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Recovering from natural disasters
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Recommended: Recovering from natural disasters
“With scant water and food, no jacket for the cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that no one knew where he was. Aron faced the horror of his predicament: By the time any search and rescue effort would begin, he’d most assuredly be dead.” (Back Cover) If that would not get you to read Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston, I do not know what would. This short passage shows you the many encounters Aron has as you follow him on a seemingly ordinary trip that he takes. Even though this is a non-fiction book some of the stories described sound like they are imaginary, but in reality they were the result of having bad luck. This 347 page autobiography was printed by Atria Books in August of 2005. Mountaineer, Outdoorsman, retired mechanical engineer; these descriptions normally are not used to describe a writer. But in this case they are, Aron Ralstone writer of the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, can be described by all of these words. Aron was 25 years old when he decided to quit his job as a mechanical engineer to pursue his goal to climb all 59 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot and above mountains in winter by himself. When I think who could write a book like this I do not think of a famous author, I think of an amateur author who is qualified. Aron is qualified to write this book because it was written about an experience that he personally had happen to him. Aron also did not glorify himself in this book; unlike some other autobiography writers he remained humble. This book was made to show how not only being physically strong helps you get out of tough situations but also being mentally tough. There are many events that show you how being mentally and physically tough can help you live and survive. Conveniently sur... ... middle of paper ... ...a trip he had then you go back to the canyon. I recommend this book because it is not only good, but it will help you to appreciate the things you have and not take things for granted. The only thing I did not like was the ending; I thought he was going to talk more about the recovery and publicity he received. But the ending took you back to the canyon and it left me wondering where and how he is now. In the end, you can take away many different things from this book. I learned that you should not take things for granted that you think you will have forever, like your arm. I also learned how keeping your cool and planning ahead in tough situations can keep you alive and even save you. When you read Between a Rock and a Hard Place, you will hopefully learn the same lessons as me or even some of your own. Truly, reading this book can change your life for the better.
Many individuals decide to live their life in solitary; though, only a few choose to live in the wild. The book, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer vividly paints the adventurous trek Chris McCandless went on. From the friends he made, to the hardships he went through, McCandless is portrayed as a friendly, sociable person despite the fact that he was a vagabond. Other than McCandless, there are even more individuals that have taken the risks to live in the wilderness such as, Jon Krakauer and Everett Ruess. All three of them had both similarities and differences between their own qualities as a person and their journey.
I believe the most important concept that I gained from reading the book was to remain faithful, in good times and in bad. Walking blindly can be very terrifying, but God always has a plan for each and every one of us. At times, the plan remains unseen, and that should not deter or slow me on the path that my heart is yearning
Many people were puzzled on why the young man decided to go on such an expedition without being properly prepared. His death has led to a controversy between whether he should be idolized for having the courage to follow his dream or repulsed for his grand stupidity. Although Krakauer never met McCandless, he provides his readers with personal examples that explain why the young man went on this journey. Expecting his readers to comprehend McCandless, Krakauer’s primary purpose is to help his readers understand the importance of embracing one's personal dreams. In order to achieve his purpose, he uses a variation of literary and rhetorical techniques. Some of these techniques include epigrams and ethos. These devices are essential to Krakauer’s purpose because they illustrate and explain the reasons why McCandless went into the inhospitable landscape of Alaska.
The rising action of the story was when he would find friends and they would help him to realize certain things about himself. The biker that he met helped him get started on stars. One of the maids that he met on his trip had shown him kindness and through this, she taught him that u can always have a fresh start or second chance at life as long as you try hard enough. And the artist that he met at the ocean helped him learn that u shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover, there might be more to someone than you think.
I always looked at death as such a sad thing that is eventually going to occur to everyone. However, after reading this book, it made me realize death can actually be a beautiful thing. Death allows a person to go to a next life, one where they will be loved and others will be there for them. It was interesting to be able to read about stories that these hospice care workers witnessed themselves. I have experienced a few deaths within my life and I never coped with them very well. After reading this book, I honestly believe I will be able to look at the positive side of death and be able to deal with my emotions better. I can also help others surrounding me deal with a death that they are experiencing. This book was filled with information that I loved learning. For example, I never knew that a dying person can choose a time to die. The thought of this never occurred to me before. I always thought that when it was someone’s time to go, they had no choice. But, a dying person can “put off” passing on until they see a certain person or event that has great significance in their life. Nevertheless, there are still people who will wait to die until they’re all alone in the room. This book makes you think of real life situations and think what you would do in them. Taken as a whole, it was a very in depth book that changes the way you would naturally perceive
After reading this book I think the difference it makes in life is too continuing go for greatness. No matter how bad it may seem right now in life Wes Moore proved that you can still become something great in life. A quote I took from this book was “Failing doesn't make us a failure. But not trying to do better, to be better, does make us fools.” (Moore) I know people who have given up on a lot of things in life because of bumps in the road. I would say this book changes how I look at the lives of others, but in two different ways. One way would be that be can change their life arounds even if they grew up that way. The second would be that sometimes you need to break off from people that might not help you grow in
I think that the messages this book displays are important for anyone to think about, and apply to their lives every day.
Into the Wild, written by John Krakauer tells of a young man named Chris McCandless who 1deserted his college degree and all his worldly possessions in favor of a primitive transient life in the wilderness. Krakauer first told the story of Chris in an article in Outside Magazine, but went on to write a thorough book, which encompasses his life in the hopes to explain what caused him to venture off alone into the wild. McCandless’ story soon became a national phenomenon, and had many people questioning why a “young man from a well-to-do East Coast family [would] hitchhike to Alaska” (Krakauer i). Chris comes from an affluent household and has parents that strived to create a desirable life for him and his sister. As Chris grows up, he becomes more and more disturbed by society’s ideals and the control they have on everyday life. He made a point of spiting his parents and the lifestyle they lived. This sense of unhappiness continues to build until after Chris has graduated college and decided to leave everything behind for the Alaskan wilderness. Knowing very little about how to survive in the wild, Chris ventures off on his adventure in a state of naïveté. It is obvious that he possessed monumental potential that was wasted on romanticized ideals and a lack of wisdom. Christopher McCandless is a unique and talented young man, but his selfish and ultimately complacent attitude towards life and his successes led to his demise.
This book teaches the importance of self-expression and independence. If we did not have these necessities, then life would be like those in this novel. Empty, redundant, and fearful of what is going on. The quotes above show how different life can be without our basic freedoms. This novel was very interesting and it shows, no matter how dismal a situation is, there is always a way out if you never give up, even if you have to do it alone.
The novel “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer goes into great detail to describe the main character, Chris McCandless, who died traveling alone into the Alaskan wilderness. McCandless, whom in the novel renamed himself Alex, left his home and family to travel to Alaska in 1992. In Alaska McCandless planned to live an isolated life in the desolate wilderness, but unfortunately he did not survive. This non-fiction novel portrays his life leading up to his departure and it captures the true essence of what it means to be “in the wild”.
In the novel, A Hero’s Journey, Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, states that “every decision made by a young person is life decisive. What seems to be a small problem is really a large one. So everything that is done early in life is functionally related to a life trajectory” (Campbell). In mythic criticism, the critic sees mythic archetypes and imagery connecting and contrasting it with other similar works. Certain patterns emerge, such as a traditional hero on a journey towards self actualization. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer portrays this hero’s journey. The protagonist of the novel, Chris McCandless, hitchhikes to Alaska and walks alone into the wilderness, north of Mt. McKinley. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. He thought that the reality of the modern world was corrupt and uncompassionate, so he went on this journey in order to find a life of solitude and innocence that could only be expressed through his encounters with the wild. During this ambitious journey to find the true meaning of life, Chris McCandless exhibits a pattern like the type explained above. In Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Chris McCandless follows this mythic pattern, seeking to be the traditional hero who spurns civilization, yet he discovers that modern heroes cannot escape their reality.
Life has only two guarantees, a beginning and an end, yet one's actions determine every detail of that story. How will you write your story? Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer is a biography of Chris McCandless and his life. Chris McCandless was a free-spirited, anti-authoritarian, and anti-social man; he spent the majority of his free time by himself, being able to entertain himself for hours at a time. He was hard-working and motivated to succeed, anything he put his mind to he accomplished, he conquered major hurdles in his life, tackled gargantuan obstacles, and overcame adversity; all to end his journey in the Alaskan wilderness in August 1992.
In April of 1992 a young man named Chris McCandless, from a prosperous and loving family, hitchhiked across the country to Alaska. He gave $25,000 of his savings to charity, left his car and nearly all of his possessions. He burned all the cash he had in his wallet, and created a new life. Four months later, his body was found in an abandoned bus. Jon Krakauer constructed a journalistic account of McCandless’s story. Bordering on obsession, Krakauer looks for the clues to the mystery that is Chris McCandless. What he finds is the intense pull of the wilderness on our imagination, the appeal of high-risk activities to young men. When McCandless's mistakes turn out to be fatal he is dismissed for his naiveté. He was said by some to have a death wish, but wanting to die and wanting to see what one is capable of are too very different things. I began to ask myself if Chris really wasn’t as crazy as some people thought. Then I realized it was quite possible that the reason people thought he was crazy was because he had died trying to fulfill his dream. If he had walked away from his adventure like Krakauer, people would have praised him rather than ridicule. So I asked the question, “How does Krakauer’s life parallel Chris McCandlesses?”
One strength about the book i read was that the book gives different point of view
There are many types of writers out there however, In order to escape from the sufferings of what’s going on in today's humanity without taking any sources of breaks , many people would end up reading books instead of always being on the computer or watching television because once you start reading , you can gain more information which would allow you to do well in many things . Reading for an preference has become more popular in the past century than it has ever been before. (Alice Munro)