Breakthrough Writer

MLA Works Cited Format for Electronic and Data Base

Link to MLA Electronic Works Cited format

Sample Thesis Statements for Vegetarian Debate

While Lierre Keith fails to champion the so-called Paleo diet and has been revealed as an amateur with discredited sources and methods for her conclusions, the meat-centered diet is superior to the strict vegetarian diet, contrary to major vegetarian arguments. (This student will explain the major vegetarian arguments and refute them one by one.

McMahon English 1A Fall 2013 Syllabus

Office PE4; Work Phone: 5673; email:jmcmahon@elcamino.edu

Students with Disabilities:

If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible.

Writing Assignments and Grading

Essay 1: Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden, 180 points

Essay Options (choose one)

Write a 6- page research paper that explores the reasons South Korea dreads absorbing North Korea into its country.

Write a 6-page research paper that develops a thesis about the forces that impede Shin Dong-hyuk from achieving psychological freedom. Consider PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and the book Trauma and Recovery by Judith Lewis Herman (see page 181 in the book).

Write a 6-page research paper that compares the immorality of indifference as this pertains to Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, and the North Korean prison state.

Write a 6-page research paper about the struggle between witnesses giving firsthand account of the North Korea's crimes against humanity and North Korea’s efforts to silence their crimes against humanity.

Compare the dehumanizing dynamic evident between prisoners and prison guards and a similar dynamic evident in the famous (or infamous) Stanford Experiment.

Essay 2: Cooked by Jeff Henderson, 180 points 

A wise man once said that when we think we're rising in life, we're really falling and when we think we're falling, we're really rising. In a 6-page essay, apply this wisdom, in all of its psychological complexity, to Jeff Henderson's journey and compare to someone from a personal interview.  Use blog, book, and personal interview for your sixth page, your Works Cited page.

Essay 3: A Good Fall by Ha Jin, 180 points

In a 6-page essay, contrast freedom and imprisonment in 2 of the stories. Use 2 personal interviews to give further depth to your contrast of mental freedom and imprisonment. Your sixth page, your Works Cited page, should have my blog, the book, and your 2 personal interviews.

Final Essay 4, Worth 280 Points (28% of Your Semester Grade): Alone Together by Sherry Turkle

In a 6-page research paper, not including your Works Cited page, address the following question with an argumentative thesis:

In Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together, does she argue convincingly about the personal destruction resulting from our growing dependence on social media technology or is her argument sodden with luddite paranoia, one-sided bias, too much reliance on personal anecdotage (as opposed to research), and any other fallacies you see? Your guidelines are as follows: 

This research paper should present a thesis that is specific, manageable, provable, and contestable—in other words, the thesis should offer a clear position, stand, or opinion that will be proven with research.   You should analyze and prove your thesis using examples and quotes from a variety of sources.  

You need to research and cite from at least five sources.  You must use at least 3 different types of sources. 

At least one source must be from an ECC library database.

At least one source must be a book, anthology or textbook.

At least one source must be from a credible website, appropriate for academic use.

The paper should not over-rely on one main source for most of the information. Rather, it should use multiple sources and synthesize the information found in them. 

This paper will be approximately 5-7 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page, which is also required.  This means at least 5 full pages of text.  The Works Cited page does NOT count towards length requirement.  

You must use MLA format for the document, in-text citations, and Works Cited page. 

You must integrate quotations and paraphrases using signal phrases and analysis or commentary.  

You must sustain your argument, use transitions effectively, and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. 

Your paper must be logically organized and focused. 

Six 333-word take-home quizzes, 30 each, for 180 total.

Grand Total: 1,000 points (based on total of 8,000 words)

Policy on Plagiarism

Any attempt to commit fraud, misrepresenting someone else’s writing as your own, including turning in essays from previous semesters, will result in an automatic F grade, zero points, which mathematically, will disqualify you from earning a grade higher than a C for the semester. You will not be allowed to rewrite for a higher grade and because of the breach of trust it will be preferred that you drop the class.

 Reading and Writing Schedule

August 26 Introduction

August 28 Escape from Camp 14 1-84

September 2 Holiday

September 4 Escape from Camp 14 85-196

September 9 Escape from Camp 14 196-end

September 11 Quiz 1 due in my office PE4

September 16 Essay 1 due in my office PE4 (A-M)

September 18 Essay 1 due in my office PE4 (N-Z)

September 23 Cooked 1-100

September 25 Quiz 2 due in my office PE4

September 30 Cooked 101-160

October 2 Cooked 161-200

October 7 Cooked 201-end

October 9 Quiz 3 due in my office PE4

October 14 Essay 2 due in my office PE4 (N-Z)

October 16 Essay 2 due in my office PE4 (A-M)

October 21 Ha Jin “The Beauty,” Temporary Love”

October 23 Quiz 4 due in my office

October 28 “A Composer and His Parakeets,” “Choice”

October 30 “A House Behind the Weeping Cherry,” “A Good Fall”

November 4 “In the Crossfire”

November 6 Quiz 5 due in my office

November 11 Holiday

November 13 Essay 3 due in my office PE4 (A-M)

November 18 Essay 3 due in my office PE4 (N-Z)

November 20 Alone Together Introduction 1-20; 151-171

November 25 Alone Together 172-228

November 27 229-end

December 2 Quiz 6 due in my office PE4

December 4 Bring thesis and Works Cited to office for consultation

December 9 Essay 4 due in my office PE4 (N-Z)

December 11 Essay 4 due in my office PE4 (A-M)

Classroom Decorum

 No smart phones can be used in class. If you’re on your smart phone and I catch you, you get a warning the first time. Second time, you must leave the class and lose 25 points. Third time, you must leave the class and lose 50 points. Same with subsequent violations.

 The above also applies to talking and doing homework from other classes.

SLO in brief:

Students will complete a research-based essay that has been written out of class and undergone revision. The essay must use multiple sources and be focused on a particular topic. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to thoughtfully support a single thesis by integrating sources using analysis and synthesis. Citations must be in MLA format and include a Works Cited page. The final draft should be organized and technically correct in terms of paragraph composition, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and word use. 

 

Student Learning Objectives:

I. Review of Grammar and Usage 

The student will locate and demonstrate the ability to correct the following errors in a composition: 

A. sentence fragments 
B. comma splices 
C. misused commas 
D. fused sentences 
E. misplaced and dangling modifiers 
F. incorrect pronoun case 
G. faculty pronoun references 
H. pronoun-antecedent disagreement 
I. subject-verb agreement 
J. wrong tense 


II. Instruction in Reading 

A. Essays 

The student will 

1. locate and paraphrase the thesis/preposition 
2. identify the basic types of support used to develop the thesis or proposition: examples, facts, details, reasons, illustrations, anecdotes 
3. indicate the shift from general to specific levels of support 
4. distinguish statements of fact from statements of opinion 
5. identify the method of development/strategy used: comparison, contrast, classification, definition, cause/effect, process, persuasion 
6. summarize the idea and content 
7. advocate or challenge the author's opinions 

B. Short fiction and poetry 

The student will 

1. paraphrase the work 
2. identify and define the central theme or metaphor 
3. assess the aesthetic qualities of the work 
4. compare the work with another, drawing conclusions based on appropriate criteria 

C. Book-length nonfiction 

The student will 

1. summarize the work in its separate units and as a complete entity 
2. identify the central theme or themes 
3. judge the value of the information 
4. advocate or challenge the author's opinions 

D. Novels 

The student will 

1. summarize the plot 
2. identify the central themes 
3. indicate the functions of characters, plot, and setting in relation to the themes 
4. judge the aesthetic value of 2 or 3 and of the whole work 


III. Instruction in Composition 

The student will 

1. compose theses/topic statements of a proper scope for the composition 
2. delimit subjects by brainstorming and outlining 
3. organize the content of a composition using spatial, climatic, and/or chronological principles 
4. use a range of general and specific levels of support with proper transitions to signal shifts from one level to another 
5. compose introductory and concluding paragraphs for a composition 
6. compose a timed essay 
7. perform research techniques (use library resources, cite and document sources) and compose a formal research paper of at least 1250 words, utilizing parenthetical documentation 

 

 

 

1A Fall 2013 Readings, Assignments, Grade Template

Essay 1: Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden, 180 points

Essay Options (choose one)

Write a 6- page research paper that explores the reasons South Korea dreads absorbing North Korea into its country.

Write a 6-page research paper that develops a thesis about the forces that impede Shin Dong-hyuk from achieving psychological freedom. Consider PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and the book Trauma and Recovery by Judith Lewis Herman (see page 181 in the book).

Write a 6-page research paper that compares the immorality of indifference as this pertains to Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, and the North Korean prison state.

Write a 6-page research paper about the struggle between witnesses giving firsthand account of the North Korea's crimes against humanity and North Korea’s efforts to silence their crimes against humanity.

Compare the dehumanizing dynamic evident between prisoners and prison guards and a similar dynamic evident in the famous (or infamous) Stanford Experiment.

 

Essay 2: Cooked by Jeff Henderson, 180 points 

A wise man once said that when we think we're rising in life, we're really falling and when we think we're falling, we're really rising. In a 6-page essay, apply this wisdom, in all of its psychological complexity, to Jeff Henderson's journey and compare to someone from a personal interview.  Use blog, book, and personal interview for your sixth page, your Works Cited page.

Essay 3: A Good Fall by Ha Jin, 180 points

In a 6-page essay, contrast freedom and imprisonment in 2 of the stories. Use 2 personal interviews to give further depth to your contrast of mental freedom and imprisonment. Your sixth page, your Works Cited page, should have my blog, the book, and your 2 personal interviews.

Final Essay 4, Worth 260 Points (26% of Your Semester Grade): Alone Together by Sherry Turkle

In a 6-page research paper, not including your Works Cited page, address the following question with an argumentative thesis:

In Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together, does she argue convincingly about the personal destruction resulting from our growing dependence on social media technology or is her argument sodden with luddite paranoia, one-sided bias, too much reliance on personal anecdotage (as opposed to research), and any other fallacies you see? Your guidelines are as follows:

 

1. This research paper should present a thesis that is specific, manageable, provable, and contestable—in other words, the thesis should offer a clear position, stand, or opinion that will be proven with research.   You should analyze and prove your thesis using examples and quotes from a variety of sources. 

 

1. You need to research and cite from at least five sources.  You must use at least 3 different types of sources.

 

• At least one source must be from an ECC library database.
• At least one source must be a book, anthology or textbook.
• At least one source must be from a credible website, appropriate for academic use.
• The paper should not over-rely on one main source for most of the information. Rather, it should use multiple sources and synthesize the information found in them.

 

1. This paper will be approximately 5-7 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page, which is also required.  This means at least 5 full pages of text.  The Works Cited page does NOT count towards length requirement. 

 

1. You must use MLA format for the document, in-text citations, and Works Cited page.

 

1. You must integrate quotations and paraphrases using signal phrases and analysis or commentary. 

 

1. You must sustain your argument, use transitions effectively, and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

 

1. Your paper must be logically organized and focused.

 

Six 333-word take-home quizzes, 30 each, for 180 total.

Grand Total: 1,000 points

 

English 1A Course Outline, Objectives, SLOs (5/13)

EL CAMINO COLLEGE
COURSE OUTLINE OF RECORD

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
	Course Title and Number :	English 1A (Official)
	Descriptive Title :	Reading and Composition
	Discipline :	English
	Division :	Humanities
	Course Length :	Full Term Other  (specify: )
	Hours Lecture :	4
	Hours Laboratory :	0
	Course Units :	4
	Grading Method :	Letter Pass/No Pass Both No Grade
	Course Type :	Credit, Degree Applicable Credit, Not Degree Applicable Non-Credit
	Transfer CSU :	Yes (Effective Date: Prior to 7/92) No
	Transfer UC :	Yes (Approval Date: Prior to 7/92) Pending No
	Conditions of Enrollment: Specify Prerequisite, Corequisite, Recommended Preparation, Enrollment Limitation, or None.
		Prerequisite: credit in English A and credit in English 84 or English 7; or qualification by testing (English Placement Test) and assessment
	Catalog Description :
		This course is designed to strengthen the students' ability to read with understanding and discernment, to discuss assigned readings intelligently, and to write clearly. Emphasis will be placed on writing essays in which each paragraph relates to a controlling idea, has an introduction and conclusion, and contains primary and secondary support. College-level reading material will be assigned to provide the stimulus for class discussion and writing assignments, including a required research paper.

II. COURSE OBJECTIVES
	List the major objectives of the course. These must be stated in behaviorally measurable terms.
		1. Recognize and revise sentence-level grammar and usage errors. 2. Read and apply critical-thinking skills to numerous published articles and to college-level, book-length works for the purpose of writing and discussion. 3. Apply appropriate strategies in the writing process including prewriting, composing, revising, and editing techniques. 4. Compose multi-paragraph, thesis-driven essays with logical and appropriate supporting ideas, and with unity and coherence. 5. Demonstrate ability to locate and utilize a variety of academic databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scholarly websites. 6. Utilize MLA guidelines to format essays, cite sources in the texts of essays, and compile Works Cited lists.

III. OUTLINE OF SUBJECT MATTER
	Approximate Time in Hours	The topics should be detailed enough to enable an instructor to determine the major areas that should be covered and so that the course may have consistency from instructor to instructor and semester to semester. Major Topics
	4 I. Review of the writing process A. Prewriting B. Drafting C. Revision D. General essay structure i. Introduction ii. Thesis statement iii. Body paragraphs iv. Conclusion 6 II. Review of grammar and mechanics 4 III. Review of MLA-style documentation A. In-text citation formatting B. Works Cited formatting 10 IV. Application of critical reading skills A. Identifying thesis and support B. Identifying central themes and ideas C. Distinguishing fact from opinion D. Evaluating information, advocating/challenging an author's opinions, judging the aesthetic value of a work and/or its constituent parts (such as plot, characters, settings, themes) 8 V. Review and application of prewriting strategies for student essays, including brainstorming, listing, outlining, and free-writing/journal entry/in-class writing based on reading assignments 8 VI. Review and application of rhetorical strategies for responding to reading assignments in student essays (such as cause/effect, comparison/contrast, argumentation) 4 VII. Review of paraphrasing strategies A. Incorporating material from reading assignment into text of student essay B. Paraphrasing and summarizing C. Quoting directly/indirectly D. Avoiding plagiarism 10 VIII. Essay revision A. Review of essay revision methods i. Evaluating content, coherence, proper documentation, and mechanics ii. Making appropriate corrections based on completed evaluation B. Application of essay revision techniques: multiple revision at various stages of the writing process in response to peer or instructor feedback 8 IX. Research paper writing: Source materials and their incorporation A. Library and/or Internet research orientation for research paper B. Source evaluation and collection for research paper: criteria for appropriate sources, review of primary vs. secondary sources C. Organization of source materials for research paper: note cards, annotated bibliographies 10 X. Research paper writing: Utilizing the writing process A. General research paper structure, drafting of formal topic statement/preliminary research plan B. Outlining, discussion of rhetorical formats for various types of research papers (such as problem/solution, history/biography) C. Drafting of research paper: integration of source material into general text of research paper D. Revision techniques for research paper: evaluation of content, coherence, proper documentation, and mechanics E. Application of research paper revision techniques: multiple revisions at various stages of the writing process in response to peer or instructor feedback 0 XI. Students will write about 32 pages (8,000 words) in all, usually divided among six to eight papers. Revisions should be emphasized, so pages written during preliminary drafting and revising will be counted toward the 32-page total, but not as separate papers. Students will produce a minimum of 6,000 words for all final written products. Diagnostic essays, essay exams, and annotated bibliographies may be counted as papers. Reaction papers and portfolio revisions may also be counted toward the 32-page requirement. Journal writing, if the writing served as preparatory writing or provided assignments that constitute the building of thought and/or help generate ideas for the formal papers, may also be counted. One of the papers must be a research paper. Students will also read a minimum of five works, at least two of which should be book-length. 72 TOTAL HOURS

IV. METHODS OF EVALUATION
A. CREDIT, DEGREE APPLICABLE AND CREDIT, NOT DEGREE APPLICABLE COURSES Check the PRIMARY method of evaluation for this course.
		Substantial writing assignments Problem solving demonstrations (computational or non-computational) Skill demonstrations
	A minimum of one response in 1, 2, or 3 below, as applicable, is required. However, you may check all that apply.
		1.	Indicate the types of writing assignments used as primary or secondary methods of evaluation for this course.
			Essay exams  Written homework  Term or other papers  Reading reports  Laboratory reports  Other (specify)    reading journals, annotated bibliographies
		2.	Indicate the types of problem-solving demonstrations used as primary or secondary methods of evaluation for this course.
			Exams Laboratory reports  Quizzes  Homework problems  Fieldwork  Other (specify)    Socratic discussions
		3.	Indicate the types of skill demonstrations used as primary or secondary methods of evaluation for this course.
			Class performance  Performance exams  Fieldwork  Other (specify)
		4. If objective exams are also used, check all that apply.
			Multiple choice  Completion  Matching items  True/false  Other (specify)
B. NON-CREDIT COURSE
		Indicate the methods of evaluation that will be used to determine that the stated objectives have been met.

V. COURSEWORK
A. TYPICAL ASSIGNMENT
	Provide an example of a typical assignment. This assignment must correspond to the PRIMARY method of evaluation indicated in Section IV, Methods of Evaluation. That is, it must be a writing assignment or, if more appropriate, an assignment involving problem solving or skill demonstration.
			Use the critical-thinking skills you have learned in class to write an essay of three to five pages (750-1,250 words) analyzing, evaluating, and responding to the thesis and supporting evidence of one essay we've read and discussed in class. You may use any of our course readings or other appropriate sources to support your position.
B. COLLEGE-LEVEL CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENTS
	Cite two specific assignments that demonstrate college-level critical thinking. (Required for degree applicable courses only.)
	1.	One of the issues Marsha Norman's play "'night, Mother" explores is Jessie Cates's relationships with the various men in her life. Each relationship involves a loss of one kind or another. Consider her relations with her deceased father, her ex-husband, her troubled son, and her estranged brother. Analyze in a 3- to 4-page written essay the loss or pain involved in each relationship, and assess how these losses contribute to Jessie's decision to kill herself.
	2.	Analyze in a 3- to 4-page written essay the thesis and supporting evidence in Robert Heilbroner's "Don't Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgment," and evaluate whether he is right or wrong in his perception that the practice of stereotyping can be reduced through individual effort. Analyze and evaluate the portions of Heilbroner's text that you incorporate into your essay.
C. WORK OUTSIDE OF CLASS
	Two hours of work outside of class are required for each hour of lecture or equivalent. Each student in this course will be required to participate in the following work outside of class time. Check all that apply.
		Study Answer questions  Skill practice  Required reading  Problem solving activity  Written work (such as essay/composition/report/analysis/research) Journal (done on a continuing basis throughout the semester) Observation of or participation in an activity related to course content     (such as theatre event, museum, concert, debate, meeting) Course is lab only - minimum required hours satisfied by scheduled lab time Other (specify)     Compilation of source materials for research paper

VI. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY
	Check all planned instructional activities that apply:
		Lecture  Lab Discussion Multimedia presentations  Demonstration Group activities  Role play/simulation  Guest speakers  Field trips  Other (specify)     Computer classroom
	NOTE: In compliance with Board Policies 1600 and 3410, Title 5 California Code of Regulations, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Sections 504 and 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, instructional delivery shall provide access, full inclusion, and effective communication for students with disabilities.

VII. TEXTS AND MATERIALS
If multiple selection is offered, only representative texts need be listed. An up-to-date list of required and recommended materials is maintained in the division office.
	A. REQUIRED TEXTS (title, author, publisher, year)
		Between Worlds, A Reader, Rhetoric, and Handbook, Susan Bachmann and Melinda Barth, Longman, 2009. Rules for Writers, ECC Edition, Hacker, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
	B. REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS
		This Boy's Life, Wolff, Grove Press, 2004. The Day of the Locust, West, New Directions, 1969. 'night, Mother, Norman, Hill and Wang, 1983. Wit, Edson, Faber and Faber, 1999. As I Lay Dying, Faulkner, Vintage, 1987.
	C. OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS

VIII. CONDITIONS OF ENROLLMENT
If this course has a prerequisite or corequisite, complete section A. If this course has an Enrollment Limitation, complete section B.
A. PREREQUISITE AND/OR COREQUISITE
	1.	Indicate if this course has a prerequisite, corequisite, both, or none.
		Prerequisite Corequisite
	2.	Indicate Type. Check all that apply.
		Sequential Computational/Communication Skills  Health and Safety  Non-Course Standard (If this is a Standard Prerequisite or Corequisite, attach CCC Form D.)
	3.	Entrance Skills/Knowledge List the required skills and/or knowledge without which a student would be highly unlikely to receive a grade of A, B, C, or Credit (or for Health and Safety, would endanger self or others) in this course.
		1. Identify an implied main idea (thesis), and support with major and minor details, from a longer text or novel. 2. Apply appropriate strategies in the writing process including prewriting, composing, revising, and editing techniques. 3. Plan, write, and revise 500-word multi-paragraph expository essays including an introduction and conclusion, exhibiting coherence and unity, avoiding major grammatical and mechanical errors that interfere with meaning, and demonstrating awareness of audience, purpose, and language choice.
B. ENROLLMENT LIMITATION
	1.	Indicate the category which describes the Enrollment Limitation for this course.
		Band/Orchestra Theater Speech Chorus Journalism Dance Intercollegiate Athletics  Honors Course  Blocks of Courses  Other (specify)
	2.	List Degree and/or Certificate requirements that are met by this course.
	3.	List all El Camino College courses that also satisfy the requirements listed above in section B.2.
		Originator:  English 1A Committee Submittal Date:  Spring 1960 BOARD APPROVAL DATE:   Reviewed and/or Revised by:  Melinda Barth Date:  October 1998  Mary Ann Leiby Date:  Fall 2000  Mimi Ansite, Debra Mochidome, and Adrienne Sharp Date:  July 1, 2009

Vegan Vs. Paleo Debate

Vegan/Paleo Debate featuring Lierre Keith

Another Lierre Keith Takedown

Archeological Evidence Shows Paleo Diet Never Existed

Open Exchange

 

 

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2,654 of 2,829 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing May 30, 2010

By A. Perri

Format:Paperback

I want to be clear about a few things:

1) I am a female.
2) I give the idea of this book 5 stars, but its execution 1.
3) I have been a radical vegan, a rabid meat-eater and everything in between (currently in the in-between)
4) I am working on an archaeological PhD on hunter-gatherer diets, subsistence, hunting and transition to agriculture.

I picked this book up after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals". I thought it would be interesting to read a different perspective on the vegetarian debate. I found Safran Foer's book to be much more geared towards the inhumane practices of meat while Keith's book is geared more towards diet/health.

I admit that it took a very long time for me to get through this book, for several reasons. I purchased this book hoping to get something out of it. I am not an upset vegan who wants to hate it and I am not someone who bought it knowing Id love it. I was just neutral. There were two main reasons for my disappointment with the book. One minor, one major. First, I found the second agendas (specifically the radical feminism) distracting and unnecessary. I have nothing against the feminist agenda, but this wasnt the place to put it. Second, I found the book absolutely riddled with bad information, faulty facts and just plain lazy research (if you can call it 'research'). As someone who intensively researches these issues on a daily basis, I found myself underlining items on nearly every page that I knew were just plain untrue or were 'cherry-picked' facts slanted to give a certain perception. This is such a disappointment as a really great case could be made for the author's view if she had only put the real work into researching the book properly. Once you lose the reader's trust that you are providing factual information what do you have? Ill provide examples:

1) pg. 140: The author states that "Carbon-13 is a stable isotope present in two places: grasses and the bodies of animals that eat grasses". She goes on to suggest that since there is no evidence of grass "scratch marks" on the human teeth found, that they must have been eating animals. There are many flaws in this thought process. First, I cant even begin to explain the preservation and degradation issues present in examining three million year old teeth for 'scratch marks'. Second, carbon-13 is an isotope found in ALL terrestrial and marine plants, not just grass. Finding high levels of C3 or C4 (which are what carbon-13 breaks down into) in human teeth only means that that human was eating large amounts of SOME plant, seed, nut, etc. (not JUST grass) or the animal that ate those. It is not as simple as GRASS OR COW.

2) pg. 142: The author states that there are no bacteria in the human stomach. This is simply untrue. In 2005 Barry Marshall and Robin Warren won a Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering a stomach bacteria that causes gastritis and ulcer disease. There are currently over 130 known stomach bacteria.

3) pg. 146: The author states a "rumor" authored by RB Lee about hunter-gatherers getting 65% of their calories from plants and 35% from meat. She states that this "simply isnt true". First, this rumor-spreader is one of the most well-respected anthropological/archaeological researchers in hunter-gatherer studies who edited what is considered THE tome on hunter-gatherer theory, 'Man the Hunter'. He isnt some random hack. Second, saying those numbers 'simply arent true' is simply not true. Hunter-gatherers did and do inhabit a huge range of environments and likewise their diets cover a wide range. Some do follow the 65/35% number. Some eat much more meat. Some eat much less.

These are only three examples from a span of six pages. This pattern continues throughout the entire book. Fact is the authors 'facts' just arent believable (which, again, is a shame because a factual book on this topic could be powerful). She writes as if the anthropological and archaeological evidence she quotes is written in stone, when in fact many of these topics are constantly under revision or not well understood yet. Most importantly, I just believe that writing a book and promoting it as a factual, scientific account of a subject when it is not is doing a great disservice to your (mostly) unknowing readers. If you are not willing to put in the real research effort, write a book that is touted as a personal account and nothing more. Selling flubbed facts to people who are truly searching for answers, inspiration or (insert what you are looking for here) is just bad journalism.

Ill end this review with some facts and encourage any readers (whether you liked the book, hated the book or havent read the book) to always question whether what you are reading is true and to do some research of your own.

The author cites 207 references in this book.
62 of those references are websites (~30%)
18 are newspapers and magazines (~7%)
32 are journals (~15%)
95 are other books (~46%)

First of all, think about that. 30% of the references in this book come from website information. Five of those 62 website references were Wikipedia. Wikipedia! One was Google Answers. I wont let my freshmen students use Wikipedia as a reference in their papers, why would it be acceptable for a book? Like websites, newspaper and magazine information needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Of the 32 journals less than half come from well known, peer-reviewed sources. The remaining 46% are books, which can truly say anything the author cares to print (as this one does) and only show that the author is getting her information from another source (and another opinion) aside from the primary one. The point of this is to make clear that this is a book that is sold as (and which many positive reviews hype as) providing scientific, factual, intellectual knowledge on the vegetarian/diet/health debate. In reality less than 8% of the book is coming from peer-reviewed, fact-checked sources which can provide unbiased, neutral information.

If anything I hope this review encourages people to get away from the bias on either side, find factual scientific sources instead of second-third-fourth hand knowledge, check information for yourself instead of blindly believing an author, and to question published material and push for it to actually be factual if it presented as such.

Sample Thesis

While there are sound nutritional principles peppered throughout Lierre Keith's book, especially regarding the eating of whole and local foods, her Vegetarian Myth fails miserably as a champion or manifesto for Paleo-inspired meat-eating because it is sodden with lazy, discredited research, it reveals amateur, inaccurate, and over-simplified "scientific" conclusions, it meanders into irrelevant radical feminism, it offers a laughable forager model to feed a planet of 3 billion, and most of all shows profound ignorance in what is, archeologically speaking, the "Paleo diet." 

 

 

 

Escape from Camp 14 Lesson One: Dehumanization

 

 

Essay Assignment

Write a 6-page research paper that develops a thesis about the forces that impede Shin Dong-hyuk from achieving psychological freedom. Consider PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and the book Trauma and Recovery by Judith Lewis Herman (see page 181 in the book).

 

When we talk about psychological freedom, we have to understand the opposite, mental slavery.

Mental slavery is based on at least two things:

Pleasure, the brain's pleasure centers, which can create addictive behavior.

Trauma, which can result in avoidance behavior.

 

 

This research paper should present a thesis that is specific, manageable, provable, and contestable—in other words, the thesis should offer a clear position, stand, or opinion that will be proven with research.   You should analyze and prove your thesis using examples and quotes from a variety of sources.  

You need to research and cite from at least five sources.  You must use at least 3 different types of sources. 

At least one source must be from an ECC library database.

At least one source must be a book, anthology or textbook.

At least one source must be from a credible website, appropriate for academic use.

The paper should not over-rely on one main source for most of the information. Rather, it should use multiple sources and synthesize the information found in them. 

This paper will be approximately 5-7 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page, which is also required.  This means at least 5 full pages of text.  The Works Cited page does NOT count towards length requirement.  

You must use MLA format for the document, in-text citations, and Works Cited page. 

You must integrate quotations and paraphrases using signal phrases and analysis or commentary.  

You must sustain your argument, use transitions effectively, and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. 

Your paper must be logically organized and focused

 

How does the dehumanization process happen to Shin and the other prisoners? And how will this process affect him for all his days?

 

One. Strip a man of all his belongings, including clothes is powerful symbolically because his complete nakedness represents complete helplessness and powerlessness to both himself and the guards. In prison, they guards strip the prisoners of their clothes in the sense that they make them wear worthless rags, sometimes frozen with urine. 

Two.  The guards will humiliate the prisoners, explaining that they are losers who can only redeem themselves by fulfilling their duties. 

Three. Impose strict rules, which must be rigidly enforced to keep a sharp dividing line between the powerful and the powerless: There are rituals of “respect” that must be maintained lest the prisoners suffer the guards’ wrath. 

Four. The dehumanization can only occur in mutual interdependence and cooperation: a cruel symbiosis between guards and prisoners. 

Five. The prisoners mean nothing in the face of the guards’ power. The guards make the prisoners perform humiliating tasks, which are really exercises in self-abnegation. 

Six. The guards strip the male prisoners of their masculinity by the odious work, which are a reminder of who has all the power and who must be obedient.

Seven. Disobedience to the group will lead to being shunned, ostracized, demonized, and worse, killed. 

Eight. The guards make the prisoners perform tedious acts that remind the students that they are insignificant, less human and more animal.

 

Nine. Reinforce power by assigning arbitrary, meaningless tasks and gratuitous acts of humiliation.

Ten. Ignore people. You dehumanize people by ignoring them. You show them that they are "nothing." Read the horror novel The Ignored based on the author's real experience in a business environment. 

Shin's Past Will Haunt Him:

Distrust Is "Normal"

We read that Shin was "not torn from civilization." Hell was his home, his "normal."Eating rats and frogs is necessary for surival. Everyone is rewarded for snitching on each other. As a result, he is paranoid, even now that he is free. He trusts hardly anyone, thinking they will sell him out.

No Self-Worth Was Imprinted

Shin was essentially the result of "slave breeding" and he was born to die in the worst slave camp of all, where no one can be "redeemed."

No Such Thing as Family, Only Competition

Shin has no family bonds. Everyone, including his mother, is competition for food.

How to Write a Thesis Statement for a College Research Paper

Academic Support Center

Owl Purdue

Thesis Mapping Writing Center

The Six Questions Should Should Ask When Developing Your Thesis:

1. Is the topic conducive for an argumentative or analytical thesis? An argument gives reasons for your position. An analysis gives causes behind a phenomenon that is being examined.

2. Can I break down my thesis into parts, reasons, causes? Parts, reasons, causes are all called mapping components.

3. Does my thesis answer a meaningful, compelling question?

4. Do I have the honesty and integrity to change my thesis if evidence compels me to do so?

5. Can I state my thesis in a single sentence?

6. Does my professor like my thesis statement?

Thesis Exercise:

 

Thesis Approach: Shin Is Or Is Not Free Or Is a Bit of Both

Write a 6-page research paper that develops a thesis about the forces that impede Shin Dong-hyuk from achieving psychological freedom. Consider PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and the book Trauma and Recovery by Judith Lewis Herman (see page 181 in the book).

Too General

Shin is free in the world but not free in his mind and spirit.

While Shin has escaped the horrors of North Korea, he is still not a free man.

Shin's life shines with freedom.

More Specific with the Mapping Components

While trying to navigate in the free world, Shin finds himself imprisoned by undying demons of PTSD, which include paranoia, depression, avoidance, memory triggers, survivor guilt, and insomnia.

 

Essay Structure for Above:

Page 1. Summarize the book

Page 2. Develop a thesis that analyzes the alienation, depression, anti-social impulses, distrust, and other forces that define Shin's mental "slavery" and his inability to be fully free.

Pages 2-6. Body paragraphs will develop your mapping components.

Page 7. Works Cited page.

 

Another, perhaps better thesis:

While Shin is clearly still shackled to the demons of his past, rendering him a mental slave in many ways, there is much in his life today that points to his freedom. We see in a recent Anderson Cooper interview that he has the self-awareness to see himself as "an animal evolving into a human." We see that he has turned his suffering into meaning by raising awareness about humanitarian crises from both today and the past. We also see that Shin, like all of us, is someone who doesn't have absolute freedom but for who freedom is a process.

Structure for above thesis:

Page 1. Summarize book.

Page 2. Thesis

Pages 3-4. Show the demons that afflict Shin's freedom and make him a slave.

Pages 5-6. Show the behaviors that evidence Shin's march toward freedom.

Page 7. Works Cited page.

 

 

List of Common Verbs Used in Signal Phrases

 

 

 

Acknowledges Adds Admits Addresses Argues Asserts Believes Claims Comments Compares Confirms

Contends Declares Denies Disputes Emphasizes Endorses Grants Illustrates Implies Insists Notes

Observes Points out Reasons Refutes Rejects Reports Responds Suggests Thinks Writes

 

 

 

 Sample Paragraph Using Signal Phrases (I underlined signal phrases)

 

Often when we think we are in heaven we are actually in hell and when think we’re in hell we are actually in heaven. Or in the words of my English Professor Jeff McMahon, “When we think we are rising in life we are actually falling and when we think we are falling we are actually rising.” These words aptly fit the tormented soul Shin Dong-hyuk whose life remains shackled by guilt, dissolution, and depression. As McMahon observes in his college blog The Breakthrough Writer, “Yes, Shin is a slave, but he is also immersed in a struggle to help others, which points to his freedom.” It is over-simplistic, McMahon argues, to pin Shin a free or imprisoned man. As McMahon puts it, “Shin is a messy tangle of contradictions, both freer than most of us and more enslaved. To simplify his condition is to diminish his suffering to pointless absurdity.”

 

 

 In a typed, double-spaced quiz, answer the following questions in two or three complete sentences and use examples from the book. Quiz is graded on content, grammar, and diction (correct and precise language choice). Again, no rewrites so make sure you proofread your quiz.

 

One. Describe in detail the dark secret that proves to be the cause of Shin's incapacitating guilt?

Two. Whether you agree or not, explain the idea that Shin's behavior, like everyone else's in Camp 14, was based on a radically different moral code than people who do not struggle to survive in a North Korean prison camp and that this different moral code compels us to judge Shin differently from those of us who live in the free world.

 

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