1/28/2010

By reading They Say, I Say I pulled out useful information about summarizing text. The author tells the reader to put themselves in the authors shoes so that the summary will not be bias. This is tricky because the author tells the reader to pay close attention to their own insights. When summarizing in class this week I think I did a good job of summarizing while considering what "they" say and what "I" say. I did this by listing out quotes from the author while putting in my own words. This may have been because I agreed with the author of "Don't Blame it on the Eater."

I also noticed while doing the summarizing activity that I remembered more of the writing the first read from the second. By reading the first paragraph, then the first sentences of the next paragraphs, and following up with the whole conclusion I got the just of the paper without crowding my mind with the "fluff" details.

Assignment 1/21/10

Pollan starts chapter two by talking about the history of American farming. In early America, more than one in four people lived on a farm and supported themselves. Today, less people live on farms, but there is higher demand for farming since one farmer supposedly supports 129 people. I thought that statement was very interesting because I do not live on a farm, and it never comes to my mind that every single food I eat originates from a farm in some way. I now know that I could not survive without the work of American farmers. Pollan goes on to explain the turning point in industrial farming, which includes the creation of synthetic nitrogen and chemical fertilizer. I never really thought about all the chemicals that go into farming to made produce healthy and clean, but after reading about all the nitrogen Americans eat, it made me think about switching to eating only organic produce. Lastly, Pollan explains a little on the importance on corn and how it was once highly valued. This statement made me wonder why we do not continue to hold corn as a valuable crop. In chapter six Pollan talks about how we consume a lot of corn as well as other things. I found out how many products I eat are actually derived from corn. In chapter seven, he continues to talk about the American fast food phenomenon. I believe that the appeal is due to cheap price and convenience. I have personally been guilty of going to Jack in the Box instead of making lunch for myself. I feel that fast food should be an occasional meal.

In They Say, I Say, Graff states the importance of keeping what "they say" in mind. I read the first intro, and I do not completely understand what he means by what "they say". There can be so many forms of "they" that sometimes I get confused when I read the exercises. I do appreciate that the author makes templates to help understand the point he made. I also appreciated the list of different verbs on page 36. This can be helpful to me in the future. I had knowledge in correct cite quotation however the templates the author gave were helpful too.