After reading Kathryn's blog, I've realized that there are many connections between The Post-American World, which is the book I read, and the book Kathryn read, which is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Skoop goes in depth to talk about how HeLa cells revolutionized the medical world. In The Post-American World, Zakaria went in depth to talk about how the rise of the rest is shaping our modern world and revolutionizing how America diplomatically does things. HeLa cells and the rise of many other nations in our world today have and are revolutionizing the post modern world that we live in today.
Another similarity these two books have in common is the point that ideas are more important than technology. In The Post-American World, Zakaria talked in great lengths of how ideas are what is going to put us ahead of other nations, not necessarily education. Zakaria stressed that as long as America keeps producing creative ideas, then America will be successful. This concept relates to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks because the idea of taking HeLa cells and revolutionize them for the medical world is a very creative one. It shows that Zakaria is right about how important creative ideas are, especially after one learns the important impact the HeLa cells have had.
In addition, The Post-American World Zakaria talks about how it's the small things that America does that result in its success, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks talks about how the small research and steps taken in the medical field can lead to huge breakthroughs. Both of these books showed the important of taking small, little, baby steps to achieving successs, and they both stress the importance of how it takes many peoples hard, dedicated work to becoming successful.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Capturing Thought: Why we live
Earlier this week, our class had a discussion about the meaning of life. I felt like I had a "now I get it" moment when Mr. Allen explained how he lived for the meaningful moments that literature and art bring him.
I realized that he was right. Life would be dull, boring and meaningless if it weren't for those momnts of meaning. I also realized that different people find these meaningful moments in different ways.
I then began to think of why evryone lived. I pondered the idea of living a life without meaning. Do people really do that? I think that people do, but it is by choice. They decide to reject meaning that they could find from a variety of things, and they must feel very sad and empty inside, not having anyhing to live for. It made me sad to think of someone else feeling sad; someone else living for nothing, when there is so much to be living for.
I went on to think about how lots of people are living for the wrong things- cars, phones, houses, and any other innanimate objects. I think it is so sellfish and weird how people go crazy over getting cell phones, cars, and computers because I think there is so much more to live for in life. I mean, millions of people in this world don't own them, but yet they may be happier than the people that do. Therefore, that means that poor people find meaning in their lives too, and the meaning they find may be even more meaningful than the meaning wealthy people find.
Despite the fact that poor and rich people have different ways to find meaning, they both find meaning. Well at least, I hope they do. For a life without meaning isn't a life; without meaning, one isn't living.
By having this discussion in class, it made me realize and appreciate the little and big things in my life that give me meaning. I'm so grateful for the meaning in my life because it is what has, is, and will continue to make my life so wonderful.
I realized that he was right. Life would be dull, boring and meaningless if it weren't for those momnts of meaning. I also realized that different people find these meaningful moments in different ways.
I then began to think of why evryone lived. I pondered the idea of living a life without meaning. Do people really do that? I think that people do, but it is by choice. They decide to reject meaning that they could find from a variety of things, and they must feel very sad and empty inside, not having anyhing to live for. It made me sad to think of someone else feeling sad; someone else living for nothing, when there is so much to be living for.
I went on to think about how lots of people are living for the wrong things- cars, phones, houses, and any other innanimate objects. I think it is so sellfish and weird how people go crazy over getting cell phones, cars, and computers because I think there is so much more to live for in life. I mean, millions of people in this world don't own them, but yet they may be happier than the people that do. Therefore, that means that poor people find meaning in their lives too, and the meaning they find may be even more meaningful than the meaning wealthy people find.
Despite the fact that poor and rich people have different ways to find meaning, they both find meaning. Well at least, I hope they do. For a life without meaning isn't a life; without meaning, one isn't living.
By having this discussion in class, it made me realize and appreciate the little and big things in my life that give me meaning. I'm so grateful for the meaning in my life because it is what has, is, and will continue to make my life so wonderful.
Post- American World: Meeting 2 (Pages 65-129)
This part of the book first talked about Christopher Colomubus and how big a mistake westernization and colonization were in parts of North America, as well as Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia. Then it talked about westernization and modernization and how they affect each other, as well as the affects westernization and modernization have had, are having, and will have on this global world. The rest was spent talking about the rise of the sleeping giant, China, and the role China played, plays, and will continue to play in the world.
"Whatever happens to China internally is likely to complicate life internationally (Zakaria 104)."
Whatever happens to China internally could challenge the status quo of the world. The book talks about how what happens with China will have a huge affect on the international community because it is making lots of allies and doing trade in Africa. In addition, China has one of the biggest populations of poeple and one of the fastest growing economies. So if the peple in China decide to be creative and form mass rallies and protest against their government, they would be challenging the status quo of their country, as well as the world. If China drastically challenges the status quo of their country, then the world will drastically change because of the vital player China is.
"Whatever happens to China internally is likely to complicate life internationally (Zakaria 104)."
Whatever happens to China internally could challenge the status quo of the world. The book talks about how what happens with China will have a huge affect on the international community because it is making lots of allies and doing trade in Africa. In addition, China has one of the biggest populations of poeple and one of the fastest growing economies. So if the peple in China decide to be creative and form mass rallies and protest against their government, they would be challenging the status quo of their country, as well as the world. If China drastically challenges the status quo of their country, then the world will drastically change because of the vital player China is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)