A Perfect Balance

I am beginning to question a truth that I have held for a long time. For many years I have been proud that I have been a self made man. I have considered myself to be one who has overcome a great deal in life. I was born with dyslexia and ADHD and my mother was told that I would never be able to read. With the help of my parents, God, and professsionals I was able to read and go to college and if I can pass my stats class, I will graduate with a fairly good GPA from a legitimate university. 
  I have always felt that no matter how crappy of cards you have been dealt you can manage to overcome all things. This in itself is an empowering truth. It motivates and it inspires one to act and achieve great things.
While I consider this belief to have been a guiding principle throughout my life, I am beginning to believe that it does not hold true for all people. I was recently accepted into the Teach For America program and next year I will be shipping out to Compton to teach underprilidged children. I never would have taken the job if I did not believe that I could help change all of my students lives. However, I recently found out that I will be teaching children who have severe learning disabilities. This in combination with the fact that they are in low income communities presents a whole new set of challenges for myself and my children.  It is likely that if I am teaching high school special education, my average student will have my disabilities, but far more severe. It is likely that due to mental and behavioral problems my children on average will have a fifth grade reading level. In all honasty fifth grade may be too high. 
As a result I am faced with a question that I cannot answer. That question is can I honastly look at my students and with all the sincerity of my heart tell them that they can dream above the stars and if they work hard enough they can go to college. Can I look at them and tell them that they can become doctors and lawyers when the do not even know how to spell the words doctor and lawyer. 
  I have been thinking about this question for a great amount of time and have come to the conclusion that I cannot tell my students this lie. I can help them obtain good vocations and become upstanding citizens of the government, but I cannot expect the best out of them. I can expect the best that they can give, but they have been placed in a system that is broken.  
 After learning about the struggles that many leaders of South African liberation movement leaders experienced I have come to the conclusion that the most damming members of society are not oppresive minorities or majorities. These oppressers are villianous and could be defeated were it not for another group. The most damning members to a call for social change in a biggotted and broken place are infact those individuals of the minority who are "self-made." the most frustrating people to a cause are those who believe the cause is for cop outs. Those blacks who had managed to obtain a sallary that would classify them "well to do" members of a society are the greatest opponents to real and lasting change.
The attitude of being "self made" only propels yourself. It does nothing for those who still remain in bondage. Those who feel that others should just shut up and start working their way to success are absurd. I was once one of those people. But this is the truth that change does not come because people shut up succeed and think their way to success. That is a lie. Change comes because people complain. Change comes about because people react against the system. 

Everything I wish I knew as a Freshman

On Wednesday we had a meeting with two teachers on what professions you can do with a History degree. It was a paradox if you ask me. However, I learned some very valuable things. I learned that if I wanted to I could try and intern with the Dodgers as their historian. I learned that historians get paid to write and research for corrupt organizations that had Third Reich leanings during the 1930's and want the public at large to understand that they were not Nazi supporters when in all reality they really were. I also learned that a degree in family history is worth far more than a degree in regular history. I believe that. I really do. Family History is spreading like a spiritual epidemic and so you can get a degree in family history and then do something with that. 

All of this is relatively futile for me. I am a senior that will be graduating in June. I have just signed a contract with Teach for America, so my future is temporarily secure. Had I been a sophomore when I took this class, this would be incredibly helpful. 

I dont know how I feel

I don't know how I feel about pardoning a group of gents responsible for the death of another person. Both examples of what we watched were just rediculus. Why on earth would they allow amnesty to those who had killed someone? I am glad that the white famil that had their daughter killed had forgiven the men who killed their daughter, but to let murderers run free is something that I percieve as wrong. As for the cops that killed the black men what on earth were they doing letting these people free? It is understandable to forgive but recompense must be paid. It is not as if these men beat indivdiuals, on the contrary they robbed them of their lives. As such I cannot percieve how they should be forgiven just because africa was changing to a new government.

Playing the Enemy

I enjoy the authors style of writing. I think it is an increadibly difficult thing to write a non fiction book in the way that a fictional book is written. I do not know how to describe his style of writing besides the fact that he is writing like a story is unfolding right before his eyes. He is very ttalented.
 I also would love to know what it is like to personally speak with Nelson Mandela. How interesting would it be to be a world famous reporter and mingle with some of the best reporters in the world? What would be the sotires that you would tell your children. That is if you even have children. Rick Bragg once said something along these lines "reporters belong to a selfish profession and as a result are selfish" (he was a reporter divorced from his wife, but very much married to his work).
It is interesting to think that individuals such as Mandela and the reporters around him did things to change the world, but also managed to not have a personal life to not have a family. In the case of Mandela, it was not his decision, but in the case of most they do have a decision.
While I believe in the gospel I feel as though I feel that many times I am discouraged to make many huge changes in the lives of others. Maybe I should say as a member of the church I feel as though many times I am encouraged to place family above all other things. For the most part, doing so is a better decision and more meaningful than not. However, there are those few examples where placing their own dreams and own desires or at least the dreams and desire of their countrymen over their family shifts and changes the world.

ending

The closest thing that I have ever had to a functioning and real relationship ended on Saturday. The sad thing is that we weren't even exclusively dating. I liked this girl and that usually does not happen. In fact with the exception of one time I have never had this happen. Very rarely do I like an indivdual. Very rarely do I ever remain in a relationship long enough to like a girl. However, this time I think that it really happened. I really think that I liked her and in the end I got shafted. This in many cases would cause me to be upset, but I dont know what happened with me, but for the most part I am not upset.
Allow me to explain. I asked this girl if things between us were ever going anywhere. She replied with a surprising no. When I asked why she quoted her marriage and family therapy teacher who said that when you see that there is a major issue early on in a relationship you should avoid that relationship.
   When I asked what the problem in the relationship was she recalled a discussion that we had a week prior when I explained that I was stressed and when I was stressed this stress happens to boil over to other parts of my life. It tends to shift the relationship that I have with others and the relationship that I have with myself. She asked me to change it. I said that I couldn't. I wish that I could, but I cannot. Not in the way that she wanted it. Immediate and direct.
  The next week I was eating fish taco's with her and she ended it. Due to that reason. Because I could not change the fact that stress and anxiety does not change for me. It is not like a switch that I can turn on and off. It comes and it goes and I am just beginning to learn about how I work and how to manage things.
Unbeknownst to her she ended things in perhaps my most feared way. I have always feared that I would like someone and she would end it due to my depression. Change with me does not come immediately. Depression has been a constant in my life. stress that exists with that depression exists within my life is a constant. I have come to the conclusion that try as I might there will be issues that tear me up. There will be stresses that I will have.
For those of you who have never experienced such stresses and depression I wish that you never do. However, I wish you to be far more understanding of it then you already are. It is not something that can be controlled. It is not a character flaw. It is a real issue. It is a problem. For those of you who do deal with the issue, which out of twenty seven readers that I have following me I am bound to have one, I suppose you know what I am talking about.
And so you may be wondering why I am saying I am not sad about the thing I feared most happening to me. Well I don't know really. I don't really understand. There are a variety of reasons. With time and separation comes realization. I realized that this girl had her own problems. That perhaps she was not as infallible as I had once perceived her to be. Also, that experience taught me valuable lesson and I am glad that it occurred. It allowed me to come to a realization within my own life. I realized that I need someone who is understanding. I need someone who is willing to assist and help. Independence is important, but I need someone who can understand what I am going through. I am just glad to realize that she is not the one for me.
However, I think the greatest thing that I have realized and the greatest reason as to why I am not sad deals with this fact. My greatest fear has been realized and the event that occurred was far easier than living with that fear. If there is something that I have learned throughout my life it is this. That my greatest fears of failure are far more burdensome then the action. If the issue occurs again I know that I will survive. I know that I will get over it.
Well I apologize for not being funny enough. I promise that next time you tune in you will see a far different Rom.
Until next time

I hope your that the person you are dating/married to ends up breaking up with you so you can gain a valuable life lesson like I have.....

Just Kidding ; - )

Its been a while

I've been working on my paper and as a result its pretty difficult for me to get much else done. Nevertheless, this is no excuse to not get my academic journal done. Today I just wanted to write and say how grateful I am for the power of computers. I cannot think about writing this paper without the assistance of a computer. It is impossible for me to think of it. there is just no possibel way that I could have ever found the autobiography of Helen Joseph, and a time to speak  by Mike Scott. I am glad to have that and it continuously assists me.  Well thats about it, but if anyone reads this blog I think that they should read what I am going to write on my other blog.

tired and dead

This really is an SOS call. I dont understand this at all. I am a good student. My GPA proves it. I get A's. I take hard classes. These hard classes I usually get A's in. I am usually stressed while getting A's in these classes, but this is different. This is so much different. I am trying my hardest and I am not even scratching the surface. From the time I woke up in this morning until right now I have done nothing but study for my stats test. Two days ago I listened to half of a documentary, tried to fill out the paper that goes along with it so I could turn it in on Friday, but failed to do so (its ok because I realized that it was due yesterday anyway). I have a Midterm to study for next week, an introduction and outline to write, the next week I have a term paper and a book to read. I am failing and I dont know what to do.  

Research, Gandhi: A Glutten For Punishment

For my paper I am writing concerning the personalities and sufferings of civil rights activists within South Africa. I have started my research by studying Gandhi. this is in large part due to the fact that it was really quite easy to obtain an electronic of his autobiography. However,  I was learning about Gandhi's experience in South Africa and it was fairly interesting. First, he refused to stop wearing his turban in the law offices of South Africa. What is interesting was the fact that Gandhi writes that he didn't even wear his turban after he left South Africa. However, because he wore the turban one time and was asked to take it off, he just started wearing the Turban. As time continued Gandhi was asked to move from his first class seat in a train and move to another part of the train. Again Gandhi refused and was disciplined as a result. Really, Gandhi had oppositional defiance disorder. There is no other way around it. I think all revolutionaries and reformers tend to hate being told what to do. Well behaved individuals seldom make history. I think this is why Mormon's really will not make a marked impact upon society ever. We conform too easily. I mean for heaven sake we are in a school where we are required to follow a ridiculous dress and living code and no one ever does anything about it. If I weren't so dang afraid that the revolution would fail and I would be kicked out of school I would do it, but I guess that is what separates me from Gandhi. I am not afraid to jeopardize my own happiness for the betterment of society.

Classroom with a Boer

Very Interesting. That is all that I can say about the guy that came into class today. His opinion of the man that ended apartheid was so completely against what the last guy said that it was astounding. He was interesting. It was interesting to see what life was like for those who did not participate in apartheid resistance movement had to say about South Africa during this time. I liked the guy and I think that most people who were in his same case would have done the same thing. The visit from this guy de- vilinizes most White South Africans. I liked seeing another side for a change. It was pretty very interesting.

I like this guy

Although Mr. Magaziner undoubtedly does not use his real name to publish this book I really liked what the guy had to say. He is radical. This section in magaziner's book deals mainly with the emergence of the black consciouness movement in South African society. This movement is pretty awesome if you ask me. I liken it to the Nation of Islam movement under the direction of elijah muhammed and malcom X. I am guessing that the over effect of the members of Black consciousness societies were little in regard to personally changing the way things were in South Africa. However, I am betting that their radical approach toward ending apartheid tended to radicalize other groups within South Africa. Black Consciousness was the realization that Africa was for black people. They did not want or need the help of any other groups. They were here first and as a result they should keep the land. As a result when white liberals attempted to help these people they flat out rejected them. They (Black Concious leaders) saw white liberals as never truly being able to understand their situation. Moreover, they white liberals as "individuals that always new what was best for black consciousness leaders." Like the Nation of Islam in the United States, the Black Consciousness movement tended to attract youth people. Magaziner writes that the black consciouness movement and afircan in general stressed the importance of gender at this time. Men were to be men. Not only that age played a considerable role in preparing men to act in a certain manner. the black consciouness movement inspired groups such as cen to change their stance on apartheid from a good thing to a thing that opressed people like in the days of moses. I am still trying to find out what it meant about black messiah. that is still a little unclear to me.

The Lbirary

I hate doing research in the library. I am tryin to locate books and nothing is working. Is it really that hard for the computer library catalog to tell me if Kathrada's memoirs are avaliable? Is it really that difficult for the library system which is powered by syrsidenix (a computer company that has not updated its software in the past thirty years) to find out if Helen Joseph's autobiography is there. No Its not and I'll tell you why not. Systems and businesses that are seeking a profit, such as the search engine of google and amazon.com are able to tell me if they have the books I need within a matter of moments. This sucks.

My Research Paper

                I have come to a fascinating conclusion during my time of studies this semester. I love all of my classes and there is a common theme regarding all of them. Each of my classes focus on groups of individuals who deal with oppression throughout their lives. Each of my classes study the development of movements to transcend the circumstances of people where their liberty has been infringed upon. There is a wide array of people that I am studying. Whether they are Mormons fleeing persecution, or Europeans revolutionizing in an attempt to gain civil liberties, or south African’s attempting to break the strangle hold that apartheid had on nearly all facets of peoples lives.

                It is increadible for me to see how these individuals interact. What inspires them? What is it that motivates them to overcome the fear of death, persecution, and arrest? What allows them to risk everything? 

These questions have weighed heavily on my mind and I have come to a conclusion. I have decided that a revolution, a resistance, or a reformation comes about when people awaken to the realization that their civil liberties are being invaded. In other words people unite and react when they realize that their agency has been infringed upon. Indeed it is the desire to have free will that inspires people to react. That is the soul reason why people react. It is the sole reason why pioneers would be willing to settle in the middle of an arid and godforsaken desert. It is the sole reason the French members of the third estate were willing to storm the bastille. Agency is the sole reason why South African women were willing to be battered and beaten in order to obtain personal rights and reject pass laws.

              Almost paradoxically people will place themselves in a situation that is far worse then they previously were in order to obtain the ability to choose. Mormons are not willing to stay in a place where they are not allowed to practice their religion, even if their homes are comfortable. Rich Dutch merchants were not willing to stand under the tranny of a Spanish king in the late fifteen hundreds.  Nelson Mandela, and kathrada were not willing to remain lawyers in an apartheid government. Their family suffered because of that.

So it is my intention to write regarding the suffering and sacrifices of leaders in the South African Apartheid movement. It is my intention to study the lives of Mandela, Helen Johnson, Kathrada, Mahatma Ghandhi, and examine the sacrifices the made in order to obtain the liberties that should have been granted unto them since birth. I hope to examine the South African government that exists today and see if it has provided greater economic stability for all of its people, or if it only allowed them to have their agency. Whatever the answer it will show that the struggles were worth it.  

Decleration of the RIghts of the Working and Exploited People

As a Marxist historian it would be assumed that the Russian revolution would be the epidamy for me at least of what a workers revolution should be. However, I am skeptical to call the Russian revolution a true marxist revolution. Part of the reason that I refrain from doing so is the fact that Russia was still in a caste system at the time of the revolution. True Peter the Great had managed to industrialize Russia, but in all truthfulness it still was backwards in comparison to the rest of Europe. Marx describes the rise of the working class like an evolution or a progression. The proletariot will overthrow the bourgeuouse and then will unite in an egalitarian way. However, I am not sure if Marx believed that the working class could overthrow the gentry in a mostly feudal system. Perhaps this is just my own theory that I am purporting to be Marx's. Whatever the case may be I think that it is a pretty good theory.
    Throughout the early part of the second millenia B.C.E. Russia was a land destitute and backwards. For the more part of six hundred years European countries, who for the most part had industrialized, looked at Russia as nothing more than a feudal and despicable place. Russia's nobleman wore beards that were unkempt and thick, a symbol of their place at the top of this caste society. However, in sixteenth century, Peter the Great made revolutionary reforms to industrialize and enlighten his country. Russia soon rose in power and prominance and became one of the economic centers. Although Russia had industrialized, its society was still entrenched by class differences. The cleavage between the rich and poor grew larger and larger until the early part of the twentieth century when a revolution led by V.I. Lenin destroyed the antiquated Russia that was characterized by both decadence, in regard to the royalty and disparity, in regard to the common man. Inspired by the writings of Karl Marx, Lenin promised that this revolt would abolish class structure as the Russian people knew it. As the revolution took full force Lenin designed the Declaration of the Rights of the Working and Exploited People to define what the newly formed Soviet Russia would stand for. While
With this in mind I am examining V.I. Lenin's Decleration of the Rights of the Working and Exploited People for my European Revolutions class. The document was most likely written before the Red Army gained complete control of Russia. It is likely that V.I. Lenin was had an image in mind of what was going to transpire before his proletariot army gained control of Russia. Without a doubt the document was not difficult for Lenin to write. It probably took him no less than an hour or two to complete the entire document. This is in large part due to the fact that most concepts that Lenin uses are not his. Rather, Lenin Generously borrows the ideals of Karl Marx and adopts it to the people of Russia.
 It is obvious that Lenin's vision of Russia and the spread of communism does not meet with the reality of what actually happened. Part III of the document beings with " Expressing its firm determination to wrest mankind from the clutches of finance capital and imperialism, which have in this most criminal of wars drenched the world in blood, the Constituent Assembly whole-heartedly endorses the policy pursued by Soviet power of denouncing the secret treaties, organising most extensive fraternisation with the workers and peasants of the armies in the war, and achieving at all costs, by revolutionary means, a democratic peace between the nations, without annexations and indemnities and on the basis of the free self-determination of nations." Lenin's idealism is rampant throughout this quote. It was his intention that the working class in a democratic manner would receive communism without question. Communism, in the view of Lenin was not to overthrow seperate countries. Rather those workers within those countries would overthrow the burgeiouse and become united as the working men of the world. However, as history shows this simply was not the case. Had Lenin survived a few more years history may have been completely different. Under Stallin Russia was a very different story. Another issue to bring up from this quote is the fact that the Lenin truly saw the Russian revolution as a revolution. His intention was to make this revolution as a world wide revolution. He saw that the Bulkshevik revolution as merely a stepping stone to the rest of the world.
However, the exact publication date of the manuscript is unknown.

More About South Africa

 The more I learn about the more confused that I am. South Africa is such an enigma to me. I don't know of any nation that has had women be the backbone of a social injustice movement. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing.  Its just a thing that is perplexing. What made it that South Africa could have women really change the resistance in a positive manner when usually they are supportive and helpful but they for the most part are not influential. I know I sound terrible, but that is what I have observed. I may be wrong but with a basic knowledge of history. Part of me wants to abandon my prospectus and talk about what caused the women of South Africa to be so united. its so fascinating.  

Library Excercise

What I learned from the library excercise is that it is not the most efficient thing to do a library search. Libraries are outdated. They will soon be a relic of the past. A relic that will be a popular relic and one that will be used by people everywhere, but a relic nonetheless. its worthless. It took me an entire hour to search for primary sources in the basement of the library. I navigated my computer and searched through books of all sorts. I found stuff that I could use and I found stuff that I will use. However, when it really comes down to it why not search on the internet. There are thousands of sights that have primary sources. It takes a shorter amount of time and for an undergraduate's purposes its not worth searching through all of these documents. It was a healthy tool to learn for the future, but for this paper the majority of my time will be spent on google and the majority of my time will be saved as well.

White Leaders

I'm a little bit weary of the woman in the photo that we learned about today. Not because she is a bad person, but because she is white. I don't get it. I dont get South Africa.  I don't get the why the black liberation movement would be led in part by a white woman. Good for her for doing this and she has a little bit more street credit because she is a woman, but what is she doing leading a black suffrage rebellion? When has a person of another race ever led a deprived race to equality? It doesn't happen in history. Of course there is T.E. Lawrence but all he really accomplished was riding around on some horses in the desert and making promises that he couldn't keep. The fact of the matter is this an unoppressed (yes I know that is not a word) person cannot truly understand what an oppressed person feels. That person can sympathize, but not empathize with that race and as a  result he cannot be a fit leader for a liberation movement. I think that this holds true for class distinctions as well. As a result the russian revolution as successful as it was, was inherently flawed due to the fact that its leader V.I. Lenin did not come from the background of the common man. He was an educated reporter. His family were radicals (his brother being killed for an attempted assasination on Czar Alexander), but I do not believe that he was what Marx and Engeles had in mind when they imagined the workers of the world uniting together to overthrow the bourgeoisie . As a result communism in Russia, began as a flawed institution. 
 So if members come from a privileged class or race what can they do to assist in revolutions and civil rights movements? The answer is they can show members of impoverished races and classes what they need to do in order to obtain that which they want. Marx and Engeles are a good example of this. Both come from privileged backgrounds. It can even be said that both come from bourgeoisie backgrounds. However, the two sympathized with the struggles of the working class and wanted to instruct others on how to make life better.
I think this is pertanent to me. My dream is to teach history in the ghetto's. I will not be leading some liberation movement. That is just what history has taught me. I won't be able to do it. I can try and I hope to try in one measure or another, but when it really comes down to it, I cannot lead a despairing people to freedom. I am the son of a rich doctor. What do I know about suffering? However, I hope to inspire those who I teach to transcend their circumstances and leave their ghettos. If they go to college they can then attempt to lead their people to a better life. 

Linking European Revolutions With South Africa

So I am enrolled in all good History classes this year. This is an amazing feat given the fact that since I transferred to BYU I have had one good History teacher. I am quite excited to continue on in my history journey.
 With this in mind I have decided to take a new approach to many of my classes. I want to be able to link, what I learn in statistics, with what I learn in European Revolutions, to what I learn in this South African History. I am going to go ahead and state that my Utah history will stand apart from my two other History classes. I dare anyone who reads this blog (which is just me) to try and link European Revolutions to the history of Utah. As for South Africa and Utah I guess you could go ahead and state that Apartheid existed in the Church and in South Africa, but that is quite the stretch. Anyway this is my plan from here on out.

Uncle Toms Rebellion

I'm going to be honest I might just switch my paper to a different topic. I am a passionate individual and as a passionate individual I am quick to get upset. There are events that transpire throughout the course of world history that bother me. It is for this reason I am a historian. I like controversy. I like debate. I wish that we had more debate and controversy at brigham young university. unfortunately we are all like minded individuals with the same ambition and the same religion, so it is very infrequent to ever experience any type of debate. As a result many times classes are boring. With this being stated, however, I had a very interesting and motivating debate a few classes ago.
We were discussing the creation of the SANC (south african national congress) in class. This for a time was very interesting. The congress formed in 1902 by well educated black South Africans. Their intention was to establish equal rights through petitioning those who held them captive. They went forth to the king of England and petitioned for their rights. That was in 1914. In 1919 they sent a delegation to versailles. In 1936 the Hertzog Bills were signed and blacks in south Africa lost their rights.
 There is a picture of the delegates to versalles. They are dressed in white attire. The transcript shows that the spoke like whites. Their actions show that they act like whites. As a result they accomplished nothing. Brother Malcom would have called these men the "house negroes" I would call these men "house negroes" They tried to do things the white way and they failed. Why did they fail? Because any impoverished society that has tried to prove that they are "Whiter than the white man" has always failed. While the SANNC dressed in sleek suits and bow ties their brothers lived in huts. I do not huts in a derogatory fashion i mean that as a matter of fact way. How could anyone so impovirished and so discriminated against ever listen to their brothers who were not in their same circumstances? It is impossible to do so.
Change has only come by civil unrest. People are not inspired by the status quo. They have never been inspired by the status quo. They have always been inspired by the thought of their own identity. they have always been inspired by acting by their own race and nationality. Moses did not free the people of israel by telling his people to act like egyptians. No he inspired them by thoughts of a better life. thoughts of their own country and thoughts of their own freedom. he organized the common man and with the help of divine inspiration he set his people free.
Ghandi did not liberate the his people through dressing in the form of a white man. Rather he shed his fine cloaks. denied his status as an elite but inferior to white aristocrat within British governed India, and became one of the masses. He dressed in home spon clothing, which was a sign of Indian Nationalism.
Martin Luther King did not inspire black in the South to be like the white man. he aknolwedged the differences and then created strikes and riots. He inspired the working African American class to rise up and tear down the wall of racism that prevented blacks from gaining equality. He inspired the masses to gain their independance rather than petition from the back of the bus.
What was the result of the SANNC and their approach to equality. South African's who once had their independence lost it. It was a retroactive revolution. As a result it took South Africa thirty years longer than any other industrialized nation to gain equality. That is pathetic.  

Project #1

Well my obsessions with blogs continue to grows. Not only do I have a blog dedicated to my life and to my mission but I have also seen it fit to begin another blog. Professor Hadfield told us that we needed to start a writing journal and I hate my hand writing so I decided to start a blog instead. I'm hoping that it will be an ok thing.
   Today we were told to skim through a book and within ten minutes pick out the historical question that the book was trying to answer, what sources the author used, and what the thesis of the book was. It really sounds like a daunting task and I was anticipating it to be. However, I realized something that I had yet to realize while doing this little exercise. If you read the introduction you will find out the thesis of the book. For instance I discovered that the boy I was reading had this as a thesis. "this book seeks to show the experience of selected groups of ordinary people in Johannessburg within the wider context of the industrial revolution which engulfed the witwaterstrand at the turn of the century." And within five minutes of researching I was able to understand what the book was about. I really wish that I would have put this into practice a while ago. I wonder if my grades would have been better. Looking at the back of the book helped me understand what the author used in regard to citations. From the cover it was easy enough to deduce what the historical question that it answered was. I also learned that this book was written in 1982 which preceeds the post apartheid era. This serves as a double edged sword. On one hand the writer Charles van Onselen will probably provide the opinion of a white historian during the time of apartheid. Based on the name Van Onselen I'd guess he is dutch and would provide the opinions of the dutch during this time. However, Van Onselen's views may be opinionated by apartheid one way or another. A fair or balanced report most likely will not be achieved as a result.