Thought Piece: Rosenburg

Aristotle believed that “whatever creates or increases happiness or some part of happiness, we ought to do; whatever destroys or hampers happiness, or gives rise to its opposite, we ought not to do.”  Now, I can’t speak for everyone when I say that reading assignments bring us unhappiness (I’m sure someone out there is fascinated with academic literature), but what other explanation do we have for avoiding them?  Even in the realm of literary material, as a matter of fact, there exists an article to rescue floundering students from making themselves too unhappy with “having” to read the assignments.   Rosenburg, the author of said article, does a wonderful job facilitating the task.  I, however, walked away from the article with more than just the presented idea.  I’m impressed with her abilities as a writer to tailor her suggestions towards the specified target audience.  Not only does she depict accurate situations relative to her readers, but she provides examples from her own experience, shining a light on her own credibility as an author so that her readers will gain enough of her trust to take her advice.  My belief is that, because the topic of her writing (basics on reading academic readings) is so narrow, she can efficiently devise and present a strategy to tackle the topic.  Despite the simplicity of my belief, I know for a fact, as a writer, that trying to write about any topic at all, no matter how narrow it may be, is difficult to compound and sharpen into a point.  One would think that by knowing the point you are supposed to convey you could easily shave everything around it and procure the precise point you desire.  At any moment in writing, there is always the possibility that you might accidently shave off the point; then your argument is skewed.  Rosenburg is a master at her craft and so, in addition to learning a more effective reading strategy (when it comes to academic writing, of course),  I also now have a powerful piece of literature to reference when I need to figure out the blueprints for any of my future writings.  To praise her article even more, I also noticed that the emotional aspect of literature was lacking in this piece.  It was intentional, though.  For the purpose of her topic there is no need to exude emotion.  This is the degree of her impact; a wonder that scientists would call both precise and accurate; I wonder that I would call: perfect.