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I have been a stay at home mom since Oct 31st 2006. My children started school in 2008, so I decided it was time for me to go back, too. I have been a full time student for over two years now, and it seems like I am learning about more than just my schoolwork.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Boy who Changed the World/The Butterfly Effect

I got a couple of e-book from booksneeze.com. I don't like e-books. I like to hold a book in my hand, I like to lay on the floor with a book in my hand, getting comfortable in whatever way possible. However, I was bound and determined to try something new.

Both books were written by Andy Andrews. One, The Boy Who Changed the World, is written for children, and the other one, The Butterfly Effect, is geared for the adult set.

Another thing these books have in common is the story. They both tell a type of  'six degrees of separation' story. The connections between Susan & Moses Carver, George Washington Carver, Henry Wallace, and Norman Borlaug are explained.

In The Butterfly Effect, another example is made of Joshua Chamberlain, who led the attack against the Rebels at Gettysburg. Historians argue that had this battle gone any other way, the USA would never have existed.

These stories are told to enlighten the readers of their impact on the world. How one little thing you do can affect millions of people. Even though I think these stories are meant to inspire the reader, I felt a little disappointed. These are stories of great, important people. These people did not start out that way, but in the annals of history the names Gettysburg and George Washington Carver are well known. It is very hard to relate yourself to a historical figure such as that.

Mr. Andrews is definitely not a children's author. The Boy Who Changed the World, while beautifully illustrated, is written in the typical repeating pattern that many children's books employ. However, this repeating pattern is monotonous and hard to follow. While the moral of the story is one every child should learn, not many kids would be willing to sit through this story, my kids included. I am not sure if I would recommend this book.

The Butterfly Effect is written as an inspirational gift book, with only a few sentences or phrases on each page. While this makes for easy reading--I finished this book in about 10 minutes--it reads more as a historical text than a quick, uplifting tale. However, I will recommend this book to people who like to read this type of thing.

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