The Representation of gender roles and marriage Research Paper

The Representation of gender roles and marriage - Research Paper Example For language, as well as being a vehicle for communication, is also power. The author and psychoanalyst Eva Hoffman, who left her native Poland to complete her education in Canada and the USA, and who now practices as a psychoanalyst in London, writes about the relationship between language and identity in her autobiography Lost in Translation: Life in a New Language: I was also delighted to be asked to speak at a conference marking the 60th anniversary of the host organization, Relate. My association with Relate goes back even further than that with the Commission, and I am a firm admirer of the contribution it makes nationally to trying to improve communication between women and men through its work with troubled marriages. Talk therapy does offer the chance of finding one's voice, discovering a new language in which difficult matters can be talked about, and repossessing one's identity. Relate may not have thought of itself as a language school, but it is in the business of offering interpretive services. In that, it shares an enterprise with the work of my own organization, the Tavistock Marital Studies Institute, which also celebrated an important occasion in 1998-its 50th anniversary. Both organizations are concerned with whether and how women and men talk to each other. Not far from where I live in Hertfordshire is the village of Ayot St Lawrence. One of this little village's claims to fame is that the playwright George Bernard Shaw used to live there. His best-known play is probably Pygmalion, a quintessentially English drama about the divisions of class and gender, and one made popular by the musical My Fair Lady. The plot revolves around a bet, made by a dialectician, Professor Henry Higgins, that he can train a market girl, Eliza Dolittle, to speak and act in ways that would allow her to be passed off as aristocracy. In trying to eliminate the linguistic indicators of class, Higgins becomes increasingly frustrated by the differences of gender that he encounters. One plaintive, immortalized line from the musical, pleads `Why can't a woman be more like a man?'. The boot today is on the other foot. When it comes to communication, the exasperated cry is now `Why can't a man be more like a woman?'. You hear it in the consulting rooms of counsellors a nd therapists, in research reports on family life, and in media discussions on gender relations. The questions now are `why do men stonewall?', `why can't they talk about their feelings?', `why are they so orientated towards activities?' In an age where companionability is the primary expectation of marriage and partnership, men tend to get the blame for not delivering. Their 'failure' to communicate is taken as a key reason why marriages break down. They are no longer needed to bring home the bacon, nor even to provide the socially accepted framework of marriage for conceiving and raising children, and women are asking themselves what they need men for. Men, on the other hand, are facing a decline in their market, social and biological value. As if to underline the point, sperm levels are falling in our increasingly oestrogen-ridden environment, and even male delivery systems have proved inferior (at least, in terms of efficiency) to those carried out in the hospital laboratory. Th e recent explosion of interest in the male potency drug, Viagra, tells its own story. Is this story just of `Boy's

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW - Term Paper Example Prior to the HR Act 1998, any individual seeking to challenge the government on breach of rights as provided by the Convention, usually sought refuge at the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, after proving that there was no remedy in the courts in the United Kingdom. From the perspective of individuals, the HR Act 1998 has implications at the workplace, in the development of legislation, ministerial decisions and use of government policy regarding prosecutions or the enforcement of law (Home Office, 2000). Implications of HR Act 1998 The HR Act 1998 came into force in 2000. From the time it came into force it strengthens and gives effect to the rights and freedoms that are available to all citizens through the ECHR. The HR Act 1998 on its own has not created any new statutory or common law rights, but it places the onus of responsibility on public authorities like government departments, local authorities, borough councils, health authorities and the law enforcement agenci es to take actions in such a way that it is compatible to the rights provided to individuals by ECHR. Furthermore, the HR Act 1998 also makes courts and tribunals duty bound to take into consideration any relevant judgment, decision, declaration or advisory opinion of the European Court of Human Rights into consideration when settling disputes over ECHR conferred rights in the United Kingdom. In such an exercise, it is also necessary for the courts to take into consideration any opinion or decision of the European Commission for Human Rights and the decision of the Committee of Ministers under Article 46 on the jurisdiction of the European Commission for Human Rights. In addition, the reading of primary and subordinate legislation in the United Kingdom must be read in such a way as not to reduce their validity, continuing operation and validity and given effect in a compatible manner to the ECHR (Chandler, 2003). An important distinction has to be borne in mind in that the HR Act of 1998 has only vertical direct effect. This means that only civil servants and public sector undertaking employees can sue their employees, which include government departments, local authorities, borough councils, the police and other public or quasi-public authorities for damages for any believed breaches of their rights guaranteed under ECHR. This avenue is not available for private sector employees. Workers in the private sector having grievances with regard to breach of one or more of their statutory or contractual rights may pray on the basis of a particular right as provide by the ECHR, but cannot bring proceedings against employers solely on the basis of the alleged breach of this right provided by ECHR. However, the can expect the courts in the United Kingdom to interpret the law in a way that foes no harm to their rights guaranteed trough ECHR (Chandler, 2003). Thus full implications of the HR Act 1998 to a certain degree will depend on the manner in which interpretation o f primary and subordinate legislation in the United Kingdom is read against alleged breaches of human rights as guaranteed by the ECHR. Criticism of the HR Act 1998 lies in this aspect, for it is not clearly worded and the English judiciary has been used to examining words in detail, but will now have to examine and interpret on the basis of purpose and intent and also take into consid

Reflective Analysis of Viva Voce

Reflective Analysis of Viva Voce Introduction Viva voce and a reflection, both a requirement for successful completion of the course. For somebody not used to this form of assessment process, it is just but normal to ask oneself what? , why? and how?. Although a brief and complete orientation, description and information was provided in the early part of the curriculum, it is only in the end that I have fully understand its significance to my learning. Through the viva voce and a reflective writing that I was able to evaluate myself in terms of what I have learned? (Knowledge), what I can do? (Skills gained), and what I have become? (Attitude)†¦ A competent practitioner. A highlight that I have to address in the Intensive Care Course. For it is in a reflective practise that we gain new understanding and appreciation (Mann et al. 2009). Description This is a reflective piece about my viva voce that revolves around my care of a 73 year old male referred to as Mr X, 6 hours post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft. As he became hemodynamically compromised, I have discussed Mr. X’s assessment in relation to a normal physiological compensatory mechanism involve and the care given. Review of Mr. X history sheet and assessment details found in appendix 1, was suggestive of hypovolemic shock as further supported by his clinical symptoms. Clinically, it can be classified as mild, moderate or severe (Kelly, 2005). This leads to organ hypoperfusion characterized by tachycardia, hypotension, oliguria, decrease cardiac output and high Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR) as a result of hypovolaemia. It can be due to excessive fluid loss such as haemorrhage, vomiting, diarrhoea, burns or inadequate fluid intake (Adam and Osborne, 2005). Strengths and Areas for Development Stress and anxiety, is always a major predicament that I had been most worried about. I have tried to alleviate this from reading, rehearsing and any other form of preparation needed one would have conceived about. In the end, the anticipation that your next, was the most gruelling. I believe, I was in its entirety at best well prepared, organized and chronological in my presentation of points and information with some hiccups along the way but acceptable although can be overall improve given the situation. Upon presentation of Mr. X’s assessment details and laboratory result, and concluded hypovolaemia as a cause of haemodynamic compromise based on supporting evidences, I, at some point, preceded in the discussion of physiological responses as a result of decrease in cardiac output. This is due to decrease in circulating blood volume. His Haemoglobin level was acceptable and there is no signs of active bleeding. During my discussion, I have mentioned about how low circulating blood volume results in decrease End Diastolic Volume (EDV). This stimulates the baroreceptors located at the aortic arch and carotid sinuses to send signal to the medullary centre of the brain which in turn causes the release of adrenalin and noradrenalin by the action of the adrenal medulla (Jevon and Evens, 2008). This supported why Mr. X is tachycardic. The human body compensates in various ways through the involvement of different organ system working together to establish haemostasis. In renal response I have mentioned the involvement of the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System. Not to be exhaustive with information, this involves the release of renin through the action of the juxtaglomerular cells stimulated because of decrease renal blood flow , which in turn is converted to angiotensin 1 by angiotensinogen. Angiotensin 1 is then transformed by the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) predominantly found in the lungs to Angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor. Furthermore, the release of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex causes increase in renal sodium and water retention. A surge in osmolarity in the blood stimulates the release of Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or vasopressin from the posterior pituitary gland. This results in the reabsorption of solute free water in the distal tubules and collecting system of the kidneys and fu rther stimulates peripheral vasoconstriction (McGloin and McLeod, 2010). With the reabsorption of sodium and water, coupled with vasoconstriction the circulating blood volume is improved thus, result in the increase in the end diastolic volume. This improves muscle contraction of the heart and overall the cardiac output. Hence Mr. X low urine output. Although I felt satisfied about my presentation of cardiac and renal responses to a decrease in cardiac output, my explanation in regards to metabolic acidosis more specifically in the aspect of cellular anaerobic metabolism was somehow lacking in its content. Glucose being a major carbohydrate, is a fuel used by cells in our body. Its metabolism travels through a pathway called glycolysis with the end product referred to as pyruvate, a three carbon acid. Inside the cell with mitochondria and oxidative metabolism, this is converted completely into Co2 and water known as aerobic glycolysis (Baynes, n.d.). In contrary, lactic acid is the end product of anaerobic breakdown of glucose in the tissues during persistent oxygen deprivation secondary to an insult caused by decrease circulating blood volume, and owerwhelming of the bodies buffering abilities (Gunnerson et. al. 2013). These explains why Mr. X lactate shows an increasing pattern with a base excess noted at – 5.9. Familiarity and consistency in my opinion is my area of development. I need to continually update myself with the ever changing needs of the client more so, of the profession. This includes current research based guidelines and policies. From reading books, journals, articles, new discoveries or trends in the field of critical care. More importantly, to continue to look after haemodynamically compromised patients to help facilitate maintain and improve a level of my competency and skills in Intensive care nursing. Implication for Practice With the knowledge and skills that I have gained from the viva voce and looking after clients with haemodynamic instability, supported with theory during lectures and mentoring, I am better able to understand what is happening inside the body as is tries to compensates to maintain haemostasis. More importantly, act upon the needs of the patient, and anticipates interventions with rationales for doing so. With the knowledge and skills that I will be bringing back to the unit, I will be able to help enhance the standard of care through mentorship. References Adam, S. K. and Osbourne, S. (2005) Critical Care Nursing: Science and Practice. Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Baynes, J. W. (n.d.) Anaerobic Metabolism of Glucose in the Red Blood Cells [online] Available from: http://molar.crb.ucp.pt/cursos/1 º e 2 º Ciclos Lics e Lics com Mests/MD/1 ºANO/2 ºSEM/12-UBA5/TPs/TP1/Baynes Cap11- Metabolismo da Glucose.pdf [Accessed12/12/13] Jevon, P. and Ewens, B. (2008) Monitoring of the Critically Ill Patient. Second Edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Kelly, D. M. (2005) Critical Care Nursing. Volume 28, no. 1 pp 2-19. Lippincott. Williams and Williams, inc. Gunnerson, K et al. (2013) Lactic Acidosis[online] Available from: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/167027-overview [Accessed12/12/13] Mann, K., Gordon, J. MacLeod, A. (2009) Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education: a systematic review. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Practice, 14(4), 595-621. doi: 10.1007/s10459-007-9090-2 McGloin, S. and McLeod, A. (2010) Advance Practice in Critical Care – A Case Study Approach. Oxford. Blackwell Publishing Appendix 1 On the start of the shift , received a patient in ITU who is 73 years of age, now 6 hours post CABG. He has been weaned off sedation and now ready for extubation. Pre operatively his echo showed good LV. Upon review of his chart showed a blood pressure of 140/60 mmhg. Now fully awake, proceeded with extubation at 20:30. His risk factors are; prev. MI, HTN, DM type 2, high Cholesterol, smoker and TIA x2. At 22:00 his assessment findings are: HR 110- 120 bpm BP 85/55 mmhg MAP 55-60 mmhg CVP 2 Temp. 36.5 Urine output 25mls/ hr ( Weighs 85kg) GCS : E4V4M6 Mediatinal drain 25mls –serosanguineous Bloods: K+ 4.9 mmol/L Na 143 mmol/L Urea 8 mmol/L Creatinine 80 umol/L Hb. 9.0 g/L Hct 35% WBC 8.4 k/ul ABG’s pH 7.29 pCO2 5.54 kPa pO2 18.4 kPa HCO3 19.4 mmol/L BE -5.9 mmol/L Lactate 1.9 mmol/L He is on maintenance fluids of 85ml/hour 5% Dextrose, 2L of geloplasma cautiously given against CVP and eventually started on Noradrenaline to achieve a MAP of 70mmhg.

The Belbin Exercise :: Business and Management Studies

The Belbin Exercise Introduction During term 1 of our module I took part in 2 exercises and a Belbin test. During the 2 exercises and test I learned many skills and new ideas that will aid me in the future. Report The first element of group work that we did was the Belbin exercise. This was to ascertain you’re most effective ‘group role’. From the results we were arranged into groups which contained a mixture of roles. My role was company worker. I neither agreed nor disagreed with the result as part of me could see the logic behind the result and part of me saw myself with a position of higher authority. I don’t think the way the groups were formed made any difference in the first exercise. Maybe under different circumstances our different roles could have become more apparent. From taking part in the two exercises I have learned that planning is vital to any type of work, especially group work. I think the reason behind this is because without planning nothing is done efficiently. I have also learned that communication is very important; our second exercise was totally dependant on verbal communication. Although we had a slow start we eventually started to communicate effectively and solved the problem very fast. In the first exercise we were in smaller groups, my group contained seven people, including myself. During this exercise all group members contributed evenly. In the second exercise we worked in a much larger group, I noticed that some people didn’t contribute at all and the bulk of the discussion was coming from the same people. Although this happened the exercise was done swiftly and effectively. Good communication skills were demonstrated during the second exercise. Group members put their point across in an orderly way and the other group members listened well and contributed. During this exercise we didn’t necessarily have a strategy but we did operate a good effective system. We had one person that people fed information to, and that person then made notes of the information onto the whiteboard. Once all the information was gathered we were then able to come to a conclusion. My group also showed good communication skills in the first exercise. We had to come up with a group opinion of which person deserved the use of the available kidney machine. The way we came to our decision was to firstly decide a priority order individually, then by using a

Frederick Jackson Turner’s `Frontier Essay

The â€Å"Frontier† is a Turner wrote is â€Å"the outer wave of expansion, the meeting point between savagery and civilization.† When people left settled territory, when people went into often unexplored areas, the weight of society bore less heavily upon them. They went into areas where they had no settled established governments, no institutions like churches, courts of law, and the like. People, in a sense, left civilization behind. They had to find new ways of adjusting, new ways of peaceful coexistence at this â€Å"meeting point between savage and civilization.† This is the historical thinking popularized by Frederick Jackson Turner which laid the foundation of modern American study of American West. According to him, â€Å"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development.† He thought largely that the frontier experience had a lasting and permanent impact on American character and society. When American pioneers escaped and left behind the settled institutions of society, a plunging into the forests, or later into the grasslands of the Great Plains, Turner thought this promoted productive individualism. When people entered areas without established social structures, each person was pretty much on a basis of equality with each other person. On this kind of set up people learn to develop civil and democratic ways of social cooperation. They have to learn how to peacefully co-exist amongst each other. This made Turner generalize that democracy sprang from this – free land, and of free, self-reliant individuals moving out on to lands unknown learning the tricks and trade of how to get along with one another. So is this what Turner really meant by the word â€Å"frontier†? If you just take a first glance, he seemed to be spousing a kind of geographical determinism, an idea or a notion that â€Å"free land bred free individuals†; that the geography itself and the way in which people reacted to that geography produced democratic equality and a democratic form of government. Settlers in a new geographical terrain learned to innovate and find ways. Where there were not adequate lakes or rivers, they dug wells. Where the grass land plains did not allow for settled farming, they invented barbed wire to hedge in cattle, to hedge in sheep. These and other various learning experiences seem to be the result of human beings acting as innovators in response to geography. The land itself, Turner seemed to say, made human beings more self-reliant. And self-reliance is at the core of the American democratic experience, or so we have long told ourselves. But as I see it, geography might have something to do with it but not solely. The development of democracy and civilization is a far more a complicated process. I would say much of it would be social development itself. Turner might be right in identifying a certain event in history at a specific location crucial social development occurred which propels modern civilization to where it is now but what I am saying is that it can happen anywhere in the world and not just in a certain specified area. References Schultz, Stanley K. and Tishler, William P., â€Å"American History 102 (Civil War to Present)†. Copyright 2004 University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents pg 4. Retrieved February 3, 2007

American Interventions Since World War Ii Essay

Since 1940, the United States has a long history of foreign interventions, long since leaving behind its former isolationism. Its motives have included the urge to fight fascist aggression, the desire to contain communism’s spread (and protect American economic interests), and preserving American access to plentiful Middle Eastern oil. Before December 1941, much of the American public favored isolation from world affairs, especially in the wake of World War I, to many a pointless conflict. However, others looked warily at the spread of fascism and militarism in Europe and eastern Asia. President Franklin Roosevelt believed by 1938 that the conflict would eventually draw in the United States, and he wanted to assist the United Kingdom in its war against Germany (which it fought with virtually no help beyond American aid programs like Lend-Lease). Roosevelt, aware that many Americans were wary of another futile war, framed the conflict in moral terms, presenting Hitler’s fascism and Japan’s militarism as evils that needed eradication by the forces of democracy. He cautiously began preparing the nation for war by expanding the armed forces and defense economy, aiding the British, and imposing embargoes on oil and metal sales to Japan, vainly hoping that Japan’s military-run government would desist from its aggressive expansion throughout eastern Asia. The Cold War began almost immediately after World War II, giving the United States no real opportunity to revert to isolationism. By mid-1945, the Soviet army had already occupied much of eastern and central Europe, claiming its right to â€Å"buffer nations† and using a dying Roosevelt’s agreement at Yalta to justify their domination of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and much of the Balkan region. Very quickly, the Soviet Union began expanding its assisting communist rebels in various nations, and the United States saw a threat not only to its own dominance but also to capitalist economies abroad (many tied to American economic interests). Aware that much of Europe was devastated and impoverished by the war (and thus vulnerable to Soviet influence), the Truman administration actively intervened in European affairs with aid packages like the Marshall Plan, the Truman doctrine (which led to American intervention in Greece and Turkey, where communist insurgents actively sought control and the British were unable to cope), and the creation of NATO as a military response to the Soviets. The Cold War also drove the United States to intervene further in Asia, after the communist takeover in China in 1949 and the outbreak of hostilities between North and South Korea in 1950 (which turned into a sort of proxy war between the United States and China). After a cease-fire halted the Korean conflict in 1953 (indeed, it has not officially ended and American troops remain there in large numbers), the United States followed the policy of containment, initially outlined in 1946 by George Kennan NSC-68 document. Accepting the existence of both the Soviet Union and China, American policy aimed to prevent communist expansion into other nations, particularly the newly-independent Third World nations that had been European colonies before 1945. This often involved behind-the-scenes support of various regimes (sometimes democratic, often authoritarian and repressive) Though Lyndon Johnson framed the Vietnam War in Cold War terms, using the â€Å"domino theory† to argue that halting communism in southeast Asia was pivotally important, the conflict’s roots lay in the mid-1940s, when the Vietnamese declared independence from France and fought an eight-year war for liberation, ending with France’s defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The United States, which began providing aid to France as early as 1950, increasingly viewed Vietnam’s fight to reunify under Ho Chi Minh through the lens of Cold War thinking, and Johnson approached the war as a battle against communist expansion, rather than as a guerrilla war for national liberation and unity. In the Middle East, American interventions generally concerned both the region’s rich oil supplies and the nation of Israel, whose independence the United States recognized within minutes of its declaration in 1948. American support for Israel was motivated in part by Truman’s sympathy for the Jews, given their horrific experiences under Nazism) complicated relations with Arab states and incurred long-lasting Arab mistrust of the United States. In addition, the United States (being the world’s largest oil consumer) was eager to protect the region’s vast oil fields from the Soviets and drove the United States to support dictators such as the Shah of Iran and later Iraq’s Saddam Hussein – with negative consequences in both cases. When communism ended as an international threat, American leadership increasingly viewed Arab extremism as the new threat to its hegemony. The Gulf War of 1990-1991 grew from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, which upset the region’s political status quo and jeopardized the West’s access to Kuwaiti oil. The current conflict in Iraq is a continuation of this, as well as an effort to assert American authority in a region which has long regarded the United States with suspicion and disdain. Economic and geopolitical motives were the chief factors behind American interventions abroad after 1940. The United States entered World War II to fight fascist aggression and expansion, while the Cold War was a struggle against both growing communist influence and the resulting threats to global capitalism and Vietnam transformed from efforts to help a colonial power to a Cold War fight. Finally, American activity in the Middle East has been motivated by a desire to keep the region a stable and dependable source of oil, as well as a desire to combat Muslim extremists aiming to undermine American domination. REFERENCES Boyer, Paul S. et al. The Enduring Vision. Third edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Goldfield, David et al. The American Journey. Third edition. Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005.

Best Book Blogs for Avid Readers

Best Book Blogs for Avid Readers For those of us lost in the world of fiction, the question will always be, What should I read next? To that end, we search the depths of second-hand bookstores. We scour our local libraries, or the Amazon best-seller list and recommended purchases. We do this not simply to find a book that we will enjoy, but almost always to find a novel which strikes the same spark in our heart as the last masterpiece (the one which has now been read so often and so thoroughly that the pages have come loose in their binding).To that end, Silent Book Club, Bookanista and Book Smugglers are here to help. These three websites scratch the itch of the endlessly-reading reader; and they provide more than just a blog – they provide a cozy community of fellow readers.Silent Book ClubSilent Book Club is a website for readers like us (often introverted, sometimes too introverted) to come together and discuss their current favorite novels, and to find the next piece of fiction that really blows us away. The website boasts more than thirty active chapters, from London, England to Nagoya, Japan, which come together (usually monthly) to discuss their latest read. Silent Book Club has an active Facebook group, and they post regularly on Instagram and Twitter.For those of us with our fingers on the pulse of the book world, Silent Book Clubs use of social media is indispensable. It keeps its readers up to date on events, meetups and attractions in the world of reading and publishing. Still, the book club is growing, and though it has already stretched worldwide, the presence of a chapter in your hometown might be lacking. No matter! Silent Book Club will help you set up your own official chapter, and help you create a new tradition (your own personal meetup) in your neighborhood.This all seems too good to be true, and of course, cynical minds immediately begin whirring: we ask questions about where the site finds its profits, or what supports this community. The answer is that they run a small merchandise shop, and those proceeds go toward supporting volunteers, which keep the whole community running smoothly. Its a cute little e-shop with a selection of kitschy bookmarks, postcards and handbags (and, of course, the occasional book).Other than these optional purchases to support the community, all the services offered by the silent book club are free of charge. In fact, without even submitting an e-mail address, you can browse their calendar of meetups and find the one nearest you. This great community provides the opportunity, without commitment, for us to crawl out of our favorite arm-chair (the one we sunk into years ago and have now fortified with a particular side-table for our tea, an arm upon which the cat perches, and a bag at the side filled with knitting projects).On top of this call to action, to bring us out to the meetups, the silent book club boasts a warm blog: a welcome resource for readers. Each article is written by volunteers from the various si lent book club chapters, and if you start your own chapter, then you can contribute to the blog yourself. Though often insightful, because of the volunteer nature of the contributions, updates are sporadic – sometimes they come too fast to keep up with, and other times lag to only a single update each month. Still, when the articles are posted, they offer unique insight into the author of the post, and that writers book club.One recent article, written by the organizer of the Portland, Maine chapter, gives a wonderful overview of influential poets throughout the years. It was written for poetry month and includes excerpts by which to judge each of the poets, and gauge ones interest before delving more deeply into their works.Most articles discuss comfortable topics like what to read next and offer insightful critiques written on new works of fiction. Others delve into matters of political interest, in the reading and writing world. For example, a short series of posts called Read the World, gives details about historical publishing in nations and geographic areas, and suggests where one might begin if they want to explore the fiction of a certain area. Further still, other posts discuss the rise of audiobooks, and their place in the silent book club; they give details on how to host your own silent book club, and what makes the meetups successful. Other articles address the We Will Not Be Silent campaign, which offers a toolbox to activists, as well as hard-hitting subjects such as the effect of literature on children and on developing minds.Finally, I have personally found Silent Book Clubs presence on Facebook to be incredibly beneficial. The core Facebook group @silentbookclub is one resource: it offers updates on all the events which the silent book club promotes, and it helps us introverts look ahead to getting out of the house (and plan out our busy week so we can make time for the meetups); it brings book news like releases and author interviews conveniently into our Facebook feed; and it gives the opportunity (without being pushy) to participate in demonstrations or political activism.Beyond this core group, however, are a network of smaller silent book club groups, one for each chapter. These are usually beyond amazing. Just by making a quick search in Facebook, I stumbled on three silent book club chapters, all with very active Facebook groups. One was in my home city, and each of the other two were within quick driving distance. These sub-communities are the result of the natural branching and expanding of a good idea. Like a good book, readers know that a good idea should be shared.BookanistaThe writers at Bookanista.com refer to their site as a web magazine (as opposed to a blog). This professional demeanour isnt simply a pretentious grab for new readers: their posts are closer to scholarly journal entries than the topical discussions of many bloggers, and they take a deep dive into each discussion.That being said, it s less likely that youll find a new read in a quick skim of Bookanista. The themes and discussions on the site are often much wider, addressing issues of mental illness and gender in novels, and delving into ideas such as ambiguity in writing, and the pitfalls of considering everyone who writes a poem, a poet. With an archive stretching back to 2015, and an extensive collection of short stories and extracts, Bookanista has content to spare. There is bound to be something on the site which snags any readaholics imagination, and because of their reputation, Bookanista is often one of the first sites to get review copies and exclusive excerpts from new authors.Similarly, if you are the kind of reader who devours all the works of an author before moving on, but youve run out of your favorite writers works, then Bookanista might be able to find you a new literary love. Their author interviews are a source of insight into the latest trends in publishing and up-coming novels. They often ob scure the work itself in favor of addressing the authors method, or their stylistic choices. Rather than attempt to describe the works of each author, they let the novels and short stories speak for themselves, publishing short pieces of fiction alongside interviews and articles. Everything on Bookanista is free, and well worth a look.The Book SmugglersTheBookSmugglers.com describe themselves as, A book review blog specializing in speculative fiction and popgeekery for all ages since 2008; A digital-first publisher of speculative fiction and nonfiction since 2014; the 2017 Hugo Nominee for best Semiprozine; and a duo of awesomely badass book nerds. Their blog posts focus on new works, but especially science fiction and fantasy. For those looking for their next great read, their current headlining article is a piece called X Marks the Story, which seeks to pair the reader with excellent short fiction, to hopefully bridge the gap between great novels.On top of their blog, the book smu gglers are a publishing house with a focus on digital press. They offer book reviews for newly published novels, and support authors by showing off full and partial works on their site, in addition to longer works published by the book smuggler online imprint.Like Bookanista, the book smugglers host a collection of short fiction on their site in a section called Gods and Monsters. This section is worth a quick look, and if you are a fantasy or science fiction buff, it warrants a much longer look. The short stories included in Gods and Monsters are each written by different authors, but always play with similar themes. From religion, to humanity, to serial killers or werewolves, each story is focussed on gods and monsters, either literally or figuratively (or both). Just a quick glance at this portion of the site will find you in the company of dozens of well-polished, professionally edited shorter fictions.The wider communityThe blogs discussed here are not where these communities e nd. Silent book club, Bookanista and The Book Smugglers have a network of readers which place an emphasis on doing. Each of these sites is concerned with getting out of your chair and making change alongside like-minded individuals – or just on getting out of the house and swapping books with new friends. To this end, Silent Book Club is anything but silent within the Twitterverse. They have cultivated a massive network of friendships, bringing together dozens of sites, each with a similar attitude towards reading. Each of these three excellent blogs boast very active Twitter handles. Silent Book Club at @readwinerepeat, @bookanista, and @booksmugglers bring together a wealth of related content and inspiring images. Browsing through their combined Twitter profiles is a sure method to link a reader to a community in their geographic area, or a cause which interests them and brings them out of their shell. We all have something which gets us fired up and out of the house, and t hese communities provide valuable links to those places and people which help to establish communities of readers.In short, reading can be isolating, but it can also be the bridge of shared experience that brings like-minded individuals together in service of a cause, or to discuss the matters which are important to us. Getting out of our arm chair may be a bit uncomfortable, but so long as it means a quiet read, with those who had to struggle out of their own comfy armchair; and as long as it means a glass of good wine, and the presence of good companions; as long as the silent book club, Bookanista and the book smugglers are asking these things of us, I think we can find some time to meet in the real world (or at the very least on twitter), even if it is only to discuss the fictional worlds we love.