Several people say that you can't study for the AP Lit exam, but I disagree. This review book offers several great strategies to approach the prose anSeveral people say that you can't study for the AP Lit exam, but I disagree. This review book offers several great strategies to approach the prose and the poetry featured on the exam. Its practice multiple choice questions and exams come with helpful explanations - Lit is pretty similar to Calculus actually, in that you must practice to get better. The most helpful part of this book, at least for me, was its section containing key vocabulary: while I skimmed the majority of it I studied this section in case any vocab came up on the exam. If you want to try and prepare for the Lit exam I'd recommend Barron's all the way. Also, I got a 5 on the exam, just to show that it actually may have helped (though I love literature and it's my passion anyway)....more
Highly recommend this book for AP US Government, and I usually use Princeton Review or Barron's. 5 Steps to a 5 has concise yet effective topic reviewHighly recommend this book for AP US Government, and I usually use Princeton Review or Barron's. 5 Steps to a 5 has concise yet effective topic reviews, several practice multiple choice questions, and helpful mock exams. The author presents the information in a way that will stick in your brain if you actively read it; what more do you want from an AP review book? My only qualm was that the MC answers were often on the same page as the questions so I had to actively cover them. However, I'll still give this book a 5 because of the vocabulary in the back and its overall aid in allowing me to earn a 5 on the AP US Gov exam!...more
Not sure why this review book has such low ratings on 카지노싸이트. It offers great explanations of all the material featured on the AP exam and a plethoNot sure why this review book has such low ratings on 카지노싸이트. It offers great explanations of all the material featured on the AP exam and a plethora of practice problems and mock exams - in math, the best way to improve is to practice, and this book allows you to do that. It even possesses an index, a beneficial aspect a lot of AP review books lack for some reason. While some of the problems within the book are more difficult than those on the exam, I'd rather have it that way than for the problems to be easier. At least with harder problems you can practice formulas and applications. I highly recommend Barron's for help on AP Calculus AB or BC. I'm not a math person at all but with this book and my amazing teacher I earned a 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam....more
Would recommend using as a reference or a supplement, but not your sole method of studying, especially considering that this book is now out of date. Would recommend using as a reference or a supplement, but not your sole method of studying, especially considering that this book is now out of date. Some of the sections are not even on the new AP exam. However, it does cover essential topics like photosynthesis and cell respiration well, and one cannot complain about having more practice multiple choice questions. Just keep in mind that you shouldn't abide by what this book says in terms of the format of the exam....more
This book offers an amazing analysis of all six of the countries featured on the AP Comparative Government exam. While the text may seem lengthy the aThis book offers an amazing analysis of all six of the countries featured on the AP Comparative Government exam. While the text may seem lengthy the author does a great job of breaking all the information down into coherent sections and explaining everything thoroughly, but not in a way that bogs you down. All of the practice questions and the mock exams made a world of difference too. Even though I only got a 4 on the exam I would recommend this book to everyone preparing for it - it could possibly even serve as a self-study textbook....more
Definitely recommended for all AP Bio students, especially for the new exam. This book delves into the knowledge you need and explains biology topics Definitely recommended for all AP Bio students, especially for the new exam. This book delves into the knowledge you need and explains biology topics well, providing detailed but relatively easy to understand diagrams. The multiple choice practice questions help a bunch as well as the two mock exams in the back of the book. My only complaint is a lack of an index for easy reference to vocabulary. Despite only getting a 4 on the exam, I'm sure I would've done much worse without this book....more
Have you ever wanted to hoard cats? Did you know that there's a sonic hedgehog gene that can make your skin peel off? Can you fathom that pheromones cHave you ever wanted to hoard cats? Did you know that there's a sonic hedgehog gene that can make your skin peel off? Can you fathom that pheromones could make you fall in love?
The Violinist's Thumb contains chapters on all of these topics - it combines shocking facts with biological premises with the history of DNA discovery. For those who love biology Sam Kean incorporates an inundation of knowledge in this book. His writing never gets too long-winded or lackadaisical; his humor is refreshing but he maintains his ethos with a scholarly tone.
However, it took me over two weeks to finish this book just because I couldn't keep an interest in the subject matter. I sped through certain chapters like the one on atavisms, though the passages about well-known scientists and brazen theories bored me. On an entirely objective level perhaps this book deserves a higher rating. But, because I rate subjectively and feel cheated out of the time I could've used to read other books, The Violinist's Thumb gets a three.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys biology or wants a relatively easy introduction to the subject. I used a chapter of this book for my AP Biology project and impressed my teacher, showing that The Violinist's Thumb is accessible to a wide variety of ages and knowledge levels.
Hamlet is one of those books people can analyze, discuss, and philosophize about. On an intellectual level, like a lot of literature, it possesses greHamlet is one of those books people can analyze, discuss, and philosophize about. On an intellectual level, like a lot of literature, it possesses great merit. It's much more enriching than the "oh, that b*stard killed my father, I will now seek my revenge!" plot line, as it picks apart the psychological aspects of several characters and uses them to further the story. Several themes run their course and motifs abound. Overall, without delving too deeply into it, it's a great book to write an AP Lit essay or a literary analysis paper on.
My three-star rating stems solely from my lack of emotional connection to the characters and the story. I appreciated the nuances and the beauty of Shakespeare's writing, but nothing made me care enough to experience any sort of literary enlightenment. This shows how subjective my ratings are, because I would recommend this for almost anyone, even those who did not like Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth - one of Shakespeare's most impressive qualities is the variation within his work. By all means, give this one a shot....more
As a pacifist, I did not expect to love The Things They Carried - a book comprised of short stories centered on the Vietnam War. However, Tim O'Brien'As a pacifist, I did not expect to love The Things They Carried - a book comprised of short stories centered on the Vietnam War. However, Tim O'Brien's magnificent writing won me over quicker than I could say "callipygous." This book isn't just about the brutality of war, it's about the human condition, the emotions that entrench us in times of desperation and loss. There isn't much more I can contribute concerning the book that hasn't been said so here are a few of my favorite passages from it.
"Even in the deep bush, where you could die any number of ways, the war was nakedly and aggressively boring. But it was a strange boredom. It was boredom with a twist, the kind of boredom that caused stomach disorders. You'd be sitting at the top of a high hill, the flat paddies stretching out below, and the day would be calm and utterly vacant, and you'd feel the boredom dripping inside of you like a faucet, except it wasn't water, it was a sort of acid, and with each little droplet you'd feel the stuff eating away at important organs. You'd try to relax. You'd uncurl your fists and let your thoughts go. Well, you'd think, this isn't so bad. And right then you'd hear gunfire behind you and your nuts would fly up into your throat and you'd be squealing pig squeals. That kind of boredom." (O'Brien, p 34)
"Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down. It was a comforting theory. It dispensed with all those bothersome little acts of daily courage; it offered hope and grace to the repetitive coward; it justified the past while amortizing the future." (O'Brien, p 40)
"For Mary Anne Bell, it seemed, Vietnam had the effect of a powerful drug: that mix of unnamed terror and unnamed pleasure that comes as the needle slips in and you know you're risking something. The endorphins start to flow, and the adrenaline, and you hold your breath and creep quietly through the moonlight nightscapes; you become intimate with danger; you're in touch with the far side of yourself, as though it's another hemisphere, and you want to string it out and go wherever the trip takes you and be host to all the possibilities inside yourself." (O'Brien, p 144)
A lot of the literature I've read for school this year has disappointed me. It's great that we got to read and watch The Glass Menagerie as part of myA lot of the literature I've read for school this year has disappointed me. It's great that we got to read and watch The Glass Menagerie as part of my AP Lit class, because I reclaimed my title as extremely obsessive fanboy extraordinaire.
There's just so much to love in this play. Williams' writing is exquisite and his utilization of symbols leaves myriad room for analysis. His deep and damaged characters call for discussion: Amanda Wingfield, the ambitious and heady mother of Laura and Tom, Laura, the painfully shy girl with a penchant for glass, Tom, the trapped adventurer who yearns for excitement, and Jim, the gentleman caller who represents optimism and progress in society. The themes of disillusionment, quiet disaster, and the death of the American dream intertwine with the fragmented family and lead to a tragedy of epic proportions.
But I must admit my bias regarding the The Glass Menagerie - 1) I love the word "menagerie" and 2) I've experienced family issues like the ones portrayed in this play. However, not all stories that strike home succeed; this one hit the mark in its bittersweet portrayal of a mother who pushes her children in the wrong direction and a son and a daughter who fight back.
Highly recommended, especially for those who can watch the film version directed by Paul Newman.
How ironic that I would read The Poisonwood Bible immediately after publishing a blog post defending the merits of YA books. One individual commented How ironic that I would read The Poisonwood Bible immediately after publishing a blog post defending the merits of YA books. One individual commented about how literary fiction takes themes/motifs/messages and pushes them to the edge. I can see that with Barbara Kingsolver's work.
Yes, the book preaches about anti-Westernization and the plights of religion. Even though I agree for the most part with Kingsolver's descriptions of Christianity and colonialism, I can see why those who disagree or dislike her writing style in general would criticize the story. I myself had to trudge through the first 150 pages to get a solid grasp of the characters; I often had to flip to the beginning of each chapter to remind myself whose narration I was reading.
But the characters won me over. It would be easy to write a book report or literary analysis regarding how Kingsolver incorporates themes and motifs like the burden of guilt, the failures of religion, light v. darkness, etc. The way Kingsolver crafted her characters earns this book its four star rating. Reading Leah's perspective in the last 100 pages in comparison to the first 100 pages feels like reading two different people, but Kingsolver made the massive transition smooth. Each narrator shares her perspective of the events in Africa, growing along the way. Even Rachel, who didn't develop at all, maintained her voice throughout the story and contributed a thoughtfully thoughtless perspective.
Overall, a time-consuming yet ultimately worthy book about a missionary who travels to Africa with his wife and four daughters. It rarely takes me over a week to finish a work of fiction, but I don't regret reading The Poisonwood Bible at all.
On a plot level, reading The Stranger is as exciting as watching your grandmother eat potatoes. It's a simple story about a nondescript man who does tOn a plot level, reading The Stranger is as exciting as watching your grandmother eat potatoes. It's a simple story about a nondescript man who does things randomly and routinely, and he eventually goes to trial for an incident caused by the heat.
Though I didn't care about the characters or the plot, The Stranger did prove intellectually stimulating. Thematically, it's a deep book that raises questions ranging from whether society conditions our emotions to how we deal with the difference between absurdity and existentialism. The last few pages of the book contained most of the mind meat (doesn't that sound delicious?) so I recommend not giving up halfway, even if you're not too entertained by the plot.
Overall, not the best book I've read for school, but one that works well in a Socratic seminar or any type of discussion. Will probably come back to it when I have a greater understanding of philosophy.
Sophie's Choice revolves around three characters and three story lines. The protagonist, Stingo, is an aspiring writer from the South who stumbles upoSophie's Choice revolves around three characters and three story lines. The protagonist, Stingo, is an aspiring writer from the South who stumbles upon Sophie and Nathan when moving into his apartment in New York. Sophie serves as the beautiful and damaged love interest, a Polish woman and a survivor of Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp. Nathan, a handsome and successful biologist, brings both darkness and light into their lives. Stingo's journey as an individual and a writer, Sophie's troubled past, and Sophie and Nathan's tumultuous relationship all come together in a convoluted, intensely passionate triangle that will break readers' hearts.
This was my first time reading Styron. While his writing was not as superb in the literary sense as that of other authors, his prose conveyed all of the emotion essential to the story. Sophie's Choice reads like an addictive drama, sucking people in and slowly latching onto their hearts - and at the end, all heck breaks loose.
The development of the characters and the conflict amazed me as well. This book reminded me of Wuthering Heights, as Styron masterfully manipulated the narration and the timeline of events by using flashbacks. This allowed him to foreshadow certain occurrences and keep other revelations secret.
One minor issue I had while reading was the amount of sex. I understand that Styron included it to portray the mindset of a twenty-something-year-old man and to incorporate humor into his work, but at times it felt gratuitous. The book could have been more concise and effective if someone had eliminated some of Stingo's sexual thoughts and explorations.
However, I would recommend Sophie's Choice to everybody because of how beautifully and powerfully Styron tackled themes like oppression, mental illness, abusive relationships, etc. Get ready to cry, or at least feel serious heartbreak when you reach the end. It speaks to the evil mankind is capable of, for anyone to have to make anything similar to Sophie's choice.
A Raisin in the Sun details the story of a working-class family struggling to make ends meet. The Youngers are then faced with a difficult decision thA Raisin in the Sun details the story of a working-class family struggling to make ends meet. The Youngers are then faced with a difficult decision that brings their colored heritage and the lives of their ancestors to the forefront.
Although this book and Death of a Salesman have some similar themes, what makes A Raisin in the Sun much better is its dynamic dialogue and the conflicting desires of its characters. While not perfectly three-dimensional, each family member in the story had an idea or belief that drove them forward. Not all of the characters were likable, especially Walter, but they worked well together in terms of their times of communion and crisis. I empathized a lot with Beneatha - the obstacles she overcame in such a racist, cruel community to express herself and find her dreams spoke to me. I also need a man like Asagai in my life.
Hansberry could have expanded the size of the story to further flesh out the many themes within it, but she portrayed them well with what she did write. The American dream, racism, money, etc. are all touched upon, which is why I suppose so many high schoolers are exposed to this work.
Overall, a solid play with strong characters. Not the most mind-blowing book, but not one that's sleep-inducing either.
When I finished reading this book in my AP Literature class, I literally cheered, clapped, and high-fived my friends sitting next to me. The cycle of When I finished reading this book in my AP Literature class, I literally cheered, clapped, and high-fived my friends sitting next to me. The cycle of complete despair had been broken! My soul could now sing a song of optimism and joy!
Before I read this book, I still had a sliver of doubt in my mind. The doubt that I should include a myriad more classics to my reading list, that my brain would rot and rupture under the strain of contemporary fiction.
No. Just, no. The reason I'm giving Death of a Salesman two stars is that there is some meaning behind it, if you look deeply enough. It also is not absolute trash. And yet, there are a lot of books that I've read that are not even considered close to high literature that surpass this one in their quality.
It's not like I hate literature (which in itself is a subjective term.) I loved Jane Eyre. To Kill a Mockingbird. Wuthering Heights. But this book made me want to slap someone - especially Willy Loman - and storm off in a dramatic fit of frustration. Every time my teacher praised a certain phrase or bit of writing, I would mentally shake my head. Not because I don't respect my teacher, but because I could not fathom why he thought the writing in this book was extraordinary at all. Maybe I'm simply unaccustomed to the play format, but I was not impressed.
Both the story and the characters were horrendous. I understood, almost appreciated, and in the end abhorred the plot and its unsatisfying portrayal of a tragic hero/failed American dream. None of the characters earned any empathy. Willy was pathetic - not in a mean way - Biff and Happy were hopeless, and Linda was way too blind and bland. I hated how Linda put up with Willy's abuse and even enjoyed it to an extent. That's how it is in some abusive relationships, but how Arthur Miller made it look in this play upset me.
Overall, not recommended. Glad I can finally move on to something else.
Rushed through this one for my AP Latin class. Vergil knows how to craft a cunning phase as well as persuasive propaganda. At times it took me awhile Rushed through this one for my AP Latin class. Vergil knows how to craft a cunning phase as well as persuasive propaganda. At times it took me awhile to get through just a few passages but I enjoyed certain parts of the story, especially the sections featuring Dido. Perhaps when I'm more educated and scholarly I'll revisit The Aeneid and give it a more thorough reading. Highly recommended for fans of classical literature....more
Not sure whether I should classify this as nonfiction. A well-written piece of propaganda I read for my AP Latin class - Caesar sure knows how to enteNot sure whether I should classify this as nonfiction. A well-written piece of propaganda I read for my AP Latin class - Caesar sure knows how to entertain with his descriptions of battle and debauchery. And by debauchery, I mean bloodshed and weird ritual sacrifices.
Fans of Roman and military history will eat this up....more
Such a helpful guide. I utilized this book throughout the year to prepare for quizzes, tests, and essays. It provides a to-the-point review of essentiSuch a helpful guide. I utilized this book throughout the year to prepare for quizzes, tests, and essays. It provides a to-the-point review of essentially everything you need to know for the AP exam and the SAT subject test. The information is presented in several series of organized outlines, and in the back it has the quintessential people, movements, etc. you need to know. Although this book may not go into depth about every single subject, I highly recommend purchasing it to reference facts and to obtain solid overviews of time periods in history.
For the sake of consumer awareness, I scored a 5 on the AP exam and a 770 on the SAT Subject Test in United States History. I attribute a hefty amount of my success to this book.
I encountered my first issue on page four. It was intense enmity at first sight.
"He thought the month was October but he wasnt sure. He hadnt kept a cI encountered my first issue on page four. It was intense enmity at first sight.
"He thought the month was October but he wasnt sure. He hadnt kept a calendar for years."
Apostrophes!? What happened to those magical things? Then, on page five...
"The boy turned in the blankets. Then he opened his eyes. Hi, Papa, he said. I'm right here. I know."
Quotation marks? Where art thou? Like they often say, you don't appreciate things until they're gone - and, in this case, I was starting to sincerely appreciate proper grammar.
I'm slightly joking. The concise, spare, and experimental prose served McCarthy's purpose well in this story. It conveyed the themes of the book and touched on many truths of mankind in general. I give props to Cormac McCarthy for some of his more pulchritudinous passages:
"No list of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes. So, he whispered to the sleeping boy. I have you."
The Road has received myriad lauds and a lot of love. Despite this, I didn't effusively enjoy the book. The stilted writing style made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Near the end of the novel, I remember annotating "this is the scene where I should be crying... but I'm not." I recognize the feat McCarthy has achieved by publishing this heartbreaking post-apocalyptic novel, but, personally, I couldn't bring myself to like it more than any other okay book. Possibly because for every wonderfully-written passage or page, I had to trudge through 25 average ones.
Overall, I would recommend The Road to those who find pleasure in reading about dark, despairing situations as well as those who like experimental, post-apocalyptic fiction. The relationship between the father and his son acts as the best attribute of the book, as it reminds readers of the strength of human connection and how much love can endure and accomplish.
I actually didn't read most of the material in this book, though after scanning through it I would recommend it to those taking the test. I used anothI actually didn't read most of the material in this book, though after scanning through it I would recommend it to those taking the test. I used another book to review, and felt that after taking the corresponding AP course for US History that I had sufficient knowledge already.
I used this book for its practice tests, which proved to be extremely helpful. I took the diagnostic test and all three of the practice ones, and went over each question I got wrong to make sure I understood the material. I should have went through all of the practice MC questions they supplied at the end of each chapter, but at the end of the school year I was too busy to do so.
The practice tests are a little harder than the real thing - I was scoring around a 720 or 730 on Kaplan's tests, but got a 770 on the actual exam. Like for the subject test in Literature, I attribute a large portion of my success to Kaplan.
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