Idaho

Book Review: Landmark – The inside story of America’s new health care law and what it means for us all

Landmark is a collection of essays written by various reporters, editors and national staff of ‘Washington Post’ followed by the actual text of the bill. It provides a comprehensible summary of the legislation and examines its impacts on Americans on various categories and on health care system as a whole. In addition to this, it gives a very rich historical background and perspective. Such as how the legislation came together, the events and negotiations, the political challenges and obstacles, etc etc

The book has a systematic structure and is divided into three sections. The first section provides behind the scene reporting about the way the law came up. The second section highlights the effects and impacts of the new law whereas the third section is a summary of the legislation.

For a lot of people, the presence of the historical background makes it a worthwhile read as it also covers a lot about the national healthcare coverage. People also find it a worthwhile read because it gives a proper and detailed coverage as compared to the fragmented and sensational media coverage.

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Far more people found themselves becoming literate post the invention of the printing press. The price of books dropped to a point where the average person could afford literature that interested them. One could argue that the economics and the free market made his point more relevant in present day than at any point before. For the simple reason that the popular literature among the masses was published at a much higher rate than other works.

Fiction that uses basic language, rhetoric, and style has a far higher chance of commercial success. Reason for this is generally considered to be the readers ease in consuming a specific text. Literature using high style and complex verse is much more difficult to enjoy while reading. To enjoy such work requires a trained mind. Although less work receives acclaim through high style, there is certainly still a niche of people who love this kind of work. Shakespeare did not write fiction novels but he can be looked at as an author who is appreciated to this day as a master. His published work featured more unique words than any other writer can boast in the history. Shakespeare is not read by the general public. It has been scholars who have kept his work alive because they have found it such a beneficial learning tool.

On the other end of the literature spectrum is work with significant commercial appeal like Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling uses very simple language and found great financial success. How does something low brow like Harry Potter gain such undeniable popularity? The answer has many folds and requires further analyzing. Rowling’s limited repertoire did not hinder her ability to describe vividly, a fictional world of wizardry.

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Thomas Friedman’s THE WORLD IS FLAT is one book that must be read if one desires to improve or change your life for the better. The book begins with an examination or analysis of the various factors that play a major role in creating a smaller world with the leveling of the “global competitive playing field” which is responsible for creating a more integrated community.

The part that follows is a convincing explanation of the crisis that the countrymen of America face after the 9/11 tragedy. The book presents a bare and distasteful view of the dangers of this period of time in which we live yet it also brings along its share of hope. Friedman states that nation that has more memories than dreams is more likely to face trouble as in the case of America. The nation that was once characterized as a nation of dreams and their realization was reduced to one that lived and died on its memories after the 9/11 attack.

This has drastically changed the course of the nation and the lives of the people as they now feel weakened and hopeless when they look back at the terrible memories of 9/11. The author does stress that although the situation looks bleak it is never too late to change everything that has gone wrong but in order to do so, one must take matters into his own hands and start acting from the present moment.

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