How To Write a Reaction Paper

Reaction Paper: How To Write If you look at the very name of the paper, you might understand it should be about your reaction on something. In fact, you need to write an analysis of some piece of information, for example an article. If you are a newbie, you should learn how to write a reaction paper because it requires a student decent researching. This skill will be helpful in the future.Pre-WritingFirst of all, you have to understand why you need to write a reaction paper. In general, you are going to read a text, think it over, and then write down what you feel about it. You should point out what is good and what is bad in the text and whether it is complete, that is the purpose of the text is achieved.You do not decided to write a reaction paper. Your teacher wants you to do. And you have to know exactly what the teacher would like to see in your paper. It may be a personal reaction, subjective opinion, or a thorough analysis.Do not postpone writing. The thing is that you have to read a text and think it ove r. And for that you need some time. It would be best to get reading right after you receive an assignment.Thoughts will appear when you read. Note them. Write down everything that comes to your mind. Do not bother whether it will be suitable. You have to put every thought on a paper.Make annotations when reading. They will help you out later when you start writing a paper. Just important details that the reader should pay attention to.You can evaluate a text while you are reading it. You should ask questions, for instance, what is the main point? what issues are arisen? what arguments does an author use?DraftingThe first step of writing is easiest. You just have to share your opinion without thinking how it will look, what you should mention, and what may be missed. When all thoughts are already on paper, you should look through and pick the most important argument of your viewpoint.Remember that your paper has to be critical. You analyze and evaluate. No summary is allowed. No one wants to read the retelling.One of the main points of your paper is a thesis statement. When you decided how you would like to present your analysis, you can form a thesis now. It should show what you are going to analyze and criticize.Organization is a must. The reaction paper has the same structure as the essay. You should already know that an essay consists of an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. So when you are writing a reaction paper, you need to present all those parts. Also, you should pay attention to the paragraph structure when you write another argument. Every paragraph is a new idea. So many ideas you have, so many paragraphs you write.WritingAn introduction is called so to introduce. In your reaction paper, you are going to introduce an author of an article you have read and have something to say about it. So you tell the reader what an article is about, who an author is, and what they researched.When you are done with writing paragraphs, you should read the m again. In fact, a reaction paper does not require your opinion. It does your critical analysis. So be critical. And remove subjectivity.The last step is always rereading, editing, and proofreading. Everyone would like to have a perfect paper. To get that, you have to spend some time even when you have already written your paper. And only after that you can say th reaction paper is done.

Accounting and Finance Personal Statement Essays

Accounting and Finance Personal Statement Essays Accounting and Finance Personal Statement Essay Accounting and Finance Personal Statement Essay Writing an accounting and finance personal statement is a bit harder than writing a statement for any other subject. The personal statement is required to be written by the applicant who is applying for a graduate program. Majority of students are not sure exactly sure what to write in a statement and what the colleges seek in it. Remember that a personal statement is an additional yet important application which is accompanied by the admission application. This application is used by the committee of the admission department to assess the skills and potential of an applicant – which is you – and to see whether he/she is fit for their college or not. It gives you an opportunity to explain your motivations, skills, experiences and your qualities. Some personal statement prompts ask specific questions from the applicant while some ask only general questions which give the applicant a flexibility to respond to those questions as he sees fit. You must also need to keep in mind that this statement gives you the opportunity to shine and to make your application more prominent than others. You are free to describe a little about yourself in the statement, discuss your interests and hobbies, tell the committee why you want to further explore the accounting and finance field and why you seek admission in their college. Following are certain basic yet crucial tips on making your accounting and finance personal statement attractive and compelling: Be Sincere Be sincere. Yes, it is the first basic tip that majority of students overlook and end up getting rejected. Writing a lie in a personal statement is one of the biggest mistakes that pupils make. They try to add lie in their statements hoping to impress the admission department but when a question from the same statement is asked from the applicants during the interview their mind goes completely blank. Do not underestimate the skills of the members of the admission committee. They have years of experience in their field. It is their job to assess hundreds of applications and find the best candidate. They can easily detect a lie and use that lie against you to embarrass you for lying. So, be sincere even if you don’t have any special quality or story to tell. Believe in your skills and potential. Clear-Cut Details Talk to the point and in a clear-cut manner. You don’t need to use any sorts of embellishments for the statement, just keep the statement simple and accurate. Many applicants try to be too formal while writing a statement and make it lengthy without any necessary reason. Realize that the admission department has to assess hundreds of application every year. They don’t have time to go through lengthy statements that talk about only rubbish things. Just be yourself and write in a very simple manner. Avoid Typos and Grammar Errors Keep in mind that you are applying for a graduation program so make certain that you correct all the grammar mistakes and typos before sending it to the admission department.

This is an Exam Question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

This is an Exam Question - Assignment Example Doing such targeting is important to a firm as often they realize that they can roll out innovations without necessarily having to add value to their service. Key among most target markets would be price as they realized with the introduction of new brand, Xiameter. However, for companies to benefit from need based segmentation its important for them to be well prepared for new product line and organize it product development accordingly (Lilien and Grewal, 2012). Success in new product roll out to a given segmentation must have the right marketing mix. It is important that the new product be of the right quality, have the ability to meet a current need and be supported by a price that resonates to the target market. Doing so enhances market acceptance and adoption as well as shorten the break even period. As these products succeed in the market, a company’s market share continues to grow. It is important that a company keeps in touch with changing customer needs and preferences and respond to the appropriately. This therefore calls for an in-depth knowledge of one’s customers. To understand customers a company has to pay special attention to customer feedback as well as develop a strong customer relationship management model. A company has to invest in its employees by equipping them with the right customer skills so that they can deliver exceptional service to clients and discern any setbacks in the products. This creates a me dium through which ideas are exchanges and corrections made. These interactions helps to develop a value based business model where different market segments are satisfied. Having the right marketing mix also calls for proper distribution chain so that customers can have products and services at their convenience. In addition a company must invest in market research so that it can identify the various target clients and develop products that meet their needs and tastes. In target marketing, companies need to understand that

Reconstruction Plans History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reconstruction Plans History - Essay Example Many view this as a method of ending the war, rather than rebuilding the South, since so many issues were not touched upon thoroughly. This failure to set up long term goals definitely cost the country in the future. Johnson, on the other hand, wanted to limit the federal government's role in rebuilding the South and instead wanted to give the states the power to rebuild themselves. He believed in strong state governments, rather than federal policies that would blanket the entire area. At the same time, Johnson wanted to rebuild the South in a hurry, which also avoided any long-term goals. A major issue was that Johnson pardoned countless landowners who had been major advocates of the Confederate army and did not provide any protection for former slaves. This prevented blacks from becoming equal members of society, since the landowners were able to use their wealth to gain political power in the South. Congress then made three Constitutional amendments that were aimed at helping the reconstruction effort. These amendments abolished slavery, granted American citizenship to everyone born within the country and provided civil rights for these individuals. Later on, the 15th Amendment made it illegal to deny an individual’s right to vote based on skin color or race, although this did not give anyone the right to vote. This means that the states would still have control over their own elections and could still prohibit certain individuals from voting. Many blacks were prohibited from voting, which eliminated the chance of African-Americans gaining any political power. In hindsight, many different things could have been done to maximize the reconstruction effort. For starters, Lincoln needed to gain more support in the South before his policies could have a lasting effect on society. Lincoln’s short-term goal was to quickly unite the country, but he did not look at the long-term picture as much as he should have. By only asking 10 percent of voters in a state to pledge allegiance to the country, he was leaving a great deal of dissention to work against him later. The majority of the people in those states did not even want to rejoin the Union, which made working with them very difficult. In order to properly build the South, Lincoln needed to gain public support in the region before bringing those states into the Union. The first goal of the president at that time should have been a public relations effort to gain support throughout the South, in an effort to convince these states that joining the Union was the best course of action. To test this popularity, he could hold a referendum in the States asking if the voters want to join. This might have taken 10-15 years, but it could have created a more stable South in the end. In addition, there is no reason to believe that just because someone takes an oath, that the person would be loyal. Voting numbers would be a much better gauge than an individual pledging allegiance to a count ry that he may or may not believe in. Johnson’s ideologies created many problems in the South because he wanted the federal government to wash its hands of the problem. At that time, the South needed strong central leadership because its economy was in such bad shape. Assuming that Lincoln’s plan had already gone through and the Southern states had been forced

Labour Process Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Labour Process Theory - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Labour Process Theory (LBT) is a concept that proposes the practices undertaken by the management to control the workforce within the organizational environment and ensure utmost productivity. It is believed that from the past few decades, LPT has been a core subject of the Critical Management Studies (CMS) that was formed by Harry Braverman in the year 1970 using the ideas developed by Karl Marx. Since its introduction in the stream of modern management ideologies, LPT has delivered huge contribution in analyzing the work performed within the organization, as per the desired level of productivity and hence, creating a work organization. LPT was created following the ideologies of Marx that suggest the fundamental aspect for comprehending the work organization is based upon the structure of the community within which the organization is functioning instead of human psychology. LPT primarily emphasizes on how individuals work in an orga nization, what/who controls the work done by these individuals, what are the skills used by these individuals when carrying out their work and in what ways are those individuals remunerated for the work they have done. LBT has been successful in creating a linkage with the management strategy of an organization through its involvement and set of assumptions. LPT provides an understanding regarding how the management of an organization limits the power of the working class who have the skills to carry out the given task. LPT is a conceptual approach that has been in use, as per the capitalist method of production that provides a deep insight into worker-management relations in the workplace. Considering its applicability, it is also perceived that LPT causes serious insights in today’s world of work, management control issues and political aspects in the workplace. In relation to the capitalists approach used in LPT, managerial control in the workplace has been a highly debate d topic.

Why Students Drop Out Of High School Education Essay

Why Students Drop Out Of High School Education Essay High school dropouts have become a crisis in the United States that is continuously increasing. There are various reasons as to why students drop out of high school. These reasons range from simple factors having an impact upon why a student drops out to complex reasons as to why a student drops out of high school. On the contrary, there are various factors that keep students in high school. These factors include being involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school and interaction with the family. However, dropping out of high school not only affects the individual who has dropped out. The action will also affect those who surround the individual and as the number of high school dropouts increases, this rate will continue to have an effect on the United States economy. The negative impact of high school dropouts worsens the economy every time a student chooses to drop out of school. There is no typical person who dropouts of school. This epidemic that is increasing has become a vicious cycle that must be put to an end. Studies have shown that one must attain a high school degree in order to combat poverty. Moreover, studies have also shown that high school degree is not seen the same now as it was in the past. More often than not, a high school dropout will earn less in a lifetime than an individual who has graduated high school and continued to further their education. This paper will seek reason as why the rate of high school dropouts has increased with the research that has been conducted in the past and is currently being conducted now. This paper will also propose why the rate of high school dropouts increases with the policies and programs that have been implemented by the government. The findings in this paper will not discuss minorities or gender in regards to high school dropouts. This analysis will discuss high school dropouts in the United States in general. There will also be research showing the correlation between why a student drops out of school and what program can assist them getting back into school. This research is significant to the society because high school dropouts not only effect them personally and those surrounding them. High school dropouts affect the economy and the society as a whole. Research must continue to be conducted to decrease these rare and eventually stop students from dropping out of high school. If student continue to drop out and this rate increases, eventually there will be very few skilled workers in the United States. This will result in the shipping of jobs overseas, which will weaken the United States economy. Furthermore, this research is significant in academia. Scholars and researchers must continue to conduct research as to why youth continues to drop out of high school. With the continuation of this research, there is a probability that there will be an end to high school dropouts or the rate of dropouts will significantly decrease. In addition, this research will allow other researchers in academia to draw conclusions and make recommendations in regards to the kind of programs and policies that should be implemented into the law in the future. Then, the government will have the ability to analyze the data that has been collected by scholars in order to put these policies into place. Theoretical Framework During this research, there was a use of quantitative data in order to show a cause and effect relationship between the increasing rate of high school dropouts and what needs to be done to decrease this rate. The data will also show how the programs and policies can reformed in order to decrease the rate high school dropouts. A survey was constructed in order to better understand why the rate of high school dropouts continues to increase with the research that has been conducted in the past. In addition, the data came from fifty students on campus. The survey consisted of twenty questions that asked general question about personally knowing high school dropouts. The survey also asked questions that were complex in regards to opinions about what kind of policies and programs the government should implement in the future. Literature Review There were four main areas that were discussed by scholars in during the research process. Those areas included (a) the personal and public effects of dropping out of high school, (b) educational equity, (c) dropout prevention and recovery efforts, and (d) the effects of high school dropouts not taking the advantage of second chance opportunities such as attaining a GED. There were other areas that were discussed as well; however, there was not as much emphasis as the former. Those areas were adolescent employment, parent involvement, and the effects those components have on high school dropouts. There are several effects that results from dropping out of high school. These effects mount upon one another, which results in one problem turning into another. Dropping out of high school impacts an individual personally and effectively in several ways. Everyday, there are seven thousand high school dropouts. If a student does not complete high school, they will obtain a low income, therefore, contributing less to the society (Rouse, 2005). An individual who has not completed high school is classified as having an inadequate education. High school graduates earn thousands of dollars less than high school graduates and one million less than college graduates in a lifetime. High school dropouts are more liable to slip into poverty than high school graduates. In regards to personal issues, high school dropouts are more likely to have worse health, employment issues, become pregnant as a teen, and be incarcerated than high school graduates are. This cycle will continue from generation to generation if more programs are not reformed and created (Rouse, 2005). In regards to high school dropouts and the society as a whole, there will be less productive workers, which will result in less revenue that would have been made. More often than not, high school dropouts will need government assistance, which is not likely not a need of a high school graduate (Rouse, 2005). Another topic of discussion that was debated among scholars was educational equity. The United States education is not equivalent among public school systems. There is an achievement gap among students, therefore, creating more dropouts. Studies show that there needs to be more basic work taught in schools and there needs to be tougher academic and attendance standards. These same studies go on to say that higher expectations produce higher achievement. There also needs to be more schools competing to get the best students. According to McLaughlin, this will create a rise in American education. (McLaughlin, 1990). There needs to be a higher standard held by the administrators and the students themselves. Dropout prevention and recovery efforts need reforming if there is going to be a decrease in the rate of high school dropouts. Some of the programs are not preventing high school dropouts efficiently. There are some programs that have had good results, but not good enough for what needs to be accomplished in the long run (McLaughlin, 1990). According to Christenson and Thurlow, there should be five factors taken into consideration when creating dropout prevention programs. Those five considerations towards completion and engagement, and the importance of empirical evidence.  [1]   Moreover, there were two areas of discussion during the research process that also impact high school dropouts. Adolescent employment and parent involvement have a major influence on how a student performs in school. According to McNeal, there is a possibility that students are being pulled out of school. McNeal discusses the effects what is occurring with students who work while attending grade school. He goes on to write how in previous studies of high school dropouts, the main focus was how demographics was the main cause of students dropping out of high school. However, there are a plethora of reasons as to why a student drops out of school. These reasons are referred to as push and pull factors that take a student out of school.  [2]   Additionally, parent involvement was considered to be another element that influenced a students performance in school and whether they remained in school or not. According to Crosnoe, parent involvement enhances academic competence. Parent involvement, just as adolescent employment, not been emphasized in previous studies of high school dropouts. Nonetheless, both are circumstances that effect whether a student will graduate from high school Interpretation of Results The results of the data revealed various answers that can be interpreted to understand the correlation between the climbing rate of high school dropouts and what will make this rate decrease. The survey showed how many people knew a high school dropout personally and why that individual did not attain a high school degree. There were several surveys that reflected little or no knowledge about programs and intervention for high school dropouts. This disclosed information that answered questions as to why the rate is so high and why the rate has yet to be decreased. Some of the data from the survey can be compared with statistics from other researchers. The results show that there is a lack of knowledge and awareness about the crisis that is occurring within the United States education system. In addition, there is a message that is conveyed through the data that has been collected. The message being conveyed is that there is not a sufficient amount of information being provided becaus e there has still not been a decrease in the number of high school dropouts. Likewise, there were many results that coincided with one another. There was little or no effect on the student if they were raised in a single parent home. However, if the student was raised in a single parent home and in a tumultuous environment, the student had more of a tendency to drop out of school. There were various factors that motivated a student to graduate from high school. Those factors included family, self-motivation, engagement in extracurricular activities, and school staff such as teachers, administrators, and coaches. There was also an abundance of feedback that showed a majority of the dropouts were dramatically affected by employment. The dropouts either found it difficult to obtain a job or they still are having difficulties in doing so. There were a few responses that showed that some of the dropouts came from good environments. These outcomes imply that there can be some chaos within a good environment. The environment as a whole may not be chaotic. However, the household which the student lives within may be in disarray. Some of the surveys showed that there were several students who dropped out between sophomore and junior year of high school. There were also answers that had a connection between a disorderly environment and the tendency to drop out of school. More often than not, if the answer was yes to living in the chaotic environment such as the inner city, the person also circled that the person they knew who dropped out was either pregnant or had a personal illness, in the criminal justice system, had family financial needs, and did not see the value of education. For the most part, these answers were linked together. Discussion Dropout Rate Increases The rate of high school dropouts continues to increase with the research that has been done. There is no specific answer as to why this crisis is occurring and will persist to worsen if drastic measures are not taken. This national crisis continues to worsen because there is not a single answer to decreasing the rate. The challenge of increasing the graduation rate is difficult because increasing the graduation consists of many components. There are several steps to accomplishing the completion of high school. A student must pass certain tests and must pass the required curriculum before attaining a high school degree. Therefore, the programs to keep students in school must essentially be compatible with each student because the reasons for dropping out of school differ from student to student. In addition, high school graduation rates have not significantly decreased since 1990. These challenges become more difficult when the national reform efforts push for higher academic standards. This problem calls for more effort because the students will not have the skills they need after graduating from high school.  [3]  Dropping out of high school is not something that occurs instantaneously. It is a process that must be stopped before it can stop. Allowing a student to become disinterested in school is a process that should not begin because it will be more of a task to end. Programs to End Crisis There have been a number of programs created to decrease the rate of drop outs. The programs assist at-risk youth, students who did not perform well in school, and programs to prevent students from dropping out. Recently, the Obama administration has been focusing on high school dropouts. President Obama has brought it to the attention of the nation that there is a national crisis. According to the National Center for Education (NCES), this is a crisis that has been occurring for over a decade now. The Obama administration is taking the necessary steps to reduce the number of dropouts. President Obama asked the states to pinpoint schools that had graduation rates below 60%. The administration has devoted $3.5 billion to transform schools that are not performing at their best.  [4]   Also, there are programs such as Americas Alliance Program (Grad Nation) and the Educational Equity Project. Americans Alliance Program is a partnership alliance committed to ensuring children experience the fundamental resources they need to succeed. The Educational Equity Project is to eliminate the racial and ethnic achievement gap in our nations public school system. Another program is Gateway to College. This program is a high school dropout recovery program. This program helps dropouts between the ages of 16 and 21 to earn a high school diploma. Dropping Out Before 18 Some states have risen the dropout age to 18. If a student is not 18, they are not permitted to dropout before 18 without parental consent. Several states have risen the age to 18. However, some states still have the age to dropout at 17 and some states remain at 16 years old. However, the lower the age, the worse the crisis will become. Raising the age to dropout will decrease the rate of dropouts. Some students will take the initiative to graduate instead of dropping out at 18 years old. Also, there are students who graduate high school at 17 years old. This will also decrease the rate of dropouts because they will not be 18 until after graduation. Therefore, legislators should not give not give the option to dropout. If a student chooses to dropout, he or she should receive consequences. However, if legislators do not want to require all states to graduate all students, every state should be made to raise the age to 18. Conclusion In conclusion, there is still an abundance of progress that must be made. The government should take serious measures in order to make the dropout rate decline. Education is the key to upward mobility. Students have to be motivated in order to remain in school. If not, they will become disinterested and the contemplation of dropping out will become a process. In addition, if this crisis is going to end, the schools need to have the best educators who are willing to not only teach, but to interact with the students to assure that they are doing their best. In regards to further research, there will have to be more research done after more programs and laws are implemented. More research has to be conducted in order for the researchers to better understand how to decrease the rate of high school dropouts and to keep the rate low. Furthermore, there was no research found in regards to how to end the crisis altogether. The main reason for this may be that the rate has to be decreased before researchers and scholars can look into how to rid the nation of dropouts. Appendix High School Dropouts, Effectiveness of Programs, Prevention Survey 1.) Do you know anyone who has dropped out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 2.) What year did he/she drop out of high school? a.) Sophomore b.) Junior c.) Senior 3.) What kind of high school did he/she attend? a.) Public b.) Private 4.) What is he/she currently doing in regards to a career and/or their future? 5.) What kind of environment did he/she grow up in? a.) Suburban b.) Urban (inner city) 6.) Was he/she raised in a single parent home? a.) Yes b.) No 7.) Did he/she participate in any extracurricular activities? a.) Yes b.) No 8.) Some states allow students to drop out of high school at the age of sixteen (16). Should all states require students to graduate from high school? a.) Yes b.) No 9.) If you believe that more programs should be implemented to keep students in school, what kind of programs would you suggest? 10.) Why do you think that the rate of high school dropouts continues to increase? 11.) If you know someone who dropped out of high school, did they ever go back to? attain a GED? a.) Yes b.) No 12.) If they did not go back to school, what did they choose to do? 13.) Has that individual been dramatically effected in regards to employment because of dropping out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 14.) Have you ever contemplated dropping out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 15.) Who and/or what motivated you to graduate from high school? 16.) Have you heard about any of the programs or policies that are directed towards? keeping students in school and/or high school dropouts? a.) Yes b.) No 17.) Did he/she dropout due to personal illness or pregnancy? a.) Personal illness b.) Pregnancy 18.) Was the student in the criminal justice system? a.) Yes b.) No 19.) Did he/she dropout because of family financial needs? a.) Yes b.) No 20.) Did he/she dropout because they did not see the value of education? a.) Yes b.) No

Eulogy for Grandfather :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Grandfather My grandfather taught us so much. When my sister and I were little, he taught us how to paint with oils on smooth pieces of wood, instructing us on how to blend colors or make certain brush strokes, telling us that "there are no straight lines in nature," to help us paint better trees. He taught us how to work with clay, too, and made us our own clay-working tools. He taught us how to roll pennies from the piggy bank he'd fill up every week. He taught us about the birds flying into the birdfeeder next to the family room window. He taught me about words, too, in one memorable exchange advising me to use the words "equine posterior" rather than their more common alternative. But most of what my grandfather taught us he taught us indirectly, without speaking. Going to museums with him was often a chore for me as a kid, because he would have to stop and read every plaque next to every painting or item, every so often calling us back to something we'd tired of already to explain what he'd just learned-but mostly, just observing, drinking in everything he could see with quiet patience. He never went to college, but he taught me more about education-and the value of being a self-educator-than I could learn in any school. My grandfather made miraculous things with lumps of clay and blocks of wood. It wasn't until much later that I realized how well-outfitted his workshop was, full of specialized tools; he'd taught my father how to be the same kind of hands-on man, and I thought all Grandpas and Dads had special lathes, band saws, table saws, jig saws, buckets of nails, vast arrays of screwdrivers and dozens of varieties of sandpaper in their basements. One birthday, I remember, he made special. After we'd unwrapped our other toys, my sister and I were presented with identical boxes with the Hallmark logo on them. They were presented with great ceremony, and we were confused but excited. We opened them at the same time. Inside my sister's box was a diorama of our dog Lady playing with a soccer ball out on the lawn. Her back paw was stomping tiny silk flowers into garden dirt rendered in sawdust. Mine was a black horse leaping over a stone wall-perfect down to the textured wood that formed the rock. Eulogy for Grandfather :: Eulogies Eulogy Eulogy for Grandfather My grandfather taught us so much. When my sister and I were little, he taught us how to paint with oils on smooth pieces of wood, instructing us on how to blend colors or make certain brush strokes, telling us that "there are no straight lines in nature," to help us paint better trees. He taught us how to work with clay, too, and made us our own clay-working tools. He taught us how to roll pennies from the piggy bank he'd fill up every week. He taught us about the birds flying into the birdfeeder next to the family room window. He taught me about words, too, in one memorable exchange advising me to use the words "equine posterior" rather than their more common alternative. But most of what my grandfather taught us he taught us indirectly, without speaking. Going to museums with him was often a chore for me as a kid, because he would have to stop and read every plaque next to every painting or item, every so often calling us back to something we'd tired of already to explain what he'd just learned-but mostly, just observing, drinking in everything he could see with quiet patience. He never went to college, but he taught me more about education-and the value of being a self-educator-than I could learn in any school. My grandfather made miraculous things with lumps of clay and blocks of wood. It wasn't until much later that I realized how well-outfitted his workshop was, full of specialized tools; he'd taught my father how to be the same kind of hands-on man, and I thought all Grandpas and Dads had special lathes, band saws, table saws, jig saws, buckets of nails, vast arrays of screwdrivers and dozens of varieties of sandpaper in their basements. One birthday, I remember, he made special. After we'd unwrapped our other toys, my sister and I were presented with identical boxes with the Hallmark logo on them. They were presented with great ceremony, and we were confused but excited. We opened them at the same time. Inside my sister's box was a diorama of our dog Lady playing with a soccer ball out on the lawn. Her back paw was stomping tiny silk flowers into garden dirt rendered in sawdust. Mine was a black horse leaping over a stone wall-perfect down to the textured wood that formed the rock.