After the Fall

Product Information

Overcoming Fear: The story shows Humpty Dumpty overcoming his fear of heights, an essential aspect of developing a growth mindset. At the core of this complex, ambitious book is a simple truth: we are living at a historical inflection point. The currents of history are sweeping us all in the wrong direction – toward autocracy, toward technological dystopia, toward collapse – as a direct consequence of the past three decades of American hegemony, but it's not yet too late to reverse course. To do so, Americans invested in the victory of democracy over autocracy must forge solidarity with (and learn from) others struggling against authoritarianism, corruption, and injustice around the world. Dan Santat’s creative, cute, and inspiring story answers everything from: What was Humpty doing up on that wall to begin with? to Where is Humpty Dumpty now? The answers just might make perfect sense!!! And add a layer of character and complete-ness to Humpty Dumpty’s story. Static and Dynamic Characters – In the original nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty is a rather simple or static character, having no attributes or action other than falling off a wall. Santat’s story reconstructs (pun intended) Humpty Dumpty into a dynamic character, one with complexity and agency. Engage students in an inquiry about static and dynamic characters in traditional tales. What makes a character dynamic and gives a character complexity and depth? Have students do the same with characters in other genres (e.g., biography, contemporary realistic fiction, fantasy, etc.). After exploring qualities and examples of dynamic characters, challenge students to reconstruct traditional tales to make the main characters more dynamic. You might have them write and illustrate a fractured version of the tale (i.e., a traditional tale that has been modified with an unexpected twist), write and perform a dramatic enactment of the tale, or create a poem or song about the character. Encourage them to employ the mode of representation in which they are strongest so that students can succeed in this activity and see a variety of ways their thinking can be represented. Hungary is a country that was an open democracy that turns to a largely authoritarian one in a short time period. They were greatly affected by the 2008 financial crisis (thanks America). He spends a lot of his section on Russia highlighting conversations with Alex Navalny who has continued to be in the news post-poisoning. Now is the case with many leaders that there is an enchantment/obsession with the past, but it is a fictional reality. He then pivots in the last section about the rise of China in the world. He quotes Adam Schiff who compares Putin's Russia as a threat of a wounded animal, while China is a threat of a growing, strengthening, burgeoning power. There is a huge emphasis on the importance of technology, and the power and influence of Chinese money around the world. With Trump abandoning international influence, it left a vacuum for China to fill.

Activity: Ask students to keep a ‘Persistence Diary,' noting down instances where they didn't give up. This exercise encourages self-reflection and fosters an understanding of the role of persistence in personal growth. Rhodes sees the cycle "between autocracy and democracy, the powerful and the oppressed, corrupted system and the uncorrupted masses," but holds onto the hope that, overall, the world arcs toward justice. The After the Fall book presents a tale of resilience, courage, and how a growth mindset helps Humpty overcome his fears. After the Fall activities include:

BR

The little boy is Finn, one of Martha’s twin sons. He’s prone to sleepwalking, so at first it’s easy to suppose his fall is a tragic accident. That’s how After the Fall begins. The rest of this compelling novel charts the complex family dynamics that led up to Finn’s fall. It becomes clear that Martha has a secretive past, and one that’s about to destroy her family.

Values like equality are no longer the business of governments around the world, they have been left to individuals to defend.~ from After the Fall by Ben Rhodes Embracing Failure: Humpty Dumpty's fall and subsequent recovery illustrate that failure isn't the end but a step towards success, reinforcing the concept of a growth mindset. Harry (12): (2.5 stars). I like how he transformed himself into a bird, but the story wasn't the best we read. His main thesis is that we are living in the world America made. And everything that has transpired in the last decades since the Cold War is molded American action or inaction, by our aspirations and our hypocrisy, by our economic impact and cultural domination. However, we have been on a path of self imposed war on itself and continued self destruction. And in the places that we fall, political and economic forces surge to fill our place. China, Russia and Hungary are specifically given an analysis. I gained the most from his analysis of China. The reason I have always been interested in the relationship between the US and China and the immense power being wielded by these two countries. China is rapidly overtaking the US in influence, economic and cultural power in the world. The era that we are entering is one that China will bring. Take this as you will, but it can't be denied.On the Obama whitewash part, sample this. While talking about the US support for Saudi interventions in Yemen, he writes, "Obama was ambivalent but he was ultimately persuaded that by participating, we could be a moderating force on the Saudis". How innocent! He attributes all that Obama failed to do to the Republican control of Congress. Rhodes travels the world, focusing on Hong Kong, Hungary, and Russia. He finds dissidents in each country who speak to their struggles...and Rhodes draws the connections to our own country...All three of these countries have watched and taken lessons from our free-wheeling behavior. They have been turned over to heartless despots who worship power. And these leaders have weaponized their economies, social media, and militaries. Desperate for a second chance, Martha and Kit decide to emigrate to New Zealand. Kit is a talented artist, and he dreams of fulfilling his potential out there. Working so hard in London to provide for his family, he’s had no time to paint and longs for a fresh start. After the Fall” is a story about determination, having a growth mindset, perseverance, and courage. It is inevitable that we will all experience fear in our lives. Fear can feel overwhelming and prevent us from achieving our goals. “After the Fall,” really helps to open the conversation about how to overcome fears and achieve success. While the story shows that it is okay to fail, it highlights the importance of determination and perseverance as well. There are so many amazing discussions and activities that you can do after reading this book. Here are a few suggestions… Skills to teach with “After the Fall”:

Fell a bit flat. Essentially I think the high-quality parts of this book is that it demystifies the lifestyle Rhodes talks about, and it’s occasional summaries of global politics. It’s easy to glamorize being in a position power or influence, I think it’s less common to understand the banality that can accompany those in those positions. After the Fall is a 6 Star gem for me! It had the perfect blend of meaning and heart and unique-ness. I loved it! The After the Fall book doesn't explicitly state all the details. For example, Humpty Dumpty's transformation into a bird symbolizes his overcoming of fear. After the Fall activities include:

Customer reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed Ben Rhodes's memoir about his time in the Obama administration The World As It Is which was a nice mix of personal memoir and information about what was going on during the Obama years with an emphasis on foreign policy. Most of the other memoirs I've read from that era focused more on domestic issues. Ben's newest book After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made focuses on how the world has changed in the years since the 2016 election, as well as earlier factors that now can clearly be seen as earlier signs. We have taken American exceptionalism for granted, and now America and the world are being polarized. American inventions, such as popular social media networks now can be used for propaganda and are echo chambers. There is a rise of authoritarianism and nationalism in the world. Rhodes highlights these changes in three countries: Hungary, Russia, and China.