value that his mother taught was to leave pain behind him. 

How does domestic abuse influence one's perspective of love?

It didn’t influence his perspective of love -- or I don’t know yet -- because he’s only just started talking about his abusive stepfather; however, he did mention that his aunt had an abusive husband. Even though he didn’t visit them that often, he writes how women in Africa were constantly undermined in society by men. Because his father was white and it was illegal for him and his mother to be together, Trevor Noah was raised by women. Even though he witnessed domestic abuse, being constantly surrounded by women in his family didn’t influence his perspective of love as his mother was really honest with him. 

A major purpose of the book is to reveal what his childhood was like when racism was rooted so deeply in Africa. Because he was mixed, it was extremely difficult for schools and society to label him while Africa was segregated. However, he realizes that he wouldn’t let other people define who he was. I think he achieves his purpose effectively, because he writes about the moment he came to terms with who he was. 

Trevor Noah structures the work into little mini themes(?) I don’t know how to describe it, but in every chapter he writes a little bit of background info about Africa at the time, and then tells a story relating to it that shaped him as a person. He also starts off the book describing his mother first, and why she decided to have a child, so it’s like a really far-back memoir.

One question I have is what happened to his grandmother Koko? He just kind of stops talking about her like 50 pages in.

Trevor Noah states that his mother “refused to be bound by ridiculous ideas of what black people couldn’t or shouldn’t do” (73 Noah). I think this answers my first essential question clearly, because his mother and family did affect his morals and values. It suggests that as a result of what his mother taught him, he learned that his ideas, thoughts, and decisions mattered. 

Evidence:
The man in charge of making the bomb in the United States was Robert Oppenheimler. Oppenheimler recruited many scientist personally, and although some weren't up for the job, there was a lot of appeal to his offers to aid the making of the atomic bomb, due to the fact that “Almost everyone knew that if it were completed successfully and rapidly enough, it might determine the outcome of the war” (Sheinkin 68-69). Oppenheimler knew how dangerous this weapon was and how it could drastically impact the war due to this immense power. Oppenheimler, almost had insight into the future when he said this because in 1945 this came to reality when the United States dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japan which ultimately ended the war. 

Author: Anne Frank (it was translated by B.M. Mooyaart and introduction by Eleanor)
Amount read: 50/208

Two Essential Questions:
1. What are the Phycological effects on a developing teenage girl, when she is locked away from society for years?
2. Why did some people chose to risk their lives to hide the Frank family in their workplace? Where they the few that realized Hitler's rule was extremely wrong or did everyone know he was being horrible and they just went along with it due to fear?

So far in the diary, Anne has just moved into the secret annex with her family and one other family. She feels disconnected from her original life and the world outside of the enclosing walls. Anne is starting to get very snippy with the others living with her and she often cries. It is not specified specifically if she was this way before moving into the attic, but it would make sense for her to negatively change due her situation. Although she fights a lot with most of her family and the others, at certain times she feels very connected to them and open about her feelings. For example when they hear troubling things about what is happening to Jewish people on the radio, or when she is just laying in bed with her sister she is open about what she writes in this diary. And for the second question, it seems that the few that are risking their safety for the Frank and Van Daan family seem to have established a strong connection with Otis Frank (Anne Frank's father). It is not explicitly stated why they are helping, but little hints are dropped about how they find what the Germans and Hitler are doing to be horrific as well; it was said one of the ladies that are hiding them, Miep, finds these "horror are so heartrending" and that she is "also very distraught". It seems they also acknowledge and understand that what is going on is not right at all so they are helping the best they can. It was also stated around page 30 maybe, that those they are caught helping Jewish people or breaking Hitler's rules are presented with German soldiers who "are generous enough when it comes to punishment", this could be a deterring factor for many during this time. Most probably understand that what is going on is inhuman and horrible, but they fear for their own safety and the safety of those they love and care about. 

The most present theme so far, is inner conflict. Anne is really struggling with who she is and what is currently happing in her life, rightfully so. She is struggling to maintain relationships with those around her such as her mother who at some moments she "can't stand [her] mother" and that she doesn't "get along with Margot very well either" who is her sister. It is hard for her with all these struggles to figure out who she is supposed, and growing up within such a confined and secluded space. Sometimes she says how "it won't take long before [she] explose[s] with pent-up rage" due to those around her. Obviously, Anne did not intentionally create a theme granted she was just a young teen girl writing about her life to express herself the best she could. But overall she did quite a nice job creating this inner conflict theme with her emotions and such. 

Anne writes every once in awhile in the diary, or when something important or funny happens. Each page in the diary starts with a date, and then she continues to write in a diary/ entree form (because it is a diary, but transformed into a book form so other can read it). 

So far, I do not have many questions regarding what I am reading. Although, I do question why some of the writings are so spaced out. It says she doesn't have a lot of time in her day, but there is of times when she refers that she has to not move for hours so the workers don't hear he and it makes me wonder why she can't spend that time writing. But I understand, she is a young girl going through a lot and maybe she just doesn't feel like writing.  

Author: Phil Knight

Pages Read: 91/273

Essential questions: 

What does it take for an individual to be successful?

How can success be defined?

Purpose:

Phil Knight writes this book to detail his experience of following his dream and creating his own shoe business. The book is used to show how to overcome obstacles and not give up on your dreams, especially when life gets hard. 

Knight structures the book by each year. Each chapter is about a different year from his life, starting in 1962. At the beginning of the book, Knight explains his childhood and how he became so fascinated by shoes and his desire to not live a normal life. The first few chapters describe his experience travelling all around the world when he was just out of college, and this is where he gained his inspiration to begin Nike, his shoe company. 

Questions:

Why did Knight seek out his former track coach to help him start his company? I found it confusing that Knight decided to seek out a 50/50 split with his college track coach when he needed help to kick start his company. He worked extremely hard to get his company started and now he is giving up half of it. I feel that this agreement will come back to hurt him later on and he will be taken advantage of. 

“So that morning in 1962 I told myself. 
 This quote demonstrates the mentality needed to achieve your dreams and become successful. 

Author: Adam Higginbotham

Pages Read: 67/380

Essential Questions: 
- How do nuclear disasters and the looming threat of nuclear disasters effect the way humans behave?

-How do people cover up mistakes to keep their reputation intact?

- What happens when humans try to interfere with the natural world? 

- When/how does the drive for power and drive to be the best take away from morals/ethics? 

Not all of my questions have been completely answered, but a couple have. While introducing the context of the book/atomic plant they mention an accident that happened in great Britain and how the team was "facing an almost impossible deadline to manufacture the tritium needed to detonate a British hydrogen bomb" and how they were "tremendously understaffed" and "working with incompletely understood technology" and ultimately "cut corners on safety" (Higginbotham 41). Due to these dangerous decisions, two thousand tons of graphite caught fire and burned for two days releasing radiation across the United Kingdom and Europe-- effecting many. A full report was ready to print, when the prime minister intervened and recalled it before it was revealed to the public, and created his own version of the story placing blame on the power plant workers, and he government did not acknowledge the accident for 30 years. This highlights how the British twisted the media to cover up their reputation, and went against their morals -- doing the right thing and not cutting comers in regards to safety-- to get themselves ahead, and it resulted in tragedy. 

A purpose of this book is to educate people on the power of nuclear energy, to set the context for the rest of the book which focuses on the disaster in Chernobyl. Higginbotham achieves this very well, by dedicating chapters solely to get the reader to understand atomic energy, it powers and effects, and also gives us context into all of the workers and supervisors at the plant, also context of the surrounding town. 

The author structures his work in chapters, split up into sections. It read almost like a story, mostly chronologically, and giving us characters and background context. At the beginning he include maps, and names of people mentioned and their occupation/role. At the end he includes a glossary and notes. 

Questions: 
- How will the Chernobyl disaster compare to the one in Great Britain?

-How USSR government respond to the disaster? 

-How will the disaster effect the people in the surrounding area? 

This shows how much influence adults have over kids, because kids are taught to respect adults, which allows adults to take control over young people. Kids are more vulnerable, which make them a bigger target for adults to influence, and the mindset they are taught by this adult will stick with them forever, which allows Hitler in this case to own the future.

Author: Bryan Stevenson 

Pages Read: 198/262

There is still evidence how the criminal justice system still needs to be improved, but it is possible to change the minds of people running the system. I have learned how it only takes a few people to believe that someone is innocent to start deeply examining evidence and getting prepared to give them a fair trial. 

The major theme in the book is still seeking justice because Bryan was able to focus on Walter’s case and get a court to believe he was innocent through new evidence, which ultimately led to Walter being taken off of death row and being determined to find the real murderer of the woman Rhonda. 

The author continues to structure the book as focusing on Walter’s main story about how he was wrongfully convicted of murder and eventually achieves the goal of getting him off of death row and being released from prison. 

A question that was answered was that he took on many cases at once because he was determined to get justice for everyone. However, I still have a question about how he would handle a case if it seemed impossible for him to revoke the decision of the sentence someone got. 

When Bryan finds out that Walter is getting off of death row and is being released, he states, “I jumped into the car and raced down to death row to tell Walter in person. I watched him take it all in” (Stevenson 190). Bryan’s excitement is visibly shown and how happy he is that Walter is finally getting justice. 

Thesis: Human behavior is showcased through Just Mercy by enabling how one person can truly make a difference in the criminal justice system and can bring hope to those who they surround. 

From watching the video “Changing the Criminal Justice System on Behalf of Children,” I have learned that a lot of children are facing traumatic experiences by the time they’re five years old, which is extremely young. People need to be told that their life is still worth living and that they shouldn’t be condemned to mourning their life away in prison. We need to allow people to be human despite the tragedy of their past crime, injustice, or how they were treated. People around those who were sentenced need to have comfort. For example, they don’t just want a lawyer, they want a parent figure or a sibling within them, or even just a friend that will stick by you. Maturity hasn’t evolved yet in kids, which is why we wouldn’t let them do things like drink alcohol, but we are allowing them to be sentenced to life in prison. 

A few questions from my research that I have are: 

1. How might states differ from each other when it comes to the laws about imprisonment for children and why?

2. Will there be a new law about the maximum sentence a child can have and will there be a minimum age of when they can be tried as an adult?

Author: Ronald Reagan

Pages Read: 74/694

Essential Questions:

What drove President Reagan’s behavior during his time in office?

How did Ronald Reagan use his charm and charisma to further his agenda and work to protect America from Russian or other Foreign Interests?

It’s clear to see that Mr. Reagan was under extreme stress and duress during his time as president. The United States was widely considered the greatest country in the world at this time, so naturally he was under extreme pressure. He talks about being uncomfortable with certain countries' culture, especially when it comes to leaders coming while married to children. It also goes in depth into his negotiations and relations with Russia. He liked to play hardball with the Russians and not give them anything unless it explicitly benefited America.

The purpose of this book is to try to show a side of Reagan no one sees as he was a famous Hollywood actor gone politician so in many ways few knew the real Ronald Reagan. While the book doesn’t reveal a lot about the hidden personal side of Reagan, however, it does reveal a lot about his loving marriage with Nancy and his negotiation tactics and policies.

The Structure of this book is that of a diary, it has an entry each day of his presidency as he's the only Modern American President to keep a daily diary/journal. Some days however, are briefly recapped if editor Douglas Brinkley decided that it wasn't essential to learn about the former president.

Quote: "Getting shot hurts. Still my fear was growing because no matter how hard I tried to breath it seemed I was getting less & less air. I focused on that tiled ceiling and prayed. But I realized I couldn't ask for Gods help while at the same time I felt hatred for the mixed up young man who had shot me. Isn't that the meaning of the lost sheep? We are all Gods children & therefore equally beloved by him. I began to pray for his soul and that he would find his way back to the fold" (Reagan 12).

Author: Anne Frank (it was translated by B.M. Mooyaart and introduction by Eleanor)
Amount read: 120/208

Essential question: When people are led by an oppressive and abusive dictator do they rebel against the masses to protect those they are closely connected with or follow by fear?

One of the most prevalent themes thus fair in the diary, is the loneliness and isolation of adolescence. Mostly likely Anne did not purposefully create this theme, like previously stated, she was just communicated and expressing her feelings and life onto paper. However her emotions directly correspond with the theme of isolation, her being kept away in the secret annex, and loneliness, Anne being with very few other people especially teens her age to bond with. 

There is no real structure within the diary, besides the fact that it is written in a diary format with dates, someone it is addressed to, personal feelings, and a goodbye statement. It should be noted that her entrees are often sporadic, some being every day, every week, every few months, etc. This does make it quite challenging sometimes for the reader to follow along with what is going on in her life due to such big time gaps that leave the reader guessing. But again, she is a teenage girl writing in a time of desperate need for some release, she had no knowledge that this diary of hers would ever been shown to anyone, let alone made into a novel for billions to read. 

Thesis statement: When a society is governed by abusive and oppressive dictators, it is human nature to both: follow in fear and to rebel against the masses to protect those one cares for.

Research:

articles: 1.https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/20/how-fear-influences-your-behavior-and-how-to-cope.html
2.https://hms.harvard.edu/magazine/science-emotion/chill-fear

reflecting: I learned that fear in a basic human instinct, by nature we have this physical and mental feelings which can influence the decisions that we make to best keep us safe. Fear is also contagious, meaning that things around us can affect how we see the world and what we chose to do. We learn something or someone had a negative experiences with something and then we begin to fear it ourselves. Fear spreads like wildfire, this was also heavily shown in Lord of The Flies!!!! :) I don't really have many questions because this all seems very accurate to my own experiences, the human body is a very complex system that has a intricately woven nervous system that generates fear within us, just like other emotions and feelings. 

Reasearch
This article, highlights the Manhattan project and if the bombing were necessary. The Manhattan project was a secret US government project during WW2, to produce the Atomic bomb. By 1942 the project was underway. Thousands of scientists secretly worked on the project and they were all led by Robert Oppenheimer. One of the most famous secret laboratories they had was Los Alamos. In 1945 they tested the bomb, which shattered windows in houses that were 50 miles away. Secondly, the article discusses if this whole project was necessary. Truman the president at the time proclaimed that  “the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would shorten the war and thereby save the lives of tens or hundreds of thousands of American soldiers as well as untold numbers of Japanese soldiers and citizens” But others argue that their was racism involved in dropping the bombs and that the Americans shouldn't have dropped the bombs. 

Research Questions
Would the Americans have dropped the bombs on the Europeans? 
How did the Americans keep the Manhattan project secret? 

Author: Phil Knight

Pages Read: 180/273

Essential Questions: 

What does it take for an individual to be successful? 

How can success be defined?

What sacrifices are necessary when trying to achieve your goals?

Thesis: In order to be successful, an individual needs to fully commit to their passion, love what they do and surround themselves with others who believe in them. 

The purpose of the book is to explain the process of creating a successful business and the struggles that come with it. He also tries to inspire others to follow their dreams and do what they want with their life. He is successful in spreading this message through his inspiring personal experiences and the advice he gives to the reader about achieving your goals. 

Knight continues to structure his writing by chapters based on each year. This allows the reader to see the progress he makes in creating his business clearly because we see it on a year to year basis. It clearly outlines the improvement of his brand and slowly shows how it keeps getting bigger and better. 

One question I have is how did he expand Nike from a somewhat successful local brand into a global powerhouse? Currently in the book he has been progressing significantly in expanding his brand and gaining more revenue, but I wonder how he was able to get it to the level it is at today. 

Quotes: “I wanted what everyone wants. To be me, full time” (Knight 150). Knight’s goal of being himself and doing what he wanted with his life helped him to be successful. If he hadn’t been focused on something that he loved, he would never been able to achieve these great things. 

Research source: An article written by Columbia College of Calgary details what one needs to do to be successful. The steps they recommend taking are needing goals, plans, discipline and the skills necessary. These are the same steps that were showcased by Knight during his creation of Nike, and this is how he was successful in the creation of his brand. https://www.columbia.ab.ca/what-does-it-take-to-be-successful/#:~:text=Success%20is%2C%20quite%20simply%2C%20the,as%20meeting%20a%20monthly%20deadline.

Author: Jen Petro-Roy

Pages Read: 177/252

Essential Questions: What drives humans to have such negative outlooks on their appearances? How does society encourage eating disorders and negative body image? What can be changed in society to increase body confidence?

My answers to these questions still stand; the chunk I read for this status update focused a lot on the psychological developments a person undergoes before engaging in eating disorder behavior. Petro-Roy emphasizes the idea that eating disorders are a method of control, which is helpful to those struggling with anxiety or other conditions in which they do not feel in control. She also brings up this character of “Ed,” the name many give to their eating disorder to help cope with and recover from it. Petro-Roy detailed her struggles with this “Ed,” noting how she had to ignore “his” calls for her to engage in disordered eating. She also focuses on the unfathomable statistics surrounding eating disorders, citing specifically that “studies show” that “anorexia nervosa [an eating disorder]...increases the risk of death by nearly six times,” which is the “highest mortality risk of any mental illness” (Petro-Roy 141). This statistic is difficult to hear, both in terms of its melancholy and the concept that the illness has the highest risk for mortality. Petro-Roy also addresses the stereotypes for those struggling with an eating disorder; when one thinks of an eating disorder, the most common association is a thin teenage white girl. However, Petro-Roy discusses the idea that eating disorders do not discriminate and can affect anyone, regardless of their size, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more. Petro-Roy backs up her idea with a statistic from Harvard Medical School: “In 2007, a study...found that men made up about 25 percent of the study participants with anorexia or bulimia…” (Petro-Roy 161). The fact that males made up ¼ of the study undermines the belief that only females are affected by eating disorders. Though true that some groups (e.g. queer people, non-binary people, people of color, etc.) are unfairly treated and bullied (which leads to eating disorder behavior), the numbers do not lie; everyone can be affected by an eating disorder.

The idea that eating disorders are “inclusive” is a large theme in the book, and Petro-Roy’s purpose still remains; she uses this theme to validate her readers and assure them that their struggles are valid, no matter who they are or how far their eating disorder has progressed. Petro-Roy is extremely successful with this effort, and includes perspectives from several different people to furthermore help her readers have their voices heard.

The book’s structure is the same as it was before; Petro-Roy offers accounts from different perspectives, statistics, her own experiences, and mindful exercises in each chapter to keep her readers engaged and feeling content with the material they are reading. I enjoy the informal tone of the book; it genuinely feels like I am having a conversation with Petro-Roy, and she manages to keep the tone lighthearted even when discussing the heavy topic of eating disorders.

A couple of questions I have thus far include:

My current thesis is:

Society’s unattainable standards of beauty and perfection encourage disordered eating behavior: harmful social media posts, fake promises from diets, and the general taboo with the topic make for negative body image which can spiral into eating disorders.

The research I’ve conducted supports the first part of my thesis; Francis Dalomba of Lifespan.org offers an insightful take on the dangers of social media to our mental health. Specifically, Dalomba mentions, “...[M]ost college girls who use Facebook at least five times a day are likely to link their self-worth to their looks” (Dalomba, “Social Media: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”). This saddening revelation has unfortunately been normalized in our society; many people Photoshop and touch up their pictures before posting them on social media to avoid any potential criticism.

A couple of questions I encountered while researching include:

My final reflections are that the topic of eating disorders is vast and complex with several ties to other topics. Though it is a scary topic to talk about, it is important we engage in these conversations to encourage others to come forward with their stories. The more we learn about these issues, the better equipped we are to handle them should we encounter them in our lives or the lives of our loved ones.

Author: Adam Higginbotham

Pages Read: 106/380

Essential Questions:
- How do nuclear disasters and the looming threat of nuclear disasters effect the way humans behave?

-How do people cover up mistakes to keep their reputation intact?

- What happens when humans try to interfere with the natural world?

- When/how does the drive for power and drive to be the best take away from morals/ethics?

I can partially answer some questions. The looming threat of nuclear disasters makes people act less rational and more nervous. When humans try and interfere with the natural wold, it often backfires, as see when the power plant caused a massive explosion. The drive for power getting it the way of ethics is illustrated because it highlight how the USSR took less precautions and more short cut to achieve an upper hand above their competitors, and it ultimately backfired.

I think a major theme in this book, as mentioned before is how competition, and strive for power can cloud one's true morals. The author has illuminated this theme by showing how the USSR responded to  the nuclear disaster, and the safety measures not taken prior to the disaster. For example Higginbotham addresses how "At their first planed maintenance shutdown, the Chernobyl operators found that the serpentine plumbing of the reactor was riddled with faults" (Higginbotham 68).

The author structures the work as mentioned previously, but also includes some quotes and more specific context.

Thesis: Human nature's ultimate greed for power is a result of self interest and preservation-- this intoxicating drive sparks competition, blinding many from their true moral values.

Research source: http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/rosales-chavez1/
This article from Stanford University brings to light the USSR's hesitance to admit to the disaster in hopes of preserving their reputation-- especially with the tensions of the Cold War.

Author: Ronald Reagan

Pages Read: 594/694

Essential Questions:

-What drove President Reagan’s behavior during his time in office?
-How does a person act when an entire nation is relying on them?

-How did Ronald Reagan use his charm and charisma to further his agenda and work to protect America from Russian or other Foreign Interests?

President Reagan was driven by a need to protect his citizens above all else. It's also extremely clear that his relationship with Nancy, widely considered the best White House, influenced him extremely. While the president doesn't often get emotional in his diary, when writing about Nancy and their children Ron and Patti he exudes great love and passion. "Ron and Doria had surprised me by showing in K.C. for the debate. I was quite touched." The quote helps to reveal the person inside Ronald Reagan. It shows how his children and family are what truly make him happy. That even with all the acting and political accomplishments nothing will hold precedence  to his family.

I believe the theme of a politician's mask and that they are different people privately is developed thoroughly throughout the book. He talks about how he cherishes each visit from his children and how their accomplishments hold more value to him than his own. 

The Structure of this book is the same as before; it's that of a diary, with an entry each day of his presidency. Some days however, are briefly recapped if editor Douglas Brinkley decided that it wasn't essential to learn about the former president.

Thesis Statement: The Current tumultuous climate of the political system is somewhat derived from the Character that many politicians seem to be play; the media furthers this turbulent divide with fake, biased, or misleading articles which leads to politicians who put on a mask to rally supporters.

Source: Britannica.com
The research I conducted supported my thesis, as it describes how Ronald Reagan was fired after his speeches became too controversial. This could have led to him being a more private person who kept some of his true beliefs extremely private.

Author: Bryan Stevenson

Pages Read: 262/262

The essential questions have mostly been answered throughout the book. There are many details that the book includes about how the criminal justice system is far from perfect and how it needs to be improved. Furthermore, it also shows how it is possible to prove your innocence even after you have been confined to a sentence and supposedly guilty. If you have lawyers and people who believe you and you trust them, then they will do everything in their power to make things right and prove your innocence. 

Once again, the major theme in Just Mercy is seeking justice for people who deserve it and may not have gotten a fair trial. The lawyer, Bryan, does everything in his power to help those in need and get justice for them so that they can go on and live their life the way it was supposed to be before they were made out to be guilty and a “bad person.” 

Now having finished the book, in the last few sections, Bryan Stevenson focuses on Walter’s life after he has been released from death row and prison and how he managed to live his life after that extreme hardship. He also alludes to other cases that he has helped after Walter’s and how he wants to continue to help fight for justice and improve the criminal justice system along with the lives of other people. 

Basically all of my questions have been answered but I still want to know what life is like for Bryan now because I know that he is still working very hard at improving the criminal justice system. 

When Bryan hears that life imprisonment without parole sentences for children who didn’t commit homicide crimes is labeled unconstitutional in the U.S Supreme Court, he states how “my staff and I jumped up and down in celebration” (Stevenson 243). Although this is a short sentence, it has a lot of meaning behind it because when he says that the staff and him got that excited about what the Supreme Court announced, it shows how he really cares about his job and wants to put his best foot forward for the people who didn’t get too lucky with their trial.

Thesis: Human behavior is showcased in Just Mercy by enabling how one person can truly make a difference in the criminal justice system and can bring hope to those who they surround. 

Through my research, I have learned how companies are doing their best to learn about the problematic criminal justice system and looking for new ways it can be improved for people to receive true justice, and not just because their guilt has already been determined by their past actions, their ethnicity, or the color of their skin. Luminate is teaming up with campaigns that will open people’s hearts and minds as to how the criminal justice system can be transformed into something incredible. Stories can really sit with someone and make them think about how they want to change and improve the problems going on around them. 

A question I have from my research is what other companies or organizations do they plan to team up with and has this proved to be helpful in getting others to realize the importance of fixing the criminal justice system?

In the year of 1938 German scientists discovered the process of nuclear fission and the splitting of the atom. At this time Nazi germany was a rising country and was taking over surrounding countries, many scientists were worried that the Nazi’s would use this technology to create a bomb to take over Europe. Concerned Albert Einstein sent a letter to Franklin D Roosevelt about the use of atomic weapons and how the Nazi’s may create their own atomic bomb, this worried Roosevelt and led to the creation of the Manhattan project.  The Manhattan project headed by Robert Opplimheimer and Leslie Groves, was the secret development of the first nuclear weapons. Most of the project was conducted in los Alamos New Mexico in a laboratory. At this time the soviets were also very interested in the making of an atomic bomb, the soviets couldn't get their feet off the ground in the project and relied on spies in the US to get valuable information to make the bomb. At first, the Soviets had little to no success with their spies, but they finally got inside information when Klaus Fuchs and scientists that worked in the Manhattan project agreed to help out the soviets. The Americans conducted a test on the atomic bomb on july 16, 1945, which proved that they really had an atomic bomb. On August 6th 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima Japan, the Americans were forced to drop the bomb because Japan wouldn't surrender. After the first bomb the Japanese didn't surrender which forced the Americans to drop another bomb on Nagasaki 3 days after  the bombing of Hiroshima, which concluded the War in Japan and end World War 2 all together. 

Video Sources
Sci show link 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IqKdf6In_k
Past to future  link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4RBdi72g60 

 

Author: Adam Higginbotham

Pages Read: 195/380

Essential Questions: 

-How do nuclear disasters and the looming threat of nuclear disasters effect the way humans behave?

-How do people cover up mistakes to keep their reputation intact?

- What happens when humans try to interfere with the natural world? 

- When/how does the drive for power and drive to be the best take away from morals/ethics? 

Thesis Statement: Human nature's ultimate greed for power is a result of self interest and preservation-- this intoxicating drive sparks competition, blinding many from their true moral values. 

Summary: The competition of the Cold War, and new phenomenon of Nuclear energy  sparked a drive to be the best with a bigger, better, faster and stronger economy, infrastructure, and energy production. From this came the building of the Chernobyl Power pant. Built without regard to many safety precautions, and with under trained staff, also along with the suffocating pressure by the USSR, disaster was inevitable. After a failed safety test, a major malfunction in the reactor core created a deadly explosion, exposing to reactor core to the atmosphere and spewing radioactive material into the surrounding area. It was like nothing the world had even seen before multiple workers died on site, and many later from radiation exposure. Soon after the surrounding cities, and eve later countries all around Europe were facing the effects of the disaster. The USSR's political response was to not let the world know of their fault-- even if it meant the expense of life.  

Resource Video:

Author: Trevor Noah

Pages Read: 288/288

Thesis statement: One can choose and build their own identities, rather than ones imposed on them by their race, by opening themselves to various languages, experiences, and family.

Summary: Trevor Noah was born in apartheid South Africa, with a black mother and white father. Under apartheid, there was heavy segregation: white people could only have relationships with other white people, and anyone caught in an interracial relationship would face a five-year sentence. Trevor Noah, being living proof of his parents’ relationship, spent most of his childhood indoors where the government couldn’t spot him. Throughout the memoir, he recollects his memories of growing up in a country where he constantly had to choose between identifying as ‘white or ‘black,’ and eventually, Noah manages to find a sense of belonging in the world without clinging to any particular group or identity label. However, apartheid wasn’t the only problem. Even after apartheid was abolished, Noah still suffered from another kind of tyranny. His stepfather, Abel, was an alcoholic and abused his family for years. Noah and his mother had a very strong connection, and the memoir also acts as a thank you to his mom for protecting him during that time. 

Resource video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj2168gDr5Q

Author: Anne Frank (it was translated by B.M. Mooyaart and introduction was by Eleanor)
Amount read: 208/208

Essential question: When people are led by an oppressive and abusive dictator do they rebel against the masses to protect those they are closely connected with or follow by fear?

Thesis statement: When a society is governed by abusive and oppressive dictators, it is human nature to both: follow in fear and to rebel against the masses for what one thinks is right and wrong.

Summary: Anne Frank was a Jewish, German girl that lived in the Netherlands in the years leading up to World War II to escape persecution in Germany. At the start of her diary she was living a seemingly normal life, however, she was beginning to be segregated from the rest society due to her religion, Judaism. A few entries in, in 1940 the Nazis began drafting Jewish citizens to leave to the concentration camps, this forced her family into hiding. Along with the Franks was another family, the van Daans, and an acquaintance, Mr. Dussel, they moved into a small secret annex above Otto Frank's office where they had stockpiled food and supplies. The employees from Otto's firm helped hide the Franks and kept them supplied with the necessities. Over the course of the two years within the hidden annex, Anne often wrote about her feelings of isolation and loneliness. She often got into discrepancies with the adults, such as her mother and Mrs. van Daan. She also matures considerably throughout the course of her diary entries, moving from detailed accounts of basic activities to deeper, more profound thoughts about humanity and her own personal nature. After two years of hiding away, the Frank's are betrayed to the Nazis party and arrested on August 4, 1944, and thus the entries abruptly come to an end. After being discovered, her family were all shipped off to different concentration camps; soon after Anne and her sister Margot both contracted a deadly illness and passed in the camps. Otto Frank was the family's sole survivor, and he recovered Anne's diary from Miep, one of the women at his workplace that helped them stay hidden, and he fulfilled Anne's wishes by publishing her diary for the world to see.

Sources:
1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtOKRsF6Rr0.
2.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ybtwB-3MZ0

The first source talks about two teens who rebelled against the Nazi agenda, they fought hard to protect and fight against what they thought was wrong. They anonymously released leaflets and writing that fought back against the Nazi rule and Hilter. In the end they were caught and murdered, but still, in the end they fought for what they thought was right. The second source talks about Hitler's rule as a whole, but there is specific mention of how threats from outside countries and Germany itself caused civilians to fear their government and blindly follow for their own safety. People were also murdered if they helped Jews or disagreed with Nazis ideals, this also caused great fear for the German people and made them follow Hitler and the Nazis without draw back. 

Author: Phil Knight

Pages Read: 273/273

Essential Questions: 

What does it take for an individual to be successful? 

How can success be defined?

What sacrifices are necessary when trying to achieve your goals?

Thesis: The key to being successful is being happy with what you do, and this is possible by fully committing to your passion, love your work and surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you. 

Summary: The book follows Phil Knight through his journey of creating Nike, one of the most successful business of all time. It begins with him in college where he studied at Oregon University and then went to Stanford University for graduate school and became an accountant. He was doing these things to please his father, not because he loved them. After graduating he traveled the entire world for about two years and learned that there was so much more to life then sitting in an office to make money. The things he saw around the world inspired him to start his own business in a field that he was most passionate about:  running sneakers. It was not an easy path to success, and it took years and years to make progress in his shoe business. There was a point where Knight was working two accounting jobs along with the shoe business and living in his office in order to keep it alive. He learned early on that he needed help from others if he wanted to achieve his goals, and that no one can do this on their own. There were many times where his business was extremely close to being shut down for good due to no loans from the bank, being cheated by factories and lawsuits from the US government. Even when people like his own father told him to stop he wouldn't/ For most it would have been very easy to stop and settle for a normal life but he wouldn't give up. Never giving up helped him significantly as he continued to progress and ultimately created one of the most successful brands in modern history. 

Theme/Purpose: The purpose of this book is to demonstrate the hard work and dedication necessary to achieve your goals, specifically for entrepreneurs. Knight gives us his firsthand experiences in what it took to create one of the most successful businesses in modern society, and shows that it was not easy. He stresses the importance of determination and never giving  up if you want to succeed.

Questions: What was Knight’s motivation and why did he never give up after so many failures?  I understand better that the reason Knight refused to give up was because his business was his passion and he was doing something that he loved. 

Quotes: “And most important of all: Dare to take chances, lest you leave your talent buried in the ground. Where there is no struggle there can be no art” (Knight 270). This quote summarizes greatly the overall theme of this book, that struggle is necessary to success. 

Research: 

I looked at the documentary Generation Startup which follows the journey of multiple young entrepreneurs as they work to start their own businesses and bring their start up companies off the ground. It demonstrates what it takes to be successful with creating a business and all of the obstacles that one must overcome to achieve their goals. It connects to Shoe Dog because the situations of these entrepreneurs are nearly identical to Phil Knight’s situation during the 1960s when he was creating Nike. The actions of those who were successful mirror the same actions that Knight took in the creation of his brand. 

Author: Ronald Reagan

Pages Read: 694/694

Essential Questions:

- What drove President Reagan’s behavior during his time in office?
- How does a person act when an entire nation is relying on them?

- How did Ronald Reagan use his charm and charisma to further his agenda and work to protect America from Russian or other Foreign Interests?
- Who was the Ronald Reagan behind closed doors?

Thesis Statement: The Current tumultuous climate of the political system is somewhat derived from the character or persona that many politicians seem to be play; the media furthers this turbulent divide with fake, biased, or misleading articles which leads to politicians to put on a mask and pretend to be someone there not in order to rally supporters.

Summary: Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 in a landslide victory, 489-49 in electoral college and winning the popular vote by a margin 9.7% (~8.5 million). He went on to become one of the most beloved presidents in American history, with a peak approval rating of 71%, and left with the third highest final approval rating of any presidents since approval rating polling began.

Thesis statement: A child's innocence being taken away too soon creates long lasting trauma and memories that shape them into who they are and change them forever. 

Summary: The story is about a boy named Ishmael who is forced to become a boy soldier during a civil war in Sierra Leone. It follows his journey of him and his friends trying to find shelter and food after being attacked. Along his way he ends up becoming a soldier and he is brainwashed into thinking it is right. After the war he is checked into a rehabilitation center where he finds support to move on from his past and eventually ends up being invited by the United Nations to tell his story in New York City.