Truth and Consequences

The first thing I noticed about this article was its hook in the first paragraph. The way it sets a tranquil scene and then very suddenly injects a dramatic element feels like it should be accompanied by a soundtrack that goes "DUN DUN DUH!". I'm not sure I would ever be so blunt in my own writing, but I can obviously see what this writer is trying to accomplish.

As for the rest of the article, I think the author chose an interesting topic that engages the readers' emotions. We feel sorry for all the students who suffered from telling the truth about their professor. One area where the article is not as strong though is in dealing with so many characters. There are so many affected students that it is hard for the reader keep track of them all and to personally empathize with them.

The man on the table . . .

I thought what was interesting about this article was how it kept the reader interested by playing up the emotional elements of the story. Moments like when Dr. DeBakey says he wanted to die, and later when his wife interrupts the ethics committee to demand they begin operating immediately give the story an exciting pace that makes the reader want to push through to the end of the story. Giving the characters like the anesthesiologists, Dr. Debakey, and all the other doctors distinct personalities engages the reader on a human level that makes the article much more fun to read.

How to Research Your Topic

I think the idea of having a working bibliography would improve the way I do research for papers. Normally, I just look through as many sources as I can, and then afterwards I think back to which ones are most useful and focus on those. If I documented each source I looked at as I came across it, I would be much more efficient when trying to go back to look at my sources. Also, it means I won't forget any source I came across.

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