American values are a tricky thing. It seems that the value set changes with each individual. "American pragmatism is actually rooted in deeply held anti-authoritarian, individualistic, egalitarian, activist ideals, which privilege personal choice, flexibility, and technical efficiency with the ...

Story I: "DuPont: Down on the Plant" "When Dick Knowles arrived as Belle's new plant manager in April of 1987, he knew he faced an uphill battle, both to get the plan working efficiently again and thus avoid the loss of jobs, and to heal the relationship with the surrounding community." Dick Kn...

No matter who you are, where you grew up, or what you look like, there was a time in your life or there will be a time in your life where you feel the demand of excellence from society. Could you imagine being a professional athlete? They not only feel the pressure that they bestow upon themselves, ...

The Two Walls in Mending Wall It is arguable that the self-righteous speaker of "Mending Wall" is himself obsessively committed to wall building, far more intractably and instinctively committed than his cliche-bound neighbor. While the speaker of "Mending Wall" justifiably castigates his unth...

The "Edutained" American You may try to deny it; many of us do. We are our own people, with our own thoughts, feelings, and opinions. We are individuals, and nothing influences us without our knowledge and permission. Certainly not the media; we create the media, after all, ...

Mothering is a wonderful job, no doubt about it. It is so wonderful and a huge responsibility, especially for a single parent. Undoubtedly there are some days, that mom's just feel as if the world's weighing down on their shoulders. There can be many reasons for feeling burned out and frustrate...