Assignment for Monday, Oct. 24, Tuesday, Oct. 25, and Wednesday, Oct. 26

For Monday, in Griftopia, read pp. 78-123. This will be a difficult chapter to read, so allow yourself some time to make sense of it. While reading, don't get lost in the details; instead, pay attention to the big picture, to the major consequences of the decisions and policies related to housing and the financial industry. Nevertheless, there are a lot of significant consequences to these changes, and you'll have to give this chapter your sustained attention.  

Here is the question you will write about in Monday's class. Feel free to respond to it at home, if you prefer; you will still have time to write it in class. If you do this at home, you shouldn't spend more than twenty minutes working on it:

Taibbi writes as though there is something wrong with the way the financial industry treated housing loans and new homeowners in the 2000s (that is, the first decade of this century). What does Taibbi think is wrong? How does he support his view about what's wrong? Do you agree with him?

For Tuesday and Wednesday, in Griftopia, read pp. 206-221. Also, continue working on the annotated bibliography.

Here is the question for Tuesday's and Wednesday's class. Feel free to respond to it at home, if you prefer; you will still have time to write it in class. If you do this at home, you shouldn't spend more than twenty minutes working on it:

Taibbi claims, "[I]n a society governed passively by free markets and free elections, organized greed always defeats disorganized democracy" (p. 210). Since you haven't finished the chapter, try to predict the ways Taibbi thinks Goldman "defeats" democracy. What does Taibbi reveal about Goldman that might lead to its defeat of democracy?

Assignment for Friday, Oct. 21, and Monday, Oct. 24

For Friday and Monday, in Griftopia, read pp. 78-123. This will be a difficult chapter to read, so allow yourself some time to make sense of it. While reading, don't get lost in the details; instead, pay attention to the big picture, to the major consequences of the decisions and policies related to housing and the financial industry. Nevertheless, there are a lot of significant consequences to these changes, and you'll have to give this chapter your sustained attention.  

Here is the question you will write about in Friday's and Monday's classes. Feel free to respond to it at home, if you prefer; you will still have time to write it in class. If you do this at home, you shouldn't spend more than twenty minutes working on it:

Taibbi writes as though there is something wrong with the way the financial industry treated housing loans and new homeowners in the 2000s (that is, the first decade of this century). What does Taibbi think is wrong? How does he support his view about what's wrong? Do you agree with him?

Assignment for Thursday, Oct. 20, Friday, Oct. 21, and Monday, Oct. 24

For Thursday, in Griftopia, read pp. 35-77. As you read, think about whether Taibbi proves his central claim about Alan Greenspan.

For Friday and Monday, in Griftopia, read pp. 78-123. This will be a difficult chapter to read, so allow yourself some time to make sense of it. While reading, don't get lost in the details; instead, pay attention to the big picture, to the major consequences of the decisions and policies related to housing and the financial industry. Nevertheless, there are a lot of significant consequences to these changes, and you'll have to give this chapter your sustained attention.  

Here is the question you will write about in Friday's and Monday's classes. Feel free to respond to it at home, if you prefer; you will still have time to write it in class. If you do this at home, you shouldn't spend more than twenty minutes working on it:

Taibbi writes as though there is something wrong with the way the financial industry treated housing loans and new homeowners in the 2000s (that is, the first decade of this century). What does Taibbi think is wrong? How does he support his view about what's wrong? Do you agree with him?

Assignments for Tuesday, Oct. 18, Wednesday, Oct. 19, and Thursday, Oct. 20

For Tuesday, read Matt Taibbi, Griftopia, pp. 3-34. Pay attention to the author's tone (his attitude toward the subject) and his narrative persona. Think about how his attitude toward the financial crisis influences the way he writes about it.

For Wednesday and Thursday, in Griftopia, read pp. 35-77. As you read, think about whether Taibbi proves his central claim about Alan Greenspan.

Assignment for Monday, October 17, and Tuesday, October 18

Read Matt Taibbi, Griftopia, pp. 3-34. Pay attention to the author's tone (his attitude toward the subject) and his narrative persona. Think about how his attitude toward the financial crisis influences the way he writes about it.

Assignment for Thursday, October 13, and Friday, October 14

Complete the writing piece on Coates's Between the World and Me. Be sure to have it printed and in your hand before class. If you would like me to look it over before you turn it in, email it to me by Tuesday afternoon.

Also, I strongly encourage you to watch Sunday night's presidential debate. It goes from 9:00-10:30. This debate has a town hall format, with the candidates taking questions from undecided voters in the audience. (The audience members have been selected by the Gallup Organization, a highly regarded polling firm.) We've never had a presidential campaign like this one, and with the town hall format, there is very little that we can anticipate about this debate.

Assignment for Thursday, October 6, and Friday, October 7

For Thursday: Choose one of the topics posted to the left on Coates's Between the World and Me. If you can come to class with one written page, great. If not, that's fine. Either way, bring your book to class and come prepared to work on this assignment during class. 

For Friday: Choose one of the topics posted to the left on Coates's Between the World and Me. Come to class with one written page (printed). Be sure to bring your book to class and come prepared to work on this assignment during class.