Once you’ve presented the book you read over vacation in class, please summarize it here, as a comment to this post (5 or 6 sentences should suffice). You should also comment, ask questions, discuss other books presented in class this week. Each student must make five comments or ask five questions (or some combination of the two) regarding other student reports and books. This is an opportunity to learn from each other–feel free to engage in an extended on-line discussion beyond the minimum required for a quiz grade. Welcome back!
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AP World Students
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January 13, 2011 at 10:59 pm
Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West, by Benazir Bhutto focuses on the three details found in the title–Islam, the West, and how these two powers can find peace in democracy. The book begins by eloquently proving why Islam is in fact similar to the West and concurrent with of the West’s values like freedom, democracy, and equality. She explains that extremism is not mainstream Islam but rather, an impoverished, radical minority. Later, Bhutto uses Pakistan as a case study of how extremism got its reputation in the first place. Second, she explores how the West played an equally as pivotal role in probing extremism by pursuing its personal interests in fragile colonized nations (more case studies: Iran, Afghanistan, etc.). In her conclusion, she combines these facts to state that if Islam embraces its true roots and fights corruption while the West honestly tries to pursue democratic development, these two powers will easily achieve long lasting peace.
January 13, 2011 at 11:03 pm
include the URL to your power point please, so that everyone can find it easily.
January 16, 2011 at 4:51 pm
So if Bhutto thinks she knows how to organize world peace….is she some kind of international/foregin affairs person? Has she attempted to bring her ideas/this revelation to the people of the Middle Eastern world/the people who create our negative western influence?
January 16, 2011 at 11:39 pm
I understand that Bhutto had revolutionary visions that, if accomplished, could change the state of the way all think of Islam. Although she has been assassinated, do you know if there is anyone else striving to make her goals come true? Or has the controversial murder left in its wake too much chaos?
January 22, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I understand you say the West can e held responsible for night trying to pursue democracy in the Middle East. Do you think that while they were trying to colonize fragile nations they were also interested in protecting and gain access to the oil in the Middle East?
January 13, 2011 at 11:17 pm
http://www.slideshare.net/murnane/rats-lice-and-history-6477984 (I was not sure where to put this link; so it’s here too for reference)
Written in the form of a biography, Rats, Lice, and History addresses the effect of the deadly virus, Typhus. Originating in the East, Typhus became the companion of war, poverty, flood, famine, drought, and disaster. Quickly it was found worldwide and was the decided factor in political decisions as well as the rise or fall of empires. As technology and most importantly, sanitary procedures, were developed, Typhus’ presence began to recede. But, do not be fooled, as long as vermin such a rats, lice, war, and poverty are among us, Typhus will always be able to strike back.
January 16, 2011 at 4:46 pm
So should we all be afraid of Typhus right now? Why aren’t we?
January 16, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Zinsser argues that Typhus is most likely to become an epidemic when poverty, war, and natural disasters occur. Many people should be afraid of the possibility of an outbreak of Typhus, but due to the fact that we live in the US, an outbreak is not easily predictable. Dramatic changes would have to occur in our way of living in order to be at risk; however, the possibility of epidemic should not be completely disregarded. As scary as it is, all things are possible.
January 19, 2011 at 12:27 am
How does the virus connect to poverty?
January 20, 2011 at 11:22 am
In poor settings, the conditions in which people live vary from those of the well-off. It is unsanitary, dirty, lacking in warmth, clothes, medicine, proper nutrition, etc… Rats and lice are the vermin that carry this virus, and as it so happens, they thrive in such environments. Because of this, the virus is more prevalent in poor areas; although, it was still just as potent amongst royalty.
January 23, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Does “Rats, Lice, and History” give examples of any major political decisions caused by the virus?
January 23, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Does Zinsser mention if any governments, the Red Cross, or any other organizations have taken precautionary measures for the possible rise of Typhus? Basically, in the event of Typhus rising again, would we-the world collectively- be prepared?
January 24, 2011 at 11:08 am
The book does not mention any such organizations. Generally, everyone regardless of societal status was affected. I cannot really make a prediction about what would happen if Typhus decided to strike again tomorrow, but I can say that third world countries or those that suffer from extreme poverty (that are particularly high in population) would be affected at a much quicker rate than a sparsely populated area.
January 23, 2011 at 7:42 pm
When was the last major outbreak of Typhus? Is it still a priority to find a vaccine, or has one already been found?
January 14, 2011 at 1:39 pm
E=mc2: A biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation, by David Bodanis, provides a clearer understanding of Albert Einstein’s famous equation of relativity by explaining the origins, as well as the impact the equation has had on the modern world. Bondanis starts out by painting a world where energy and mass are two separate entities—explaining how Antoine Laviosier and Michael Faraday had discovered and defined most of the properties of energy and mass. And then Einstein is introduced. Rather than accepting what was in front of him—he questioned the established beliefs in the world of science and discovered that mass and energy weren’t separate entities, rather they were interchangeable. However, he hadn’t realized that this seemingly innocuous discovery would lead to more harm than good. As the equation became widely accepted, scientists saw that they could harness this relativity between mass and energy for medical research, power plants, and preventative measures, but also deadly nuclear weaponry.
January 16, 2011 at 4:53 pm
So does Bodanis/do you think the creation of Einstien’s equation brought more negative and deadly affects on society by the idea and creation of nuclear weapons than good? What about all of the medical research that couldn’t have happened without this equation? Do you think nuclear power would have been discovered eventually anyway….without this equation?
January 23, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Bodanis does not directly state whether he believed the affects were more positive or negative. He wrote the book as a biography, taking an unbiased approach, so the reader could decide for himself whether the equation affect was worth it in the end. However, based on the fact that he spent the majority of the book explaining the negative affects, and only spent one or two pages talking about the positive medical research that was able to take place because of E=mc2, I believe he thought that the equation was more detrimental.
And it is possible that nuclear power would have been discovered without Einstein’s help, but there really is no way to tell. However, it is safe to say that the world would be a lot different today without Einstein’s contributions to the world of science.
January 23, 2011 at 7:48 pm
In your opinion, which invention or discovery that came out of the relativity equation had the most impact on world history. Both positive and negative?
January 24, 2011 at 12:14 am
Personally I would say that the discovery of nuclear energy in general-both for powerplants and nuclear weapons- had the most impact on history. For the first time in history, people were able to harness the potential energy right in front of them, on a very large scale. But the nuclear energy does not only supply the masses with cheaper energy and extremely powerful weaponry, it also leaves radioactive materials on our earth that take as long as 10,000 years of radioactive decay before being considered safe again. In the end, the (extremely) long term affects of nuclear energies will leave the greatest impact on world history.
January 24, 2011 at 6:49 pm
In your powerpoint, it says that E=mc2 played a role in the creation of Earth and will also play a role in it’s destruction as well. How?
January 14, 2011 at 1:45 pm
1968 is Mark Kurlansky’s tribute to the year that defined modern protest. The year that was marred by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy also was the year of heroic movements such as Freedom Summer, Prague Spring, and the Democratic Convention protests. This year was remarkable in the sense that the world’s youth was seemingly simultaneously filled with revolutionary spirit. From Poland to Czechoslovakia, to Mexico, to France and the US, movements sprung up across the world to protest the perceived corruption that dominated the status quo. Braving police brutality and the mockery of their elders, the movements of 1968 were unprecedented in their audacity and creativity, constantly devising new ways to resist and satirize their opponents. The origin of our current conception of protest, 1968 was also to thank for vast social change, making significant strides in racial equality, feminism, and society’s perceptions of sex. There is nothing of the old generation that was not turned upon its head in this tumultuous year, one that has resulted in the establishment of many societal norms we take for granted.
January 22, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Does Kurlansky agree that the media’s influence in America(television and newscasts) in 1968 increased the rest of the world’s awareness of the revolts? In other words, was there a particular reason as to why the revolts did not just stay in one country, but rather seemed to spread all over the world?
January 15, 2011 at 12:03 am
The Riddle of The Compass by Amir D. Aczel
A relatively short read, the Riddle of the Compass discusses the importance of the compass in the history of the world. Aczel argues that the compass was the most important invention since the wheel. There were three main points that this book presented. 1) The compass was invented in China, buts its design was perfected in Amalfi, Italy.2) The compass made navigation infinitely easier because large bodies of water could be charted. Also, the wind rose helped explorers steer rough waters and conditions.Without the compass Magellan or Da Gama would not have completed their journeys. Finally, the compass impacted world trade principally by allowing it to take place all year long. Merchants could navigate the ocean no matter what the season, and more trade led to more income, which in turn allowed for prosperity.
January 16, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Besides the obvious (and stated) advantages to the compass, do you know of any negatives that the invention caused? Were there any direct conflicts that came about due to this new piece of technology?
January 23, 2011 at 6:58 pm
The book does not mention any direct conflicts that the compass caused. However, the argument could be made that the compass allowed for the conflicts that took place during the Age of Exploration. The explorers would not have been able to reach their destinations without the compass, meaning that conflict could have been avoided, occurred in a different location, or even later in history.
January 17, 2011 at 12:47 am
Did the book discuss the actual technology of the compass? If so, what materials was it made from initially, and how was it created/discovered?
January 23, 2011 at 7:06 pm
The compass was originally a lodestone spoon shaped like the Big Dipper sitting on a plate with the 28 Chinese constellations. The compass wasn’t really “discovered”, but this spoon/plate arrangement was first used by Wang Mang communicate with the gods. The original function of the compass dealt with divination and Feng Shui.
January 18, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Do you know when the compass became popular? Was it directly after its completion in Italy, or did one of the explorers make its use more widespread?
January 23, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Well, it was invented in China during the Qin Dynasty (206-221 BC). The compass concept was perfected in Italy, but wasn’t actually used to navigate until the early 1400s–by Zheng He. Then, the compass’ use became even more popular with the explorers, and navigators.
January 19, 2011 at 12:26 am
I understand the first compass was invented in China, but did the book mention the first origins of it? How and where the idea of the compass first came up?
January 23, 2011 at 7:11 pm
The compass wasn’t really “discovered”, but this spoon/plate arrangement was first used by Wang Mang to communicate with the gods. The original function of the compass dealt with divination and Feng Shui. The original design was based around a spoon, and the Chinese were more concerned with the magic of magnetivity. Before navigation, the compass was used as a tool to bring balance to the “science of wind and water”, basically to better their crops.
January 21, 2011 at 11:41 pm
How has the compass evolved from the first model in China to the present day compass we use today?
January 23, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Well, in China the compass began as a lodestone spoon on a plate. The next design was one with a turtle, and later a fish. The inventors in Amalfi, perfected the design by using a needle and placing the compass in a portable box. Before the Age of Exploration, the compass rose was drawn on charts and maps, which was also a huge advancement. The book doesn’t really go into the details, but the modern day compass has some additions, and has come a long way since the ladle on a plate.
January 24, 2011 at 10:51 pm
This may be a dumb question but why does the compass always point north I honestly have no idea?
January 15, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Forces of Habit is a narrative of the history of drugs and their influence on the modern world. The author, David T. Courtwright, gives multiple examples of people’s and nations’ experiences with society’s most widely used stimulants: alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, opium, cannabis, and coca. He also explains how drugs have consistently prevailed in the world economy due to their addictive nature and widespread medicinal use. Courtwright makes clear that drugs are commodities, and describes ways in which sellers have gone to extraordinary measures to distinguish their product from their competitors’. Finally, Courtwright relates drugs to government, speaking of taxation, prohibition, and major world events that have happened because of drug use and purchase, clearly relating back to his thesis that drugs have had a huge impact on the development of the world known today.
January 16, 2011 at 4:48 pm
Did Courtwright think that drugs overall generally were beneficial for people/society, or did he think we’d be better off if they were never introduced? After reading the book….what has he made you think? That we’re better them, or without them?
January 18, 2011 at 10:31 pm
I think that Courtwright attempted to be as unbiased as possible when addressing the issue of drug use. He gave examples of negative results, such as slavery, but he also explained how drugs helped to fuel things like the American Revolution. Personally, I don’t have a problem with drugs such as caffeine used in moderation, and I think that they can be lucrative tax products for governments. However, the use of harmful drugs has grown out of control in many societies and is a problem that must be attended to.
January 17, 2011 at 6:37 pm
What is Courtwright’s view on the drug trading going on today? Does he feel that it must stop, or that it is truly helping the economy of the modern world?
January 18, 2011 at 10:42 pm
As I mentioned above, I think that Courtwright tried to be unbiased as he dealt with the issue of drug use. He also wrote this book ten years ago, so I am not sure if he would have a different view on current drug use. However, he takes a realistic view on the trade of drugs and realizes that total drug prohibition cannot and will not ever happen. In his conclusion, it appears as if he thinks that drug use should occur but should be strictly regulated.
January 19, 2011 at 12:29 am
From Courtwright’s point of view, are drugs more beneficial to the people, or to the economy?
January 19, 2011 at 11:31 pm
I think that according to Courtwright, people and their economy go hand-in-hand. I’m sure he would argue that a strong economy would most likely benefit the most amount of people. If he had to choose one though, he would probably say that (legal) drugs are more beneficial to the economy than to the people, simply because drugs can have extremely harmful effects on humans.
January 24, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Which nation does Courtwright say has the most problems with use of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, opium, cannabis, and coca?
January 25, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Courtwright doesn’t give a specific answer to this question, but he does give some examples of nations that have each had their own problems with these drugs. For example, he cites Russia as a nation, who, over the years has had a huge problem with alcohol consumption. Another example he gives is that of China, a country in which many people were addicted to opium. This addiction eventually lead to war with the British and caused China to fall considerably in the eyes of the rest of the world.
January 15, 2011 at 7:42 pm
King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild captures the Belgian Congo genocide, in the eyes of both the victims and the people who caused it, mainly King Leopold himself. It reveals the main players, including Henry Morton Stanley, a journalist and explorer who did Leopold’s work for him and abused the people of the Congo. The main focuses are Leopold’s greed for rubber, gold, and ivory from the Congo and the many human rights violations that resulted from his quest and conquering. It gives a different perspective on what is often an overlooked event in history, and truly displays the damage done by Leopold during his short but horrifying reign.
January 16, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Did the ruler after Leopold make effort to un-do the damage that Leopold did? Or is it still present in someways today.
January 17, 2011 at 12:42 am
King Leopold acted as an independent leader of the Congo, though he was in fact the king of Belgium. When the Belgian government realized what actually happened, they paid Leopold to sell the Congo to them, after which, the Belgian government made efforts to help the Congolese people. Because Leopold destroyed almost half of the population and damaged the environment, and not very much time and resources were put in improving the conditions in the Congo, much of the damage remained unfixed. Even to this day, the area of the Congo is still damaged and war struck, and this can be explained by Leopold’s infrastructure, environmental damage, and human abuse violations, as together, they essentially destroyed the cultural balance of that area.
January 18, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Why do you/Hochschild believe that this major event and crime against humanity was, and still is, so disregarded? Do you think it is because it occurred in the Congo, a country in an often overlooked continent, or because Leopold did a good job covering his tracks?
January 19, 2011 at 12:23 am
Did the book mention how the Congo managed to overcome the oppressing power of Leopold?
January 19, 2011 at 12:24 am
oh no! i’m sorry i didnt see that comment above. Did the community and people under the rule do anything to overcome the leadership?
January 21, 2011 at 11:35 pm
In your powerpoint you mentioned that Kind Leopold was a Belgian king. How did he gain control of Congo (was Congo a Belgium territory)? Also how was he able to keep his greedy practices a secret from the world for a period of time?
January 24, 2011 at 1:26 am
Anita, you mentioned how Henry Marten Stanley was the first to explore all of Africa from east to west. However, even though he was European he pretended to be an American. Did the book say why he pretended to be American, and if so what was the reason?
January 16, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Kissinger explains how western diplomacy worked from the 18th century to present day. He describes the different approaches to foreign relations – balance of power, realpolitik, and wilsonianism. Balance of power created an equilibrium between states, such that none had the capacity to overthrow the order. Realpolitik is a foreign policy that is about acting upon calculations of power and national interest. Completely different from Realpolitik, Wilsonianism (from Kissinger’s point of view) is an idealistic but impractical system based on the belief that America has an obligation to spread its principles for the rest of the world to follow and is responsible for keeping peace in the world. Kissinger, an advocate of Realpolitik, says Realpolitik is what kept peace during the 19th and 20th century. He argues that the disintegration of Realpolitik resulted in World War I, and he also blames Britain and the US for not practicing Realpolitik and leading to World War II. During the Cold War, America got involved in conflicts due to their Wilsonian ideas. America went to Korea and Vietnam thinking it was responsible for the defense of the free world. Today, after the Cold War, America is the only superpower that can truly have an impact on every country in the world. It seems that Wilsonianism is now prevalent. To truly accomplish what Wilsonianism set out to do, America will have to build a new world order by applying its values to the world.
January 23, 2011 at 12:51 pm
In your opinion, which approach to foreign relations mentioned is the most effective?
January 24, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Does Kissinger explain why Woodrow Wilson felt that it is America’s responsibilty to spread its ideals and keep peace worldwide? Were he alive today, do you think Wilson would still feel that way?
January 24, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Since Kissinger doesn’t believe Wilsonianism, how does he believe the US should have handled situations like Korea and Vietnam?
January 16, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Gandhi: A Memoir by William L. Shirer recounts the author’s experiences with Mahatma Gandhi and the people surrounding him in 1931, a pivotal year in the Indian fight for independence. Shirer, at the time, was an American journalist sent by the Chicago Tribune to talk with Gandhi and report on the Indian revolt against the British. The book begins in the spring of 1931, when Gandhi had just been released from prison, and ends at the conclusion of the Second Round Table Conference in the fall, although Shirer goes on to fill in the remaining years between this and Gandhi’s assassination. In between all this, Shirer delves into Gandhi’s personal beliefs and virtues, of which the most important was nonviolence. He also explains some of Gandhi’s beliefs on variety of other topics, such as religion, and the Hindu caste system. Shirer also recounts some his experiences with the people in Gandhi’s inner circle, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, the future first Prime Minister of India and Gandhi’s close friend and political aide, and Sarojini Naidu, a leading woman in the Indian resistance movement. Finally, Shirer comments on the effect Gandhi had on the Indian people, as well as the turning points in the revolution, such as the Gandhi Irwin Pact, and the Salt March. Gandhi: A Memoir is great book that really makes the reader feel as if he or she is watching the events unfold firsthand.
January 16, 2011 at 12:30 pm
Here are the links to my presentation:
January 22, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Why did Ghandi have such a large influence on not only India, but the whole world?
January 24, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Well I’m not really sure “why” Gandhi had such a large influence on the rest of the world, but my best guess would be that the world was kind of fascinated with the concept of resistance through nonviolence. Up until then, no one had really tried to achieve freedom through nonviolence. As to “how” Gandhi had an influence on the rest of the world, a good example would be Martin Luther King Jr. who felt that blacks fighting against whites would only make their task more difficult.
January 23, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Does Shirer explain what first motivated Gandhi to become a leader in the movement for independence?
January 24, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Well, before Gandhi became a political activist, he worked as a lawyer. He studied in London and eventually practiced at a firm in South Africa, which, at the time, was a British colony. It was here that Gandhi experienced discrimination and prejudices against Indian people, and where he would also begin to focus on social issues. He urged people to resist the segregation, and worked to draft frequent petitions for Indian rights.
January 24, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Well, before Gandhi became a political activist, he worked as a lawyer. He studied in London and eventually practiced at a firm in South Africa, which, at the time, was a British colony. It was here that Gandhi experienced discrimination and prejudices against Indian people, and where he would also begin to focus on social issues. He urged people to resist the segregation, and worked to draft frequent petitions for Indian rights. Good Question!
January 16, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Above is the link to my presentation on the book: “The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World,” by Larry Zuckerman. Over break, as I read this book, I started off flipping the first pages very dubiously…doubtful from the start that a humble spud could rescue anything. But as I read Zuckerman’s opening argument and continued to immerse myself in his convincing praise and credit for all the potato has done in history, I found myself a fan and in avid support of the classic, lumpy vegetable. No one really knows to what extent it impacted the history of Europe, and played a part in the lives of kings and peasants in old times. It was brought to North America–it became a favorite food of Mr. Washington, these United States’ first president. It brought one of the worst famines upon Europe in 1845, but saved the same nations in 1850, and brought along some of the most largespread and highscale growth that continent has seen, and yet to see. All because upon discovery in the 1500s, it became a staple, and necessary food in all meals in all places. Eating the potato eliminated scurvy, as well as many other powerful and threatening diseases of that time. It there in the famines of the late 1700s and early 1800s, because when other crops failed, it did not, and the people could rely upon it. When the fungus that killed all potatoes throughout Europe hit in 1845, the worst famine, The Great Famine, occured. Disease hit, and population dwindled. However, if the potato did not make a valiant recovery and return five years later, who knows where the Western World would be at today. Thanks the strength of the potato, and its influential effects on people and society, the Western World grew, and was saved…by a humble spud.
January 17, 2011 at 6:39 pm
What technology developed as a result of potato cultivation?
January 21, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Do you know approximately how many Irish people left Ireland during the Great Famine?
January 23, 2011 at 1:37 pm
You mention how the “humble spud” saves Europe after the Great Famine, however, isn’t it true that without the “humble spud” in the first place the Great Famine would never had happened? And even if it did happen, since the Europeans would not have been so dependent on one crop it would have happened on a smaller scale?
Thanks!
January 24, 2011 at 1:33 am
Natalie, did the book give a reason why the fungus struck the potato crop in 1845? Was it a certain kind of potato that was susceptible to the fungus?
January 16, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Concerning the Great Famine, how did the potato once again rise in Europe? Were there dramatic changes in the environment or the way they were cultivated?
January 16, 2011 at 11:49 pm
Sorry.. This was supposed to go on Natalie’s article.. Is there a way to change the location of this question?
January 17, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Tobacco: A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced a Civilization goes into detail about one of the most important trade items of the past 600 years. When first discovered in Peruvian/Ecuadorian Andes, tobacco was used for medicinal purposes, and had strong spiritual connections with its smokers. The Eastern Hemisphere’s reaction to the plant was at first skeptical, but became popular within it’s first 100 years there. The laborious process of growing tobacco was a large contributor in the slave trade in Europe. In order to keep up with the high demand for tobacco, slaves were needed for free labor. Trade was largely impacted by tobacco, and its high demand by the public caused smuggling problems. England took action and created the Navigation Acts, which reduced smuggling and the plant’s availability to the rest of the world. By the mid 1770’s tobacco was, and still is, mainly used for pleasure, rather than medicinally. This transition triggered scientists curiosity with the plant, and eventually in 1809 nicotine was discovered to be the main ingredient in tobacco. Film, art, literature, and music were contributers in the use of tobacco amongst the general public. In 1957 tobacco was discovered to be a cause of lung cancer, and many other fatal diseases. Soon after this discovery it was also made known that nicotine was an addictive substance. Its fast diffusion throughout the world was not because of its low prices, or medicinal uses, but rather its addictive properties. Tobacco was unlike anything the world had seen before, yet it was accepted into society so quickly, and had the power to woo the world for hundreds of year, even still to this day.
January 21, 2011 at 11:11 pm
What diseases/sicknesses did tobacco help treat in the past?
January 24, 2011 at 6:59 pm
In your presentation, you mention that there are five types of smokers. What do the terms “psychological” “self tranquilizing” and “self-stimulating” mean?
January 17, 2011 at 4:59 pm
“The Devil’s Cup” written by Stewart Lee Allen is a book that mainly concerns the subject of coffee. It focuses on the origin of coffee bean and how it impacted the world as it traveled from one country to another through cultural exchange by trade. It is believed to have originated in Ethiopia, and there it is associated with magic and special healing powers. The coffee bean was born in Ethiopia but it traveled to several different countries including Yemen, Turkey, Austria, France, Brazil and America. It impacted each of these countries heavily, allowing revolutions to be born along with causing political uprisings and revolts. Coffee became a symbol of power as it replaced alcohol in Europe as the primary beverage. Coffee became a common beverage and soon coffeehouses opened globally. Coffeehouses were much different than the taverns that the people of Europe were accustomed to. In taverns, only alcohol was served and there was a lot of violence. On the contrary, coffeehouses did not sell alcohol and inside there was intelligent conversation that lead to new ideas and major development. Although coffee became a popular commodity it was also banned in some countries; including Turkey where a man named Murad IV prohibited drinking coffee. In short, coffee had a lasting global impact by causing enlightenment, major developments and revolts.
Here is the link to my power-point: http://www.slideshare.net/murnane/devils-cup-6530014
January 17, 2011 at 6:40 pm
Did coffee lead to any technological advancements? Also, how was coffee initially cultivated?
January 24, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Coffee lead to technological advancements like the concept of insurance, which was first thought of over coffee in a coffee house in London. Coffee also sparked trade, and it heavily affected religion. It was first cultivated in Ethiopia.
January 22, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Why did coffee cause so many revolts throughout history? Also, what were it’s healing properties?
January 24, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Coffee caused many revolts throughout history because it was such a popular commodity. People fought for it, mostly because it had so many uses. To the Ethiopians it supposedly had psychedelic powers. They believed that it could bring prosperity if it was sacrificed during certain ceremonies. The only mention of coffee’s healing powers was in the chapters concerning Ethiopia, which allows me to draw the conclusion that they were the only people to use coffee for healing purposes. It was said to bring luck, and good fortune.
January 23, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Who lead the revolts and conflicts over coffee? Was it the workers who had to tediously make the coffee, or did something else provoke these conflicts?
Thanks!
January 24, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Murad IV, a Turkish man was one of the individuals who caused conflict over coffee. He decided to ban the act of drinking it anywhere in Turkey. He would even take the extreme measures of disguising himself in coffee houses and if he caught anyone drinking coffee he would brutally beat them. When he died, coffee houses slowly re-opened. However he drove all of the coffee merchants out of Turkey and into other countries like Austria.
January 23, 2011 at 7:27 pm
You mentioned that coffee houses stimulated intellectual conversation. Were there any inventions, or technological advancements that came out of coffee’s period of popularity?
January 24, 2011 at 7:10 pm
When coffee houses were first established, they were much different than what the Europeans were used to The Europeans only had taverns, here alcohol was served and violence was constantly present. However, in the coffee houses there was no alcohol and just coffee. This indeed stimulated intellectual conversation. An example of a major development that was sparked by intellectual conversation in the coffee houses was the concept of insurance, which was first thought of by men in a London coffee house.
January 24, 2011 at 11:59 pm
You mentioned that some countries banned drinking coffee, which countries did this/how many did (in case the list of names is to long)?
Also the banning of a drink seems odd, what was the main reason for coffee being banned in some places?
January 17, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Here is the link for my powerpoint: http://www.slideshare.net/murnane/devils-cup-6530014
“The Devil’s Cup” written by Stewart Lee Allen is a book that mainly concerns the subject of coffee. It focuses on the origin of coffee bean and how it impacted the world as it traveled from one country to another through cultural exchange by trade. It is believed to have originated in Ethiopia, and there it is associated with magic and special healing powers. The coffee bean was born in Ethiopia but it traveled to several different countries including Yemen, Turkey, Austria, France, Brazil and America. It impacted each of these countries heavily, allowing revolutions to be born along with causing political uprisings and revolts. Coffee became a symbol of power as it replaced alcohol in Europe as the primary beverage. Coffee became a common beverage and soon coffeehouses opened globally. Coffeehouses were much different than the taverns that the people of Europe were accustomed to. In taverns, only alcohol was served and there was a lot of violence. On the contrary, coffeehouses did not sell alcohol and inside there was intelligent conversation that lead to new ideas and major development. Although coffee became a popular commodity it was also banned in some countries; including Turkey where a man named Murad IV prohibited drinking coffee. In short, coffee had a lasting global impact by causing enlightenment, major developments and revolts.
January 19, 2011 at 12:21 am
Did conflict from coffee start from trading competition or other reasons?
January 24, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Conflict became present over trade, for example when the Turks attempted to invade Vienna. It was also present when a Turkish man, Murad IV, banned the drink. This lead to trade of coffee elsewhere besides Turkey, and sparked competition.
January 23, 2011 at 12:30 pm
If coffee had so many positive effects, why was it banned in countries such as Turkey?
January 24, 2011 at 7:18 pm
What illnesses/maladies did coffee serve as a remedy for?
January 24, 2011 at 7:22 pm
It was banned in Turkey because of a man named Murad IV. He banned it for political reasons, mostly because coffee could be associated with causing political uprisings. Its ban was lifted upon the death of Murad IV.
January 24, 2011 at 7:24 pm
@Rohit: No specific illnesses were mentioned, but the only people that associated coffee with healing powers were the Ethiopians. This could possibly mean that it had acted as a remedy for any disease that was present in Ethiopia at the time. However as I said before, no specific maladies were mentioned.
January 24, 2011 at 11:09 pm
Are there any countries that are economically dependent on growing coffee? Also how much is the worlds Coffee industry worth today?
January 17, 2011 at 5:06 pm
In “Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives”, Alan Bullock presents the idea that Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin led similar lives. He shows their similarities in both their personality and their rise to power. For their personalities, both Hitler and Stalin had a great need for power, suffered from severe paranoia, and were very serious about their historic roles and the effect that they would have on their country. Through their rise to power, both Hitler and Stalin were poor before they became powerful, were able to appeal to the people with simplified ideas, and came to power mainly by way of their party (Hitler through the Nazi party, and Stalin through the Communist party of the Soviet Union). Although Alan Bullock also expresses the differences between the two, such as their views on the economy and their ways of attracting followers, he mainly focuses on the unbelievable similarities throughout their lives. “Hitler and Stalin” was an interesting book, Alan Bullock is able to keep the reader’s attention throughout the novel, however, there were also many parts that had no relevance to what seemed to be his main thesis.
Powerpoint:
January 17, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Does the Alan Bullock present a significance in the similarities between Hitler and Stalin? For example, does he go into how this might protect the world from terrorizing leaders?
January 23, 2011 at 11:21 am
He doesn’t tell the reader too much about any significance of the similarities between them, but some of the smaller similarities are somewhat common among world leaders (paranoia, need for power), but these similarities are fairly common in stressful positions of power, and probably wouldn’t provide too much help.
January 21, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Although Hitler and Stalin are very similar, in your opinion who had a greater impact in history and why?
January 23, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Even though both of them had a major effect on their country and the rest of the world, I think that Stalin probably had a greater effect. Even though he had trouble reviving the economy at first, his “Five Year Plans” eventually brought industrialization to Russia. He also provided better education, advanced sciences, and even new ideas for art came up during his reign.
January 23, 2011 at 7:32 pm
It seems sort of random to write a book concerning the similarities of two figures in history. Why do you think the author wrote the book? Do the parallels between Hitler and Stalin have a greater meaning?
January 24, 2011 at 7:53 pm
The author had already written a book on Hitler before this one. So he probably found the evidence for this book in his research, and was amazed by the similarities. Although the similarities do explain the power that they both obtained at the same point in history.
January 24, 2011 at 2:05 pm
If both would have been successful at gaining the power they wanted, they would have eventually been fighting against each other. If this situation occurred who do you feel would have won?
January 24, 2011 at 7:58 pm
If that had happened, I probably think that Hitler would have won. Even though the Soviet Union had much more people, Germany had better training and supplies in World War II, and they also had stronger leadership. Also, Germany was fighting against the rest of the world in World War II and did pretty well (until the end).
January 24, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Why is that the USA went to war with Nazi Germany but never than went into war against the Soviet Union even though general Patton made it known that he wanted to go to war with the USSR?
January 25, 2011 at 12:18 pm
General Patton wanted to go to war mainly after World War II, because he knew that the Soviet Union wouldn’t return the land that they took over. The USA went to war with Germany after being attacked by Japan (Pearl Harbor). Both of these countries were part of the axis powers (opposed the Allies). The Soviet Union went to war with Germany after Germany’s attempted invasion of Russia. Both the US and the USSR were members of the Allies and were fighting together at the time. Soon after the war ended, the Cold War began.
January 25, 2011 at 12:01 am
In your powerpoint you mentioned that Stalin wasn’t “Stalin’s” given name, why did he adopt the name Stalin?
January 25, 2011 at 12:21 pm
When he created the newspaper “Pravda” in Saint Petersburg in 1912, he used “Stalin” (“Steel”/ “Man of steel”) as his pen name.
January 18, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Powerpoint: http://www.slideshare.net/murnane/student-resistance-power-point-6467262
“Student Resistance” by Mark Edlemen Boren focusing on the Global Power Students had on their universities and governments throughout a 500 year period. Student activism was first introduced in the Medieval Times with “Town and Gowns”. This influenced many other countries and soon lead to rebellion throughout the world. Boren argues that these acts of resistance are basic characteristics in the advancement of knowledge. Many of these acts, including Civil Rights protests in the US, Tiananmen Square, anti-Communists acts, protest at Kent University and so on, shows that “student resistance is a continually occurring and vital social phenomenon, world-wide.” Antiwar protests by students during the Vietnam War are the ones best remembered by Americans, but as Boren demonstrates, students have been confronting governments, society, and their own universities for as long as institutions of higher education have existed. Boren places student rebellions in historical and global context by describing all known uprisings from every continent, beginning in the Middle Ages and continuing to the present. The author concludes that student rebellions and revolts, which are not mainly focused in American universities while remaining very important throughout the rest of the world, will continue to disperse when political and cultural changes agitate society.
January 23, 2011 at 7:35 pm
In your opinion, do you think student activism was more important in the past than it is today?
January 24, 2011 at 7:02 pm
I do think student activism was more important in the past than it is today because students were more willing to stand up for what they think was right or sacrifice things to make a point. What students acted against has primarily effected how things are today in many universities around the world. I think students now are more biest about some of their opinions to change things in their school or university. (At least less than in the past)
January 19, 2011 at 12:19 am
“Student Resistance” by Mark Edlemen Boren focuses on a 500 year span of student resisters working to overcome their oppression. From the first Universities in Europe, to millions of Universities all over the world, student groups have worked to fight, rebel, and resist against the government, the community, religious leaders, and many others. Wether it be student groups resisting against the U.S military taking part in Vietnam, or political outbursts against communism in Tiananmen Square, student groups all over the world have grown strong and powerful. From USA, to Mexico, to Ghana, India, China, Ireland, England, and many, many more, student resistant groups have become popular, strong, and extremely effective on numerous countries. Boren concludes that students do not only have large effect on their community and government, but that they are also taught the fourth “R” resistance.
January 24, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Where and when did the first act of student resistance occur? Why did it take place?
January 25, 2011 at 12:04 am
At the end of your summary you say that they learned the fourth “R,” what are the other three?
January 19, 2011 at 10:12 pm
War and Peace in the Middle East by Avi Shlaim was written in order to provide a concise history of the Middle East for the last 100 years. Avi brakes it down into two major groups with smaller sub-groups. He first focuses on Britain’s control and power in the Middle East. He then explains how and why they fell and then begins to explain America’s involvement in the Middle East. He explains how oil, religion, and a thirst for power played a key role in the development of the Middle East. Avi offers an unbiased look at America’s involvement and helps readers understand that America has made some major mistakes when dealing with the Middle East.
January 23, 2011 at 1:22 pm
In your presentation you mainly talked about how America was “helping” the Middle East, but in reality they were only concerned with furthering themselves and how these motivations eventually created more problems within the Middle East. But the title of the book is “War and Peace in the Middle East”. So I was wondering did America do anything to make peace within the Middle East?
Thanks!
January 24, 2011 at 7:08 pm
In your powerpoint you talked about the Belfour Declaration. How did this effect the Judaism and Palestinian relationship? Positive or Negative ways? Or both?
January 24, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Many people say that Radical Islam makes up a small minority of the Muslim population. Why is it then that this minority is able to get power in the Middle East? Why is it that moderate and peaceful Muslim have let this so called “minority” become such a danger to society?
January 22, 2011 at 11:48 am
Powerpoint: http://www.slideshare.net/murnane/salt-6450335
Salt by Mark Kurlansky explains how salt impacted world history. Throughout the book, Kurlansky chronicled how salt enabled trade networks, provoked wars, inspired independence, enhanced food flavors, and influenced words that are commonly used today. Li Bang was the first producer of salt in China. He is credited for using brine wells along with bamboo piping. Kurlansky describes many salt making techniques, which are used, all around the world, from the simplest method such as using solar evaporation to very complex systems like percussion drilling. Salt was a sought out commodity due to its ability to preserve products, enhance flavor of bland foods and because people and animals require a supply of salt in their diet. Because of salt’s many uses, it led to a high demand, which in turn formed trading networks. With having positive effects on history, salt played a large role in wars such as the American Revolution and Civil war. Surprisingly, salt also factored in India’s independence. Gandhi began the salt campaign that eventually led to an agreement to liberate India by Lord Irwin of Great Britain. In addition, many sauces that we appreciate today have salt as a main ingredient. Soy sauce, Tabasco sauce, and ketchup all have salt influences. Did you know that the words “salad” and “salary” come from salt? Today, however, we don’t see many people fighting over this commodity because, thanks to modern geology, salt has become very accessible and prevalent. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book as it made me realize the importance of an overlooked product that should be recognized and appreciated.
January 23, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Did Mark Kurlansky explain how words such as “salad” and “salary” were influenced by salt, was salt used as a form of currency in some countries?
January 23, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Does it mention specifically how salt influenced the American Revolution and the Civil War? Did they trade salt for weapons/ammo or something along those lines?
Thanks!
January 24, 2011 at 1:44 am
Hey Kara,
How did Gandhi’s actions in the salt campaign influence Lord Irwin to liberate India? What actions did Gandhi do?
January 24, 2011 at 1:56 pm
What was the first technique Kurlansky used to make salt?
January 24, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Does the book ever say when salt was in high demand? If so, when?
January 24, 2011 at 7:26 pm
In your summary you said salt “enabled trade networks”. Which specific trade networks were affected by salt itself, and how?
January 22, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Keep up the good work folks. Thank you.
January 22, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday is a biography of the Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong (1893-1976). Instead of accepting the idealistic explanations for Mao’s rise to power or common claims for his rule, the book depicts Mao as a self-centered and power-hungry man who later became a brutal totalitarian, who was responsible for more deaths in peacetime than any other 19th century leader, all for his personal gain. Chang and Halliday argue that from his earliest days, Mao was motivated by a lust for power, instead of being driven by idealism or ideology. He schemed and committed thuggish acts, scheming, blackmailing, arresting, or killing anyone who got in his way, including his personal friends. Another claim for Mao’s rule that they refute is the idea that Mao founded the Chinese Communist Party; rather, he joined the Party a year after it was founded, and could not have gained control of it without Stalin’s patronage. They also claim that Mao’s decisions during the Long March were nowhere near as heroic, in addition to debunking other alleged myths of the revolution. Chang and Halliday also state that, as soon as Mao gained power, he secretly plotted and welcomed the Japanese occupation of China. Each of these alleged horrendous acts led up up to Mao’s conquering of China in 1949; from then on, they claim, Mao’s secret goal was to dominate the world. In pursuing this dream, he caused the deaths of roughly 38 million people in the greatest famine in history.
January 24, 2011 at 1:36 am
Edlyn, what caused Mao to take the Long March?
January 24, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Do you agree with the authors that Mau was secretly a power-hungry dictator?
January 23, 2011 at 2:04 pm
“The Power of Gold” by Peter Bernstein captured the extreme importance that gold had on history. Gold was powerful in its ability to provide security and also the way it demonstrated wealth. Bernstein argues that gold was even more powerful than political and military power. It has been used to convey messages and consistently used in myths to show the importance of the message such as in the story “Jason and the Golden Fleece”. Gold’s importance is also shown since it is the material used for the highest honor medal in the olympics and also the “Golden Rule”, the most important rule to follow as a person. Gold has shaped history through its effects on trade and the things that people were willing to do in order to obtain it. Once gold was democratized and used for money, it was revolutionary. Gold was now not only important to the high powered and wealthy, but in the hands of the common people. Now power was not based upon just who someone’s father was but on how much gold they have. As Peter Bernstein says, gold is “an obsession”, and still is having a similar effect today.
January 24, 2011 at 7:06 pm
In your summary you said that gold was used to “convey messages”. How was gold put into use for communication?
January 24, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Do you think the USA should go back to the Gold Standard?
January 23, 2011 at 10:22 pm
I read the Power of Gold over vacation. It was about how people have been obsessed with it sense the beginning of time, and have sometimes valued Gold more than human life itself. The book then explained how gold has been used to determine wealth from very early on. At first it gold was used in clothes and architecture, and the more of it you had the wealthy you were. Soon after that people made coins out of gold and the more coins you had the wealthier you were. Then it talked about the move to the Gold Standard which is when money is representative of the amount of gold you have. For example the USA sold gold for 35 dollars an ounce. Now we use the Flat Money system which basically means moneys only use is to pay taxes, so the dollar will most likely only be valuable as long as the government keeps excepting it for taxes.
January 24, 2011 at 1:51 am
Jake, did the book explain why the U.S. was taken off the gold standard? If other countries use it as a currency standard, and since the U. S. switched to the gold standards from its previous two metal system, why then did the president take the U.S. off it?
Thanks!
January 24, 2011 at 11:20 pm
So Allison when typing this answer it was literally longer than my summary so I will just tell you before class it will be quicker and anyone else who wants to know can ask me anytime.
January 24, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Do you think we should go back to backing our dollar with gold again?
January 24, 2011 at 11:28 pm
I do not think the USA should go back to the gold standard for 4 main reasons.
1. It would be immoral because of all the human rights violations broken around the world to obtain Gold.
2. Seeing as no country with a major economy uses the Gold standard if every country went back to it there would be war all over the world to obtain it.
3. Also it would be nearly impossible and time consuming for the U.S. to get enough gold to equal the American peoples wealth.
4. The standard we have now puts a lot of pressure on our government now to keep the people faith because that is what keeps the dollar strong and I think that is a good thing.
One good thing I can think of for going back to the Gold standard is all the people it would employ mining for gold in this country. If we went back to the Bimetallic system it would employ even more people. Even so it would be a dangerous, irresponsible, and inhumane thing for our government to do, or any other government for that matter.
January 24, 2011 at 1:18 am
Plagues and Peoples by William H. McNeill
In his book, McNeill argues that diseases have shaped the development of world civilizations. He focuses on four main time periods, Early humans and pre-history, Disease spread in Eurasia from 500 BC – 1500 AD, Transoceanic exchange of disease 1500 AD-1700 AD and the impact of modern medicine from 1700 AD-present. When talking about early humans and prehistory he emphasizes how the shift to agriculture and the formation of cities made disease exchange easier, and diseases prospered. About disease spread in Eurasia, he talks mainly about the Plague. He starts with its spread, caused by rats, and talks through to its social impact on populations in Europe and China. Next, he talks about disease spread to the Americas. First, with Cortez’s conquest of the Aztecs and how smallpox’s devastating affects on the natives allowed Cortez to conquer them rather easily. Finally, he mentions modern medicine. Beginning with Edward Jenner’s invention of a small pox vaccine in 1721, he then talks about modern epidemics, like Cholera and Influenza. He also brings up a point in the book he calls Micro- vs. Macroparasites. Microparasites are diseases, but Macroparasites are other humans who inflict damage or pain on other humans, like a disease would. An exaple is Roman imperialism. In Plagues an Peoples McNeill shows that diseases shaped the modern world.http://www.slideshare.net/murnane/allison-a-pp-plagues-and-peoples
January 24, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Was Jenner’s small pox vaccine successful in 1721 or was it more of a stepping stone to the vaccine that we know and use today?
January 24, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease by Jeanette Farrell discusses the positive and negative effects of seven different diseases that have impacted history. She explains the qualities of humans, both good and bad, that have been brought out in the attempt to overcome the adversity of disease. I will summarize each disease briefly.
Smallpox
Extremely deadly, caused widespread death, led to the invention of inoculation (vaccination).
Good: inoculation of the entire world.
Bad: Smallpox as a weapon (devastation of Native Americans, Soviet research during the Cold War).
Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease)
Not deadly, barely contagious, caused widespread fear.
Good: finding a cure, eventual acceptance of victims.
Bad: Wrongly associated with religious sin, persecution and murder of victims.
Plague
Deadly, caused death on a massive scale.
Good: efforts to quell outbreaks.
Bad: prejudice/abuse (Jews, Chinese), Greed (San Francisco 1900).
Tuberculosis
Slow killer, difficult to diagnose, second most deadly virus, antibiotic resistant strains.
Good: Invention of stethoscope, agar-agar, ad antibiotics.
Bad: Discriminatory treatment of victims (sanatoriums).
Malaria
Mosquito + parasite, unstoppable, affects poor areas of the world.
Impact: thwarted expeditions (Mississippi and Ohio valleys, West Africa), sparked trade (fever bark/quinine).
Cholera
Fast killer, lives in sewage-contaminated water, struck overcrowded dirty places. Caused prejudice towards Irish immigrants. Spread everywhere (Indian trade).
AIDS
Destroys immune system, advanced virus, hard to treat.
Good: efforts to get treatment to everyone.
Bad: Prejudice against gays and poor, word not spread, lack of government funding.
January 24, 2011 at 7:07 pm
In your opinion, which of the diseases that were featured in this book had the most influential impact?
January 24, 2011 at 7:21 pm
It seems that the universal positive effect of all these diseases was the efforts to find cures. Does the author mention any other positive effects?
January 24, 2011 at 10:54 pm
Which of these diseases took the longest to find the vaccine for?
January 24, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya by Caroline Elkins is about how the British brutally oppressed and mistreated the Kikuyu people in Kenya. Originally they stole much of their land, forcing them onto insanely overcrowded reservations, and essentially set out to “civilize” them by imposing British ways on them. After World War II, over 75% of the Kikuyu decided to rebel and form the Mau Mau, taking an oath to show support. On October 7, 1952, they killed a Kenyan Chief who supported the British, and the Governor declared a State of Emergency. It took 2 years to put down 20,000 guerilla soldiers in the forests, people whom the media portrayed as savages. In an effort to reestablish colonial authority, the British detained over 1.5 million suspected Mau Mau supporters, about 90% of the Kikuyu population. They brutally tortured and sexually abused them, and they were forced to live in reservations so overcrowded they were physically incapable of sustaining life. Trying to stop overcrowding, the British created the Pipeline, which was supposed to be a way of separating the “hard” and “soft” Mau Mau and rehabilitating them. The sheer number of detainees, however, made this impossible. In Britain, a few missionaries and politicians were speaking out against the treatment of Kenyans, and after the “Hola Massacre” in 1959 the colonial government could no longer cover up their actions. On December 12, 1963, Kenya became independent.
January 24, 2011 at 11:32 pm
Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and Unholy History by H.E. Jacob is exactly what it sounds like, a history of bread. The book covers everything from the first loafs ever made to modern times. Jacob talks about breads use in religion, social systems, and politics. For religion, he points to the fact that bread was used in many religious celebrations and also explains how Jesus was almost turned into a bread god. For social structure, he explains how bakers and millers were distrusted and about how the farmers who grew the wheat were considered part of the lowest class. For politics he explains that one of the things that caused the French revolution was bread, he also talks about how Napoleon lost in Russia becasue he ran out of bread, and he says that before World War 2 Germany launched a propaganda campaign to convince its citizens that rye bread was better then wheat bread, Germany did this becasue rye grew better in Germany and would allow for more food once the war began. While Jacob does go into a lot of detail in this book he does not seem to be arguing anything, the only argument he is making is that bread is important, which is not really a surprising. Because of this lack of argument this book felt more like a 6th grade history book, it just had a lot of facts and not much else.
January 26, 2011 at 2:49 pm
The historic voyages depicted in Nathaniel’s Nutmeg introduced “The Spice Race”, creating immense competition between countries for spices, power, and wealth. In 1511 the Portuguese became the first people to reach the Banda Islands. Over the next years the English and the Dutch established themselves as the top countries participating in the Spice Race. In 1616, Nathaniel Courthope and his brave crew of British marines helped their country to take control of Run, the most isolated of all islands of the Banda islands. Although this voyage was extremely difficult and dangerous the value of nutmeg and other spices was too great to give up to opponents. After many years of brutal competition the Treaty of Breda was signed between England, who controlled Run, and Holland, who controlled Manhattan. This exchange allowed the Dutch to have Run and the English to have Manhattan. Nathaniel’s Nutmeg followed each expedition and each battle as countries competed for control of one of the smallest groups of islands in the world.