TOW #21 - IRB

The second half of Fear Itself, written by Rush W. Dozier, was much less exciting than the first. Dozier used a wide variety of ways to explain the emotion of fear and its effects--ranging from the chemical composition and happenings in the human brain to personal experiences in his own life--in the first half of his book. Due to this variety, it was an interesting and unique read. However, he repeated those strategies for the remainder of Fear Itself, instead of applying new ones. It was almost like reading an autobiography rather than an extended explanation of everything about fear. Despite the lack of personal appeal, his rhetorical strategies were objectively effective. Through the application of real-life situations to the mechanics behind fear, Dozier made it easier for the reader to relate to his writing. For example, he describes a moment in which he is driving, and his life is threatened by a reckless driver. With this common example, Dozier analyzed the consequences of the adrenaline that would rush through our blood. Also, by avoiding the use of too much technical jargon and utilizing casual and easy word-choice, he makes his writing a reader-friendly environment. With the reader's comfort comes the reader's understanding of the subject at hand, which is critical for the description of the abstract concept of fear. Fear Itself wasn't the most pleasant read, but it was still a different experience and a great opportunity to reflect upon fear's effect on my life.

TOW #20 - IRB

Fear Itself, by Rush W. Dozier, Jr, was definitely a unique read. I expected to read about about the emotion of fear from a completely objective view, but Dozier included his own experiences and studies within the facts and statistics he observed in order to explain the phenomenon behind fear. It was amazing to see all the different ways he used those experiences to explain the nature of fear and how it controls our decisions, lives, and ultimately, our world. He first began with a straightforward definition of fear by defining and describing it. Then, by inputting his own experiences and fascination of fear, he further explained its nature and effects on our minds and actions. Throughout the second chapter, Dozier mainly used scientific reasoning and facts to explain the biological process behind the emotion of fear. While his word choice, which generally consisted of medical jargon of parts of the human brain, made it hard to understand everything, Dozier showed his proficient knowledge in the subject. We live our lives with fear subconsciously controlling our actions, yet don't understand how it works, both biologically and mentally. By reading Fear Itself, Dozier can explain everything, from the changes in our brain and nervous system to the psychological effects.