Summer Book Blog

A riveting read, Laura Hillenbrand’s “Unbroken” is 496 pages of great writing. Unbroken is a non-fiction book about the life of Louis Zamperini. The story follows Louis from a young mischievous age describing his tenacity and strong will as well as his tendency to get into trouble.  As Louis becomes an adult, his passion for running turns into an obsession.   He trains for and secures a spot at the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany; however, he is not a medalist.  Afterwards, Louis begins to work even harder in order to compete at the next Olympics--setting some collegiate records of his own.  Unfortunately, Zamperini’s dream was shattered by Hitler’s thirst for conquest.  Like many young men of this generation, Louis swiftly enlisted into the United States Air Force and became a bombardier. While on a rescue mission over the Pacific Ocean, Louis’ plane had mechanical problems and crashed at sea. For the next 47 days, Zamperini and two other crewmen drift somberly while fighting off hunger, sharks, and mental sanity. Sadly, an American rescue never comes.  Zamperini and one surviving crewman are captured by the Japanese navy. For the next two and half years, Louis is subjected to the brutal living conditions of a Japanese prisoner of war camp enduring horrendous beatings by a Japanese guard known as “the Bird.” At the end of World War II, Louis returned to America to begin a new life and eventually marrying.  However, this “new” life quickly becomes littered with flashbacks and alcoholism. Louie’s wife, Cynthia, was instrumental in getting him to attend a Billy Graham crusade where he found Christianity.  He attributed his change of character to this new found religion and eventually forgave “The Bird” and discards his alcohol addiction.  Louis Zamperini went on to become an inspirational speaker sharing his personal testimony and stories of war to audiences all around the world. 

Wollstonecraft's Essay

While printing off Wollstonecraft’s essay, I quickly realized that it wasn’t going to be a quick read.  Struggling through the first two paragraphs of Old English, I settled myself into a comfortable chair for the long haul. By page three, I finally found myself able to understand Wollstonecraft’s thoughts without having to re-read pages.

Throughout the essay, I was impressed by how professionally Wollstonecraft presented her evidence on behalf of women. She constantly pointed to famous references such as Rousseau and John Milton (a famous English author and poet) only to refute their beliefs. Although the essay seemed dreadfully long at times, every page was used to its fullest potential to fight for women’s civil and intellectual rights. From tradition to obedience to Biblical references, Wollstonecraft effectively destroys every reason why women are thought inferior.  She proceeds to further explain how these prejudices adversely affect a woman’s life -- specifically an endless search for exciting passion and sensation.

It is hard to conceive that women’s rights are less than a hundred years old.  Today, women are a vital part of America’s workforce and are making a difference in every career imaginable. However, there are still struggles to overcome regarding military placement for women; although I am unsure if Wollstonecraft’s data applies. Nevertheless, I believe that Wollstonecraft’s essay was compelling in its explanation of the natural necessities of women’s rights. 

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr was a unique article and an interesting read.  In a world where technological advances occur at an ever-accelerating rate, how often do we stop to consider the implications beyond our own instant gratification?  I found Carr’s essay to be refreshing and it confirmed my suspicions about the world’s next generations becoming too technology dependant.

Carr’s writing style is easy to read and understand, his beliefs are clearly outlined and supported. I, agree with his assertion that reading long-winded articles or newspaper reports have become increasingly difficult for the average individual, as our computer screens are being filled with short Internet articles and video news clips. Carr goes to great lengths to provide examples of how other inventions have changed our thought process and everyday lives including the: written language, typewriter, clock, and Taylorism.  Looking to the future, Carr implies that supplementing or even replacing our brains is a possibility in the eyes of the Google founders. I wonder…when does the health of our minds outweigh the world’s need for efficiency, speed, and convenience?