What Is the What by Dave Eggers Book Review

What Is the What is an astonishing, eye-opening, and heartbreaking book that defies classification. Once you’ve read it, the story of Valentino Achak Deng refuses to leave your mind. Even if you’re not familiar with the Lost Boys and their struggles to escape from war-torn Sudan, you’ll be drawn into this pseudo-autobiography. What Is the What tells a devastating story but never plays for sympathy. Instead, the hope, complexity, and tragedy of the situation take center stage. Valentino’s story stands alone as powerful and worth reading and Eggers’ superb writing compellingly brings Valentino’s voice and story to life. The novel is a successful portrayal of  a large-scale  tragedy through one man’s story though it does include graphic depictions of suffering and death. Synopsis Valentino Achak Deng was just a boy when Sudan’s civil war found its way to his village. Forced to flee, he walks for months to Ethiopia and later Kenya with hundreds of other boys. Resettled in the US, Valentino struggles to adjust to the mixed blessings of his new life. Book Review What Is the What is drawn from the real-life story of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. The title comes from a local story about the reward of choosing what’s known over what’s unknown. As they flee the destruction around them, though, the Lost Boys are constantly forced to choose the unknown future of refugee camps and life in America. What Is the What describes the interminable walking, the militia and bombs, starvation and disease, and lions and crocodiles that kill countless young boys as they attempt to find refuge in Ethiopia and Kenya. The obstacles of their journey are so astonishing and heartbreaking that you — and they — often wonder how they can go on. Eventually, many of the Lost Boys gain entry to the United States, and they form a vibrant community displaced across the country but constantly in touch by cell phone. Valentino ends up in Atlanta, adjusting to the fact that America offers its own evils and injustices. His past and present are masterfully interwoven through Valentino’s habit of mentally recounting his story to the different people he meets. Reading Valentino’s horrifying story can make the mere act of reading a book feel frivolous. The power of literature, though, is to bring remote stories to life. Eggers is famous for his book,  A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. That title could easily apply to What Is the What. Book Discussion Group Questions If youve chosen this book for your discussion group, here are some sample questions. Why do you think Valentino/Dominic/Achak had so many names?Why do you think Valentino directs his story towards Michael, Julian, and the clients of the gym?Which one of Valentino’s friends did you like or remember the most?Did you know the plight of the Lost Boys before you read this book? Did it change what you thought about the situation?What details impacted you the most?

Why Is Julius Caesar Significant - 1388 Words

Name: Ilan Gofman Date: November 24, 2015 Why is Julius Caesar significant to world history? Description: (3 specific, interesting, relevant, and accurate facts) 1. Political Achievements Being born into the senatorial class, Julius Caesar was to serve in the army and in the senate. He quickly rose through political rankings. He started off being elected as a quaestor in 69 BCE, it was his duty to supervise the financial affairs of the state. In 65 BCE, he was appointed Adele, which meant he was in charge of the public entertainment. He was very serious about this position and made sure people would be happy as long as they had access to varied and enjoyable entertainment. He put on festivals for many to enjoy, and built a†¦show more content†¦He spent 8 years in Gaul territory, expanding the army and expanding the Roman Republic. Around 49 BCE - 50 BCE, Caesar went back to Rome, because Pompey and the senate ordered him to disband his army and return. When he crossed the Rubicon river with his army(not following the senate s rules), it initiated the civil war, which Caesar won. He then was able to become whatever he wanted to, so became consul and dictator which helped him achieve the things he set out for. 3.Writes his own memoirs During the the Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar started writing his own memoirs on what is going on in Gaul and the battles taking place,. Since he was away for a long time,he wrote and published his memoirs each year, from 58 to 51 BCE. They helped give the Romans a sense of what’s going on with Julius. Sometimes Caesar encrypted his messages that were sent by substituting Roman letters with Greek letters, for safety purposes if one of the enemies intercepted the writings.. Caesar might have been biased with some of his writings because these memoirs were important perception of his image, while he was away for 8 years. Even though there might have been bias towards him, it tells us a lot about his life and military perspective. Significance Criteria: In what ways is this event or person historically significant? (5 marks) Does it Apply? (Y/N) In what way does or doesn’t this event or

Stay Or Go By Daniel Murphy - 1556 Words

Stay or Go? The Wall street Journal recently told the story of Daniel Murphy, a New York Mets baseball player, who took a three day paternity leave to be with his first born child and wife after her cesarean section. The baseball player received a great deal of criticism for this decision from sports fans and sports broadcasters, however Murphy stuck by his decision and gained support from his fan base and author of the article Catherine Pearlman of the Wall Street Journal. Pearlman called Murphy brave for taking the time off to be with his family and insisted, â€Å"when Murphy isn’t playing ball, he and his wife will certainly remember the special moments when they were together as a family for the first time.† When a baby is born it is a life changing event. There is a lot to learn when a new life is added to a family, but not only that a baby can not care for itself so one must be there to tend to the baby’s needs. In many cases the mother is the parent to stay home with the baby, in fact 69% of mothers stay home with their babies (Forbes). Although Daniel Murphy only took three days of leave one must question are there benefits from a father taking paternity rather than a mother taking maternity leave? Oxford University states paternity leave as â€Å"a period of absence from work granted to a father after or shortly before the birth of his child.† When a father takes paternity leave it allows bonding between himself and the child. After examining the positive affects paternityShow MoreRelatedChange in Society with Supreme Court Cases861 Words   |  4 Pages1954. (Murphy N.P) Marshall was very strong about â€Å"This violated the 14th Amendment†. He said no matter what color a child is they should be able to go to any school they would like to. (Evans-Marshall N.P) Thurgood gave kids and parents hope to know that they where moving up in society and to that their child would get an education. 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A recent study conducted by the CDC determined that, among 74,571 adult respondents in 12 states, 35.3% reported less than 7 hours of sleep during a typical 24-hour period, 37.9% reported unintentionally fallingRead MoreEnhanced Interrogation Techniques During The United States1243 Words   |  5 PagesKeeShawn Murphy Mr. Blood AP Government and Politics June 9th 2015 Enhanced Interrogation Techniques One of the most controversial topics in the U.S. has been Enhanced Interrogation techniques- also believed to be torture. 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Bs Assignment free essay sample

Blue Nile doesn’t hold any inventory but places orders to diamond suppliers only after receiving orders from customers. This has enabled Blue Nile to offer cheap products to its customers. It also provides all the valuable information about the diamonds on its website. After reading all the information about Blue Nile, I have come up with a strategy that will enable the company to increase its market share and also the revenue. Blue Nile has been very successful since it was established and has also received numerous awards. Some of these awards are highly recognizable in the jewelry industry. But because of cut throat competition in the market, Blue Nile has to improve continuously to take full advantage of the opportunities in the market. Company has been able to satisfy its customers over the years but the lack of brand recognition in International market of diamonds has restricted Blue Nile to perform as per its potential. We will write a custom essay sample on Bs Assignment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By increasing the visibility of brand, Blue Nile can increase both its market share and its revenues. To increase the visibility, Blue Nile can advertise in posters, magazines, online media, social media, and in billboards. Blue Nile can also expand its business to Asian countries. To market its product in Asian countries, Blue Nile should also think about introducing its website in multiple languages. This will help the company to maximize its exposure in various countries. Diversification of products will also be a good option for Blue Nile to increase its sales. Designer bags, wallets, gold plated watches with embedded diamonds in dials and clothes with gold or silver embroidery etc. will be good options that Blue Nile can offer to its customers.