Category Archives: Media

Need a Good Book?

Posted on by
Reply

Starting in 2015, I got back into reading and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My favorite genre of books to read are motivational/self-help books, because I’m always in the mood for good energy. I also enjoy memoirs/autobiographies, because reading about how someone else overcame hardships remind me that it’s possible for me to. So, I decided to share some of my favorite books for those that enjoy reading or want to start reading.

1. Year of Yes –Shonda Rhimes
This book is one I’m sure I’ll read for a second time and I benefited from it tremendously. For years Rhimes turned down any and everything that was outside of her comfort zone as most of us do. Until one day her sister Deloris whispered six simple words, “you never say yes to anything.” At that moment Rhimes decided to challenge herself for one year to say YES to everything that scared her. With this challenge, she learned so much about herself and the things that scared her ended up producing her biggest accomplishments. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, because that is when you are really living.

2. Write It Down, Make It Happen- Henriette Anne Klauser
This was actually the first book that sparked my obsession with motivational books and the one that I picked up in 2015 when I wanted to get back into reading. This book Klauser discusses how simply writing down your dreams is the first step into making them a reality. There are many stories in this book of how everyday people wrote down their goals and saw things transform into reality right before their eyes. Klauser stressed that by writing down your goals and being clear about them makes you more motivated to want to do them.

3. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success- Steve Harvey
I don’t even know where to begin about this book. Mr. Harvey, he helps you to find what your calling is. Once you discover that purpose he mentions how to make your passion your career. There’s a few times when Harvey talks about his personal life and how difficult it was to come from nothing to making a huge name for himself. Success don’t come easy, but as long as you work hard, don’t give up, and believe in yourself anything and I mean anything is possible.

4. Jump- Steve Harvey
Yes, I’m mentioning another Steve Harvey book, because when it comes to motivating people he’s perfect. One day after a taping of Family Feud, a game show in which Steve Harvey host he had an encouraging message to the audience. Well, without knowing someone filmed it and uploaded it to the internet and before you know it the video went viral. That video is what prompted him to write this book. This book talks about how nothing extraordinary can come staying in your comfort zone. All the real magic and joy is on the other side. In order to really maximize your full potential and your purpose you have to take that leap of faith and JUMP. He says that when you first jump from that cliff your parachute isn’t going to open right away. In fact, you’re going to get bruised up, scraped by the rocks but eventually your parachute will open, but you can’t be afraid to take that risk. I highly recommend this book for anyone that has been day dreaming about a goal and need that extra push to get started.

5. Life is not an Accident- Jay Williams
Talk about depressing this amazing memoir inspired me in a way that I can never fully put into words. This three-time Duke All-American player and number two pick in the NBA draft ended his career due to a motorcycle accident. Jay Williams the former player for the Chicago Bulls thought he was invincible until one day that came to an end. This book shows how he hit rock bottom and was still able to rise above and change his life around. I think this book also teach a person to always stay humble no matter how much fame or money you have, because there’s always something in life that will remind you being a good person is key.

The Last Jedi – A Star Wars Recap

Posted on by
Reply

MAJOR Spoilers! (For the 1st 8 Star Wars movies)

I have been a huge fan of Star Wars since I was young. So young that I would sneak into my parent’s room grab the collector’s edition VHS tapes and watch them. The first time my dad found me watching it, he was not happy. Since then, it has become a tradition to binge watch all the episodes, usually when a new movie is about to release.

As the latest release of the Star Wars series is coming into view, fans are eager to have a few questions answered. Who are Rey’s Parents?  Who is Supreme Leader Snokes, and what is going on with Luke Skywalker?  All these questions will be answered in the second installment of the third wave, hopefully.

For those who are unaware, the second installment of the third wave is essentially the 8th episode in the series. In the past, George Lucas filmed movies four, five and six between 1977 and 1983. Several years go by and then movies one, two and three were made between 1999 and 2005. Ten years go by, and you had the seventh movie debut. Now we are approaching the eighth installment come December 15, 2017.  Wait, wasn’t there a Star Wars movie that came out in 2016? Yes, however in typical Star Wars fashion it is out-of-order and doesn’t directly tie into the main storyline. It’s best to think of it like Tokyo Drift in the Fast and Furious series. It doesn’t fit into the story when it is released, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get tied in later.

A recap of the episodes and the order best to watch them to avoid spoilers:

  • I: The Phantom Menace (1999) (32 BBY)
  • II: Attack of the Clones (2002) (22 BBY)
  • III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) (19 BBY)
  • Rogue One (2016) (15-0 BBY) Stand Alone Spin-Off
  • IV: A New Hope (1977) (0 BBY)
  • V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (3 ABY)
  • VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) (4 ABY)
  • VII: The Force Awakens (2015) (34 ABY)
  • VIII: The Last Jedi (2017) (34 ABY)
  • IX: Unknown (2019) (Unknown)

Solo (2018) (TBA-BBY) Stand Alone Spin-Off

[BBY- Before the Battle of Yavin; ABY- After the Battle of Yavin. The Battle of Yavin took place at the end of A New Hope (1977). It was the Death Star Explosion.

The Phantom Menace opened the door for Anakin to be trained as a Jedi. Anakin has grown up in Attack of the Clones and has become a skilled Jedi who defeats a clone army and later marries Padme. In Revenge of the Sith you watch Anakin turn into Darth Vader while his wife dies in childbirth to twins. In Rogue One they steal the Death Star Plans. In A New Hope they destroy the Death Star. The Empire Strikes Back by having Lando Betray Solo with the rest of the rebellion determined to rescue Solo. In the sixth movie, Return of the Jedi you learn that there is another death star and that Darth Vader had a redeeming moment. Finally moving into the recent installments with The Force Awakens you discover that the son of Leia and Solo has taken over his grandfather’s (Darth Vader) throne. The bad guys are building an even more destructive death star, and Kylo Ren does something unforgivable in the eyes of star wars fan and Chewbacca.  In the end, Rey finds Luke.  The Last Jedi picks up exactly where the last one left off which is not the typical George Lucas style. Without giving any spoilers the villain in this installment is called the Supreme Leader Snokes.

Somewhere in the 70-year timeline, the Solo movie will come into play as it reveals more about Lando, Chewbacca, and Han Solo’s history. Most fans will already know the correct order to watch the series, and will already be aware of the basic plots that go along with every installment. Few, however, know George Lucas kept the licensing and merchandising rights. During that time, people did not make much of a profit off of the merchandising rights. However, George Lucas did, and it was the rights to the first Star Wars film that allowed him to branch out and go on to create the following episodes.  From their George Lucas created LucasFilm and Industrial Light and Magic. As much as George Lucas enjoyed having realistic props, he also enjoyed using technology which was why he waited so long before producing the second wave of star wars films. He wanted access to more technology and thus started the Industrial Light and Magic studio which is the founder company of Pixar.

December 15, 2017, cannot get here fast enough for most fans, as they are eager to have another adventure. They are ready to fall back into the space western realm and have their questions answered.

Cinemark Launches Movie Club

Posted on by
Reply

In recent years movie theaters have been competing to have the better deal. Cinemark announced their new Movie Club to stay above the competition. The Movie Club will be $8.99 a month for one 2D ticket. At checkout, you can add an additional ticket for $8.99. If you want to cancel you can at any time through your account. Benefits continue through the end of your paid billing cycle. Unused credits are good for six months after cancellation. After you’ve used your monthly credits, you can buy two additional tickets per transaction for $8.99 each. Unused credits roll over and never expire when you’re a member. You can even use your roll over ticket as an additional ticket for your guest. Online fees will be waved on additional tickets. Redeem your credit online, in Cinemark’s app or at any box office. Credits are saved to your Cinemark account and are automatically applied at checkout. Also, concessions will be 20% off! This is an interesting trend that could change the way we see movies. So be sure to download the app and join!

Don’t forget to scan and earn points for every purchase to redeem for great rewards like movie swag, digital downloads, sweepstakes and more!

To find out movie information go to https://www.cinemark.com/movieclub

Justice League Movie (SPOILERS Review)

Posted on by
Reply

[Seen it? Skipping it? Read on! Plan to see it? Keep scrolling!]

The Justice League is something I’ve loved ever since I was a kid. Growing up I watched the cartoon series that ran from 2001 to 2004. This movie is tough for me to review because one part of me loves it and another part of me hates it. Going into this movie, my expectations were already low from Batman V Superman, but unlike many people I liked it. I am even a big fan of the “Batfleck.” Out of the list of problems with the Justice League, the first is the same as with Batman V Superman. It feels rushed. They come together like “oh hey it looks like we got to save the world”, instead of coming together more organically. It feels like they made this to compete with Marvel and if so, they should have followed that formula.

Marvel has been making films leading up to the Infinity War film since 2008. I don’t expect DC to be on the same scale or make films for the next ten years leading up to uniting their heroes but we could have seen a Cyborg and an Aquaman movie before they came together. The best thing about Marvels Avengers is that we had time to get to know and care about the characters.

Another weak factor of this movie was its villain Steppenwolf. He was another one-dimensional villain who was so awful that at the end the Justice League forgot he was even there. The final flaw is the cringe-worthy writing. The film is full of one-liners where characters say what is not really something they’d say. For example, Batman rolled on the ground saying something like “something’s bleeding.” The Flash came off as more annoying than funny. Then there was the very cliché line “Do you bleed?” said by Superman that was kind of painful to watch. The worst thing to watch, however, was the famous CGI done to remove Henry Cavill’s mustache during the filming of this movie. His mouth looked distorted. The film had a much lighter tone, not a bad thing, but  almost too light for me. I go see Marvel for a lighter toned movie and I go see DC for a darker tone movie. Most of the problems could be because of Joss Whedon’s takeover since Zach Snyder had to leave because of his daughter’s suicide.

Now that I’m done with the flaws there were many things I liked. I really enjoyed seeing Superman come back. Until he came back, it felt like something was missing. This movie is overall a lot of fun and really gorgeous. The actors are amazing for what they were given. Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot are Superman and Wonder Woman. I am just pleased to see these characters come to life and be on the big screen. Despite my negative comments, this is still a good movie to watch and I recommend seeing it if you like any of these characters. I have watched this film twice and probably will again one day. Also, unlike the other DC movies, be sure to stay after both sets of credits for a very cool scene that could be important to future DC films.

Rating: 7.5/10

Marvel’s The Punisher on Netflix

Posted on by
Reply

The Punisher has been on-screen many times, in The Punisher (2004) and in Punisher: War Zone (2008). Both films had strengths and weaknesses but neither could fully get the character right. There was also a film in 1989 that doesn’t count as part of the modern Marvel Universe of today. For those of you who don’t know the Punisher, he is a guy named Frank Castle whose family gets killed and then becomes a vigilante known as “The Punisher.” So, in other words, he’s like Batman only he kills people with guns. The Punisher got his start in The Amazing Spiderman comic in 1974 as a foe to Spiderman. Military and law enforcement use his symbol which is up for debate if it is appropriate or not. The Punisher is an anti-hero that does not care about the law but just killing criminals so they don’t commit crimes again. There is even a comic where he kills everyone in the Marvel universe including himself.

The Netflix Punisher is a newer take on the character. He started out on the Netflix Daredevil show and he was so good that fans petitioned for this series. This could be because of actor Jon Bernthal’s performance. He is one of the most underrated actors and is now starting to get recognition. Most people know him from The Walking Dead as Shane or most recently in Baby Driver as the guy at the beginning of the film that you never see again. Just as Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Iron Man, Jon Bernthal was born to play The Punisher.

The supporting cast is also terrific. I greatly enjoyed interactions between Frank and Micro. There were some reviews that said the series dragged but I found that it didn’t. The other Netflix Marvel shows like Luke Cage feels twice as slow to me. It does take some time for things to heat up but it is fun and refreshing to see Frank in a new environment.

It starts out with Frank living life day-to-day and dealing with the loss of his family. This show handles modern political issues like gun control and other topics such as how veterans deal with PTSD. The show gets better and better with each episode. Towards the end, there is a scene that is so brutal I could barely keep from turning my head away from the screen. The finale was satisfying and makes you want more. I have high hopes for another season since the series is though with all the character development. I highly recommend binge watching The Punisher whenever you can.

Rating: 9/10

Go to https://www.netflix.com/title/80117498 to start watching!

Once you finish the series watch IGNs Marvel’s The Punisher: The BEST Easter Eggs and References. https://youtu.be/bHTnKmz5iw8 

College Student Discounts

Posted on by
Reply

Between paying for tuition, books, the dining hall, and a dorm room your budget probably seems a little slim. What if I told you there are tons of discounts you can get just for being in college? From everyday essentials to specialty items, these companies want to treat you to savings created specifically for college students.

Also, don’t forget to pick up a personal discount card designed for Texas A&M University-Texarkana at the front desk of the University Center. It has great deals for businesses in the area.

FITNESS

Anytime Fitness

  • One Week Free Trial

Legends – State Line Texarkana

  • One Week Free Trial

Sportsplex By Health Care Express 

  • $42 Student Rate

FOOD

Chick-Fil-A

  • Free Drink with Student I.D.

Chipotle

  • Free Drink with Student I.D.

Gusano’s – Texarkana

  • Show Student I.D. and Discount Card for 10%.

Subway

  • Show Student I.D. For 10% Off

Taste & See

  • Show Student I.D. For 10% Off

Twisted Fork – Texarkana

  • 25% off All Pizzas with school discount card.

Waffle House

  • Show Student I.D. For 10% Off

General 

Amazon Prime for Students

  • 6 Months Free
  • 50% off Prime Membership After Trial
  • ALL Prime Benefits including FREE 2-Day Shipping
  • Added College Deals

FedEx Student Discount Club – With Student ID

  • 20% Off Envelope Shipments
  • 30% Off Package Shipments
  • Available at FedEx Stations

Sam’s Club

  • Offers Student Membership and Benefits
  • See Local Club

UPS – Richmond Texarkana

  • 10% Off Printing Services

MUSIC

Spotify Premium For Students

  • $4.99 a Month
  • Includes FREE access to Hulu.

Services

Geico

  • Students can save up to 15% on select coverages with a minimum of a B average.

Nationwide Insurance

  • Drivers up to 24 years in age can get discounts with a minimum of a B average.

State Farm

  • Offers up to 25% off insurance for students in good standing.

TECHNOLOGY

Adobe Creative Cloud

  • 60% Off Creative Cloud Application Bundle
    • Includes PhotoShop, Lightroom, AdobeXD, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Dreamweaver, Acrobat Pro, 20+ Desktop and Mobile Apps, Free Tutorials, Regular Upgrades

Apple Electronics – https://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop 

  • Student Pricing available for current and newly registered college students.

Black Privilege

Posted on by
Reply

When you see the title of this book, what do you think about? I know some of you are probably thinking, “there’s no such thing as black privilege in America.” So, what does this title mean? Charlamagne defines Black Privilege in a different way, although some may agree to disagree, racism and white privilege are very real in this country and that’s fact not just my opinion. The subject of race can sometimes be an awkward topic to talk about, but if society keep sweeping it under the rug as if it means nothing, how are we supposed to fix the social issues that are going on? When asked about the title he says, “when you’re talking about black privilege you’re talking about something spiritual, not something systemic…I feel like we’re able to tap into a divine system that gives us abilities to prosper in spite of all the obstacles we face in America.”

Charlamagne Tha God is a cohost of the nationally syndicated hip-hop iHeartradio program “The Breakfast Club” and a featured television personality at MTV and MTV2. He is also a social media influencer; an executive producer with his own production company, CThaGod World LLC; cohost of the popular podcast “The Brilliant Idiots;” and author of his own Marvel comic. Born and raised in a small town in South Carolina, Charlamagne quickly rose to become one of today’s most unique and compelling media personalities. His point of view and proactive celebrity interviews help drive the daily national conversation about issues related to hip-hop, race, society, and politics. (CharlamagneThaGod, Black Privilege)

He can now add New York Times best seller to his resume`. Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create it, discusses eight life principles to help people find what it is they were meant to do in life. He says, “live your truth, so no one can use your truth against you,” he explains that living an authentic life is the best way to live and that will bring you ultimate success and happiness. Within this book Charlamagne is unfiltered and give the raw honest truth about his upbringing and how he managed to completely change his life around coming from a small town called Moncks Corner, South Carolina to working in the city that never sleeps. After being kicked out of school, fired from multiple jobs, he found mentors that helped him to see what all life had to offer.

I’ll share three of my favorite principles that resonated with me most:

1. It’s not the size of the pond but the hustle of the fish: Principle 1
“Geographical location doesn’t determine what kind of success you will have, but your psychological position always will. How are you going to make waves in a bigger pond when you haven’t even learned how to cause a ripple in the pod you’re in? When you stop complaining about where you are physically and start focusing on where you are mentally, that’s when you will start to transcend your circumstances.” (Black Privilege, page 1)

I love this principle because I was raised in a small town that don’t offer many opportunities that correspond to my dream career. I’ve always thought, if I could just get to a bigger city then I’ll be successful. When in reality that’s not necessarily true. I’ve learned to just start where you are and make do with that, if you’re passionate about what it is you’re doing everything else will eventually will fall into place.

2. There are no losses in life, only lessons: Principle 4
“Always look for the lesson in any situation you think didn’t go your way. Understand that your plan isn’t necessarily also God’s plan for you.” (page 107)

This is one that really resonated with me because sometimes when something bad happens we take that as a loss. However, it’s not a loss just a lesson that you needed to be taught. Often times in life we get impatient and we want things quick and easy. I’ve always heard that “the things worth having don’t come easy.” You have to understand that all of your setbacks, roadblocks, and detours are necessary if you want to get to the next level in life. So, the next time you feel defeated by life think about the lesson that you needed to learn.

3. PYP (Pick your Passion, Poison, or Procrastination): Principle 2
“There are three primary “P’s” to choose from life: (1) Passion, which leads to prosperity. (2) Poison, which leads to pain. (3) Procrastination, which doesn’t lead anywhere at all, because you sit around waiting for things to just magically happen. Please don’t pick “P’s” numbers 2 and 3. Instead of hoping you’ll be successful, follow your passion and make conscious decisions that will help you realize your destiny.”( page 33)

What I like about this principle is that whatever you’re passionate about it’s important to follow that particular thing. Yes, it can be scary to step outside of your comfort zone, but don’t keep procrastinating on a dream that have been on the fore front of your mind for years. In the process of following your dreams separate yourself from the things that don’t bring you any joy. Surround yourself with people that are going to make you constantly want to evolve.

Texarkana Rocks

Posted on by
1

Have you seen painted rocks hidden around town? This growing trend started just to brighten people’s day.  I have stumbled across a few rocks myself, and I do enjoy seeing them. However, I leave the rocks where I find them for the stones to brighten up someone else’s day.  It is a light-hearted and harmless trend that is ever-growing. In fact, Texarkana even has a Facebook group called “Texarkana Rocks- Texas Official Group” where they gather to show off their rocks as well as discuss possible hiding places and reasons behind. The Facebook group although closed to the public is still is to join. By joining the group, I gained access to the hot hiding spots for painted rocks located in Spring Lake Park and Three Chicks.

   If you treat the painted rocks as a game, then the game is straightforward. First, you find a quilted rock that has passed through 20 different hands with everyone adding their personal touch, and then you paint it. Next thing you do is hide the rock someone for someone else to find. The person who finds it can either keep it, rehide it, or leave it be.  Now Texarkana Rocks Facebook group encourages people who paint the rocks to put the web link on the back of the rocks so others can find the group.  This is their way of trying to get strangers unaware of the trend to seek out the group and post pictures of the rocks they find. Mainly because that is part of their game and people get encouraged to paint and hide more rocks when they see their rocks being found. This trend across the ArkLaTex is allowing people to spread their creativity and encourages them to be part of a community. Some people even use the rocks as a way to send a message whether that message is a cause or just to uplift spirits. There are funny rocks, pretty rocks, and even location rocks.

This is one of the Quilt Rocks that is circulating around Texarkana. Photo Taken by Tonya Walker

   One trend that encourages everyone to play the game are the quilted rocks. Now the quilted rocks start out rather dull as they are painted a solid color with horizontal and vertical lines drawn on it. The person to paint the rock essentially only paints one square before hiding the wrong. The next person comes along finds the rock, paints an additional square and then hides it. The same goes for everyone that follows, so by the time all the squares are colored. The idea of painted rocks is brilliant because it invites everyone to join in on the fun to spread smiles across the ArkLaTex. It has become a treasure hunt where people are taking their kids to popular painted rock destination so they can even enjoy the fun. People enjoy finding the rocks just as much as the creators enjoy painting and hiding them. Both parties feel good by the end of the interactions.  

   Painted rocks are meant to brighten people’s day. They are harmless, lighthearted and meant to be fun. I invite everyone who reads this to join the Texarkana Rocks- Texas Official Group on Facebook.

Some of the rocks that can be found around town. Photo taken by Jen Phillips

‘Remediation’ is Everywhere

Posted on by
Reply

November 16th, 2017 – Squeezed between two Mass Communication courses Dr. Morton was teaching, he found the time to hold a PLACE Lecture in UC 210 – the subject, Bolter & Grusin’s Remediation, a subject dear to his heart (or as close as he can get with a subject so often covered in his courses) and one that I, a Mass Communication Major myself, find fun food for thought when it counts.

While the lecture got described as a 40 minute crash course, the topic of Remediation thankfully is one that’s simple to understand but difficult to master. Remediation, in the case of Bolter & Grusin meaning representing one medium in another, is something we don’t spot enough in everyday life for how prevalent the concept is – it’s essentially the ‘borrowing’ of ideas from one medium (Film, TV, Video Games) to enhance or otherwise detail another – consider Film and TV in the 90’s, two very distinct mediums that aren’t so different in modern terms.

The paradox of Remediation, however, is that often media need to borrow from each other to feel real – they must be less like themselves to be themselves. Think long enough about your favorite property and you might find that you can make a stronger argument for it being a medium other than one it actually is.

Dr. Morton was by the day’s end more than a bit exhausted but he did want to comment that if the lecture (or what’s being described by me after the fact) was of interest to anyone they should consider stopping by the Red River Innovation Lab in the Science and Technology Building on campus, Room 120. As of now, they’re shooting for a full launch of the lab before the beginning of Spring but there’ll be events to get a game plan going in the coming weeks.

The Demon Haunted World

Posted on by
Reply

The book club meeting held on November 8 began with the video above. The book discussed was The Demon Haunted World- Science as a Candle in the Dark written by Carl Sagan. Sagan was an astronomer born in 1934. He worked on NASA projects and wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Cosmos, that turned into a thirteen part television series that aired in 1980.

Science as a Candle in the Dark is a collection of Sagan’s articles and essays over a few decades. One of the points highlighted in the book is the effects of scientific illiteracy. Science and math are subjects most students are not excited to learn in school. Because of this, people take scientific assertions as facts when there is no proof of these assertions being true. A topic mentioned was UFO’s. Many people wrote to Sagan asking him to verify the existence of UFO’s. He could not say they existed, nor could he say they did not. However, he did think this was a hallucination.

One of the people who wrote to him said, “Your conclusion that large numbers of people in this country, perhaps as many as five million, are all victims of an identical mass hallucination is asinine.”

After the video, the moderator Dr. David Allard, Professor of Biology, opened the floor for discussion about the book and Sagan’s ideas.

In the book, Sagan discusses alien abductions and the people who claim to be victims.

“Carl Sagan talks about how he can hear his dad every once in a while in his head. He lived with his dad for so long and every once in a while he could hear ‘Carl’. Technically, that is a form of hallucination, auditory hallucination,” said Dr. Angela Sikorski, Associate Professor of Psychology.

After she said this, there was discussion about sleep paralysis, which Dr. Sikorski confirmed is real. Sleep paralysis has been a theory behind the stories of alien abduction for years. Sleep paralysis occurs when you are falling asleep or waking up. The mind is awake and fully aware of what is going on, but the body is asleep. You are unable to move or speak, but you are mentally aware of the sounds around you because you are awake. In this state, it is very possible to begin having visual hallucinations.

Dr. Dayna “Joy’ Goldstein, Assistant Professor of English, chose this book for discussion and said, “He touched my life as a scientist I could relate to and I watched the Cosmos series and he inspired me about the meter of the universe.”

A moment when Sagan inspired Dr. Goldstein was when she was at a point in her life when she was questioning religion and her beliefs. Sagan’s own religious beliefs were debated and he was not a religious man.

“As a person who never had a strong interest in math and science, I found the book very interesting and entertaining. Sagan was able to explain science in a way that made sense for the average person. The book was not full of confusing scientific jargon, but was written in a conversational tone.”

As someone who does not have an extensive background in science, the book was not difficult to follow. Sagan explained his thoughts in a tone that did not belittle the reader and was very interesting to read. He used examples and stories from real people to emphasize his points.