TOW #10: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

This is an extreme magnification of the Ebola virus, an violently deadly pathogen
 that first cropped up along the Ebola river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Approximately two-thirds of people who contract Ebola die from it.

In 1994, Richard Preston, who has written numerous pieces about bio-terrorism and dangerous diseases, released a book titled The Hot Zone, filled with stories about viral hemorrhagic fevers, their symptoms, and how they have wreaked havoc all over the world.  It is written much like a work of fiction, and readers might wish that the terrifying stories contained within it were indeed made up, as none of them are tales for the weak of heart.  Preston's repeated use of grim anecdotes and quotations from highly esteemed experts on viral hemorrhagic fevers force the reader to understand the horror of these diseases and perhaps even to become deeply afraid themselves.  I know from personal experience that has certainly succeeded, as after I started reading the book, I had some trouble sleeping, and no one can deny that he paints these diseases as extraordinarly dangerous to everyone on the planet.
The Hot Zone does not open, as one may expect, with a science-heavy explanation of what viral hemorrhagic fevers are.  Instead, Preston tells readers about a victim of Marburg virus (MARV) upon whom Preston bestows the false name Charles Monet.  Preston describes his initial symptoms (backaches and headaches), before describing Monet's experience on a plane to Nairobi so he could get to a hospital.  He writes, "His eyes are the color of rubies... his whole head is turning black-and-blue... The muscles of his face droop... His personality is being wipes away by brain damage... He loses consciousness... he continues to vomit blood and black matter... The linings of his intestines have come off and are being expelled" (Preston 17-24).  It is clear from these passages that Monet suffered greatly before his death and that any victim who comes down with MARV or any other viral hemorrhagic fever, will have the same experience.  This inspires readers to think "This could happen to me or to anyone I know", striking fear into their very hearts.  After reading this section and others like it in the book, it is difficult to deny that this type of disease is very scary and serious.  However, as Preston himself is not a medical expert, some readers may doubt these stories.  Combating this are Preston's multiple mentions of people who are experts on viral hemorrhagic fevers and other serious diseases.  He interviews people such as Major Nancy Jaax and her husband Major Jerry Jaax, veterinarians at the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and uses their experiences working with the Reston and Ebola viruses as material for The Hot Zone.  Most of the information about viral hemorrhagic fevers in the book come from people like the Jaaxes, and the rest from Preston's own research.  Readers are more likely to believe things written in The Hot Zone when experts are referred to and quoted, as they obviously have more knowledge in this particular subject area.  

TOW #9: Apple Advertisment

The smaller white words say "32 GB iPhone starting at just $349" and that small
object next to the iPhone appears to be some kind of bluetooth device. 

Apple is a world-famous, insanely popular technology company, and their lines of iPhone is probably their best-known product.  Although the company releases a newer iPhone with apparently minor modifications every few months, those customers loyal to Apple or looking to try something new buy every single one.  This advertisement is plain, boring, and dark at first glance, but it is made with the sole purpose of trying to get people to buy the new iPhone.  It appeals to five characteristics that are very important to consumers (besides price, of course): brand, looks, speed, and age, and therefore chicness, of the product.
Apple and the ad agency worked together to make this ad, and they wisely chose to display the Apple logo on the phone.  Apple is very popular and is known for its excellent engineering and design; it is trusted by consumers more than almost any other tech company.  This trust, this credibility, is shown through that little logo, thereby making an appeal to ethos.  As this ad is for the iPhone, it includes a picture of the new one, showing off its clean, smooth lines and cool, gray color.  Consumers love owning "attractive" objects, and when they see a phone with these characteristics, which are very popular at the moment, they want to buy it.  The text on the right side of the advertisement gives one example of the new iPhone's superiority: it is "faster", presumably than older models.  In this fast-paced world, people want products that keep up with their busy lives and are used to speed.  Reading that the new iPhone is fast, even though it's a very vague description, appeals to the desires of the consumer.  On the subject of newness, this ad clearly states that this iPhone is the newest product.  The word "new" is nowadays associated with terms like "modern" and "superior" and "updated", and in the realm of technology, anyone would agree that newer is better.  Many consumers also believe, often subconsciously, that the newer their purchased objects the "better" they are as people, so clearly, new, sleek iPhones are very appealing.
All of these "devices", and others that go unmentioned here, make the iPhone extremely enticing to consumers, often too enticing to ignore.  It would take a solid dislike of Apple products or complete indifference to technology to ignore such a message, but what about hardcore Apple lovers?  It's easy say that they'd fall head over heels for the newest iPhone after seeing this ad.

IRB Intro #2: The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston

Over the past few decades, many serious diseases have ravaged the planet, prompting panic and death wherever they spread; HIV/AIDS and H1N1, especially, have been the target of much media scrutiny, studies into vaccines and cures, and cautionary tales.  However, there are other diseases, not quite as well known, that are still quite terrifying and often deadly.  In his book The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story, written in 1994, Richard Preston describes the events surrounding the discovery or outbreak of several types of viral hemorrhagic fevers, which are often incredibly lethal to humans and primates.  The book's focus is on Reston virus, which cropped up near Washington, D.C., and it was hailed by critics as horrific but informative.  Preston has written numerous pieces on similar topics and is known for doing a lot of background research to make his books, essays, and articles as factual as possible. 
I've always been a fan of fictional stories about pandemics and epidemics; the films Contagion, Outbreak, and I am Legend fascinate me, and I love learning about things like the Black Death and the effect they had on history.  Since I always have to choose a non-fiction book for my IRB, I thought I'd never get to read anything very dramatic or creatively written about serious diseases.  However, once I heard of The Hot Zone and learned it was a non-fiction book that was written like a bio-thriller, I was very excited to read it.  I hope that I learn a lot from this book about ebola and associated diseases so I can understand the havoc they wreak upon the world, while still getting to follow an excellent story.

Tow #8: Zealot by Reza Aslan

Though Reza Aslan tries to uncover the real Jesus Christ by using sources other
 than the Gospels, the above quote makes an excellent point: as He lived two
thousand years ago and has had His identity twisted, we'll never truly
know who He was or what He was like.

In his new and controversial book Zealot, religious scholar Reza Aslan tries to uncover and describe the "true" Jesus Christ that has been lost throughout the centuries.  He does an excellent job of doing this without relying on traditional sources, such as the Gospels, that historians know are probably not accurate.  Instead of rewriting the story of Jesus, Aslan merely disproves beliefs about His life that people typically hold.  The portrait he paints of Jesus is a believable mixture of Biblical Jesus and the one described by other sources, and Aslan really makes him come alive.  Despite this apparent tameness, Zealot is not a book for anyone who identifies as Christian or anyone who finds religious debates boring or trite, as the traditional Jesus story is continually refuted. 
Although Zealot is a biography of Jesus Christ, and biographies do not often get "up close and personal" with a reader, Aslan often addresses the reader as "you" and has them pretend to be witnesses to history.  This is a very striking style of writing for this genre, and it stands out more than anything else in Zealot.  For instance, he writes, "This is as close as you will eve be to the presence of God... The stink of carnage is impossible to ignore. It clings to the skin, the hair, becoming a noisome burden you will not soon shake off... Picture the high priest Jonathan standing at the alter..." (Aslan 5, 8).  Aslan goes on in this passage to describe the grisly murder of the high priest, a turning point in Jerusalem's history.  This methods of addressing readers allows them to better picture historical scenes of which there are no photographs or accurate drawings and helps them to understand the emotional effects of certain events.  Though pathos is not necessary to make an argument, it helps to round one out when logos (provided by historical facts) and ethos (provided by Aslan's background) are already present.  Aslan charmingly chose titles for the chapters of Zealot that give hints as to what each chapter is about; these are epigraphs of sorts except for the fact that they are not always quotes.  For example, chapter seven is entitled "The Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness".  Upon further reading, one discovers that that section is about John the Baptist, renowned for preaching new ideas about baptism and forgiveness of sins an for roaming the wilderness of Israel.  In this case, and many others, chapter titles are hints (noticed mostly by more attentive readers) as to what direction the book is now heading.