Book: The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West & The General in His Labyrinth
Pages:30 - 50
Summary: TWotW - The book describes many aspects of history and explains both the commonly told versions and the truth. In the beginning it gives an overall summary of the 20th century and talks about many of the world super powers and their colonies. The author tells us about how many acts of genocide were not committed due to religion or ethnicity but also because of politics. He describes race and helps us understand how similar we are to one another even though or genetics barely separate us. TGiHL - The general has just found out about the recent elections which would determine the new president of the recently freed countries of South America. Sadly, even though he liberated nearly half the continent and ensured that the Spaniards would never again return, his people shun him and he failed to garner even a single vote from the congressmen. Distressed by this, the General solemnly walks through his own gardens alone for many days unaccompanied by anybody. Finally, he comes to terms with the people no longer loving him like they once did and finally decides to leave the nation(s). Before he leaves however, a party is hosted by his few remaining supporters in which many people come to bid him farewell. Unfortunately, most people there are just trying to make sure he actually does leave. After the party, he climbs aboard his carriage and begins his long journey to Europe.
Vocabulary:
1. Irredeemable - not able to be improved or rectified - That toy is irredeemable.
2. Emetic - an agent that induces vomiting - Those flowers are emetic.
3. Biliousness - of or relating to bile - That stuff it bilious.
4. Extolled - to praise highly - He was extolled by his father.
5. Mitigate - to cause to become less harsh or hostile - The biscuit mitigated the nearby beast.
6. Vice regency - a person who acts in place of a ruler - He was part of the vice regency.
7. Confidante - one who is a woman - Jane is his confidante
8. Demagogues - a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power - Hitler was a demagogue who used anti-Semitism to gain the support of the German people.
9. Consternation - amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion - His consternation gave me an opening in which to slice open his gut.
10. Equanimity - evenness of mind especially under stress - Even in the most dire of situations, nothing could disturb his equanimity.
11. Assimilation - an act, process, or instance of assimilating - He assimilated the two animals and created a Liger.
12. Insidious - awaiting a chance to entrap - He held some insidious drugs in his hands.
13. Reorientation - the act of changing the direction in which something is oriented - They reoriented their villages ways and took on a more modern look.
14. Miscegenation- a mixture of races - The tribe managed to survive in many different environments due to cultural miscegenation.
15. Subjugated - to make submissive - The animals were subjugated, then placed in their pens.
Pages: 30 - 50
Summary:
TWotW - The book describes many aspects of history and explains both the commonly told versions and the truth. In the beginning it gives an overall summary of the 20th century and talks about many of the world super powers and their colonies. The author tells us about how many acts of genocide were not committed due to religion or ethnicity but also because of politics. He describes race and helps us understand how similar we are to one another even though or genetics barely separate us.
TGiHL - The general has just found out about the recent elections which would determine the new president of the recently freed countries of South America. Sadly, even though he liberated nearly half the continent and ensured that the Spaniards would never again return, his people shun him and he failed to garner even a single vote from the congressmen. Distressed by this, the General solemnly walks through his own gardens alone for many days unaccompanied by anybody. Finally, he comes to terms with the people no longer loving him like they once did and finally decides to leave the nation(s). Before he leaves however, a party is hosted by his few remaining supporters in which many people come to bid him farewell. Unfortunately, most people there are just trying to make sure he actually does leave. After the party, he climbs aboard his carriage and begins his long journey to Europe.
Vocabulary:
1. Irredeemable - not able to be improved or rectified - That toy is irredeemable.
2. Emetic - an agent that induces vomiting - Those flowers are emetic.
3. Biliousness - of or relating to bile - That stuff it bilious.
4. Extolled - to praise highly - He was extolled by his father.
5. Mitigate - to cause to become less harsh or hostile - The biscuit mitigated the nearby beast.
6. Vice regency - a person who acts in place of a ruler - He was part of the vice regency.
7. Confidante - one who is a woman - Jane is his confidante
8. Demagogues - a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power - Hitler was a demagogue who used anti-Semitism to gain the support of the German people.
9. Consternation - amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion - His consternation gave me an opening in which to slice open his gut.
10. Equanimity - evenness of mind especially under stress - Even in the most dire of situations, nothing could disturb his equanimity.
11. Assimilation - an act, process, or instance of assimilating - He assimilated the two animals and created a Liger.
12. Insidious - awaiting a chance to entrap - He held some insidious drugs in his hands.
13. Reorientation - the act of changing the direction in which something is oriented - They reoriented their villages ways and took on a more modern look.
14. Miscegenation - a mixture of races - The tribe managed to survive in many different environments due to cultural miscegenation.
15. Subjugated - to make submissive - The animals were subjugated, then placed in their pens.
All definitions were lazily taken off of http://www.merriam-webster.com/