ELEC 400, Fall 2001
Kozick & Mastascusa
Essay: Reflections on Books, Films, and PWM Project
Date Assigned: Monday, November 19, 2001
Date Due: Monday, December 10, 2001
Please reflect on the following things that we did this semester:
- the two books we read: The Soul of a New Machine and
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into
Values;
- the two films we watched:
Fat Man and Little Boy and October Sky;
- the pulse-width modulator proposal, design, and implementation.
What have you learned from these activities that are important
for your design project next semester and
for your career after graduation?
We would like you to think carefully about your experiences and write
an individual (not team) essay on this topic.
Here are some questions to help you begin to process your
experiences.
- The two books, two films, and your PWM experience contain
several overlapping themes.
What things are consistent in all of them, and
what things are not consistent?
- For example, teamwork is one of the common themes.
The four motorcycle travelers in Part 1 of
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
might be considered a team, and they experience several stages
as they travel to their destination.
(Teamwork is not the main focus of this book, though!)
Please discuss the difference between those people
that understand motorcycle maintenance and those people that have
no interest in understanding motorcycle maintenance.
Can you relate these observations to your friends at Bucknell and elsewhere?
The length of your essay must be less than 10 pages,
with double spacing and 12-point font.
If you missed either of the films, we can arrange for you to watch them.
Thank you.