Self- Made Man Summary (Chap. 1-4)

This book follows the journey throughout a whole year of one woman, Norah Vinent, as she disguises herself as a man to gather a different perspective on the world and sexuality. One evening, Norah decided to dress up drag with her friend, and the idea for this book seemed to grow from there. In the first chapter, She talks about the birth of her alter-male-ego, Ned, and the purpose of the book. It takes the reader through different steps of her process in order to alter her appearance.  In the second chapter, Ned joins a bowling league in order to get a foot in the male world. She befriends the three guys on her bowling team and learns about the difference of friendships between females and males. In the third chapter, Ned delves deeper into male sexuality as he visits strip clubs and reveals the female perspective in a male appearance of what goes on in these clubs. The fourth chapter Ned decides to focus on Love and dating as a male and what it’s really like for guys. She finds rejection is rough, even in the smallest amounts and becomes glad she is lesbian because of how she perceives the male/ female interactions and how closed off and guarded they are when meeting one another.

So far, this book has really impressed me. It’s nothing like I thought it would be, but definitely lives up to the hype and praise given by its reviews. Norah definitely had to be emotionally, physically and mentally prepared to immerse herself in this project and I believe she has covered all of the bases. I mean she began lifting weight and even wear a fake penis to make the project even more real life. She definitely went above and beyond than I ever expected. She is persistence, inquisitive, and courageous throughout her journey.  In each chapter she goes behind the scenes to expose different complete male environments that women rarely get a glimpse at. The second chapter was cool because she talked of the similarities and differences between guy friendships and female friendships and I know with the female ones she was spot on, and the male ones, she was directly in the situation so it could be exposed. Chapter three really blew my mind when she went to the strip clubs! I was so shocked at the things she witnessed, and even more shocked at the things she had the balls to do.  If I was in that situation, I would have been totally disgusted, as I was just reading it, and would have left and not been able to finish that portion of it. But she had persistence and perseverance and it really shows throughout the book. Her discussion of male sexuality was also intriguing, like how the bowling guys still went to strip clubs and didn’t tell there wives, but they still loved them to death and had the upmost respect for them. As I woman, I wasn’t really okay with this, and it angered me as I was reading, but the farther I got, I realized there is nothing I can do to change anything like this, and I think that’s how Norah expressed it as well in some of the pages. The last chapter takes a closer look at dating and men asking woman out. I found this chapter to be kind of amusing, but sad as well, because of all the rejection. There have been times in my life when I have rejected people and I never really put myself in their shoes and thought about there side of it. However, she never really talked about when a girl asks a guy out, mainly because this experience didn’t happen to her as Ned.  I was the one who asked my boyfriend out, so it would have been interesting to me to see this from a guys perspective. Overall, the book has been a great read, and I am excited to see what the final four chapters bring to the table! Applause for Norah(:

Three additional sources

How Eating at Home can save your life - by Mark Hyman, MD

This is an interesting article I found by the Huffington Post that I think could be very valuable to my experience. It first focuses on the fast food industry and how it’s stripped away certain experiences and opportunities from families by the food and services it offers. They have great logos appeal in the statistical information and facts that they use to support their statements. The article states “more meals are eaten in a minivan than a kitchen”. The article also compares the percent of people that eat out in 1900 to the percent of people that eat out in 2010. This article has up to date information while still being able to compare information from a long time ago. One of the articles main points is that family dinners have been hijacked by the food industry. They delve farther into this by saying that food-science has changed our diet, and that it’s not always for the better. Mainly it addressed health issues and changes with our diet and lifestyles as it relates to the food industry.

I really enjoyed this article with the hard hitting facts and the straightforward attitude. I will definitely be using and keeping in mind a lot of the statistical information and facts as I immerse myself in my experience in May. I mostly agree with what the article says about the food industry destroying family dinners. Also, with the influence of technology and social media, it rings true that the traditional family dinner no longer exists. Luckily for me growing up I got to experience those real family dinners where you could spend quality time with your families. That is to go without saying that there were the occasional unpleasant dinners with arguments or unwanted discussion, but for the most part I am highly satisfied with those family dinners. My mom would always take suggestions on health foods we wanted for the next day’s dinner and as long as moderation was involved, factor in a great tasting dessert as well. It wasn’t till I got busier in high school and was able to drive that these dinners because less and less. However, I applaud my mother for still making it happen efficiently when so many events were going on.

8 Benefits of eating at home – other than saving money - by John S.

This resource comes from Passivefamilyliving.com. It’s a narrative type informative story of John’s own family and why they prefer eating at home to dining out. The biggest thing it claims with proof from their budgets and savings is how much money they limit dining out to because of the expensiveness of it. Saving money by not eating out is able to put cash back into one’s pocket, but besides saving money, there are a few other benefits one should be aware of before they dine out. The article goes on to highlight and describe each of these benefits to their audience. These benefits are a healthy lifestyle, lower health care costs, family time, knowing what you eat, reducing temptation, increase of energy, education, and making money. By eating at home one is subject to a healthier lifestyle. Because restaurants have limited healthy choices and bigger portions size it is likely that the meals you can create at home will far exceed in the health portion. An additional step to eating healthy is that you won’t develop things like diabetes and other similar diseases, which will maintain the price of your health care costs. Family time at the dinner table as the article suggests is great for the whole family to catch up about their day and interact on a relaxed level. Knowing what you eat talks about the importance of knowing what ingredients make up the food in the case of food allergy concerns. Reducing temptation discusses how hard it is to bypass the unhealthy choices when eating out. When you’re at home, one has more control over it. The other three items are also important to my research so I feel as if I will be using this article a lot for this project.

         I really liked this article and the layout of the information was really organized and made it easier to understand. These are all great benefits when one is looking to cut the amount of times they eat out a month. One of the cool benefits of not eating out that I have never thought about was that you could make money off of the money you save from not eating out by investing it or putting into a savings account.

How To Start Saving Money on Food Expenses – John S.

Another article by John S. of Passive family income, the reader is able to take away how to save money when grocery shopping and buying all the ingredients for meals. First off it claims that purchasing unprocessed and natural foods are not only healthier, but also cheaper. Once again John compares his budget to the steps he is taking so readers can see how much money is really being saved. The first way he shows to save money is to loose the addiction to soft drinks. John’s family will save 12.50 a month, which came out to $150 a year that their family could be saving. Next the importance of avoiding prepackaged foods is breached. Switching to things like tap water and instant tea instead of things like pop, sports drinks, or bottled water helped his family save even more. Another point he makes is to spend more time preparing food and spend less on food by buying more whole-grain and natural foods, which will also increase healthier choices into their diets.

I chose this article because it takes a different approach to my project. Because I will not be spending money at restaurants and instead making my own food, then I need to spend money on ingredients for that food. That’s where this article will help me get the most value out of the money I spend on ingredients and groceries in general to save even more money. It will steer me away from prepackaged items and things like pop and junk food that are not only expensive but really unhealthy as well. 

My first three sources

The College Student's Guide to Eating Well on Campus - by Ann Selkowitz Litt

I found this resource in the library and thought it would be very relevant to me and my topic since I am a college student and the audience the book addresses is college students. Overall, the book covers five main topics to focus on when emerging oneself into the college lifestyle. Fist off, it talks about the dreaded and popular topic of the "freshman fifteen". The book goes on to discuss why it happens and how one can avoid it. Another topic is that it focuses on the health aspect of the food that one eats because of the limited choices one has at college. There is a special section on diet programs  that are popular with college students and offers information on different types. Another great issue to take a look at is how to manage your individual unique food issues. Gives tips and walk through advice as to how to work with campus dining and food services if you have an dietary needs, allergies, etc. Another great section that's great for college students is how to eat well off campus as well. This is great because students can get tired of campus choices and are always up late when the dining halls could potentially be closed or on weekends when there is time to explore off campus.

I feel like this book can be somewhat helpful in my research for my immersing experience because it talks about food and it's tailor-made for my lifestyle at this time in my life. I can definitely  learn something from reading about the freshman fifteen because I have put on some weight at college for the lifestyle change and other major life changes. I think it will be interesting to see what advice the book offers as to how to avoid it. Another aspect of the book I'm looking forward to delving into is the "what's in the food you eat" portion of the book. There is some great information in this book that can guide me in my research, but I feel like it isn't as valuable to me and my immersive experience as some other sources may be. It doesn't really talk about cooking or making your own food, which is the majority of what I will be doing in my experience. Also it doesn't discuss the differences of eating out or eating in and the potential money one could be saving in doing so.

Cut Cost, Not Quality - HOW TO AFFORD BETTER FOOD - by Tabitha Alterman

This resource comes from the periodical called Mother Earth News in the December 2011 issue. This four page magazine article discusses and gives new insight to money saving ideas when it comes to cooking and food. There are some helpful tips that are really narrowed down into smaller steps so the reader can take full advantage of the advice. Some of the topics addressed are to buy food and ingredients in the season's their most abundant. Because the supply is plentiful, the demand is not as high, so prices will be relatively low in season. Another great trick is to buy locally. According to the article, when you spend $1 on supermarket food, not much of it goes to the producer. Overall, the fewer the middlemen, the less the seller of the product will have to charge you, thus saving good money for getting quality produce. There is a lengthy section that addresses the importance of cooking and growing your own food. From there it offers steps as to how to do this successfully and the next steps to take after you know how. Other great money saving tips are persevering/canning food and packing your own lunch. Buying in bulk can for the most part be a good thing, but you must choose wisely while doing so.

I feel like this article is very valuable to my research experience with my immersive learning project. It focuses directly on the money saving aspects and not so much the health aspects that is exactly what I’m looking for. Some experiences of my youth have taught me about some of these topics in order to save money would be buying in bulk, buying locally, and cooking and growing your own food.  When I was younger, every year my parents would have a garden that they would plant and grown some of their own fruits and veggies among other things. We also have a good-sized orchard with apples, pears, peaches, cherries, and grapes. We wouldn’t sell our garden produce, but we would use it in our own kitchen and meals. We would also go to farmer’s markets in our town to eliminate higher prices at supermarkets and the middleman.

Eating out vs. Eating at home - by Chef Dave Fouts and Vicki Bovee, MS, RD, LD.

This short little article addresses big issues related to my topic. The article begins with an interesting look into the history of the first restaurant and the origin of eating out. Although it does partially focus on health, the other half focuses on the occasion of eating out and the ups and downs of eating at a restraint instead of your own home. First off, it goes on to compare serving sizes and exactly how big a serving size should be. The article claims that restaurants are just in the business to make money, so it makes plenty of sense that if your going out to eat, your likely not saving any money. Another reason why most people prefer eating out rather than at home is because it’s more convenient and saves the consumer’s time. It also gives tips on how to overcome that in your own home and schedule so you can eat at home and not on the run with fast food, or because you don’t want to deal with the mess of making the food and cleaning up. Lastly, the article makes a statement that in the end, you must take responsibility for your own health and wellness.

I really enjoyed how the article drew you in with the lead about simmered sheep’s feet being the first dish ever served. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t eat that dish, but I guess the restaurant industry had to start somewhere. Another great factor about this article is that it compares and contrasts the benefits and disadvantages of eating out versus eating in. This is exactly the type of information that I am looking for. It gives a graph of the health information of classic restaurant recipes and compares them with similar healthier recipes one can make in their own kitchen. I think that it’s great that it addresses the potion sizes in restaurants because that has a lot to do with the calorie intake.  I know I’ve always been one that was taught to eat everything on my plate till its gone, so people that were raised that way are consuming too many calories and are not eating healthy. I love that they give modified recipes for healthier options of such common and well-liked dishes. That really tops off the article because you can be interactive with it and actually make something in your kitchen and have the satisfaction that it is for sure healthier for you than eating out.

Wadsworth Chapter 4 Summary -

Chapter four talks about finding resources through secondary research. It first takes you through the steps of conducting research and gives you tips on where to begin so you're not overwhelmed when you begin that research. It clearly goes on to state the difference between primary and secondary types of research. According to Wadsworth, "Secondary resources are produced by someone else." An important step in the research process is knowing where you can locate your resources. Wadsworth suggests beginning this step by finding the resources you already know about. As you find these initial resources others will pop up that also relate to your topic. It's good to include the relevant ones as well. Another great idea is to ask a librarian help you with their search, as they'll know what type of books would be the greatest benefit to you. From there, you can begin "systematically" searching through these new resources. Wadsworth talks about the importance of choosing words wisely when used them in search engines, and also about narrowing down those searches  and trying a more advanced search. Wadsworth also touches on the different types of resources available for people. It's important to keep in mind how texts change over time, how texts are reviewed, and whether the resource is from the library or the internet. From there, three different type of texts (Static,  Syndicated, and Dynamic) are broken down and defined into their own meanings. Lastly Wadsworth communicates the important of developing a research plan. This plan should consist of a detailed list of information the researcher is seeking. and the various types of research she plans to conduct. 

Wadsworth Reflection -I think Chapter four will be very helpful to me while conducting research for my immersive project. It was a great review of the things that I already know and practice when doing my research, but I also learned some very valuable information. I could really connect to their narrative at the very beginning about how there is a to-do list ahead of you, and you look at it thinking "how am I suppose to get all that done?", but they suggest breaking it down into one small thing at a time. When I was the yearbook editor at my high school last year with a staff of only eight people, I has a feeling similar to this practically all the time. It was very stressful, but when I took what I had to accomplish into smaller portions and went baby step after baby step, everything seemed to work out and get crossed off my list. I thought their paragraph on Primary and Secondary Research was a good review for me from last semester. Last semester our teacher would say, "you need to have this many resources, and this many have to be primary, while the others have to be secondary". Before last semester's English class, I never really considered the impact or difference of secondary versus primary resources. I found the Types of Resources section to be the area where I learned the most. I had never hear of Static, Syndicated, and Dynamic texts, but after reading this chapter of Wadsworth, I now am able to tell the difference, let alone that they exist. The last thing I would like to comment on is their information on developing a plan. There have been times where I haven't really developed a plan and other times where I had the plan down to the letter. Let me just say the latter was a lot more convenient and acceptible. I feel like for the immerse experience a lot of planning and details will need to go into the project so it turns out exactly how I want and need it to. Now I know I can always refer back to Wadsworth for help in any of these areas whenever I encounter an issue in conducting research or finding resources.

King Corn Reflection - King Corn was about two men on their journey of finding what exactly it is we eat. It led them to an acre of corn in Iowa and from there to various other places. I really enjoyed watching the story because it opened up my eyes and gave me a new perspective about the world that I had never expected to see. I like that they were able to share their in-depth experience and even emotional ties to Greene, Iowa with the audience.  The fact that the storyline was chronological by months made it easier for the audience to follow along and learn at the same rate as the two men did. I also enjoyed how they really went above and beyond with the resources they had gathered. Besides conducting many interviews, they also looked up a lot of information and statistics that played important narratives throughout the clip. Another great aspect they incorporated was that they did not just get scholars and professionals in the fields to weigh in on their opinions and expertise, but they also incorporated everyday average joes into the picture which I believe made a big impact on the audience and their connectedness to the documentary as a whole.

Chapter 1-3 Reading Thoughts

In chapter one I thought it was really interesting how they mentioned we've been conducting research for a long time without really realizing it. I have never though of it like that before, but I completely agree with the authors statement.With my experiences conducting research, I have mostly had good things come from them. I have learned a lot about what I was researching and have become informed of things that I wouldn't normally have been exposed to. I don't mind doing research projects, although they can be a lot of work, because of the knowledge I get out of writing them. Also, with the rise of the internet over the last decade, it has become much easier for people to conduct research and find answers instantly to the information they are seeking in a matter of seconds.
I can relate to some of the research and writing processes discussed in chapter two, but I'm not a fan of some of them. When I write papers, I tend to have better results if I just jump into the writing and brainstorm as I go along, then go back and edit it later. I'm not one that's big on prewriting or invention. I know this may work very well for some people, but everyone is different and I feel it doesn't help me with my papers.
Before reading chapter three, the meaning of kairos wasn't very clear to me. However, I feel now that I understand it's meaning and applications better. There have been times where I've been in one class talking about specific topics and in the next class I tended to relate back to these same topics which guides me in a certain direction for a paper or writing assignment about that issue because of the prevalence and timeliness of the topic in my life. Although that can happen at times, other times I can have a rough time thinking of a topic to research and write about. I feel like if I am given too broad of a topic to research then I have a hard time trying to narrow it down to what exactly I want to do. I become indecisive and feel like what I've come up with isn't good enough, and that I will, I must, come up with something better. However, after reviewing some of the techniques and tips given by Wadsworth, I feel like I can apply these in the future to quickly decide on a topic I will be satisfied with and highly interested in researching.