•9:11 PM
My Dad borrowed them if you can believe it. He borrowed my History books ... the ones I was forced to read for school. Honestly ... what is wrong with him? He packed them up and took them to the beach in Florida ... I swear to you, it's true.
In the History of the World: Part 1 class that I took last semester, I wasforced asked to read two books and then write a paper (on each) answering one of three questions posed by the professor. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? Ha!
I just tried to look pretty.
On the first day of class, the professor showed the students pictures of famous leaders (of state) or historical figures that most people would/should be able to recognize. I could name maybe three of twenty. I know ... that's ridiculous ... Now, perhaps, you can understand why it was important for me to take a course like this. I don't know world history very well.
So, to cover up my stupidity, I tried to look my prettiest.
I was eager to read the book, Hitler (Kershaw, 1991). Who wouldn't be? I mean, Hitler is probably one of (if not) the most notorious figures in world history. Kershaw is OBSESSED with Adolph Hitler. He has written no less than ten books on him and the whole Nazi regime. I am not obsessed, but I am curious. Hitler is not a biography but a look at how a guy like Adolph Hitler came to be in such a great position of (world) power.
You might think that Hitler was a man of prestige and influence from an early age. But, he wasn't. In fact, he was utterly forgettable and had few friends. He wanted to attend art school but was denied entrance more than once; it devastated him and he was left searching for direction in his life. He joined an extremist political group, and to the surprise of even himself, Hitler had a gift for speaking to groups of people. He was inspiring and full of passion. And, so the Nazi party used him as a face to inspire support from the masses. He inspired people to do really, really bad things. It's just too bad that he didn't use his gift for public speaking for good instead of such evil.
So, the book was interesting ... but I would rather have been reading James Joyce's Ulysses - which I still have not read, by the way. Ugh.
Earlier in the semester, I read Great Leaps Forward by Cyrus Veeser (2010). It profiles four state leaders and the way(s) in which they attempted to modernize/industrialize their countries at the turn of the twentieth century. Porfirio Diaz of Mexico, Mustafa Kemal of Turkey, Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, and Sun Yat Sen of China each tried to modernize their country so it could remain competitive and powerful in the world market. But it was also important for them to maintain the culture and tradition of their people. For me, this book was mildly interesting ... but it really wasn't the book's fault. It's just that I would NEVER read this book out of interest ... did you hear that, Dad? Not ever ...
I would just try to look pretty.
And so, although I get to count them toward my self-imposed challenge, I am not sure that I can recommend them for reading pleasure. Unless you are a real history buff. Like my Dad. Maybe he would like to read my essays too?
At the end of the semester, the professor helped the class with an exam review by showing images of the historical leaders we had (supposedly) studied, along with some other key images we should have known ... like The Schlieffen Plan or the Tennessee Valley Authority. Do you know what The Schlieffen Plan is? No, of course you don't ... only a History Major has a handle on information such as this. Well, History Majors plus me, I guess ...
You want to know if I could identify more than three out of twenty images at the end of the semester, don't you? Of course, I could ... but I didn't know all of them.
So, I just sat quietly ... trying to look pretty.
In the History of the World: Part 1 class that I took last semester, I was
I just tried to look pretty.
On the first day of class, the professor showed the students pictures of famous leaders (of state) or historical figures that most people would/should be able to recognize. I could name maybe three of twenty. I know ... that's ridiculous ... Now, perhaps, you can understand why it was important for me to take a course like this. I don't know world history very well.
So, to cover up my stupidity, I tried to look my prettiest.
I was eager to read the book, Hitler (Kershaw, 1991). Who wouldn't be? I mean, Hitler is probably one of (if not) the most notorious figures in world history. Kershaw is OBSESSED with Adolph Hitler. He has written no less than ten books on him and the whole Nazi regime. I am not obsessed, but I am curious. Hitler is not a biography but a look at how a guy like Adolph Hitler came to be in such a great position of (world) power.
You might think that Hitler was a man of prestige and influence from an early age. But, he wasn't. In fact, he was utterly forgettable and had few friends. He wanted to attend art school but was denied entrance more than once; it devastated him and he was left searching for direction in his life. He joined an extremist political group, and to the surprise of even himself, Hitler had a gift for speaking to groups of people. He was inspiring and full of passion. And, so the Nazi party used him as a face to inspire support from the masses. He inspired people to do really, really bad things. It's just too bad that he didn't use his gift for public speaking for good instead of such evil.
So, the book was interesting ... but I would rather have been reading James Joyce's Ulysses - which I still have not read, by the way. Ugh.
Earlier in the semester, I read Great Leaps Forward by Cyrus Veeser (2010). It profiles four state leaders and the way(s) in which they attempted to modernize/industrialize their countries at the turn of the twentieth century. Porfirio Diaz of Mexico, Mustafa Kemal of Turkey, Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, and Sun Yat Sen of China each tried to modernize their country so it could remain competitive and powerful in the world market. But it was also important for them to maintain the culture and tradition of their people. For me, this book was mildly interesting ... but it really wasn't the book's fault. It's just that I would NEVER read this book out of interest ... did you hear that, Dad? Not ever ...
I would just try to look pretty.
And so, although I get to count them toward my self-imposed challenge, I am not sure that I can recommend them for reading pleasure. Unless you are a real history buff. Like my Dad. Maybe he would like to read my essays too?
At the end of the semester, the professor helped the class with an exam review by showing images of the historical leaders we had (supposedly) studied, along with some other key images we should have known ... like The Schlieffen Plan or the Tennessee Valley Authority. Do you know what The Schlieffen Plan is? No, of course you don't ... only a History Major has a handle on information such as this. Well, History Majors plus me, I guess ...
You want to know if I could identify more than three out of twenty images at the end of the semester, don't you? Of course, I could ... but I didn't know all of them.
So, I just sat quietly ... trying to look pretty.
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