The Basics of Paragraphs and Essays Narration
Paragraphs
The Discovery of Coca- Cola
A chance discovery turns a new patent medicine in to America s favorite soft drink
Grandma s Last Day
Grandma left life as she lived it – friendly , involved, and energetic
The Movie Huse
John Updike gives a lives a lively description of the exhilaration of childhood terror and imagination
Vital Signs
Natalie Kusz tells of how a hospital worker helped her to how a hospital worker helped her to regain a sense of self and hope after a tragic childhood accident
Freedom
A young Chinese man tells of his desperate but unsuccessful attempt to achieve freedom and seek a better life
Essays
The Jeaning of America – and the World
The world s favorite pants , after an amazing rise to success , have come to symbolize the American way of life
When We Were Colored
Taulbert remembers his “colored” childhood for the loving care given him by his family and friends
The End of My Childhood
A life – threatening experience marks the end of Momaday s childhood
A Cultural Divorce
Wong realizes that she cannot change her Chinese heritage by embracing the language and ways of other cultures
Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space
Danger on the streets of urban America exists in many forms, Brent Staples offters a riveting exploration of the link between fear and racism
The Deli
A woman writes of her firsthand experiences- both expected and unexpected- of running a small food store in a big – city neighborhood
Description
Paragraphs
Kitchens
The sensory details of an ordinary experience transport Aurora Levins Morales to a different time and place, connecting her to her past in a special behavior
The Marion
Richard Ford walks the reader through the mysterious world of both the Marion Hotel and adult behavior
The Sperm Whale
Utilizimg numbers as well as words , the author describes an awesome creature
The Quiet Odyssey
Mary Pail Lee describes some of the sacrifices made by Asian American women in pursuit of better lives for their dumpling – and their after
Essays
The Dance Within My Heart
Pat Mora takes us on an insightful visit to one of her favorite places – the museum
I Love Washington
The writer describes Washington in intimate detail and, in the process, tells us something about himself
The Monster
This man was probably as wicked as any man can be, but he was redeemed by one gift
Marrying Absurd
Amidst the gloss and glitz of Las Vegas, Joan Didion reveals an absurd contrast
This Man Has Expired
Although witnessing a death can be a very disturbing experience, the authoe allows the reader to observe the last moments of a convicted criminal s life
Aravaipa Canyon
With sharp vision , the writer describes the beauty , mystery, and solace of the American West
Limbo
Seeing familiar objects in a new setting after her parents,divorce teaches this young woman a lesson about life
Examples
Paragraphs
The Pencil Rack
A writer itemizes everything he finds in the catchall pencil rack on his desk
The Shoe as a Strategic Weapon
The shoe is a weapon in the battle of the sexes , says Lurie, her argument is startling but thought provoking
The Next Generation
The path to success is paved not only with determination but also with the support of family and frirnds
The Power of Dance
There are as many reasons and ways to dance as there are dancers in the world
My Suit
Galves finds the way he dressed made a differ- ence to others
Essays best Presidential Criterion: Hair
History shows that the best head of hair seems to win the presidency
Extreme Measures
Welsch tells us the temperatures in the states of the Great Plains are, indeed, "extreme."
Down with the Forests
Some of the products we all use freely are contributing to the destruction of the forets we claim to love
What the Nose Knows
The gift of communication is ofter taken for granted unil the consequences of misunderstand- ings become clear
Back to the Dump
Baker regrets the necessity of having to constantly releam one s beliefs
My Mother Never Worked
A daughter details the boundless energy of her mother – a depression – era farmer and mother of eight who according to society at large, " never worked"
Classification and Division
Paragraphs
Fans
Sport s fans can be classified by the polite – to – rowdy ways they behave
From Cakewalks to Concert Halls
Barlow and Morgan discuss the history behind ragtime music
The Three New Yorks
This writer counts three ways of using America s largest city – to live , to work , and to dream
Where I Come from Is Like This
The author relates the many ways her mother s stories extended beyond mere entertainment
Essays
Dish Demeanor
Bodett explains the two methods of washing and, in particular, the "science" ofstacking dishes to dry
Confessions of a Former Smoker
A former smoker finds a range of attitudes among former smokers toward smokers
American Regional Costume
Lurie tells us that Americans typically wear the clothing of the region from wich they come
How to Live on Less than $1400a Year
Steven Gibb offers his readers suggestions for living creatively , on a very tight bdget
Friends, Good Friends – and Such Good Friends
From early childhood, we divide real friends from school friends and best friends from just friends Viorst now offers us a few more varieties in which to classify friendship
Three Disciplines for Children
Holt presents an organizational scheme for the learning experiences of childhood
Comparison and Contrast
Paragraphs
The Solace of Open Spaces
Gretel Ehrlich contrasts the romantic image of the cowboy with the reality
Good Girl, Bad Girl
Friends don’t necessarily need common interests and qualities, as Anna Quindlen demonstrates in this description of a boarding school friend – ship
Jungle and Desert
Despite the differences between the two environ – ment s, the struggle for survival is central in both the jungle and the desert
That Lean and Hungry Look
Weight , often a sensitive subject , is tackled by Suzanne Britt, who uses humor to come to the defense of "fat" people
Essays
Glittering Alice and Sad Eleanor
Cohen tells us that "glittering" Alice Roosevelt loses out in the end to her " homely" cousin
Conversational Ballgames
Sakamoto tells us that " the difference between American and Japanese conversation s is like the difference between playing tennis and bowling
Eating American – style
It has been said that you are what you eat, Henry Petroski might argue that you are how you eat
Nursing Practices – England and America
A nurse who has worked in hospitals in both England and America discusses the pros and cons of the nursing profession in both countres
Aria
Through recalling his bilingual upbringing, the author shows us that nders remembers the roles of men and women as he saw them during his youth, and he com – pares this perception to the dialogue he hears between men and women today
Pediatricians
This mother learns that the search for an ideal pediatrician invoves finding a sympathetic ear in addition to competent hands
Process
Paragraphs
Like Water for Chocolate
Laura Esquivel offers her readers an unusual recipe for making a handwritten wedding invitation, from the black ink to the gold sealing wax
Insert Flap " A" and Throw Away
Perelman recounts his desperate attempts to complete a harrowing process: the assembly of a Jiffy – Cloz closet
Rescuing Oily Birds
Rachael Bishop describes the delicate process of reviving birds that fall victim to ecological disasters
The Cook
This student describes her complicated and hectic two – hour job
Essays
Picking to Pecking: The Etiquette of Corn
Murray tells us there is only one right way to pick, cook, and eat corn
Eating Alone in Retaurants
The author of the Lonely Guy s Guide to Life explains how to pull off the seemingly impos – sible – and do it with style
The wine Experience
The author describes both the delight and the challenge of his family s tradition of wine making
How to Put Off Doing a Job
The "60 Minutes" humorist provides some guidelines for goofing off
Date Decorating: Preparing Your Home for His Arrival
Linda Sunshne Sunshine creates a delightful parody of the efforts mada to ensure a good first impression
Pithing a Frog
A student takes a new look at a process many students take for granted , The author is angry , and she wnts to make us angry too
Cause and Effect
Paragraphs
The Power of Place
A journalist explores stress in the modern workplace and finds a cause many have not suspected
A Momentous Arrest
The author , a great civil rights leader, remembers the courageous act of a tired woman who had had enough
Why Eat Junk Food?
Junk food tastes good- but Wurtman believes there s more to its appeal
Bonding at Birth
Hospital procedures after a birth have a profound impact on the development of the bond between mother and infant
On Being Unemployed
A young woman tells from bitter experience what it means to lose a job
Essays
It Took This Night to Make Us Know
After hearning about a brutal attack on young athletes at the 1972 summer Olympics, a Jewish journalist thinks hard about who he is and where he comes from
Ozone
The deterioration of the ozone layer has only extensive but also frightening implications for our ecosystem
My First Lesson in How to Live as a Negro
Wright recalls his first experience of racial cruelty – and the bitterness of its acceptance
The Bounty of the Sea
Cousteau describes the terrible effects the death of the oceans would have on the earth – a process that has already begun
The Thirsty Animal
A recovering alcoholic remembers his plunge into alcohol abuse and discovers in her classroom, the spoils of war are not not limited to the seizure of physical property
Definition
Paragraphs
Honesty and Dishonesty
Bennett explains the difference between honesty and dishonesty
The Great Plains
The boundaries of the Great Plains are difficult to define
The Ultimate Kitchen Gadget
There is one gadget that has not yet been adver – tised on television
I Love You
Solomon reminds us that those " three little words " can have an extraordinary range of meanings
Essays a Jerk
Harris decides a "jerk" is a person who cannot see himself as others see him
Amricanization Is Tough on Macho
The American definition of " macho" is quite different from the Mexican definition
Defining Success
The author of Power! And Success ! promotes a controversial view of what it means to make it in today s world
It s Failure Not Success
A newspaper columnist strongly disagrees with Korda s definition of success
What Is Intelligence , Anyway?
Perhaps intelligence should be defined by the practical ability to make things work and think things out , not by the scores on a standardized test
Democracy
A trip to see relatives in China leds Amy Tan to ponder what the word democracy means to people who don’t even have the right to decide what work they will do or where they will live
Extra Reading s
Thime to Look and Listen
Asfahani recalls the pain she felt as a victim of discrimination
Go Ahead, Major in the Liberal Arts
Bennett maintains that liberal arts graduates find jobs and that a liberal arts education is worth – while
Dear Beth: I Have a Quiz for You
Dayton cautions his sister that she will be unlikely to find a job with a graduate degree in one of the libreral arts
Thanksgiving
In this poetic description of the harvest , Linda Hogan explores the relationship between people , food, and the land
The Dare
The writer remembers that when he was young and confused about his identity , a dare turned into a rite of passage
The First Appendectomy
A surgeon tells the story of the first operation he ever performed and of the disaster it nearly became
A Brother s Murder
Staples tells us about his younger brother s life and murder and his own concern that he could not change his brother s way of life
Glossary
Acknowledgments
Index
