Schwartz's Article 'Rethinking Work'

In “Cooling Down Our Brain,” Jason Peters talked about how researchers proved that self-control can be developed by specific mental exercises. He explained an experiment named “the marshmallow test” and how the result of the experiment showed that children who had self-control became more successful in their lives than those who did not have it. The author further stated that additional research showed that the human brain has “hot” and “cool” areas and everyone can train the “cool” part to control the impulses.

In “The Protestant Work Ethic: Just Another ‘Urban Legend?’” Jonathan Klemens, the author, states what work ethic is and how it applies in American society. Klemens explained that the work ethic of workers in a company or some type of organization has helped the nation as a whole. That people work hard to achieve “the company or organization’s missions” (122). Not only that, Klemens also explained that people would work hard to gain particular professions they desire instead of just working with no goals.

In his essay, “Should Everybody Write?”, Dennis Baron focuses on the expansion of information due to the advancement of technology and the vast amount of unchecked writing available on the internet. Baron also goes into depth about the origins of writing and the impact it has had on readers, authors, and researchers. After he presents the origins and progression of writing, Baron answers the question of, should everybody write? In early era’s, according to Baron, “… in the 17th century England, a period known for the flowering of English letters, where even kings and queens composed poetry and the brand-new Royal Society promoted science writing, literacy in London remained a mere 10% for men, a shocking 1% for women” (845).

In her essay “Up Against Wal-Mart,” Karen Olsson claims that the employees of Wal-Mart are mistreated. They are overworked; each has to perform a plethora of duties because their stores are understaffed. She contends that they are not paid according to their heavy work loads, causing them to be disgruntled. Her view is that they are underappreciated and underrepresented, and based on her essay, I have come to agree with her points. From the facts and first hand accounts she presents on employees of Wal-Mart, I agree with her proposition that employees are underappreciated.

220) Ehrenreich is saying the more effort you put into a low-wage job, does not necessarily mean success in terms of a better job or a higher income. Ehrenreich’s argument disputes the idea that having more jobs is a benefactor even if you put in loads of effort. Many of the employers who look at your résumé and/or application will find it compelling—due to the job experience—to give employees a pay raise/a promotion to a better job that can have a bigger pay. Ehrenreich criticizes employers by stating, “Employers are of course behaving in an economically rational fashion: their business isn’t to make their employees more comfortable and secure but to maximize the bottom line.” (pg. 204)

The fact that happiness is a state of well-being pursued by humans since the beginning of humanity is not new. Since the ancient Greek philosophers, happiness has always been a goal for people. However, the definition of happiness is still subjective and controversial as Mark Kingwell, an award-winning social critic, essayist, and professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto, presents in his article “In pursuit of Happiness." The author begins to build his credibility by calling everyday facts and emotions, also by citing philosophers, researchers, and other authors. Using the sources effectively in a persuasive piece, Kingwell demonstrates, through examples and science researches, the difficulty in defining happiness, which can result in unhappiness.

The essay “Small Change” by Malcolm Gladwell gives a brief explanation of a 1960’s boycott sit-in organized by a small group of African Americans who weren’t allowed to sit at the snack bar that was reserved for Caucasians. Gladwell used this example to further elaborate about how high-risk activism requires a strong hierarchical structure in order to thrive. “Tweet like an Egyptian” is about the Arabs that are located throughout Africa and the Middle East gaining access to social networking. Attaining the internet allowed Arabs to acquire a virtual life of freedom of speech and expression. The internet empowered these people with information to challenge their authorities in real life.

In “Tyranny of Choice,” Barry Schwartz brings to the table the topic of choice. The common believe is more choices, equals more freedom. Under that assumption we are living in the best times then. Everything in the world has multiple options to choose from. The choices range from what type of gum you want, to the best life insurance policy for your family.

In the past, there have been many influential economic figures in the industrial business industry. Andrew Carnegie is one of the most famous of these figures but not just in a business scheme, but also in an economic and national scheme. Andrew Carnegie is a business man that caused a major controversial issue to arise; the topic of being labeled a Robber Baron or a Captain of Industry by the public. A Robber Baron is someone who has become wealthy through heartless and unethical business actions that will only benefit the individual. On the other hand, a Captain of Industry is a business leader who has become rich by accomplishing activities that will, overall, benefit the people of the community such as expanding a market or providing more jobs.

Carnegie was a “robber baron” who constantly tried to create an image of himself as a “captain of industry”, but he would have been more successful if he helped the employees in his factories rather than trying to help them outside of

Most likely, one has heard about the story of Pocahontas and John Smith. However, John Smith was not as loving and kind as he was portrayed. In the letter Address to Captain Smith, the speaker, Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas’ father, takes a condescending tone and addresses to the English settlers, especially John Smith, how the chief’s generous hospitality has not been appreciated. Literary devices such as rhetorical questions, antithesis, and repetition, diction, and pathos and ethos are exercised by Chief Powhatan to address his purpose and produce it as impactful as fully possible.

Karl Marx’s class theory lies upon the premise that "the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." He meant by this that ever since the inception of modern human society, people have been always divided into classes which are in conflict with each other due to class interests. An argument against class interests is that they are not given ab initio, they arise out of exposure of people occupying different social positions in varying social contexts. Karl Marx and Engels divided the masses into three broad classes, the proletariats, the petty bourgeoisie and the bourgeoisie.

The author Andrew Curry thinks that workers today are unfulfilled because they would rather work a job they do not like and earn more money than work a job that they are passionate about and earn less. He also talks about how people seem to work more than relax in today's age like when he says “instead of working less, our hours have stayed steady or risen.” (Curry, Kirszner and Mandell 399) the evidence that he uses to connect his view is the amount of people who complain about their jobs. Nowadays everyone knows a person that constantly complains about his or her job but they still work that same job because of the financial gain. Many people today hate the job they work but that same job is the reason they have a car, house etc.

Topic: Should Andrew Carnegie be described as a “captain of industry” or a “robber baron”? Abstract: Nowadays, there still exists lots of controversial comments towards Andrew Carnegie. Some of them hold the view that Andrew Carnegie should be described as a captain of industry while others contend that he was only a robber baron. As far as I am concerned, Andrew Carnegie, known as the King of Steel, built the steel industry in the United States, and in the process, became one of the wealthiest men in America.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is based on a utopian society with unique social, psychological, political, and cultural features. The novel hinges on the idea of an all-powerful state that controls almost all aspects of life and makes citizens ignorant problems occurring in their society. Bernard Marx is an Alpha male who fails to fit in the structure created by the World Controllers of his society due to his inferior capabilities. His discontent in society leads him to hold unorthodox ideas about many aspects of life and shapes him as an individual. Through Bernard’s exposure to John the Savage and his heightened need for social acceptance, Bernard Marx is shaped from an admirable character who yearns for more out of life than given in his