Custom «"The Story about Stuff"» Essay Paper Sample

Extraction is the first chapter in the book The story about stuff. The authors of this book (Leonard and Conrad) are using this chapter to address the mutual relationships that exist among the different organisms (stuffs). This chapter examines how various ingredients are used to make all stuffs in our lives. The authors give a systematic procedure and ingredients which we use in our daily lives to make different kinds of stuff. They also give relationship between the different ingredients and how they depend on one another (Leonard & Conrad 24).

They also give an importance of every ingredient, whether it is minor or major, and the reasons why we should preserve them. In this chapter, Leonard and Conrad stress the need of conserving our environment. They describe the significance of trees, factors that are leading to their extinction and the effects. They also talk about the significance of water conservation, water pollution and its effects. Rocks are also given the special position in this chapter, because they are the sources of all minerals that we have ever thought of.

In this chapter, the narrator explains how his understanding and view of ecosystem changed the moment he started his way abroad. He talks about every factor that has been contributing to deforestation, which he says poses a major disaster to the entire world (Leonard and Conrad 5). He incorporates all ingredients ranging from raw materials, machines, human resource, among other factors needed in production, so as to come up with a good stuff. Despite the fact that this is the first chapter, it has huge positive impact on the final stuff that is made at the end of the book in the last chapter.     

Analysis

Extraction is a well written and organized chapter that gives us adequate information on significance of extracting different ingredients used to make different stuffs in our daily lives. In order to ensure that the reader fully understands what they are talking about, Leonard and Conrad used simple and easy language. They arranged all ideas and information systematically with one point leading to the other. They also used the common objects, known by everybody as examples, hence making this chapter understandable with rich information. Leonard and Conrad used narrative style to pass their information in this chapter. They have a narrator who shares his experiences, research and findings on various issues that have been facilitating environmental pollution. 

With the increased environmental pollution, Leonard and Conrad talk through narrator about how trees/forests are being destroyed. They urge everybody who reads this chapter to help in preserving forests, water and rocks which are the main source of our livelihood. In order to ensure that their message is understood by everybody, Leonard and Conrad engage readers by asking them question for which they don’t need answers. They also give outside sources, including web-sites where additional information can be obtained. This makes their work real and easy to understand. They also use pictures to attract readers’ attention and concentration (Leonard and Conrad 15).

However, while this chapter is about extraction ingredients that make different stuff, the authors don’t talk about any means or methods that are used to extract these stuffs. They concentrate on how trees, water and rocks are misused, their significance and effects. They are more concerned on the factors that are leading to destruction of ingredients that make different stuffs instead of being concerned with the proper means of extracting these ingredients. These have, therefore, created confusion and misunderstanding between the title of the chapter and its content, hence, making it difficult to understand clearly what the authors are describing.         

Response

After fully reading this chapter (Chapter 1- Extraction), I have come to understand its impact in our daily lives. This chapter is of the great importance, full of useful information and teachings. It teaches us (readers) on different ingredients that are used to make stuffs and how we should extract them. It also enables us to understand ingredients that are used to create ingredients which we later extract to make different stuffs.

Having read this chapter, there is no doubt that you will agree with me that it is of the great significance. This is due to the fact that it is addressing one of the most significant factors that are affecting our daily life environment pollution. Environment pollution is a big problem affecting all people on the earth. Nevertheless, it has been difficult for us to understand the main cause, effects and how to prevent this pollution.

Leonard and Conrad use extraction to address this issue. Through narrator, they explain how forests were all over long time ago with clean water flowing everywhere, and minerals found on the soil surface (Leonard and Conrad 17). They explain how increased human activities and poor extraction methods have significantly contributed to the extinction of forests, minerals and drying of water catchment areas.

Indeed, this chapter is real, based on current issues. By reading this chapter, we will be in a good position to salvage the earth from the pollution and degradation. We will rekindle disappeared and disappearing animal and plant species, and even facilitate emergence of more new species. It is of course disturbing to hear that more tan 100 plant and animal species extinct daily. This chapter, therefore, serves as the basis of new beginning.   

Evidence

In order to ensure that all readers understand their messages, the authors use paper as an example of stuff that is supposed to be extracted (Leonard & Conrad 1). They also use trees, rocks and water as examples of ingredients needed to create the paper. However, they also give many different ingredients that create trees, rocks and water, hence, making it easier to understand the chapter (Leonard & Conrad 2).

Generally, this chapter is supported by many evidences that are given by Leonard and Conrad. They incorporate findings of researches done by different organizations including the Environmental Paper Network (EPN), among others. They also use reports published by different organizations including The Economics of Ecosystem and Biodiversity report, among others. The authors also use current data and statistics to support their claims and assertions (Leonard and Conrad 17).

Furthermore, in order to ensure that the readers fully understand the message, the authors used other external sources, including web-sites, such as www.waterfootprint.org, among others (Leonard and Conrad 19). The authors also use common objectives that are known to everybody. This makes it easier to comprehend the message being conveyed.  

Logical Structure

This chapter has a good logical structure with the authors explaining all ideas fully, and one after the other. Unlike other structures where information is repeated and has no specific structure, this chapter has logical structure with titles and subtitles; this chapter is being arranged and organized logically. While this chapter is focused on current issues that are affecting the entire world, authors start by discussing very small concepts. They generate ideas one after the other, maintaining the unique flow and presentation of ideas.

This chapter flows logistically, starting with smaller ingredients that seem to be of less significance, but ends with enormous issues affecting everyone. Topics and subtopics are well-organized in this chapter, with bold and italics being used to differentiate topic from subtopics. Language used is simple. They used many different ingredients to enable them to come up with a good stuff. Generally, this chapter has a logical structure with viable language that is easy to read and understand, hence, making it an exceptional piece of work of literature.