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玖瞳...what you are you do not see,what you see is your shadow. |
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玖瞳...M S N : edisoncheneye12@hotmail.com welcome to my life!
5/22/2008 A prospect of the seaIt was high summer, and the boy was lying in the corn. He was happy because he had no work to do and the weather was hot. He heard the corn sway from side to side above him, and the noise of the birds who whistled from the branches of the trees that hid the house. Lying flat on his back, he stared up into the unbrokenly blue sky falling over the edge of the corn. The wind, after the warm rain before noon, smelt of rabbits and cattle. He stretched himself like a cat, and put his arms behind his head. Now he was riding on the sea, swimming through the golden corn waves, gliding along the heavens like a bird; in sevenleague boots he was springing over the fields; he was building a nest in the sixth of the seven trees that waved their hands from a bright, green hill. Now he was a boy with tousled hair, rising lazily to his feet, wandering out of the corn to the strip of river by the hillside. He put his fingers in the water, making a mock sea-wave to roll the stones over and shake the weeds; his fingers stood up like ten tower pillars in the magnifying water, and a fish with a wise head and a lashing tail swam in and out of the tower gates. He made up a story as the fish swam through the gates into the pebbles and the moving bed. There was a drowned princess from a Christmas book, with her shoulders broken and her two red pigtails stretched like the strings of a fiddle over her broken throat; she was caught in a fisherman's net, and the fish plucked her hair. He forgot how the story ended, if ever there were an end to a story that had no beginning. Did the princess live again, rising like a mermaid from the net, or did a prince from another story tauten the tails of her hair and bend her shoulder-bone into a harp and pluck the dead, black tunes for ever in the courts of the royal country? The boy sent a stone skidding over the green water. He saw a rabbit scuttle, and threw a stone at its tail. A fish leaped at the gnats, and a lark darted out of the green earth. This was the best summer since the first seasons of the world. He did not believe in God, but God had made this summer full of blue winds and heat and pigeons in the house wood. There were no chimneys on the hills with no name in the distance, only the trees which stood like women and men enjoying the sun; there were no cranes or coal-tips, only the nameless distance and the hill with seven trees. He could think of no words to say how wonderful the summer was, or the noise of the wood-pigeons, or the lazy corn blowing in the half wind from the sea at the river's end. There were no words for the sky and the sun and the summer country: the birds were nice, and the corn was nice.
5/12/2008 All the world's a stage...... William ShakespeareAll the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
5/10/2008 Soon, O soon. ....James Joyce
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Literature Network ? Percy Bysshe Shelley ? Ozymandias
5/9/2008 IF..... by Rudyard kiplingIF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
5/2/2008 Go Seek Her Out
Go seek her out all courteously,
And say I come,
Wind of spices whose song is ever
Epithalamium.
O, hurry over the dark lands
And run upon the sea
For seas and lands shall not divide us
My love and me.
Now, wind, of your good courtesy
I pray you go,
And come into her little garden
And sing at her window;
Singing: The bridal wind is blowing
For Love is at his noon;
And soon will your true love be with you, 5/1/2008 THE CAT AND THE MOON
by: W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)
THE cat went here and there
And the moon spun round like a top,
And the nearest kin of the moon,
The creeping cat, looked up.
Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon,
For, wander and wail as he would,
The pure cold light in the sky
Troubled his animal blood.
Minnaloushe runs in the grass
Lifting his delicate feet.
Do you dance, Minnaloushe, do you dance?
When two close kindred meet,
What better than call a dance?
Maybe the moon may learn,
Tired of that courtly fashion,
A new dance turn.
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
From moonlit place to place,
The sacred moon overhead
Has taken a new phase.
Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils
Will pass from change to change,
And that from round to crescent,
From crescent to round they range?
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
Alone, important and wise,
And lifts to the changing moon
His changing eyes. 4/24/2008 Dream onEvery time I look in the mirror All these lines on my face getting clearer The past is gone It goes by, like dusk to dawn Isn't that the way Everybody's got their dues in life to pay Yeah, I know nobody knows where it comes and where it goes I know it's everybody's sin You got to lose to know how to win Half my life is in books' written pages Lived and learned from fools and from sages You know it's true All the things come back to you Sing with me, sing for the year Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears Sing with me, if it's just for today Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away Dream on. 4/16/2008 Mother's Day
Does your mother know how much you appreciate her? Well, Mother’s Day is the time to show her. It’s a chance to say ‘thank you’, or to tell your mum how much you love her.
In Britain, Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday, falls on a different day each year, because it takes place a few weeks before the festival of Easter. But it is always in the early springtime, which seems appropriate, as the season when new plants emerge, and baby birds and animals are born. In the USA, Mother’s Day takes place a little later, in May, and many other countries also celebrate their mothers on different days of the year.
It began many years ago, when children, especially girls, as young as 10 would live and work away from home as housemaids and other types of servant. Mothering Sunday was a day when everyone was allowed to go to their home village or town, and visit their mothers.
So what do we do now to celebrate Mother’s Day? Well the easiest and cheapest option is to send a greetings card. Small children might make their mother a hand-made card or draw a picture, which their mother will treasure even more.
Often people send bouquets of flowers or pot-plants to their mothers ? Mother’s Day is probably one of the most lucrative times of the year for florists. All the spring flowers are available, such as daffodils and tulips, or you can choose your mum’s favourite blooms.
Other presents such as boxes of chocolates or expensive toiletries are also popular. But what most mothers would enjoy most is a visit from their grown-up offspring, especially if you live a long way away.
Many people take their mothers out for lunch to celebrate, or if you are very generous, you might treat your mum to a special day out. This might be a visit to the theatre, a shopping trip, or perhaps a pampering spa day to rest and relax. Whatever you do, it should show your mother how much she means to you. 4/15/2008 What Would You Do?
A lot of people seem to be unaware of who they really are... they've never stopped to figure it out, just doing what they've learned that other people expect them to do, what they think they "should" do, rather than what is right for them.
If you would prefer to find fulfillment, rather than just trudging through life, you need to break that mold. You need to really figure out who you are, and what you really want to do.
The good news is that it's pretty easy to do, although some people have trouble with the concept the first time or two. So... are you ready for it? Do you want to know how to find fulfillment in your life?
All you need is a little directed daydreaming... you just need to daydream enough to answer this question:
If you had no responsibilities, no pressures, no need to worry about making money, paying bills, doing chores, or taking care of anyone... what would you do?
This isn't asking what would you do with a billion dollars, and answers like "be with my spouse" don't really answer the question... the question is what would you DO, not who would you do it with.
There is no wrong answer... what you want to do may not be popular, or may even be looked down upon by society, but that has nothing to do with whether or not it's right for you.
I'll get this started by answering the question myself: I would travel a bit (Australia and Italy are at the top of my list), go fishing (hence the picture), write fiction, make things out of wood (particularly furniture), and design clothing (See? It doesn't have to be an "accepted" activity.).
Once you figure out what it is that you would do if you were given complete freedom, why not see if you can work some of that into your life now? I can go fishing, make things out of wood (at least small things, I don't have room anywhere for a workshop), and write without doing anything more than spending a little bit of money and dedicating the time to it. If I knew how to find software that would allow me to alter basic patterns, I might get started on the clothing, too (oh, and find someone to make it for me once I have the pattern... I don't sew, other than patches on my uniform when I was in the Army).
I'm really curious... what would you do? Anyone else for some nice relaxing fishing? If you have any inclination to do so, please answer in the comments... I would really like to know. 4/11/2008 Why Loneliness Is Bad for You
Feeling lonely can make you sick. Doctors have long known that loneliness is associated with cardiovascular problems, viral infections, and higher mortality. What they didn’t know is how this feeling begets illness. A study in the September issue of the online journal Genome Biology suggests that loneliness actually affects the very core of our bodies?our genes. In a small population of patients, researchers surveyed more than 20,000 genes using DNA microarrays to compare how the genes of lonely and nonlonely individuals express themselves in molecular processes and, ultimately, in personal health. They found that gene expression is different at 209 sites in chronically lonely people and that many of those changes fit a pattern of elevated immune activation, inflammation, and depressed response to infection. “We now have a molecular framework for understanding the relationship between social experience and physical health,” explains the study’s lead author, Steve Cole of UCLA.
The study found that loneliness desensitizes the glucocorticoid receptors, cutting off the immune control and anti-inflammatory effects of cortisol, a stress-related hormone that also helps regulate the conversion of carbohydrates to energy. The depressed cortisol response concurs with the known effects of loneliness and provides a potential target for treatment.
This study?the first to link feelings with genomewide changes?is “in some sense groundbreaking,” says Emma Adam, an associate professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University. “It fills in the black box.”
According to John Cacioppo, an author of the study and a psychologist from the University of Chicago, the work suggests that loneliness is a warning sign, much like physical pain. “This very process of feeling bad because of disconnection contributes to what it means to be human,” he says. “It makes us care for other people and want to reconnect when we’re disconnected.” 4/10/2008 What a Wonderful World
Be well-preparedAs many prosperous businesspeople already know,preparation is often the key to success in any endeavor. You may be socially adept at work and have a pleasant enough personality, but you'll be more likely to convince others that your solution is the right one if you have the facts on your side. Doing your homework means taking the initiative to be prepared for any challenge: making a presentation,participating in a meeting, advancing a new idea to your boss, overhauling company processes and procedures. And doing your homework also means doing the basic research necessary to back up whatever claims you are making. One especially critical factor to consider is the culture of the organization you work for: each organization has its own set of values and norms--the ideals that are held in high esteem by management and used as models for good employee behavior. For your initiatives to be successful, you have to tailor your approach accordingly.Here are some suggestions:
1.Research your organization's culture by talking with your colleagues--both workers and managers--about what norms, values,and beliefs are most important to your organization and to the individuals who work within it.
2.Map out your organization's decision-making channels and take time to get to know each person in the channels you wish to influence.
3.Seek out and develop informal channels for influencing others in your organization, in a way consistent with the organization's culture.
4. Cultivate networks of coworkers who can support you in your efforts and influence others on your behalf.
5.As you prepare to influence others in your organization, be sure that your anticipated approach is consistent with the organization's culture.
4/8/2008 11 Ways to Say I Love YouAlright, so you have a hard time saying "I love you"? Not comfortable with verbal expressions of affection? You're not the only one. Some folks are even squeamish about hearing it.
Perhaps you feel that the phrase is thrown around too frequently to have any meaning anymore. Maybe it's something deeper, like the emotional vulnerability that comes with a serious, emotional commitment.
Or maybe you have no problem telling someone how you feel, but enjoy more nonverbal expressions of your passion as well. Whatever the case, here are some simple, completely free, non-spoken ways to tell your significant other how you feel.
Send a Picture
Send a picture of flowers to her cell phone or email. Sometimes when your girl is away from work or home and sending flowers isn't possible, receiving a picture of a bunch of roses on her phone is something she'll think is cute.
Help Out
Help out once in a while in the kitchen or around the house. It doesn't take long, and she'll appreciate it.
Make a Card
Make a card and put it under her pillow. It'll mean more because you made it, and I promise she'll keep it.
Wear That Sweater
You know that sweater she gave you? The one you hate? Wear it.
Pay Attention
When you're out with your girl, don't check out the other girls. I know it seems elementary, but it surprises me how many times I see guys walking with girls, spinning their necks around when they walk by a short skirt. I'm not saying wear blinders, but the obvious staring is disrespectful to your girl, and whether she says anything or not, she hates it. She'll appreciate feeling like she's the only one you're interested in.
Listen When She Talks
Listen when she talks to you. When you listen to her, she feels like what she has to say is important. If you interrupt her, it means that what she's saying isn't important, get it?
Play This
Play Like a Lover on the Surrender album by Jane Monheit. In fact, play her the whole album.
Try To Understand
Men don't understand PMS. Trust me. I don't, you don't, our fathers didn't, and our sons won't. To men, PMS is like leprechauns or the Browns in a Super Bowl. Doesn't happen, right? Well, it might not be a fact of life to us, but it is to her so give her a break.
Shovel Her Snow
If you don't live together, you could go to her place in the winter and make sure her steps and walk are shoveled and salted before she leaves for work. Come to think of it, you should do this even if you do live together. And knock the snow off her car.
Make Her a Cup of Tea
Put it in a real teacup, on a real saucer. Under the cup, on a tiny piece of paper, write "I love you". If she doesn't like tea, try hot chocolate.
Read Her Poetry
Find an appropriate poem (not The Ride of Paul Revere, and nothing that stars with "There once was a man from Nantucket"), and practice it. Then read it to her. Trust me, she'll dig it.
Okay, all of these might not work on your girl, but if none of them work, check her for a pulse. 4/7/2008 How to Wake Up with Energy Each MorningDo you wake up in the morning feeling well-rested and energized? Or is the feeling you have when the alarm clock goes off closer to the beginning stages of recovery from an all-night bender?
Sometimes you can wake up feeling groggy, light headed, and exhausted, even though you just got eight, nine, or even ten hours of sleep. It makes you wonder how you can get a good night’s sleep and feel horrible the next morning, yet sometimes you only get a few hours and wake up feeling great.
If this is happening to you, you need to make some changes to ensure a night of peaceful slumber that will leave you feeling revved up and ready to go. Try these things to give yourself a burst of morning energy and ensure you wake up feeling motivated and ready to go.
Fix Your Diet: There are substances you consume every day in your diet that will have a direct reflection upon how you feel the next morning. Caffeine is the biggest offender, followed by sugar. In addition to causing highs and lows with your blood sugar, they affect your body’s hormone production, which directly affects how well you sleep. Combined together they make a cocktail that is surely guaranteed to kick your butt in the morning. If you must drink coffee ? and many of us must ? make sure you only have it in the morning, and try to limit it to one cup. Keep in mind that a Venti Starbucks is like having about three cups of home brewed.
What you eat can affect your sleep as well. An old rule of thumb was to not eat after six o’clock in the evening. Eat a light meal at night loaded with fresh veggies. It not only fits in with healthy eating habits, but your body will sleep better if it is not burdened with digesting a heavy meal.
Exercise: Some good aerobic exercise is not only great for your heart, lungs, and overall health, but getting a dose of daily exercise will do two other things for you as well. It will give you a burst of natural adrenalin during the day, helping to clear your head and boost your energy levels. Your motivation level rises significantly when you are getting regular exercise. It will also help you sleep more soundly at night. You do not have to get fancy with your exercise, either. Go for a run or a brisk walk, or jump on the stair stepper for half of an hour. Just try to get at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week. This single positive change can do more for helping your sleep than any other thing you can do.
Establish a Morning Routine: Rather than throwing the dice to decide what time you are going to wake up each day, decide upon a set time that works well for you and stick to it. Set your alarm clock so your body learns that it needs to wake up every day at a certain time. You can actually train your body to wake up on its own after you have been doing this for a while ? you might notice you start waking up on your own one minute before the alarm is supposed to sound. When this happens, your body has been programmed to wake at a certain time.
Have an enjoyable morning routine 4/6/2008 Are You Using the Correct Shampoo TechniqueFew people realize there's a correct way to shampoo your hair, says George Caroll, a stylist, hair product designer, and consultant to the entertainment and beauty industry in Hollywood. He says proper shampooing not only improves the look of hair but also helps slow hair loss and promote healthier hair growth. He recommends the following:
Before you even step into the shower, brush your hair from front to back with a stiff boar-bristle brush. This will stimulate circulation and prevent the buildup of styling products.
Wet hair with warm water. (Hot water can strip your hair of protective oils.) Apply shampoo at the nape of the neck and shampoo the hairline first, followed by the top of your head.
Massage your entire scalp at least three times to push nutrients into the hair bulb and free your hair follicles of clogging deposits.
After rinsing your hair thoroughly, apply your conditioner. If you are doing all this outside the shower, wrap a "steam towel" (a wet towel that's been microwaved for two minutes) around your head and leave it on for 30-60 seconds. The steam will make moisturizing conditioners work more effectively by allowing the conditioner to be evenly absorbed into each hair strand.
Finish with a cool-water rinse, which is not only stimulating but also helps tighten scalp pores, firm hair fibers, reduce hair limpness, and increase sheen and body. 4/4/2008 5 Reasons You Should Quit Your JobEveryone that I know has a job; some are good some are bad. I'd imagine that most of you have jobs as well. At some point or another, you will get the itch to storm into your boss' office and leave, once and for all. However, is there a good reason aside from the, "I don't like it" mantra repeating itself in your brain? Perhaps.
Today we'll discuss some reasons why it may be acceptable to leave your current job. Next week, we'll flip the script and discuss reasons why you won't quit.
So with that, let's go through five situations that may cause you to quit. While none of these may be strong enough to hold water on its own, those of you that go 3 outta 5 may be at the tipping point.
You Hate What You're Doing
Do you really want to spend the next years doing something you absolutely hate? Will that make you happy? Sure, your paycheck could be decent, but I'll tell you this much: if you currently hate what you're doing then, as far as your potential is concerned, you are leaving a lot on the table by not quitting your job.
It's Not Challenging Enough
A lot of folks, due to the fact that they're as lazy as it gets, prefer to limit themselves to a job that allows them to coast through each day unchallenged. You cannot be one of these people (could you?). Look deep down inside yourself. Challenging doesn't equal stressful to don't be afraid to open yourself up to more responsibility.
You Don't Like The People You Work With
As your personal productivity level is concerned, it will be very difficult to maximize results if you are not exactly thrilled about the people you work with. We all have quarrels with people at work but if going to work becomes a chore simply because of the people, it's time to give it some thought. We could be talking about fellow employees or we could be talking about your boss, it really doesn't matter. The bottom line is that if you are not able to get along with them then you are most likely better off trying something else on for size.
You Are Not Satisfied Financially
Are you not satisfied with your current paycheck? Do you know how it stacks up with other people in the industry doing the same thing? While money is not the key to happiness, it's nice to know if the company across the street would pay you an extra $10K for doing the same thing. A site named Indeed has a comparison tool that will give you some preliminary data comparison for your position. Check that out but the point is that you should never make the mistake of sticking around simply because you are afraid or lack the confidence. When it comes to this point, knowledge is power.
There Are No Promotion Opportunities
Does the thought of doing the same thing over and over again and never taking things to the next level sound all that appealing? Of course not, and you can rest assured that, if there's absolutely nothing which motivates you to become better at what you're doing, you simply won't.
No matter what angle you choose to view the situation from, you will never be truly happy with a job which doesn't motivate you enough. As a result, I'm sure that it's more than obvious what you should be doing next.
So what do you think? How many of these apply to you? If it's 4 or 5 are you already looking for a new job or planning to start a business? If not, what is holding you back? 4/3/2008 Having more fun at work
We all know that we should take better care of ourselves, relax more, and have more fun at work (and elsewhere, as well), but it's easy to overlook the opportunities to do just that because of the daily work priorities that consume our lives. Here are some ideas for learning to take action in your work life:
Get healthy. Regular exercise will not only make your mind and body stronger but also help rid you of the frustration that occurs as the natural by-product of many employee interactions at work. Eat right, too, especially at lunch or when you're on the road.
Take a break. When you take a break, you give your brain a much needed chance to relax, and you allow yourself time to recharge your batteries. When you take a break, really take a break. Get away from the office for a while and avoid interruptions or, at the very least, close your door and turn off your phone.
Have fun. About a third of our time is spent at work. If you're not having fun, why bother going? Sure, the money is important, but so is how you live your life while at work. Fun should be a central part of the relationships you share with others both at work and off the job.
Manage your schedule. If you don't manage your own schedule, there's a good chance that someone else will be happy to manage it for you. Buy a quality personal planner or calendar and use it!
Be an optimist. Don't automatically assume anything negative about anybody. Instead, look for the good in everyone you meet and in everything that you do. You'll be amazed at how much better your coworkers will feel about themselves when you are there to lift their spirits. Books that Changed America
5
Native Son
Richard Wright, 1940
This novel by Richard Wright was incredible, and shocked the entire nation by making a seemingly vicious black man (and a murderer) a hero, or at least an anti-hero. Bigger Thomas was the epitome of an angry black man, pushed too far not only by a society that hated him because of the color of the skin, but by the self-loathing he felt as a result and by even the white Socialists who thought they understood, but did not. This violent and startling story brought to attention the savage inequalities and racism in America, and helped lay part of the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement.
4
A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792
This 1792 work was a passionate manifesto, and this work’s effect caused Wollstonecraft to be considered the mother of modern feminism. This was the first major literary assertion of women’s rights, and started the ball rolling on every major breakthrough to follow.
3
The Jungle
Upton Sinclair, 1906
Hot dog, anyone? This novel was meant to be about not only the meat packing plant, but also about the terrible conditions of poverty that immigrants and low wage workers dealt with in the cities. This novel shocked the nation, and the understanding that humans who fell in the vat simply ended up in hot dogs . . . well apparently that’s more important than poverty. Nonetheless, this caused several acts to be passed by congress in dealing with both employment laws and with meat packing and food and safety standards. Many of these laws are still in effect even today.
2
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1852
This was almost number one, but even at 2, no one can argue that this was one of the most influential books in American history. Not only was this the first book to sell a million copies, and inflamed the issue of slavery to the point where there was no way to ignore it any longer. When author Harriet Beecher Stowe met President Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln was quoted as saying: “So you’re the little woman who started this great war.” Whether the quote is true or not, it shows the effect she had on society.
1
Common Sense
Thomas Paine, 1776
It’s almost impossible to argue with this one at the top. The fiery yet intelligent public indictment of monarchy and demanding freedom may have been the single biggest fuse that lead to wide spread support of the Revolutionary War. Many historians think of Paine’s book as the ember that sparked the blaze. Over 100,000 copies were sold in the first few months, and before “Common Sense” became widely read, most colonists didn’t give a crap about breaking away from Great Britain, so the book that helped create America is the one that gets the number one spot 4/2/2008 Books that Changed America
There are books that are revered because of their effect on art, and there are books that are remarkable because they literally change the very society from which they came. Here is a list of ten books that radically changed or shaped American society. I’ve excluded all religious texts because those are just too obvious. So without further delay, here’s the list!
Leaves of Grass
Walt Whitman, 1855
This 1855 book of poetry ushered in the American equivalent of the Romantic Era of literature. Whitman’s brilliant work changed art, and changed what could be discussed in art with his bold and bawdy epic poem. This work was both subversive and celebratory, that opened the door for discussion of many issues, and also was the work that opened the beat movement that followed nearly a century later.
The Clansman
Thomas Dixon Jr, 1905
Unfortunately, not every book has a good influence on society. This 1905 book made the KKK out to be heroes, and lead to a disgraceful anti-black film (the Birth of a Nation) that was quoted by then President Woodrow Wilson as being, “Sad because it’s true.” This was the racist answer to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and this book was a best seller that eventually led to support for the Jim Crow laws. Sad and sick, but influential all the same.
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck, 1939
This novel, which won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, was a stunning and powerful novel. This fictional book was based on the real life plight of the poor Midwestern farmers who went into California looking for work, and ended up in slave conditions and tragedy. This book was extremely controversial, and hated in California, but invoked such an outrage that Congress actually passed legislation to help the migrants and their families. This never would have happened without this book, which remains a classic to this day.
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass, 1845
The full title of this book is “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave”. This autobiography of Frederick Douglass was printed in 1845 and really opened people’s eyes not only because of the intriguing title, but because Douglass’s exceptional prose, poetic fables, and great writing skill showed what a former slave could aspire to. With this beautiful writing, others realized that the point of view Douglass has was valid, and the fable referring to slavery was too hard to miss.
Silent Spring
Rachel Carson, 1962
This simple yet powerful book caught the attention of millions and was the cry against the loss of our environmental treasures that finally forced Congress to listen and spawned the modern environmental movement. This book caused DDT to be made illegal, and helped save the Bald Eagle, among hundreds and hundreds of other animals. 3/30/2008 Talking About LoveHere, the collection of love-inspired quotes.
Compiled by Amy Zerello
You know how they say we only use 10 percent of our brains? I think we only use 10 percent of our hearts.
-- Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers There are a lot of things happening that show us that this, right now, is a time to love. -- Stevie Wonder in People I know love at first sight can work. It happened to my parents. -- George Clooney on contactmusic.com Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important. -- Carl Reiner on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Men fall in love with their eyes. Women fall in love with their ears. -- Quoted by Dr. Phil McGraw on Dr. Phil I am certainly not an authority on love because there are no authorities on love, just those who've had luck with it, and those who haven't. -- Bill Cosby If the marriage needs help, the answer almost always is have more fun. Drop your list of grievances and go ride a roller coaster. -- Garrison Keillor on salon.com Love is overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate. -- Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener. -- Paula Deen on the Food Network If you have a boat and a happy marriage, you don't need another thing. -- Ed McMahon in TV Guide Here's the secret to a happy marriage: Do what your wife tells you. -- Denzel Washington in New York Daily News
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