Chapter 15: Omnivore's Dilemma

Chapter 15 of The Omnivore's Dilemma is one of the more interesting chapters we've read so far, as Pollan dissects the art of hunting/gathering. In the chapter, he tries to create a meal entirely of hunted, gathered, or homegrown food. It isn't long, however, before he realizes this is a task that is easier said than done. Eventually Pollan comes to the realization that hunting/gathering is on the large scale, a thing of the past, and in reality is a little more dangerous than it is worth.

I tend to agree with Pollan in the sense that Hunting/Gathering can no longer sustain us as humans, because of how food has been revolutionized. As it is, American's haven't had to rely on this sort of practice in probably 100 years or more. This is evident in the sense that most of us couldn't even safely practice foraging, with so many rogue and poisonous berries and mushrooms.

Chapter 16 & 17: Omivores Dilemma

In chapter 16 of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan talks about man's ability to eat many different things in nature, as well as his choices and tendencies towards what to eat. In addition, Pollan makes it a point within the chapter to connect man's choices in eating habit to necessity. He says at one point that being omnivorous is essential to healthy living for humans, as certain nutrients are to be gathered from plants and meat. I would agree with this veiw, and say that a healthy balance between carnivorous and herbivorous eating is essential to maintaining a nutritious lifestyle.

In chapter 17, Pollan deals with the ethics of eating meat. In the chapter he brings to mind the fact that many of us don't think about the rammifiations eating meat has on the fair treatment of animals and slaughtering practices. The question of whether or not eating meat is ethical is raised in this chapter, and it is my belief that the answer comes from chapter 16. I personally believe that meat is a necessity to healthy living, and growth, and that without it, humans on the whole would suffer.

MLA documentation style

In a Writer's Resource there were three different options for what type of citation style we can use throughout the course. Of the three - which were MLA, APA, and Chicago - I chose the MLA format. This is a format that i've been familiar with since Jr. High, and am certainly most comfortable using here in college.

In tab 6 of A Writer's Resource, MLA is the focus. Throughout the section the three main parts of MLA documentation are talked about. These are: In-text citations, list of works cited, and explanatory notes and acknowledgments. The main purpose of this Tab is to give an indepth perspective on these three aspects of the MLA documentation style, and I believe it does this quite well.

They Say, I Say, Ch. 4 &5

The first few chapters in the book They Say, I Say deal primarily with the "They Say" aspect of writing. In chapter four however, we delve in to the "I Say" portion, and more specifically, three ways to respond. Chapter 4 is titled appropriately, "Yes/No/Okay, But" which are the said ways in which the chapter recommends to respond to the "They Say" portions from the first few chapters.

In chapter 4 there is an emphasis on responding with the three basic tactics: agreeing, disagreeing, or some combination of both. This applies both to reading and writing, as the reader should establish a position early, so as to not confuse the audience about your conclusions. Throughout the chapter there are also many templates to help us become comfortable with these types of responses.

In chapter 5, the issue of discernability is addressed, as the purpose of this chapter is to distinguish what you say, from what they say. The chapter deals primarily with the determination of who is saying what in the texts we read.