Book Reviews/My Book Review(Summarized)

My reaction to other's book reviews:

To me, the book reviews seemed like a nice way for everyone to pick their favorite topic we discussed in class and read a book about it. It was interesting to see how many people picked animal rights. I was not expecting it, but it was nice to see different views on animal right, especially the responsibly people have with animals. Liz's book seemed pretty interesting about how the authors did not "attack" the readers in a sense with their argument. By the way Liz talked about it, it seemed as though it was a book where the authors presented their views but did not use their power to try and pursue readers to completely change their minds. It seemed like a book that was equally balanced in the way they argued their beliefs.

Also, Emily's book review about animals having no responsibility to take care of animals in the wild seemed interesting. I had not heard about this view before and it opened my eyes to it. It seems to be a very interesting concept but something that would not work out quite well. The theory makes me believe that more animals would become extinct each day and that humans would rule the world even more. This is just an assumption---I have to read the book to see if I still thought this.

Hannah's book also really interested me since we read about the same topic. It interested me to possible read that book to compare the views my book, a more recent book, with the views that her book has, a book from a few decades ago.

My Book Review(Summarized):

Book: Walberg, Herbert J., and Joseph L. Bast. Education and Capitalism: How Overcoming Our Fear of Markets and Economics Can Improve America's Schools. Stanford, California: Hoover Institution P, 2003.

My book, Education and Capitalism: How Overcoming Our Fear of Markets and Economics Can Improve America's Schools, focused on how school reform should be centered around capitalism. This topic sparked by interest since I am an education major and will have to deal with issues such as this when I enter the teaching world. It was interesting to here the myths of capitalism and economics and why people fear them being incorporated into school reform. Also, I really enjoyed learning more about the voucher programs there are today. Voucher programs differ from state to state. Cleveland, Ohio, for example has a pretty "loose" voucher program, allowing vouchers to be used both in private in public schools. However, other states only allow vouchers to be used within public schools.

Voucher programs are also unfair. Families who are in the extreme-poverty levels can only receive vouchers. I believe that all poor families should be able to receive vouchers. It is not the children's fault that their parents are at that economic level. Therefore, the student should not have to face the consequences (i.e. receiving a bad education). Students at all poverty levels should be able to receive vouchers. Isn't there suppose to be equal education?

Also, competition within schools, which the authors mentioned I believe is very important. I believe that is the only way the poverty-level schools can improve. Through competition, it will motivate these schools to improve and help them provide better education to the students in these areas. By doing this, students in these areas will not have to use vouchers anyone to go to better schools since there will be a better school in their neighborhood. Competition helps schools out more than it hinders them. In a sense, it is a "wake-up" call to these schools. It will make them realize that they need to step up the education they provide their students, or they will lose all their students before they know it.

Overall, I liked reading a book related to the class. I liked how we were allowed to explore a topic we were interested in further and share our findings with the class.