Keep dock, top menu, and the X-+ buttons always on in full screen mode Is there a way to keep the bottom dock, top menu (that currently has an Apple logo, Safari, File, etc.) as well as the three control buttons (exit, mini-, and maximize) on at all times when in full screen mode?

I would like to be looking at an application while not being distracted by other open windows and/or the desktop but I would also like to have the above listed commands available so that shifting between open apps is a one- (click the app in the dock) rather than a two-step (restore current app + click the app in the dock) process.

In other words, I would like the same behavior as in Microsoft and Linux KDE.  I consider my existing setup to be less ergonomic, at least to my taste, than the other two and also do not see why it couldn't be accommodated in Mac OS.  Is there a way to do it and how?
You might just use non-full screen windows and maximize them to fill the screen.

Take a look at applications like Slate, ShiftIt, or Moom, or see this question.