The Devil's Seat By Peter Scott Harmyk

The short story "Hell-Heaven" written by Jhumpa Lahiri, is about the clashing of the cultures of a Bengali family settling in the west. While story is told in the child's point of view as she matures to a young woman, we're also given the experiences of the people around her through her eyes. These people include her mother, father and a family friend. They each have a different experience as an immigrant migrating and living in America, which leaves us to wonder what message is the author trying to convey with this piece of literature. However, the message to come from "Hell-Heaven" Jhumpa Lahiri is that immigrant families face struggles and tribulations living in unfamiliar territory and having to choose one culture over another.

In the Devil’s Snare by Mary Beth Norton is a narrative describing and analyzing the Salem witch crisis and pinpointing one of the greater causes of the event. Norton's thesis is that the Salem witch trials were directly related to the two Indian wars, also known as King Phillips War and King Williams War. A significant portion of the accusers, according to Norton’s research, were in fact refugees from the Maine coast. These were people who had watched their families and neighbors be killed by the Native Americans, a people who the Puritans closely related with the devil and devil worship. With many source documents used, the book seemed very dry.

The book I read for my Political Science class was In God's Underground, by Richard Wurmbrand.

Most children are not very fond of reading books in school. I was one of those children until I read a novel called, “The Other Side of Dark” written by Joan Lowery Nixon in the 4th grade. My school had held a book fair during the week of open house. As a child, all children want the toys and games they had at the book fair, not bothering to even glance at the books. My mother told me to look for a book that was not only easy for me to read but something that I would enjoy. I walked around our petite library, which was where the book fair was being held, and scanned the various novels that were displayed until one caught my eye. I was only 10 years old looking for a book without the knowledge of what types of literature that interested me. As I turned the corner at the end of the library I caught a glimpse of a hardcover novel called “The Other Side of Dark”. On the back of novel I read the synopsis which was about a 13 year-old girl who was shot and put into coma until she was 17 years old waking up to discovering that her family was also murdered by the same person who shot her 4 years ago. I was quickly captivated by this summary on the back of the novel and persuaded to read further. Open house was coming to an end and my family and I headed back to our house in La Mirada, California. One of our homework assignments was to read at least 20 minutes a night to improve our reading skills. We quickly arrived at our home and I

When it comes to the topic of obesity, most of us will readily agree that fast food is one of the main causes. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of readily available cheap food on the go. Whereas some are convinced that only unhealthy foods can be fast food, others maintain that fast food can be healthy too. Someone who believes that is Anthony Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain is not only a widely known chef and TV personality, but he is also an author. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978. He has traveled often for his various television shows, which has made him well informed about other parts of the world. Since he has traveled all around the world, been added to the New York Times bestseller

Howard Thurman removes the window dressing in the African American experience of segregation in America. Thurman in his book, “The Luminous Darkness” paints an obscure portrait that delved deep into the consciousness of Black men, women and children freshly freed from chattel slavery. Two hundred years of slavery and one hundred years of darkness seeping into each soul perpetuated by an evil explained only through the Word of God. Although this book was published in the 60’s, the stigma segregation continues resonate in the souls of those who remember and perhaps even in the souls of those who do not.

The book, “The Devil’s Highway,” by Luis Alberto Urrea tells of the story of a group of men who tried to get to the United States using this long and dangerous pathway. While this book was written in 2005, some of the problems mentioned in the book still go on today, as do their reasons for taking part in this dangerous journey. This book opens up people’s eyes to what people will do for even just a little glimpse of something better, something that they can be happy with. Urrea’s telling of these men’s story relates to many things and teaches us how things are in places a lot of people in America don’t pay attention to.

Michael Shaara’s 1974 historical novel, The Killer Angels, covers the story of the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg that also features maps for visualization. The format of the story is well organized. It begins with a Foreword, which describes in great detail the armies and soldiers involved in the battle. It follows up with four sections and within each section there are chapters that are written in chronological order, covering the events between Monday, June 29, 1863 and Friday, July 3, 1863 in different perspectives. The first to reveal their thoughts is Harrison, the Confederate spy. Harrison reports his findings about the Union to James Longstreet. As a result, Robert E. Lee decides to move his troops to Gettysburg. Meanwhile, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain proceeds to move his soldiers north. When John Buford, commander of the Union Cavalry, enters Gettysburg, he notices the Confederate infantry. Eventually, the armies clash. That was the mark of the beginning of the battle between the Union and the Confederates. Soon the rest of the Union army heard of the confrontation, so they prepared for battle. The Union and the Confederate army continued to plot plans against each other and fight for the next few days. Nonetheless, they both had their ups and downs.

First Draft Chicago, the White City, full of life and amusement, a jaw-dropping experience. However, this White City also has many dark secrets that hide in the shadows. Erik Larson portrays both views in his book The Devil in the White City. When an ambitious leading architect, Daniel Burnham, has the task to run and design the renowned Chicago World’s Fair.

The Demon’s Parchment, by Jeri Westerson, follows private investigator Crispin Guest and his apprentice Jack as they investigate a series of mysterious murders in 1350s England. The historical setting of the book references the Medieval Period of Europe, a dark age filled with superstition, disease, and political overturn. Westerson’s setting incorporates elements of religion and politics, offering a view of Medieval England from Guest’s perspective; the narrative also does a thorough job accurately describing the breadth and depth of the Christian-Jewish hostility of the era, as well as portraying the enormous role of the English Church in everyday life.

The Documentary “The Devils Playground” is based on the lives of Amish youths who go on a journey called rumspringa and try and decide whether or not to devote their lives to the Amish church. This documentary explained that the Amish religion is a branch of Catholicism in which the members do not get baptized until they are adults. The reasoning behind this is that the Amish live a very minimal and secluded lifestyle and they feel that before committing their life to the church and to Christ a person must be old enough to know what exactly that promise entails. An Amish community is comprised of people who spend a majority of their time working and helping their neighbors; they do not have many basic commodities such as electricity or cars. When an Amish youth turns sixteen they are able to go on what is called rumspringa, on which they go out and experience the real world beyond the secluded Amish community in which they grew up in, these kids are given a whole new level of freedom. This journey, in a way, exposes these kids to a sociological imagination, which allows them to, “understand the larger historical meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals.” (Mills 1959). This means that these Amish kids are able to see how their life’s play into the bigger picture of society and how a majority of others live their lives. The point of rumspringa is to push these kids right in the mix of the world with no previous exposure in order to

We live in the age of constant technological innovation and endless information; in which we are so connected and dependent on the technology we use that we sometimes don’t even realize how much we’re relying on it. In The Glass Cage by Nicholas Carr, Carr defines automation as, “the use of computers and software to do things we used to do ourselves,” and argues that there are daunting consequences to our reliance on technology (Carr 1). In his book, Nicholas Carr sets up three arguments related to automation, tacit knowledge, and the idea of work. His main arguments throughout the novel are that humans are overestimating the benefits of automation, losing tacit knowledge through our reliance on technology, and

In this book A Demon's Promise by Kristie Cook, the main characters, Alexis and Tristan are living in this menacing dramatic life. Keeping in mind that Alexis is just a nineteen year old girl, and is being chased down by the Daemoni who are trying stop them. Alexis isn’t fully aware of her situation, her mother had kept many secrets about her family and also about her future from her. Alexis and Tristan fell deeply in love, ironically this had already been planned way before she was born, apparently there souls were created for each other. Although, they do get married out of love, and ultimately keeping the Amadis powerful and enduring. Tristan was created by the Daemoni to destroy the Amadis people, but tristan has an overwhelming amount

In this paper, I will review Charles Ryrie’s book The Holy Spirit. I will detail what I feel the book is about. I will emphasize various points given by the author that stood out to me. Finally, I will give my personal evaluation of the book.

I felt the eye of judgment piercing through me as I entered the plane. I could hear people whispering and giggling. While scanning the rows to find my assigned seat, I could see the looks of concern from those who thought I might sit by them. The clicking sounds of seat belt buckles almost sent me into a panic. I was dreading asking the flight attendant for a lap belt extension, or worse, having it offered without asking. Words were not necessary to feel the intensity of mass criticism. To make matters worse, it was a hot day, and my clothes were sticking to my body, outlining my multiple layers of over-indulgence. I was overheating and could taste salty beads of sweat trickling down my face.