REHUGO+4


 * 1**
 * Citation:**Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Education." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//. Prose, Franice. " //I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read// " Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 89-99. Print.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Education)
 * Precis:** In this detailed persuasion article, Francine Prose argues that today's American high school students are missing the true meaning of literature because they are being taught oversimplified versions with twisted meanings that don't do justice to the classic literary master pieces.
 * Personal Commentary:** I agree with Prose that literature is currently being taught in a skewed manner to put certain bias ideas into student's minds, not to actually study the literature, however I disagree with her high praises of classic literature. I don't think that students will be excited to read Shakespeare no matter how it is taught.


 * 2**
 * Citation:** Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Work." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//.Ehrenreich, Barbara."//From Serving in Florida//" Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Work)
 * Precis:** In this personal story, Barbara Ehrenreich demonstrates through her own experimentation that the minimum wage American workers face many hardships and challenges that the middle to upper class citizens do not have to deal with, she does this in order to show the middle to upper class citizens that they should have more sympathy for the low wage workers and they should be more grateful for the blessing they have.
 * Personal Commentary:** I think Barbara Ehrenreich is a little bit dramatic. While some people working minimum wage jobs have a lot of stress, so do the people in

higher paying jobs. I have a minimum wage job, and the conditions are not nearly as terrible as she makes them seem.

It's interesting to read this now because so much has changed since the time it was written. He talks about how they don't need the post office, the telegraph and the train because he doesn't really think communicating with far away places is important. I can't imagine what he would think about cell phones, the internet, and air planes.
 * 3**
 * Citation:** Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Community." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//. Thoreau, Henry David."//Where I Lived, and What I Lived For//" Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Community)
 * Precis:** In this famous historical book excerpt, Henry David Thoreau proclaims that people should have a more simplistic life style, and he explains that people should become more like children who understand and appreciate the beauties in life that adults ignore.
 * Personal Commentary:**


 * 4**
 * Citation:**Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Gender." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//.Gloud, Stephen Jay."Womens Brains " Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Gender)
 * Precis:** In his general audience column, Stephen Jay Gloud proves that the scientific data used to create the old theory of women being inferior to men was based on inaccurate prejudice data that has been verified to be wrong and can be used as an example of the importance of recording true information without skewing the data to support your own beliefs.
 * Personal Commentary:**The world would be very different if men were still considered superior to women. Women are so heavily involved in almost every job that it is hard for me to picture a life without women in the work field.


 * 5**
 * Citation:** Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Sports and Fitness." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//.Vervaecke, Kris."A Spectator's Notebook" Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Sports and Fitness)
 * Precis:** In her sports essay, Kris Veraecke, through her own childhood experiences and through her children's experiences, teaches that sports are the key through which dreams are made and through which people can realize there physical potential, because of this she asserts that all children should be involved in some type of sport.
 * Personal Commentary:** I also believe that sports are a great thing. They teach patience, hard work, and self-discipline. They also teach you that you don't always win, but to keep trying anyway.

English is my first and only language so I can't really relate. I can't imagine how hard it must be to move to a country and not speak the language.
 * 6**
 * Citation:** Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Language." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//.Rodriguez, Richard."Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood" Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * Precis:** In his childhood memoir, Richard Rodriguez argues that a bilingual education will not be beneficial for the students who don't speak English because it will not help them merge into society and it takes away the intimacy and comfort of having a language that you only share with your family and other families like yours.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Language)
 * Personal Commentary:**

It was interesting to read about the studies done on identical twins. Although I don't know if I agree with all of it. Pinker showed all of the mental similarites between identical twins however I have friends who are identical twins who act and think nothing alike.
 * 7**
 * Citation:**Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Science and Technology." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//.Pinker, Steven."The Blank Slate" Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Science and Technology)
 * Precis:** In his phycological essay,Steven Pinker asserts that enviornment is not the only determinant of people's behavior, he believes that genetics also plays a role in the way a person thinks and acts, therefore some behaviors are not learned but are genetic traits and certain genetic traits are found in all humans which is why human nature will always prevail no matter what enviornment a person is in.
 * Personal Commentary:**

Her essay was interesting to read now because it talks about what it will be like in ten years in 2011 which was last year, and Osama bin Laden's death which was also last year. I rember 9-11, it was a very sad day.
 * 8**
 * Citation:** Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Popular Culture." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//. Wiltz,Teresa."Popular Culture is the Aftermath of Sept. 11 Is a Chorus without a Hook, A Mkoview without an Ending." Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Popular Culture)
 * Precis:** In her post 9-11 commentary essay, Teresa Wiltz claims that the devestating depression that has swept across America will quickly fade out and people will begin to go back to their everyday lives, she backs her opinion by showing many facts and figures including the rapid increase of patriotic music directly after 9-11 and then it's decline weeks later as the pop music started to rise once again.
 * Personal Commentary:**

Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Nature." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//. Maathati Muta,Wangari."2004 Nobel Peace Prize Speech." Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print. I think it is good to respect the environment and plant trees, however I am not totally against deforestization because if it weren't for deforestization I wouldn't be living in the house I do now and Coppell wouldn't exist.
 * 9**
 * Citation:**
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Nature)
 * Precis:** In her honorary nobel peace prize speech, Wangari Muta Maathai justifies that creating a better, cleaner, more natural environment helps cultures change in a positive way that leads to a more democratic society in which people are able to learn, to grow, and to gain more self confidence.
 * Personal Commentary:**

Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Politics." //The language of composition: reading, writing and rhetoric//. Kincaid, Jamaica."On Seeing England for the First Time." Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 179-186. Print.
 * 10**
 * Citation:**
 * Category:** Non-Fiction (Politics)
 * Precis:** In her autobiographical essay, Jamaica Kincaid explains that while growing up she felt inferior to the English citizens and rulers but as she grew older she realized that England was not as good as it was made out to be, and that she had simply been a victim of cruel propaganda that was based on lies.
 * Personal Commentary:** It's interesting how much the diction changes from when Jamaica Kincaid is describing her childhood to when she is speaking as an adult. You can really see her admiration turn to disgust.