A Mind Opener

Needless to say, this class has definitely been a mind opener to me! I have changed my outlook quite a bit no reading as well as on our society as American citizens.

I used to think that reading was so boring, not interesting, a drag, etc. The literature that we have discussed and read through in this class has definitely made me change my mind. I do believe that when I am searching for a good book to read I will at least read into it a little more than just by reading the back cover or looking at the title. Reading has never been a passion of mine, but I have noticed that it is becoming more lively to me. I also think that by reading and comprehending all these different types of literature has helped me concentrate and comprehend more in my other classes.

By reading and viewing things such as Culture Jam, "America, It's Gotta Be the Cheese", Fahrenheit 451 and the Second Skin documentaries, I have learned a lot about different aspects of our society. I knew that there were hardcore gamers out there but I had no idea of how severe some of there cases were. I also grew angry by some of the things I was learning of our society. As we discussed in my group, a lot of us as American citizens take a lot for granted. We have so many freedoms and privileges that a lot of other people in other countries do not have and will never have.

Our culture definitely shows the themes of "plentitude" and consumerism. These two themes were probably my favorite to discuss because it shows how "greedy" our society is. In a way we are constantly handed things left and right and have everything we want right in front of us. Yet this is not enough. We always want more and more and more and more. We are consumed daily by the advertisements we see on television, billboards, in magazine, etc. This just adds to plentitude in that it makes us want all these other things.

This class has definitely inspired to me to change some aspects of my lifestyle. Instead of going out and buying the newest shoes or clothing, I will try harder to resist myself and realize that I already have enough of these things. I think that I will even start donating some of the clothes I never wear for people who really need them. I've also been inspired to think about books differently. Reading has thus far helped me with my comprehensive skills as well as helped me relax. I think that I will find myself looking into more books in the future and possibly making reading a hobby.

Overall, I think this class helped me learn so much about myself as well as the society I live in. If I had the choice, I would definitely do it all over again!

A World With No Books

Reading books is generally not a hobby of mine. Though I enjoy reading an entertaining or interesting novel here or there, it is not the number one priority on my list.

Books are important in our society. They are filled with tons of information and lots of cool stories. History books tell of our country's past as well as other important events that have happened over time. Medical books help doctors and nurses diagnose and treat people by looking at research that has already been accomplished by other individuals. Novels share with us creative and interesting stories and plots of characters that we may be able to connect with or just like reading about. I think that books have a lot to offer to our culture.

In a world without books, I personally believe that most of us would not have the knowledge that we do. People would be getting dumber and dumber. The internet houses a lot of sources that come from published books. If these publishings disappeared, what would you be able to find then? As a biology major, there are many times in which I cannot comprehend what I've learned in class. By having the textbook in front of me, I can see detailed pictures and descriptions of precesses that may have been confusing me in class. For me, this is a big help.

Due to my use of different books, I believe that I would miss books, but not ALL books. I do not think I would like going on to medical school without medical textbooks. But these books are very different from novels. Though I believe some novels are interesting or cool, not all of them appeal to me. For me, I cannot read a book unless I am thoroughly interested in the content. If a book is boring to me, then I do not even waste my time reading it. For me, I have to either be assigned a book or told that one is really really good for me to want to read it. I know this sounds horrible, but my life is filled with so many other things that reading takes a back burner.

Metaphorically speaking, we burn books everyday. Sometimes we will not choose a book just because we do not like the cover or we do not like the description of the book on the back because we think it looks boring. This is "burning" the book because we are dismissing it without even opening it. People say that books can be dangerous because you can learn so many things. Maybe people are afraid to have so much powerful knowledge. Maybe they think that they won't know what to do with all the information. Another thought is that some books have stories or information against certain individual beliefs. They may not like knowing that their children or relatives or friends could read these books and gain different ideas or different beliefs.

Books are powerful tools of knowledge. A world without them would without them would probably be a gloomy and sad one. If people have nothing to spark their interests, then what would the people be like?