The High Priest Of Globalization Essays - , Term Papers

The High Priest Of Globalization The High Priest of Globalization Everyone remembers the times in early childhood when their dad would hand them a picture book and ask them what they saw. Unbeknownst to the child, the picture contained a hidden picture or message. Although difficult to see, it was there. Even if refused by acknowledgement, it still existed. Such is the case with today's government. The so called world leaders are only puppets acting under the control of the great puppeteers. Whether it is soaring gas prices, a fluctuating economy, or shifts in political power; secret entities of elite caliber are the masterminds behind all world affairs. These expert manipulators covertly gather behind closed doors and make decisions that affect the lives of every human being on the face of the earth. By exploiting political positions, exclusive members of the Trilateral Commission secretly direct, manipulate, and are making advances to eventually control the governments of the world, as a whole. The Trilateral Commission is an American based, political super power that claims to have its interest asserted in shaping and protecting foreign policy. The founder of the Trilateral Commission and chairman of the Chase Manhattan Bank, David Rockefeller, wrote to the New York Times and said: My point is that far from being a coterie of international conspirators with designs on covertly conquering the world, the Trilateral Commission is, in reality, a group of concerned citizens interested in identifying and clarifying problems facing the world and in fostering greater understanding and cooperation among international allies. (Rockefeller 22.1) It is easy to say that their cause is benevolent, but are there ulterior motives? Is the Trilateral Commission attempting to mold public policy and construct a framework for international stability in the coming decades? Commission members such as David Rockefeller and former President Jimmy Carter are in such influential positions of power that world domination is not far from their clutches. Although a one-world government sounds foolish, it is not far from the truth. The Trilateral Commission describes their organization as a multicultural, transnational including members from Japan, Canada, and various other countries. John B. Oakes of the New York Times commented on the behalf of the Commission's members: The Trilateral Commission is neither super-government nor secret society. It is rather a loosely defined think tank, godfathered by David Rockefeller and nurtured in its early years by Zbigniew Brzezinski. Most of its 250 invited members come from the super-elite of international business, banking, and finance in the developed countries of the West and Japan, with a sprinkling of high-level academics and former officials, a few legislators, and even a stray leader or two. At their periodic closed- door meetings, they debate the economic and political roles of the industrialized democracies. (Oakes A27) This article, which was written in 1980, tells us the commission was founded by David Rockefeller, includes 250 mostly upper class citizens from the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. It warps the truth by failing to mention that over 90% of the members are American citizens that belong to the Council on Foreign Relations (Road Show of Deception). Council membership is by invitation only, and restricted to American citizens. The Trilateral Commission is an inner circle of Council on Foreign Relations members. A list of 1992 Commission members is contained on a website entitled Road Show of Deception. It contains 337 names, 316 are found on various Council on Foreign Relations membership lists. Another 21 people are either Americans not found on these Council on Foreign Relations rosters, or are European and Japanese members (Road Show of Deception 2). By distorting the truth, the Trilateral Commission clearly manipulates the media into reporting false information to the public so that their hidden agenda can pass by na?ve eyes. The Trilateral Commission capitalizes on political positions to add to their number of influential power-heads. For example, George Wald, an emeritus professor of Biology at Harvard and co-recipient of the 1967 Nobel Prize for Medicine, wrote a letter to the New York Times concerning the Trilateral Commission: An extraordinary fraction of the Carter Administration was drawn from its membership: President Carter himself, Vice President Mondale, Security Advisor Brzezinski, ex-Secretary of State Vance, ex-Secretary of Treasury Blumenthal, Secretary of Defense Brown, Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Deputy Secretary of Energy Sawhill, Federal Reserve Chairman

How actions portray the personality of the characters essays

How actions portray the personality of the characters essays The way a person reacts to another can sometimes give a little idea as to what their personality is like. In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, this is displayed by the presence of Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Philips, Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh all reacted to the arrival of Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Philips and Elizabeth are all part of the same family and they all reacted to the arrival of Mr. Collins. ...Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children... (60) This quote represents how Mrs. Bennet reacted to Mr. Collinss visit. She is worried about the estate being taken out of the family. It shows that she is the kind of person to hold a grudge and to be hateful towards people whether it be their fault or not. It is not Mr. Collinss fault that the estate will be handed over to him, but Mrs. Bennet only sees what she wants to see. In describing to her all the grandeur of Lady Catherine and her mansion, with occasional digressions in praise of his own humble abode, and the improvements it was receiving, he was happily employed until the gentleman joined them; and he found in Mrs. Philips a very attentive listener, whose opinion of his consequence increa sed with what she heard, and who was resolving to retail it all among her neighbors as soon as she could. (73) This quote describes Mrs. Philips in a way that she is easily flattered and she likes to be complimented. She feels very honored that her house is compared with that of Lady Catherines and cant wait to brag to the other people of the community. I cannot make him out. There is something very pompous in his style. And what can he mean by apologizing for being next in the entail? We cannot suppose he would help it, if he could. Can he be a sensible man, sir? (62) When Eliz...

Information Technology Architectures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Information Technology Architectures - Essay Example The client is a workstation computer which runs front-end applications. It communicates with the user through the keyboard, mouse and the display. The client also recalls to the client process that operates on the client machine. The client performs its processes from the server displaying information managed by the server. Therefore, the client does not posses responsibilities to direct data accessibility; thus the client workstation can be optimized for its duties. For example, it requires minimal disk capacity. The client is indispensable to allow implementation of several client servers, ranging from personal computers to mainframes and several client interfaces to store and retrieve information. Oracle 7 implements the ANSI/ISO and SQL interfaces and standards fully support the client environment (Belapurkar, 2009). The server is a tool that Oracle7 software runs on and handles the essential functions for concurrent access of shared data. Referred to as back-end server, a statement derived from the processes that the server machine does (Belapurkar, 2009). The server process SQL and PL/SQL statements received from the client applications. The server can be optimized for its functions. For example, it can have fast processors and a large disk capacity. It can also take the input/output disk operations such as, file transfer and printing of documents. The network facilitates remote data access through a server to the server and client server communication. Oracle’s network facilities allow applications and databases to reside on different computers with different operating systems at the same time communicating as peer applications (Belapurkar, 2009). Distributed systems architecture enhances hardware and software resource sharing as shown from a loosely coupled distributed system which is a single-user workstation enabling accessibility, of shared resources and data in other server computers (Belapurkar,

HUI 235 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HUI 235 - Essay Example cio’s tales illustrate what could happen in that strange medieval period in a society where power and morals were quite different to how we consider them today, and where fear was a very real emotion in women and those who occupied the lower strata. Political correctness and formal ethics had not been invented yet, and it was certainly not an egalitarian society. The first tale from Day Four, when Filostrato tells his story, shows exactly how unequally people dealt with each other. He recounts the plight of Ghismonda, the daughter of Tancrede the King of Salerne. Daughters were under their fathers’ power whether they were servants or kings. Women had very little say in the direction of their lives: the reason for Ghismonda’s tragic fate. Although she was already widowed after an arranged marriage, her father made all decisions about her life, choosing her husband: ‘Neverthelesse, at length, he matched her with the Sonne to the Duke of Capua.’ She could not simply fall in love with any man who came her way. When she did form a secret liaison with Guiscardo - who was not even a nobleman, and occupied a lower position in the palace - she was taking an enormous risk. Secrecy and lies, subterfuge and concealment were vital: a father was seen to be justified in killing his children if they went against his will or trespassed on some social more. There was no freedom and very little fairness. Tancrede blamed his daughter for his anger: ‘...thou hast meerly murthered the unfeigned affection I bare thee, as never any father could expresse more to his childe.’ Her tragedy came from social inequality and the perception - by all - that men were superior and fathers (especially if they were kings) almighty. In the fifth tale of the day, Philomena’s tale about Isabella (Lizabetta in some versions) and her herb pot, her brothers have power to do what they liked with her and anyone who got in their way. It was a world where people died like flies from the plague,

Apollo moon landing was a hoax Essay Example for Free

Apollo moon landing was a hoax Essay The US Moon landing program was started by John F. Kennedy in response to the Soviet Unions early successes in space exploration, just in case the world decided that Communism was the way to go. The Moon landing hoax refers to the belief of a small, but persistent, percentage of people who think that the Apollo Moon landings of the late 60s and early 70s were propaganda films produced by NASA to embarrass the USSR in the cold war. First I will start talking about the central claims and evidence that proof why Apollo moon landing wasn’t a hoax. There is quite a lot of evidence to proof that Apollo moon landing wasn’t a hoax. There is a large quantity of lunar surface samples for example rocks that was brought back by the Apollo missions. These samples are the same than those brought back by Soviet Union missions and they aren’t alike any rock on earth. Many international scientists have spent their entire careers studying these things and If they prove that this rocks didn’t come from the Moon, it would degrade their scientist names in an instant. There is a large number of photographs and videos taken on the Moon, that shows that they really went to the moon. Close up footage of dust being kicked up by the astronauts on the Moon or raised by the wheels of the lunar shows that the dust fell parabolically, as expected in a vacuum. If the landing footage were shot on Earth, the dust would float around in the air before falling to the ground. There is not only photograph to proof Apollo moon landing there is also people to corroborate the evidence. People who made the journey are still alive and able to testify the fact along with the thousands of people who worked on the project. Some people claim the use of reflectors. These reflectors have been used extensively by other researchers. The use of reflector caused many theorists to believe that the moon landing was faked. There are groups that accept that NASA went to the moon, however, the things they saw were so incredible they had to hide the evidence of aliens. On the other ha nd there are Conspiracy theories that reveal that the Apollo moon landing couldn’t be possible. Members of the Hare Krishna movement refuse to accept the landings, because it would contradict what their holy texts say about the Moon (for example, that it is further away than the Sun, surrounded by fire and ice) others believed. Others said that the astronauts  only went into Earth orbit. This is usually connected to the claim that the space was filled with deadly radiation that could kill astronauts. People believed that the earlier landings were faked, but that NASA finally managed to get there some time in the 70s. They state that the United States faked reports of the original landing to threat the Soviet Unions attempts during the Space Race of the Cold War. Apart from some conspiracy theories there is also evidence that shows that Apollo moon landing was a hoax. I will analyze some of the evidence the technology, the flag, the transmission and finally the environment. Bart Sibrel said that the level of United States and USSR space technology as evidence that the Moon lan dings could not have happened. For much of the early stages of the Space Race, the USSR was ahead of the United States, yet in the end, the USSR was never able to fly a craft to the Moon, It is argued that, because the USSR was unable to do this, the United States should have also been unable to develop the technology to do so. Another part of the moon landing hoax theory deals with the American flag. The picture that was sent back showed this flag moving as in a wind. Some believers in the moon-landing hoax feel that this was proof that this picture had been taken on earth and not the result of a moon landing. The fact that the flag moves in the wind when there is no wind on the moon could lend some degree of credibility to the belief that this was a hoax. There should have been more than a two-second delay in communications between Earth and the Moon because of the distance between the earth and moon. Typical delays in communication were about 0.5 seconds. Scientists claim that the delays were only half a second are untrue, as examination of the original recordings shows. Also, there should not be a constant time delay between every response, as the conversation is being recorded at one end Mission Control. Responses from Mission Control could be heard without any delay, as the recording is being made at the same time that Houston receives the transmission from the Moon. The Moons surface during the daytime is so hot that a filming camera would have melted, as there is no atmosphere to efficiently protect the lunar surface from heat; heat on the moon would affect devices such as cameras. The surface does get very hot at lunar noon; every Apollo landing was made shortly after lunar sunrise at the landing site. In conclusion given to the context of the moon landings and that of the Space Race with the Soviet Union, there are many, many reasons why  people would prove that the landings were faked for a political and monetary gain, pure fame, and so on. There isn’t a real proof revealing the landings by a first-hand knowledge, or evidence no only a photograph that could be fixed on a studio. If we assume a conspiracy exists, we need to know what it involves. Given the number of people that would need to be paid off to stay silent, the effort required to pull the attention over the USSRs eyes, the ground based fakery rockets, launches, control rooms fakery such as moon rocks and the photography and video taken from the moon.

President McKinley :: Biography

President McKinley   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio. Niles was a small town with no railroad and few wagon roads. He was the seventh child. When he was 9 years old they moved to Poland, Ohio. He went to the schoolhouse and then entered the local academy until he was 17.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When he was 18, he taught school and earned $25 a month. When vacation came he worked at the Poland post office. When the Civil War came, he enlisted. Shortly after he enlisted he was promoted to sergeant. When the war came to an end, he was a major at the age of 22.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He attended the Albany Law School and he joined a law firm in 1867. He was elected county prosecuting attorney. On January 25,1871 he married Ida Saxton. He campaigned for General Rutherford B. Hayes who was his commanding officer during the Civil War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1876 he was elected to Congress and served 7 terms. He sponsored the tin industry and in 1896 he ran for president and won. He found that the gold in the Treasury was low and he worked on obtaining more gold for the Treasury.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He passed the Tariff Bill and imports and exports increased. Hawaii asked for annexation to the United States. He sent the Treaty of Annexation to the senate but they rejected it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Reporting the stalemate between Spanish forces and revolutionaries in Cuba, newspapers screamed that a quarter of the population was dead and the rest suffering acutely. Public indignation brought pressure upon the President for war. Unable to restrain Congress or the American people, McKinley delivered his message of neutral intervention in April 1898. Congress thereupon voted three resolutions tantamount to a declaration of war for the liberation and independence of Cuba.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Battleship Maine was sunk, the United States declared war. During the 100 days of this war, the United States destroyed the Spanish fleet outside Santiago harbor in Cuba. Also, they seized Manila in the Philippines and occupied Puerto Rico.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the victory in Manila Bay, Congress began to see the projected annexation of Hawaii differently. The Senate and the House of Representatives took a vote on making Hawaii a territory of the United States. It was passed in June by the House of Representatives and then in July by the Senate. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They abandoned the Nicaragua project in 1898 and started work on the

Water for Elephants

The story follows Jacob Jankowski who was an old man living in a nursing home, as he looks back about a time that defined his life. In the 1930’s, 23-year-old Jacob’s life changed drastically. One minute he was finishing his Veterinarian degree at Cornell and planning to follow his father in the family business. The next his parents passed away in a car wreck, turning his world upside down. Jacob walked out of his final exams and hopped town, climbing on the first train he could. He quickly found out that it was no ordinary train. It belonged to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a travelling circus. With no financial prospects and no place to go, Jacob landed a job as the show’s veterinarian. Travelling with the circus had its ups and downs. He had a place to stay, food to eat and animals to look after. But his sleeping quarters were with the horses and a cranky clown, and money was never guaranteed. Jacob’s superior, August, seemed like a nice guy. But his true colors came out when times got tough. And worst of all, Jacob fell in love with the beautiful performer Marlena, who just happened to be August’s wife. Number of Pages: 325 Setting and Time Era of Novel: Story takes place in a traveling circus and is in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Character #1 Name: Jacob Jankowski Role in the Novel: Jacob is the narrator through the whole story who talks about his life in a circus. Description: In Water for Elephants there are two parts to Jacob Jankowski, one when he is older and the other when he is younger. The older Jacob Jankowski, 90 or 93 years old, relates his experiences with the ‘Benzini Brothers Circus’, back in 1931, to Charlie, a present day Circus manager. The younger Jacob is a 23-year-old young man who must leaves his studies, as a Cornell University veterinary student, after losing both of his parents in a car accident. Out of desperation and grief over his loss he jumps onto a train that happens to house the ‘Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth’, thus beginning his involvement with the circus. After his involvement in the circus Jacob starts to fall in love with Marlena who is married to the circus head animal trainer, August. Character #2 Name: Marlena Rosenbluth Role in the Novel: Marlena is married to August who is the head animal trainer for the ‘Benzini Brothers Circus’ and is also the star performer in the circus shows. Description: Marlena is the star performer of the Benzini Brothers circus. She married August Rosenbluth, against her parents’ wishes, and ran off with him to join the circus. Marlena endures her husband’s unusual behavior, which is not always the most pleasing in any way but eventually finds comfort with Jacob after they form a bond with Rosie the circus’ new elephant. Character #3 Name: August Rosenbluth Description: August is Marlena’s husband and the head animal trainer. He is alternately charming and brutal, both to the humans and animals aboard the Benzini Brothers train. Later in the book, it is explained that he is a paranoid schizophrenic. Themes and motifs: The book, Water for Elephants, has a symbolic study of human need for love and acceptance. The primary symbols are revealed through unique characters that struggle to feed deep internal desires. Rosie, the elephant, is a big and powerful symbol. More than just being a performing animal, Rosie reflects the desperation of so many Americans during the Great depression. Being in the hands of August, Rosie lives a passionless life. When she reaches for more, drinking the sweet circus lemonade that she craves rather than the water that she requires for sustenance, she is beaten into submission. August’s cruel message is clear that the circus is no place for independent passions. Symbols: Water – A symbol of purification, which is portrayed many times. Before Jacob jumps on the train the book states: When I first submerged my feet into frigid water, they hurt so badly I yanked them out again. I persisted, dunking them for longer and longer periods, until the cold finally blistered. † ?Train tracks – Are a symbol of choosing one's direction in life. For instance, the book states: â€Å"This is so odd†¦ I'm running beside a moving train in the middle of nowhere†. Their Society and Culture: In Wa ter for Elephants, the society and culture is pretty much exactly how it was in the 30’s. Because it was the time of the Great Depression, people did everything they could to make their lives happy. Book Review: I personally loved everything about this book! Other readers may find themselves churning through this book at a quick pace, eager to see what lies ahead, and then slowing down as they realize the book is coming to and end. Or at least that’s what I was doing. Water for Elephants is a book that can be read over and over again, recommended and handed off between friends; it begs to be discussed and mulled over. With lines of startling beauty, haunting and graphic scenes and finely drawn characters that dance off the page, readers can dip in and out of the novel, immersing themselves in Jacob's memories. The book is a beautifully written and extensively researched story, and is often surprising and funny. I highly recommend Water for Elephants if you’re looking for an enchanting story with adventures that place the reader alongside Jacob and his wild transfer into adulthood. Definitely a must read! Summary of the Novel: Water for Elephants, written by Sara Gruen, tells the story of a man named Jacob Jankowski, who leaves his life as a Cornell University veterinary student after losing both his parents in a car accident, and jumps onto a train that happens to house the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. After a short confrontation with Blackie, a bouncer that stops stowaways, and Camel, a limp old worker, promising him a job and an audience with Uncle, the ringmaster, Jacob decides to stay aboard the train. Since his parents have died in an automobile accident, and he has not a home to call his own, he decides to remain with the circus. Jacob is employed as the show’s veterinarian and he faces a number of challenges in dealing with the head trainer, August, while also learning how to function in the hierarchy of the circus and falling in love with August's wife, Marlena. Jacob Jankowski, a ninety year-old man who lives in a nursing home, tells the story as a series of memories. As the memories begin, Jacob Jankowski is twenty-three years old and preparing for his final exams as a Cornell University veterinary student when he receives the news that his parents were killed in a car accident. Jacob’s father was a veterinarian and Jacob had planned to join his practice. When Jacob learns that his father was deeply in debt because he had been treating animals for free as well as mortgaging the family home to provide Jacob an Ivy League education, he has a breakdown and leaves school just short of graduation. In the dark of night, he jumps on a train only to learn it is a circus train. When the owner of the circus, Uncle Al, learns of his training as a vet, he is hired to care for the circus animals. The head trainer, August, is a brutal man who abuses the animals in his care as well as the people around him. Alternately, he can be utterly charming. Jacob develops a guarded relationship with August and his wife, Marlena, with whom Jacob falls in love. August is suspicious of their relationship and beats Marlena and Jacob. Marlena subsequently leaves August, which is the precipitating event leading to the ultimate demise of the Benzini Brothers circus. As the story climaxes, several circus workers who were red lighted off the train come back and release the animals causing a stampede during the performance. In the ensuing panic, August is killed. As a result of this incident, which occurred during a circus performance, the circus is shut down. Marlena and Jacob leave, along with several circus animals, and begin their life together. Water for Elephants The story follows Jacob Jankowski who was an old man living in a nursing home, as he looks back about a time that defined his life. In the 1930’s, 23-year-old Jacob’s life changed drastically. One minute he was finishing his Veterinarian degree at Cornell and planning to follow his father in the family business. The next his parents passed away in a car wreck, turning his world upside down. Jacob walked out of his final exams and hopped town, climbing on the first train he could. He quickly found out that it was no ordinary train. It belonged to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a travelling circus. With no financial prospects and no place to go, Jacob landed a job as the show’s veterinarian. Travelling with the circus had its ups and downs. He had a place to stay, food to eat and animals to look after. But his sleeping quarters were with the horses and a cranky clown, and money was never guaranteed. Jacob’s superior, August, seemed like a nice guy. But his true colors came out when times got tough. And worst of all, Jacob fell in love with the beautiful performer Marlena, who just happened to be August’s wife. Number of Pages: 325 Setting and Time Era of Novel: Story takes place in a traveling circus and is in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Character #1 Name: Jacob Jankowski Role in the Novel: Jacob is the narrator through the whole story who talks about his life in a circus. Description: In Water for Elephants there are two parts to Jacob Jankowski, one when he is older and the other when he is younger. The older Jacob Jankowski, 90 or 93 years old, relates his experiences with the ‘Benzini Brothers Circus’, back in 1931, to Charlie, a present day Circus manager. The younger Jacob is a 23-year-old young man who must leaves his studies, as a Cornell University veterinary student, after losing both of his parents in a car accident. Out of desperation and grief over his loss he jumps onto a train that happens to house the ‘Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth’, thus beginning his involvement with the circus. After his involvement in the circus Jacob starts to fall in love with Marlena who is married to the circus head animal trainer, August. Character #2 Name: Marlena Rosenbluth Role in the Novel: Marlena is married to August who is the head animal trainer for the ‘Benzini Brothers Circus’ and is also the star performer in the circus shows. Description: Marlena is the star performer of the Benzini Brothers circus. She married August Rosenbluth, against her parents’ wishes, and ran off with him to join the circus. Marlena endures her husband’s unusual behavior, which is not always the most pleasing in any way but eventually finds comfort with Jacob after they form a bond with Rosie the circus’ new elephant. Character #3 Name: August Rosenbluth Description: August is Marlena’s husband and the head animal trainer. He is alternately charming and brutal, both to the humans and animals aboard the Benzini Brothers train. Later in the book, it is explained that he is a paranoid schizophrenic. Themes and motifs: The book, Water for Elephants, has a symbolic study of human need for love and acceptance. The primary symbols are revealed through unique characters that struggle to feed deep internal desires. Rosie, the elephant, is a big and powerful symbol. More than just being a performing animal, Rosie reflects the desperation of so many Americans during the Great depression. Being in the hands of August, Rosie lives a passionless life. When she reaches for more, drinking the sweet circus lemonade that she craves rather than the water that she requires for sustenance, she is beaten into submission. August’s cruel message is clear that the circus is no place for independent passions. Symbols: Water – A symbol of purification, which is portrayed many times. Before Jacob jumps on the train the book states: When I first submerged my feet into frigid water, they hurt so badly I yanked them out again. I persisted, dunking them for longer and longer periods, until the cold finally blistered. † ?Train tracks – Are a symbol of choosing one's direction in life. For instance, the book states: â€Å"This is so odd†¦ I'm running beside a moving train in the middle of nowhere†. Their Society and Culture: In Wa ter for Elephants, the society and culture is pretty much exactly how it was in the 30’s. Because it was the time of the Great Depression, people did everything they could to make their lives happy. Book Review: I personally loved everything about this book! Other readers may find themselves churning through this book at a quick pace, eager to see what lies ahead, and then slowing down as they realize the book is coming to and end. Or at least that’s what I was doing. Water for Elephants is a book that can be read over and over again, recommended and handed off between friends; it begs to be discussed and mulled over. With lines of startling beauty, haunting and graphic scenes and finely drawn characters that dance off the page, readers can dip in and out of the novel, immersing themselves in Jacob's memories. The book is a beautifully written and extensively researched story, and is often surprising and funny. I highly recommend Water for Elephants if you’re looking for an enchanting story with adventures that place the reader alongside Jacob and his wild transfer into adulthood. Definitely a must read! Summary of the Novel: Water for Elephants, written by Sara Gruen, tells the story of a man named Jacob Jankowski, who leaves his life as a Cornell University veterinary student after losing both his parents in a car accident, and jumps onto a train that happens to house the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. After a short confrontation with Blackie, a bouncer that stops stowaways, and Camel, a limp old worker, promising him a job and an audience with Uncle, the ringmaster, Jacob decides to stay aboard the train. Since his parents have died in an automobile accident, and he has not a home to call his own, he decides to remain with the circus. Jacob is employed as the show’s veterinarian and he faces a number of challenges in dealing with the head trainer, August, while also learning how to function in the hierarchy of the circus and falling in love with August's wife, Marlena. Jacob Jankowski, a ninety year-old man who lives in a nursing home, tells the story as a series of memories. As the memories begin, Jacob Jankowski is twenty-three years old and preparing for his final exams as a Cornell University veterinary student when he receives the news that his parents were killed in a car accident. Jacob’s father was a veterinarian and Jacob had planned to join his practice. When Jacob learns that his father was deeply in debt because he had been treating animals for free as well as mortgaging the family home to provide Jacob an Ivy League education, he has a breakdown and leaves school just short of graduation. In the dark of night, he jumps on a train only to learn it is a circus train. When the owner of the circus, Uncle Al, learns of his training as a vet, he is hired to care for the circus animals. The head trainer, August, is a brutal man who abuses the animals in his care as well as the people around him. Alternately, he can be utterly charming. Jacob develops a guarded relationship with August and his wife, Marlena, with whom Jacob falls in love. August is suspicious of their relationship and beats Marlena and Jacob. Marlena subsequently leaves August, which is the precipitating event leading to the ultimate demise of the Benzini Brothers circus. As the story climaxes, several circus workers who were red lighted off the train come back and release the animals causing a stampede during the performance. In the ensuing panic, August is killed. As a result of this incident, which occurred during a circus performance, the circus is shut down. Marlena and Jacob leave, along with several circus animals, and begin their life together.