And Still We Rise - Assignment 2

Period 4 Assignment #2: After reading this book review, what do you think your experience reading this book is going to be like? Do you tend to look at book reviews before you purchase a book? Do you use book reviews to influence your book purchases? Are you more apt to listen to a friend who recommends a book to you? Your response should be at least 250 words.


The main purpose of a book review is to show someone's opinion on a book and recommend that book to other potential readers.   Usually this strategy is able to help a book get more readers, especially if the book reviewer is as famous as someone like Oprah Winfrey.  But not everyone reads book reviews and choose books based on what they feel is interesting, regardless of what others think.  I am one of those people, and I wouldn't have read this book review normally.  But after actually reading it, I am grateful that I get to see the benefits of book reviews.


From what Mark Welch talked about throughout his review, And Still We Rise was a book unlike any other.  There have been other books that were written about the injustice about the education system in different places.  To Welch, they all had the tone of being artificial and unrealistic.  It is well known that the system isn't as great as it could be, but it doesn't require authors to give the false impression that it could be fixed so easily.  And Still We Rise was a totally different story altogether, and it was obvious.  I enjoy reading books that don't follow the norm, so this aspect that Welch touched upon intrigued me from the beginning.


I am not the type of person to use book reviews to influence my book purchases or borrowings.  To me, if I read the synopsis of a book and it catches my attention, I will get it.  Anybody can say that a book is good, but everyone has their own opinions on what they like.  So I didn't think I would find myself reading a book review on And Still We Rise, but here I am.  This book review was unlike any other that I have briefly read before.  Welch appealed to me through his opinion on the book's uniqueness and its reason for being written.  I understand that the system isn't at its best, and yet I am tired of people just complaining about it.  I feel like if people really feel like it should be improved, then take the actions to make a difference, no matter how hard it seems or how long it takes.  Welch points out that Miles Corwin wants people to realize that no matter how gifted children can be, they still need the assistance that they deserve and need in order to succeed.  In a way, they are both calling America to action to get these and other children the resources and help they need in order to get higher in life.  By just reading the review alone, I felt inspired to make changes in the system in any way I can and get others to change the system so that every child can have an equal chance at success.  I think that with my passion to make a difference and the inspiration I felt from this review, I will definitely enjoy this book in its entirety.