Week 12 Reading (Ecology of a Craker Childhood)

I really enjoyed the beginning information about the tortoises. It was not only exactly the kind of stuff I'm interested in, but also a way to get the attention and interest of the audience through a personal experience of the author. It set the scene and tone well so when the author got into the issues of the junkyard it was relatable. I've never thought of a junkyard in ecological term, surprisingly for me, so this was quite interesting and relating the junkyard to the natural environment made the author's hopes to restore that natural environment more practical. If a junkyard is just part of the environment, it can be changed just like the natural environment itself. I idn't find the poem or whatever that was to be very effective or really do anything at all for the piece, but I did enjoy hearing things through the author's brother's words as well.

Week 11 Reading (Walden; or, Life in the Woods)

I think this may be my favorite reading for this class, probably because I didn't rush through it like I tend to do with the other longer readings. Almost ironically, that was also one of this reading's main messages, to slow down and do things right. I also think it was a good example of using a story to create interest in the subject matter. I definitely shared the author's point of view much more easily after reading his experiences with building his house and I could see why that kind of lifestyle should be important through his his story and descriptions that made the whole situation seem very pleasant. I definitely share his views on actually living life and that some of the best and most important learning takes place outside of the classroom. Normally I would end up bored with writers just talking about their views on life like that, but Thoreau transitioned so smoothly from the story about his house through the rest of the piece that I was thoroughly interested the whole time.

Week 10.2 Reading (Silent Spring)

I was quite excited for this reading because I already knew a little about Rachel Carson and was interested to see what "Silent Spring" was really all about. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this reading at least had a lot about DDT in it which I am also quite familiar and interested in. Carson also seems to have similar ideas in this reading as I do so that was interesting too. Another surprise was that even though this was written almost 50 years ago and the particular issues somewhat outdated, I think the same overall concepts about how people's power in the environment can end up going crazy and do more harm than intended, even and especially without that being noticed. I especially enjoyed this reading because it didn't sound old, it sounded like someone could have written it this year and the dates and facts had just been changed. I think that helped make it more effective too, even though I doubt Carson had anything like that in mind when she wrote it.

Week 10.1 Reading (Omnivore's Dilemma)

I came into this knowing absolutely nothing about feedlots so there were definitely some bits that were confusing, but the descriptions and tone really helped, especially when sanitation issues in London were brought up. The types of food given to the cattle was pretty surprising and to me doesn't seem very right, which is, I think, what the author was getting at. I like the author's use of parentheses, which he uses to basically tell the real story behind the facts that he presents besides. The most effective part of the argument is the linkages back to people and even across the world. Basically this reading makes it obvious that these are practically not even cattle any more and shouldn't even be edible.

Week 8 Reading (Thinking Like a Mountain)

I absolutely love the beginning of this reading!! The imagery just draws me in so well and that coupled with the fact that the author gave huge hints caused me to think I might know what the sound is but keep second guessing myself. That made me even more interested and surprised hen the author revealed the sound was a wolf. The fact that I couldn't quite figure out what the sound was but knew there was something meaningful behind the descriptions helped me relate to the notion of knowing there's some "hidden meaning" behind a wolf's howl that people can't really grasp. The emotion and tone really drives this reading and facilitates the transition to the author actually mentioning his point so that by the end when he practically calls people inhuman by differentiating them from men, it isn't taken as an insult but as a wake-up call.

Week 7/8 Reading (Consider the Lobster)

The beginning of this passage kept me guessing at exactly where the author was going with this. Something about the mixture of tourism and lobster was mentioned so I was pretty sure it was going to be some kind of analysis of  how the world can learn something from that. The description of all the events at the MLF made me wonder how that all came to be and ironically when the author went into all the taxonomic facts about the lobster that were supposed to be boring I was extremely interested. The author used that to transition back into the social and tourism side of eating lobster which worked well. Then transitioning back to the lobster festival  through some history of lobster eating and then going over in plenty of detail more about lobster as food, the author gives the reader all the background information that's necessary and then takes the subject to a place I didn't expect, the ethics of lobster. The details the author goes into about the actual process of killing a lobster make everything she says clear, but she makes sure to point out that her point is not whether or not it is ethical to eat lobster, which is what I like about this reading. The author wanted to make people think about it, and that's what happened.

Week 6 Reading (industrial Tourism and the National Parks)

The author did a good job at getting my attention at the beginning, especially at the mention of $1.95 per hour wages. His style of writing is very easy to read, with humor and variation such as the list of reasons for people to be happy at the bar. The fact that the description of the author's life and job is enjoyable to read makes that life appear very enjoyable so the reader can better understand the author's frustration at the changes to the parks that change that lifestyle. The author's overall writing makes his stance easier to agree with.