The World Today: Current Problems and Their Origins

Rating:
Summary: I actually enjoyed reading from a textbook!
Review: As I sat in my Honors American History Class I pondered the assignment that was handed to me. Read a book that has to deal with American History in the 1990's. I tried to think of a book other than the Goosebumps or Babysitter's Club series since those were the only titles I had known that dealt with the 90's pop culture. I went to my teacher, Amy Person, and asked her about a book that she knew of concerning my assigned topic. She rummaged through her shelves and pulled a tiny, yet thick, textbook entitled The World Today: Current Problems and Their Origins. I had found my book, however in my head I thought to my self, "wow... this is a textbook... a three hundred and eight page text book." Well let's just say I didn't run home and start reading intensely. I read this book in sections. I would go to the back index and find topics that sparked my interest and read up on it. Surprisingly I learned a lot about the present day world and what had caused them (it's funny how textbooks teach you something... who would have thought.)

Like I said I skipped around from topic to topic. The first and most interesting topic (personally) dealt with Japan and it's Economy. I had gone to Japan on the student-exchange program at our school and saw how much Japan was booming. Flashing neon lights and humongous high-tech television screens lined the busy streets of Tokyo. I stayed in Tokyo with my grandfather, (after the other exchange students had left) who hadn't been to Japan in fifty years since he was stationed there after the war. He wanted to see how the Japanese cities looked to the ruins the war had left it in. So as I read the section on the Japanese economy I was in awe to think that Japan grew that much from a war-grieving and shambled country to a world dominating economic power. Japan exports a lot more goods than it imports. The two main exports are automobiles and electronics. However they import a lot more agricultural goods due to the lack of land area (which is a little over the size of California). In the 90's Japan's economy faltered a little bit which caused a shock wave in the political government. The dominating LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) lost the majority in the lower house in 1993 for the first time in thirty-eight years. It gained the house back in 1996 however, but the economy still struggled and is still having a few problems even today.

I learned a lot on an array of different topics. From Osama Bin Laden to illegal aliens entering the United States this book almost forced me to learn about the current topics of today. I wouldn't suggest this book to a student younger than a freshman in high school but anyone older than that would definitely benefit from the knowledge it provides. Not many Americans know why the issues of today came about or what fueled and sparked them. Even my parents learned something new after their forty-three years of being born an American citizen. I think that if people were to learn more about their history, even a little bit, people would understand issues more clearly and not make ignorant statements concerning them. This book can help with that. The illustrations create a fun message that lets your mind have a quick break from learning. Even the language Henry Brun uses is very easy to read and doesn't sound too intellectual. That's why people could benefit from reading this. It is easy to read and it enriches your mind.

However if you are looking for something with multiple characters and a plot line this book isn't for you. Yes it is true you would benefit from reading it. It is a textbook... that is its job. This isn't the kind of book you can sit down and read chapter to chapter nonstop. You have to read it a little bit at a time not cramming too much information in all at one time. It just wouldn't benefit you that way. My history teacher would disagree, but I think the rest of the non-history buff world would just have a learning overload.

Overall The World Today: Current Problems and Their Origins taught me a ton. It took me a while to figure out the right approach the book from a strict fiction reader's mind, but once I got the hang of it I ate it up. Finding out what fueled and ignited major issues today really sparked my interest (no pun intended). Call me crazy but I actually enjoyed reading a textbook.