Lady Macbeths Character Analysis

Lady Macbeths Character At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is very eager on taking the throne and would do anything in order to get it, even. She is also very controlling over her husband and demanding. We first see Lady Macbeth in the play when she is reading a letter from macbeth who is explaining what his future holds from him according to the three witches, which is that he will take on the throne. Lady Macbeth already is very ambitious about this and starts to plan to kill King Duncan. She says ‚‘‘ Hie thee hither,That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;‘‘ This suggests that she is controlling and whatever she tells Macbeth she will easily persuade and control him to kill king Duncan. Lady macbeth is suggesting that her maternal instincts and her nurturing nature is stopping her from killing King Duncan. She says ‚‘‘ Unsex me here and full me from the crown to the toe, come to my woman breasts and take my milk for gall‘‘. This suggests shes wanting to get rid of her feminity, so she can actually be evil without feeling guilty and that take her milk which she would used to care for her child into poison. She then struggles to overcome her feminity and makes Macbeth kill King Duncan. She then sees the throne in sight and is extremely happy about this but Macbeth’s conscience fights with him making him feel guilty and regret what he has done. The Blood is a

Essay on Assisted Suicide

The Ongoing Historical Debate Of Euthanasia The word euthanasia originates from two Greek words, meaning â€Å"good death†. In the most natural state, euthanasia defines a death positively sought after for mankind, in the act of dying and ultimately death. Unfortunately, the term historically and currently leads to debate and manipulation to insinuate a criminal act. World civilizations must remember the crimes of the past, and fear misplaced power as currently occurring in Darfur, however, the horror of genocide does not belong in the euthanasia debate.The arguments originate from cultural, religious and social values and dictate as well as interfere with the ability to experience a â€Å"good death†. For decades, the world has been experiencing a battle between the advocates and opponents of legalizing euthanasia. While the Euthanasia Act released November 2011 by the Royal Dutch Medical Association outlined new guidelines, there are histories and past cases that need to be studied to fully understand possible implications.The legalization of assisted suicide has increased debate regarding a slippery slope effect due to a turbulent history and the misguided dogma that it will lead to involuntary euthanasia. Historically, the ongoing controversy regarding the slippery slope effect and its pertinence to those who are curable, have surrounded euthanasia placing the experience of dying with dignity, for the terminally ill in jeopardy. An article titled, The Unleashing of the Destruction of Life Devoid of Value, categorizes people who are to be eliminated.The book written by two Germans in 1920, Carl Binding, a doctor of jurisprudence and philosophy, and Alfred Hoche, a medical doctor, labeled burdensome people as â€Å"incurable idiots, mere caricatures of true men whose death create no vacuum. † The book and its contentions are later exemplified, by both the defense and offense, as the origin for condoning the genocidal Holocaust of Nazi Ger many in the late 1940’s. Consequently, Nazi Germany proclaimed that the origins of humane euthanasia began prior to Nazi terrorism.Advancements in knowledge and strict guidelines have increased since the early 1900’s; therefore history will not repeat itself, and the original intent of euthanasia can be realized devoid of a slippery slope effect. Slippery Slope arguments have been on the forefront in the euthanasia decriminalization debate since the 1930’s. In the 1930’s, a prophesized slippery slope included the potential for a lack of medical advances to discover a cure for incurable diseases. The medical doctor pledges the Hippocratic Oath to protect and prolong life, but also to relieve suffering.Slippery slope controversies are based on the supposition that despite the fact the law mandates restrictions, parameters will be blurred based upon human nature. The concerns should be navigated and acknowledged, but not dictate the fear of change. Controver sies surround the act of dying. Currently, medical development in technology has been increasingly successful in the treatment to prolong life and perpetually relieve pain. The question arises concerning the patient’s rights in making life-sustaining decisions.Public support of painless euthanasia for the terminally ill has increased dramatically. A survey conducted by Blendon and colleagues illustrated that 34 percent in 1950 were in favor, 53 percent in 1973 and 63 percent in 1991. The contemporary issue of assisted suicide exposes deep historical roots by Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras. The philosophers maintained favor of merciful death, yet condemned murder and suicide. While Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras historically acknowledged support of euthanasia in the advent of a painful terminal disease, all condemned suicide for other reasons.A branch of Ancient Greece, the Stoics and Roman Philosophy, also accepted euthanasia when pain from a terminal illness became intoler able. However, the initial reign of Christianity in the Roman Empire dramatically altered these views and judged euthanasia intolerable, based upon the Sixth Commandment of, â€Å"Thou shalt not kill†. Saint Augustine’s religious belief dictated that the suffering of an individual as pre- ordained by God and to deny that divine power as an unpardonable sin.The Renaissance period, following the fourteenth century, experienced a softening of belief, the Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More, advocated voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill. He published, in Utopia, during 1516 that euthanasia as defined for the terminally ill would be a reality in an ideal society. Up until the end of the 1800’s and during the early 1900’s, physicians considered the discussion of euthanasia as a viable option for painful, terminal illness. Not until the advent and repercussions of Nazi Germany, Hitler and the Holocaust did the discussions concerning pro-euthanasia cease.The comfort of the term euthanasia and its intent became an evil crime of horror. The Holocaust claimed 6 million Jews and 3 million gypsies, under the erroneous premise of ethnic cleansing, forever altering the definition and intent of euthanasia. This act does not define euthanasia, it defines murder, yet has become a strong premise in the contemporary debate against humane euthanasia. The evil of Nazi Germany will not be forgotten and the fear of misplaced power should remain, however, it does not have a rightful position in the arguments concerning euthanasia for the terminally ill.The current contemporary issue regarding the Darfur Genocide profoundly illustrates misplaced power and genocide, not euthanasia. Tremendous medical and technological improvements during the late 1950s made it possible to sustain life in terminally ill patients and those in vegetative states for extended periods of time. These medical advancements brought quality-of-life issues to the forefront. The Patie nt’s Bill of Rights written in 1973 by the American Hospital Association grants the patient the right to reject medicine with informed consent.The United States Constitution also awards citizens the right of freedom of choice, and being in control of one’s life. Oregon became the first state to legalize assisted suicide through the Death with Dignity Act in 1998 and since then 460 people have died via this option. Washington passed the Death with Dignity Act in 2008 with 57. 91 percent approval under the voter initiative I-1000. As of March 4, 2010, 36 people have self-administered the lethal medication via physician’s prescription in Washington State. There have been 63 prescriptions filled, but some opted not to exercise this option, dying via their terminal illness.As of 2012 the only other state to legalize euthanasia for the terminally ill is Montana. The greatest misunderstanding relating to the Death with Dignity Act comes from a common misuse of the term â€Å"assisted suicide. † The power of language and the use of the word â€Å"suicide† exemplify a scare tactic used by those opposed to the law. Suicide identifies a desperate act and generally executed in secrecy. The connotations that are created in religion and moral values regarding suicide are not present. Suicide intentionally ends one’s own life, ending an open-ended life span.Death with dignity enables a choice to shorten an inescapable, impending and painful death of a person who desperately wants to live, but that option does not exist. The choice allows control and dignity in the process of dying. The Act provides a sense of peace, enables communication with healthcare professionals and loved ones; though there still will be sadness it can permit a celebration of one’s life. To support and legally allow a terminally ill person the option to choose the timing for the end of their life illustrates an act of humanity.The pain inherent in the ter minally ill is meaningless, eternal and doomed to dramatically increase. A valid measurement does not exist to determine the degree of pain experienced by an individual. Medications relieve a limited amount of the pain, however, medications have proven grossly inadequate in certain cases. A man suffering from prostate cancer said, â€Å"The medication puts me to sleep. As soon as I wake up there’s pain. If I can’t live free of the pain, I’m not living at all, simply existing. † Another patient suffering from pancreatic cancer stated, †I would never have believed that there could be such pain.I am a different person. It's like having a new set of neurons implanted in my brain, each one producing as much pain as it can. And here I am enjoying the best of American medicine. I am ready to go now. † Indisputably, there are increased advances in studies and medicine; however, there reaches a point when the excessive pain becomes unbearable for the p atient. Currently, the contemporary debate continues in the United States, especially amongst religious entities strongly opposing the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon and Washington states.Many religious traditions remain faithful to ancient teachings and beliefs concerning the physical side of life and death. Modern technology and science have discovered new insights and helped some leaders of faith to reconsider. Terminal illness and disease are no longer as large a mystery. Barbara Coombs Lee, President of Compassion ; Choices, a group for the advocacy of aid in dying, has fought against the Catholic Church and their staunch undermining of The Death With Dignity Act.The Catholic Church instigated a movement, To Live Each Day with Dignity; this movement’s intent aggressively increases the assault on end-of-life choices. For many Catholics, the Pope’s directive mandates the final word, a word that directs a judgment without introspection and self thought. Evangelical , Mormon, Protestant and unaffiliated religions also have profiles that dictate their vote. Religious proponents of The Death with Dignity Act religious proponents believe godliness does not exist in allowing a terminally ill person to experience needless suffering.The future of legalized euthanasia will be dependent upon the guidelines, boundaries and law in place to prevent the abuse of euthanasia and honoring it, as was originally intended, a â€Å"good death†. Euthanasia in its true form negates a criminal act as believed by certain cultural, social and religious entities. However, Scott Robinson states in, To Go Among the Saracens, â€Å"Yet the human situation is characterized, above all, by â€Å"forgetfulness,† or â€Å"heedlessness. † Historically, the criminal acts regarded, as euthanasia during Hitler’s reign must be remembered.The slippery slope effect concerning involuntary euthanasia exists as a misguided dogma in the historical debate of l egalizing assisted suicide. Consequently, an ongoing political battle will continue throughout the world concerning the contemporary issue of euthanasia. Scientifically, thorough research and philosophical analysis will progress, thus adding to the political dimension and enhancing a deeper understanding of the issue. Bibliography Admiraal, Pieter. â€Å"Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide. † Accessed November 12, 2012. http://biology. franklincollege. du/bioweb/Biology/course_p/bioethics/Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. doc. Barber, Melissa. â€Å"Death With Dignity Isn't Suicide. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center, April 25, 2011. http://www. deathwithdignity. org/2011/04/25/death-dignity-isnt-suicide (accessed Novmeber 11, 2012). Simon, Rita J. â€Å"Euthanasia and The Right to Die: Overview. †Ã‚  ABC-CLIO Understanding Controversy and Society. http://issues. abc-clio. com/Topics/Display/913372? cid=41;terms=Euthanasia and the Right to Die (accessed October 1, 2012). Lafolette, Hugh. â€Å"Living On a Slippery Slope. † The Journal of Ethics. 9. no. /4 (2005): 475-499. http://www. jstor. org/stable/25115837? seq=1 (accessed October 1, 2012). McKhann, Charles F. Time to Die: The Place for Physician Assistance. Michigan: Yale University Press, 1999. http://washingtonstate. worldcat. org/oclc/47009260 Neumann, Ann. â€Å"The Nation: Keeping the Right to Die Alive. †Ã‚  The Nation, June 16, 2011. (accessed December 6, 2012). http://www. npr. org/2011/06/16/137217016/the-nation-keeping-the-right-to-die-alive â€Å"Religion and Spirituality. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center. http://www. deathwithdignity. org/historyfacts/religion (accessed December 7, 2012).Robinson, Scott. â€Å"To Go Among the Saracens: A Franciscan Composer's Journey into the House of Islam . †Ã‚  Cross Currents. ( 2007): 417, 420. https://lms. wsu. edu/section/default. asp? id=2012-fall-PULLM-HISTORY-105-28593-LEC (accessed November 11, 2012). S. Frileux, C. Lelievre, M. T. Munoz Sastre, E. Mullet and P. C. Sorum, . â€Å"When is Physician Assisted Suicide or Euthanasia Acceptable?. † Journal Of Medical Eithics. 29. no. 6 (2003): 330-336. http://www. jstor. org/stable/27719114? seq=3 (accessed October 1, 2012). Schaab, Patrick. â€Å"Mercy killings or uncontrolled murder?. â€Å"The Timaru Herald, , sec.National, September 18, 2012. http://www. lexisnexis. com/lnacui2api/results/docview/docview. do? docLinkInd=true;risb=21_ (accessed November 13, 2012). â€Å"Washington State Transforms the Crime of Assisted Suicide Into a â€Å"Medical Treatment†.. †Ã‚  Patients Rights Council. . http://www. patientsrightscouncil. org/site/washington/ (accessed November 12, 2012). Yardley, William. â€Å"Report Finds 36 Died Under Assisted Suicide Law. †Ã‚  The New York Times, March 4, 2010. http://www. nytimes. com/2010/03/05/us/05suicide. html? _r=0 (accessed November12, 2012). ——†”———————————– 1 ]. Schaab, Patrick. â€Å"Mercy killings or uncontrolled murder?. â€Å"The Timaru Herald, sec. National, September 18, 2012. [ 2 ]. Schaab, Patrick. â€Å"Mercy killings or uncontrolled murder?. â€Å"The Timaru Herald, sec. National, September 18, 2012. [ 3 ]. Lafolette, Hugh. â€Å"Living On a Slippery Slope. † The Journal of Ethics. 9. no. 3/4 (2005): 475-499. [ 4 ]. S. Frileux, C. Lelievre, M. T. Munoz Sastre, E. Mullet and P. C. Sorum, . â€Å"When is Physician Assisted Suicide or Euthanasia Acceptable?. † Journal Of Medical Ethics. 29. no. 6 (2003): 330-336. [ 5 ]. Admiraal, Pieter. â€Å"Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide. Accessed December 6, 2012. [ 6 ]. Simon, Rita J. â€Å"Euthanasia and The Right to Die: Overview. †Ã‚  ABC-CLIO Understanding Controversy and Society. [ 7 ]. Yardley, William. â€Å"Report Finds 36 Died Under Assisted Suicide Law. à ¢â‚¬ Ã‚  The New York Times, March 4, 2010. [ 8 ]. â€Å"Washington State Transforms the Crime of Assisted Suicide Into a â€Å"Medical Treatment†. â€Å". Patients Rights Council. [ 9 ]. Yardley, William. â€Å"Report Finds 36 Died Under Assisted Suicide Law. †Ã‚  The New York Times, March 4, 2010. [ 10 ]. Barber, Melissa. â€Å"Death With Dignity Isn't Suicide. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center, April 25, 2011. 11 ]. McKhann, Charles F. Time to Die: The Place for Physician Assistance. Michigan: Yale University Press, 1999. [ 12 ]. Religion and Spirituality. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center. [ 13 ]. Neumann, Ann. â€Å"The Nation: Keeping the Right to Die Alive. †Ã‚  The Nation, June 16, 2011. (accessed December 6, 2012). [ 14 ]. Barber, Melissa. â€Å"Death With Dignity Isn't Suicide. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center, April 25, 2011. [ 15 ]. Robinson, Scott. â€Å"To Go Among the Saracens: A Franciscan Composer's Jou rney into the House of Islam . †Ã‚  Cross Currents. ( 2007): 417, 420.

Argumentative Writing on the Good Effects of Advanced Technology Essay e

The first reason why technology is useful because it helps students have an increased ability to learn. This is because it is an easy way to reach a database that contains information that you would never imagine existed. In the articles that I read it mentioned how technology now allows children to observe things in a classroom in a whole new way, which allows them to be able to understand what they are learning even better than before. why technology is good in the educational field is because it is helping children learn that have a disability. â€Å"Meanwhile, Autism Speaks has launched an initiative titled Hacking Autism, where programmers and developers are invited to work on technology-based ideas to aid kids on the spectrum with learning and social skills.† This is stating how the advanced technology that we hryday lives to be easier and more advanced in a way that nobody could’ve ever imagine, anywhere from an increased ability to educate children and recordi ng data in a computer to saving lives in the hospital using a robotic arm. Works Cited Braiker/Parenting.com, Brian. "Technology in the Classroom: The Good and Bad." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. Hornof, Michelle. "The Bellingham Herald." INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS: Technology and Discussions Drive Student Work Classroom. The Bellingham Herald, 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. Lytle, Ryan. "Study: Emerging Technology Has Positive Impact in Classroom." US News. U.S.News World Report, 14 July 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Woodley, Robyn. "The Slate Online Is Technology Good or Bad?" The Slate Online Is Technology Good or Bad? The Slate, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Social information processing theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social information processing theory - Essay Example Many different theories of communication have also sprung up to make the subject of communication more academic and easier to study and understand. One of these theories, which also transcends into a form of communication is the social information processing theory proposed by Joseph Walther in 1992 (Hissam and Daniel, 2009). In this essay, there is a critical analysis of the theory in terms of how online communication relationships may be established, the differences that exists between computer mediated communication, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of computer mediate communication. Online Communication Relationship One of the fundamental aspects of the social information processing theory is the use of online communication. Indeed, the advancement of technology has made online communication a very common phenomenon of late. Through devices such as smart phones, laptops, desktop computers and tablet computers, people use the internet to interact with one another. A unique feature of online communication is the kind of relationship that is established between two people communicating. ... on, as per son offered several avenues to send and receive information including the use of verbal communication, video calling, text messaging, pictures and the kind. All of these avenues help in making relationships forth coming and effective (Humphrey, 2001). The only hindrance identified with online communication relationship is that it trust and interpersonal relationship development takes a very long time to develop. This is because in most cases, there are very few things that can be learnt about people involved in the communication at a time and so the need to be sluggish in developing interpersonal relationship has always been advised. New technology and computer mediated communication Comparatively, computer mediated communication and for that matter social information processing theory has become better than it used to be in 1992 when it was first proposed by Joseph Walther. The reason behind this is the indulgence and evolution of new technology, most of which has come in the form of internet assisted information sharing. Examples of such new media include authoring tools like internet blogs, social information aggregation such as scratchmysoul.com and collaboration tools including the Wikipedia (Humphrey, 2001). Other forms of new technology that has enhanced computer mediated communication is tagging systems like Flickr and collaborative filtering such as Yahoo Answers. But of all these, social networking could be said to be the most influential towards the advancement of computer mediated communication. When it started newly, social networking was used only on a friendship communication but today the trend has changed such that social networking is used by almost every organization and institution that matters for communication purposes. Computer

Critical reflection of classroom observations Essay

Critical reflection of classroom observations - Essay Example Lesson aims for the students: The main aim of the lesson was to give the students an opportunity to developskills for generating a conversation more so with a stranger. Specific Skills: By the end of the lesson, the students were expected to generate a general idea of conversation starters through the completion of a specific task. The subsidiary aim of the lesson was to shine light upon the learners on they ought to speak and to learn the appropriate vocabulary for conversing with people under different circumstances. Anticipated Problems & Solutions: As is expected in every lesson, this lesson had its anticipated problems. Pronunciation was the first anticipated problem because the students would have found the new vocabulary in the text hard to cope with. Not only was the new vocabulary posing the problem of mispronunciation, it also had the possibility of making students to slow down in their reading. The students were also expected to present something that they generated from t he task that the teacher gave them. It was therefore expected that some of the students would be shy during the presentation. ... To eliminate the anticipation of the students being shy, the teacher had to make the lesson as interactive as possible and make sure that all the students participated in the activities. Assumed Knowledge: The basic assumption of the lesson was that the students were familiar with the concepts of starting a conversation, especially with a stranger. Materials: Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the classroom. Alexandria, Va, Asociation for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Ellis, R. (2009). A typology of written corrective feedback types. Gear, A. (2006). Reading power: teaching students to think while they read. Markham, Ont, Pembroke Publishers. Harding da Rosa, J-M. (2012) ‘Managing your classes’ in English Teaching Professional, issue 82 ,pp 22-24. Harmer, J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th Edition). Hativa, N. (2001). Teaching for effective learning in higher education.Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers. Hebden, M. & Mason, J. (2003).Classroom organization.English Teaching Professional. Issue 28.Pp 23-5. Jacobs, G. M. and Ball, J. (1996) ‘An Investigation of the Structure of Group Activities in ELT Coursebooks’ in ELT Journal 50/2 99-107. Saginor, N. (2008). Diagnostic classroom observation: Moving beyond best practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Senior, R. (2008) 'Developing Rapport' in English Teaching Professional, issue 54. Tudor, I. (1993) ‘Teacher roles in the learner-centred classroom’ in ELT Journal (1993) 47(1): 22-3. Widdowson, H. G. (1987) ‘ The Roles of Teacher and Learner’ in ELT Journal, 41/ 2 83-8. Wilson, K. (2008) ‘Facilitator Talk in EAP Reading Classes’ in ELT Journal, 62/4, 366-374. Zepeda, S. J. (2009). The instructional leader's guide to informal

Anlysis of the Russian real estate market Essay

Anlysis of the Russian real estate market - Essay Example Real estate products can range from apartment spaces to residential villa spaces in the category of residential products and office spaces, shopping mall spaces to fully developed industrial estates in the category of commercial and business real estate products. The sizes and locations of such real estate products make for a distinct pricing pattern and the concepts of demand and supply apply to each category of such products and help determine the prices. In fact control of the market ,while seemingly impossible due to heavy investments involved-is also not improbable in some degrees where large real estate houses can control and a determine a particular real estate product. The overall picture in the real estate market is largely subservient to the state of the economy; however; in some international instances the real estate sector has either partly or completely belied the state of the economy. In the US itself, for example, the mortgage market saw a slump which was incommensura te with the overall health of the economy; in fact, the horse seems to be driven by the cart in the sense that the mortgages markets threatened to bring down with it the overall US economy. This underscores the importance of the real estate market for the economy as a whole while also explaining the symbiotic relationship between the two. This paper would focus on the analysis of the Russian real estate markets. The core importance would be attached to the Moscow real estate markets as Moscow happens to be the most important city space in the entire Russia. Methodology The methodological tool would essentially involve a thorough and in-depth literature analysis in search of arguments and facts that help us determine the state of the real estate markets in Russia at an a latest date. In additon, wherever required, the paper would also endeavor to include relevant secondary data and figures so as to support the arguments sifted out in the literature review. The paper would conclude with comments on the prevailing state of the Russian real estate markets in nutshell. The paper is written with a view to guide a prospective foreign investor. The literature review would be deployed to gather arguments to substantiate above research objectives and to establish arguments in the research. This research methodology was a detailed, descriptive analysis of the arguments presented in the available research evidence. The research method essentially entailed conduct of intensive interrogation of published documentary materials with the explicit aim of addressing the above stated issues which this paper deals with, providing a critique of existing theory and positions. Standard search approaches were used to retrieve the sample of published and unpublished studies for this in-depth literature review. Appropriate on-line journals were also searched. Citations in bibliographies of identified studies were reviewed to uncover additional references. Retrieval using the ancestry method was used as it is a most fruitful approach.The overall view of the literature review based research method would be a view usually taken in phenomenology . Phenomenology is a science which focuses on describing particular phenomena as lived experience. The

Five- Year Report for Tesco PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Five- Year Report for Tesco PLC - Essay Example The revenues declined in the year 2011 to a extend of 14% with respect to the previous year due to hike in prices of the UK market where the core business of the company lies and the 2012 showed stable growth by offsetting the fall in profits in the UK markets by its international business. Tesco plc emerged as a prominent figure in the turn of the 21st century .In the years to come Tesco is continuously striving for its expansion efforts in its core business in UK, retail services, international operations and operations in non food business. Till the period 2004 the company has gone for massive expansion plans. The company’s growth trajectory has been exceptionally been good over the years. Business Model of Tesco Tesco has evolved as an eminent player in the market over the last five years. It is basically because of the expertise it possesses in capital, human and financial area which can be harnessed across different geographical boundaries trough its sound business model . Figure 1: Business model of Tesco (Source: Tesco PLC, 2013, p.25) Tesco PCL’s way of creating and delivering value to its customers and associated group is rather simple but yet very effective. Its core business activities in a nutshell can be summarized as buying, moving and selling of products and services to its customers and also making use of the customer’s perspective to provide better value to its customers. The core activities are explained below. The company constantly interacts with its customers through focus groups, ongoing research trackers and social networking sites to take in customer feedback with regards to the pros and cons of its available products. These valuable suggestions from customers are incorporated through adding further value to these products such that the customers can derive greater benefits. It offers to its customers a great range of products and through its broad range of supply chain it makes its products available in UK and Europ e etc with much ease. The company through its vast network of distribution channel and advanced technological system is making the right kind of products available to its customers at the right time. This is achieved through making a proper forecast of customer’s needs through detailed models which takes into consideration of variables like seasonality, weather forecast and the responsiveness of the customers to the promotional efforts. Secondly, its ordering system updates itself on real time basis such that it can quickly replenish its supply stores with the right kind of products at the right time. Whether it is store or online shopping or both Tesco is acknowledged to have delivered greatest shopping experience. Its loyalty schemes, multi-format approach to the stores network ranging from large Extra stores to Metro and Express Convenience stores have made its selling a divine experience for its customers. Due to these core competencies of the company in offering value to its customers it stands out in comparison to its competitor as it market ratings suggest being the first rank holder in UK, first and second position in all markets of Asia except China and

How do the poems of Frank O'Hara explore how a person'a inner life Essay

How do the poems of Frank O'Hara explore how a person'a inner life shapes the city or invents a city within the city, and how th - Essay Example Frank O'Hara, a New York dweller expresses his sentiments on his mutual relationship with the city. Although he appears content with the relationship with the city, in some instances, he reveals of the negatives that the city has on him. However, the city is not generally the name, rather, it is the buildings, the people and all the activities taking place in these buildings, and undertaken by the people living in the city. It is due to the activities of people living in the city that influence the life of the people, brining into existence new worlds. However, this is a world full of fantasy and dreams, but one far from the reality. Living in the city, people socialize in different ways. As people work in the cities and conduct business in the city, they interact differently with each other. This way, they influence each other. According to O’Hara, the city significantly contributes to a number of changes in his life. For instance, the city contributes to his sadness. In his narration in the poem, â€Å"Meditations in an Emergency,† he points out that each time his heart is broken, he feels like being more adventurous. Love, being part of the social city life influences the moods of the people. However, there are differences between love in the city and love in the countryside. While in the countryside, love knows of no bounds, love in the city knows of bounds. One of the main reasons for this is the impact that city life has on the people (Jaffe web). Not only does it make people complicated, it also makes it difficult to understand them. There is an increased level of unfaithfulness in the city dating scene, if lamentations in O’Hara’s poem, â€Å"Meditations in an Emergency† are anything to go by. According to him, people share love in the city, thus rendering love useless. Subsequently, there are frequent break ups as people seek for better partners. The lies that people tell to each other in the name of love are overwhel ming. The city teaches smooth lies, which people tell to win love and trust. The heavily built city environment makes life boring (Vince web). They cannot enjoy a nature walk in the grassland and pick up a blade of grass, unless they have to walk up the subway. This is however human in the making. The increased construction in the cities is the main contributing factor to the loss of vegetation cover. Most of the land in the city is paved if not constructed (â€Å"BOP Consulting† 2). Thus, although people feel bored in the city and long for nature walks, this is not possible with the lack of natural environment to have walks. Subsequently, people remain indoors and do nothing, amid the urge to leave their abodes (Vince web). In addition to the high levels of boredom facing city people, homosexuality is yet another problem. According to O’Hara, men kiss each other, signifying the erosion of culture and civilization. In his poem, â€Å"† he narrates, â€Å"Now th ere is only one man I like to kiss when he is unshaven†, and further attributes this to heterosexuality. When people cannot find love and after their transgressions, they run to the churches thus deceiving one another of their identities. The quality of life in the city, especially for the poor is worrying. Construction workers for instance can only afford sand-witches and Coca-Cola for lunch. Despite the hard work that these people handle, they have poor dieting, which contributes to their poor health conditions. Few people pay attention to the working

Anlysising the hole in the wall story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Anlysising the hole in the wall story - Essay Example This meant that the husband would take a break from his university lecturing job so as to relocate (Barrett 4). What depressed mostly falls under the state at which they lived in Brooklyn. The state portrayed the â€Å"living in the projects†. This meant that some appliances were not in proper shape, no hot water and no means to prepare meals; hence they showered in public pools and ate at local restaurants. They had no television, no mail boxes; no telephone lines; no lightings in the restroom and many thousand other things. A remorseful trickle of power flowed through an orange annex cord linked from a neighboring house (Barrett 7). At the stroke of eight, each morning, the diverse people came and started working loudly everywhere immediately. In conclusion, the significance of the hole in the wall portrays itself where the house had a large hole that the industry next to it could be seen clearly through the hole when seated in the house. This was a sign of abject poverty as the house that had a hole was next to an industry, the aspect of poverty was so severe that the industry and all activities that were conducted in it could be seen as one sat in the

Neighborhood Environment is Directly Correlated with Crime Assignment

Neighborhood Environment is Directly Correlated with Crime - Assignment Example It was found out that inequality among the black community has a high correlation with violence. Racism is also found out to be among the contributory factors in the commission of crime in this country. Another is inequality of criminal law reflecting a competition of values and interests instead of representing a consistent application of societal values. For instance, cigarette and alcohol are allowed to be sold anywhere in the world however marijuana is not because it is dangerous to one’s health. Such reason obviously represents inequality in criminal law since all three poses danger to the health. With this inconsistent societal value and application of law, the marijuana is outlawed. One reason individuals in low crime neighborhood commit crime is the rational incentives that the individual gains from doing criminal acts. People who are occupying the lower strata in the society are generally the people with lower income and wealth. The temptation of gains from committing crime is greater. In addition, when they are caught, they have nothing to lose but gained material incentives. It should also be noted that this type of individuals do not fear being arrested nor fear the law, more so that they do not give importance to their family, friends, and their informal relations. Another reason lies on the loopholes in the duties of law enforcers. Police officers have the tendency not to maintain consistent surveillance in neighborhoods with low crime rates. On the other hand, people who have the social skills are the people who are successful in their life thus even if they live within high crime areas; they have the prudency to exercise sound judgment in their decisio n not to commit crime. Individuals who have the proper education are equipped with the social qualities needed to adjust to the challenges of life. Since crime rates depend on several factors,

Miss Essay Example for Free

Miss Essay Marketing Management Individual Assignment 1. The definition of EPRG orientation and its practice in international companies/local companies * ethnocentric (home-country oriented) An ethnocentric firm views the business from the perspective and values of the home country. Policies and practices are likely to be designed by home-country nationals with little or no variation for international operations. Ethnocentric oriented international companies believe that anything worked at home must also work abroad. For example: Nissan using ethnocentric orientation during its first few years of exporting cars and trucks to the U. S. market. Nissan’s cars were designed for mild Japanese winter, the vehicle were difficult to start in many parts of the U. S. during winter there. In northern Japan many car owners would put blankets over the hoods of their cars. Nissan’s assume that Americans would do the same. * Polycentric (host country-oriented) In contrast with ethnocentric, a polycentric firm operates according to the principle that each country of operation is different. Polycentric is a highly market-oriented. Each market is considered unique, that’s why the marketing mix, product strategies, pricing strategies etc is different for each country. Example: Citicorp’s financial services around the world operated on a polycentric basis. James Bailey, one Citicorp executive, offered this description of the company: â€Å"we were like in a medieval state. There was a king and his court, are they in charge? No. The land barons are who were in charge. King and his court may declare this or that, but the lord barons who went and did their thing to their appointed land. With that statement we can interpret that even the owner of company in headquarter stating this and that, but each country has some differences, and we should makes some changes in order to make our company succeed in other country. * Regiocentric (regionally-oriented) Firm treats a region as a uniform market segment and adapts a similar marketing strategy within region but not across region. For examole: Mc Donald not serving pork and slaughter animals through Halal process only in Middle East and some muslim-dominated countries. * Geocentric (world-oriented) The geocentric approach considers the whole world as a single market and attempts to formulate integrated marketing strategies. The firm recognizes both similarities and differences in cultures and markets. Best practices are adopted on a global basis and adapted for local conditions where necessary. Nestle and other multinational company is using geocentric orientation. Colgate Palmolive is an example for a company which using geocentric approach. It has been operating internationally for 50 years and its products are households in more than 170 countries. 2. The practice of each of the entry modes (exporting, licensing, franchising, contract manufacturing, strategic alliances, joint ventures and foreign directt investment) please provide example for each entry strategy done by each local company and international company * Exporting The home company exports their product to host country company/distributor. It is the safest entry strategy to start expanding company overseas. By exporting we would learn the market situation in overseas market. And it is less risky and less cost than to manufactures the goods in host country. The example of exporting is kecap Bango and bumbu Bamboe in European market, especially French. Kecap Bango and bumbu Bamboe export their goods to Indian and Asian store in France. The target market is of course Indonesian consumer who lives there. Another example is Teh Botol in carton pack, it sells its product by helping of Indonesian embassy in Paris, France. * Licensing In licensing the home firm agrees to permit a company in host country to use the manufacturing, processing, trademark, know-how or some other skill provided by the licensor. For example, Coca Cola give license to United Bottlers to make Coke in Zimbabwe. Franchising A home company which using franchising (franchisor), grants another ( a company or individual) the rights to distribute goods or services using franchisor’s brand and system in exchange for fees. Mc Donalds is known to use franchise as its market strategies through the world. In Indonesia, alfamart and indomaret are using franchising as their strategy. But they still using it within Indonesia not overseas. * contract manufacturing In contract manufacturing the firm decide to enter by contracting a manufacture of its product in target market. In example GAP contract manufacture in developing countries to manufacture and sells them. The products can be made to the conditions and specific requirements of the local market * strategic alliances Strategic alliances firm unite with competitor to pursue a set of assented goals remain independent after the formation of the alliance. The partner firms share the benefits of the alliance and the control of the performance of assigned tasks and the partner firms contribute on a continuing basis to one or more key strategic areas. For example, in 2005 Adidas (a German company) announced its acquisition of Reebok. Mr. Herbert Hainer, the CEO of Adidas, expected to cut costs by 125 million Euros in the next three years by sharing information technology, synergies in sales and distribution, and cheaper sourcing. However, the new combined company will continue to run separate headquarters and sales forces, and keep most distribution centers apart * joint ventures In joint ventures the firms in which two or more investors share ownership and control over property rights and operation. In Zimbabwe, Olivine industries have a joint venture agreement with HJ Heinz in food processing. * foreign direct investment The firm makes a direct investment in a production unit in a foreign market. It is the greatest commitment since there is a 100% ownership. The international firm can obtain wholly foreign production facilities in two primary ways; It can make a direct acquisition or merger in the host market and It can also develop its own facilities from the ground up. Multinational company are already using foreign direct investment, like Nestle in many countries in the world including Indonesia, Unilever, etc

Figures of Speech Essay Example for Free

Figures of Speech Essay Poets use different figures of speech to convey the message of their works. Some poets use metaphors or similes to baffle the mind and force the body to feel and see the images created while others use paradox, hyperboles, or puns to create the same effect. A good poem should involve all the senses and make the mind work to find meaning. William Blake uses metaphors to make the mind work overtime to find multiple meanings in his work To See a World in a Grain of Sand, while Chidiock Tichborne uses paradox to baffle the mind and reiterate the single meaning in his work Elegy, Written With His Own Hand Before His Execution. To See a World in a Grain of Sand by William Blake is a short poem that is filled with deep meaning. Through the use of metaphors and word choice the work seems lengthy to the mind but short to the eye. A metaphor is a statement that one thing is something else, but in a literal sense it is not (Kennedy 817). A metaphor is filled with suggestion giving a simple line of poetry almost infinite meanings. To See the World in a Grain of Sand (1) is a statement that is loaded with suggestion. There are many similarities between a grain of sand and the world such as: the world is made up of many grains of sand, both are round, and both are the same material to name a few. The two objects are also so different that that the line of poetry leaves the mind scrambling to figure out the meaning of this word combination. To figure out the meaning one must look at the literal meanings of the words and the figurative meaning of the word combinations to unscramble the riddle. On the literal level one must look at the key words in the line such as world, grain, and sand and find their definitions and how they relate to the other words in the line. By definition world is the Earth or Universe grain is a relatively small particle and sand is loose grains of worn or disintegrated rock (On Line Dictionary). The connotations of these words in the context of this line help the brain to understand that an object of huge size or quantity is being compared to something very small. One of the many meanings that could come from this statement is its hard to see the big picture of something while only looking at one small detail. This is only one meaning suggested through this powerful line. Every line in Blakes poem is a metaphor that is filled with suggestion and deep meaning. Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour (3) is another metaphor Blake uses to baffle the mind. Infinity is An unbound space, time, or quantity while eternity is time without beginning or end (On Line Dictionary). It is difficult for the mind to fathom these words when looked at alone, but in the context of the poem it is even more difficult to understand how one could fit such a mass into a hand or an hour. On the literal level the mind says it is impossible to comprehend so one must look to the figurative meaning to comprehend what is being said. One of the many meanings of this line is the same as the first; it is hard to see the big picture while only looking at one small detail. Blakes word choice also helps the meaning of the poem. If Blake were to use similes rather than metaphors the work would take on different meaning. If the line and eternity into an hour (4) were changed to eternity is like an hour the work would take on a more limited meaning. When like is put into the line, eternity and hour become directly related where as in the first line eternity is trying to be fit into an hour. A similar effect would occur if the line heaven in a wild flower (2) were changed to heaven is like a wild flower. Heaven would be compared directly to a flower which would change the meaning of this line and therefore the poem. Blake used metaphors and word choice to write a poem that is short, but contains depth. Every word and metaphor in To See the World in a Grain of Sand was carefully arranged to give the poem a broad meaning that could be interpreted in many different ways. In contrast Chidiock Tichborne uses word choice and paradox to convey his limited meaning in the work Elegy, Written With His Own Hand in the Tower Before His Execution. A paradox is a statement that at first strikes us as self-contradictory but on reflection makes some sense (Kennedy 826). Tichbornes work is filled with paradoxes, and is summed up by the paradox at the end of each stanza And now I live, and now my life is done (6). When looking at the main lines in the poem as they reoccur at the end of each stanza one wonders how it is possible to be alive now and also dead at the same time. Upon closer examination of the work the other lines help the brain figure out the paradox. To make sense of the central idea it must be looked at in the context of the other lines in the work. Each line in the work is a paradox that is key to understanding the central idea of the poem. My youth is spent, yet I am not old (9) is one of the lines that mirrors the main point. Youth is defined as the condition of being young while old is defined as having lived for a relatively long time (On Line Dictionary). When looking at these definitions one understands that the narrator has used up their youth, but has not grown old. This could be restated as And now I live, and now my life is done. I sought my death, and found it in my womb (13) is another restatement of the central idea of the poem. Sought means to look for or seek out, so the narrator is looking for his end (On Line Dictionary). Found is to come upon something by searching, and womb is a place where something is generated, so the found his death was where he began (On Line Dictionary). After looking at these definitions we realize that the narrator has not fully lived youth let alone life and is about to die. The two poets demonstrated different figures of speech o convey their message. Blake used metaphors to give his work multiple meanings while Tichborne used paradox to restate his central idea. The two poems are very different from each other but both challenge the mind and body to find meaning making both great works of literature.

Impacts of Commercial Pressures on Audit Performance

Impacts of Commercial Pressures on Audit Performance Given the commercial pressures  are Auditors doing a good job? Introduction For two decades the debate has raged regarding whether auditors are performing their tasks adequately, within the bounds of the commercial pressures they are under. In preparing this paper, we have studied current research and comment surrounding this issue. Our opinion is that, although there are areas of serious concern and issues that need to be addressed, generally the auditing profession is doing a good job. â€Å"The debacle of Enron has shaken core assumptions about auditors and auditing.† (Kay and Carsberg 2002). Following the collapse of Enron, and its auditor’s Andersen, the role, competency, quality and standards of auditors came under increasing scrutiny, resulting in a raft of headlines such as the one quoted. The call from Kay and Carsberg, and others, for national and international standard committees to be set up, was quickly responded to. The US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) and UK Combined Code of Corporate Governance (2003), both of which imposed stringent conditions onto the audit process, were swiftly introduced. As a result, the profession, through the IFA[1] (2006) responded with a complete overhaul of standards. All these regulations and standards have been subject to constant revision since their inception. However, concerns still exist regarding auditor performance as recent attempts by the UK government to criminalize certain audit failures shows (Parliamentary Correspondent 2006). In the same article audit firms responded, stating such a move would be â€Å"both costly and ineffective†[2] and that the â€Å"proposed offence will inevitably lead to defensive auditing, which is not in the interests of the profession or clients.†[3] . The auditing process, particularly in respect of Plc’s[4] is a complex procedure. There is a significant amount of preparatory work to be undertaken prior to the audit itself, including an understanding of the client’s business, evaluation of the risk, and the costing and construction of the audit itself (Dassen et. al. 2004, ch.6). This will determine the depth, breath, and percentage of testing required, fulfilling their tasks and complying with the requirements of all the applicable regulations and codes. This process also includes reaching an agreement on the fees to be charged. The audit task is even more complex when the organisation involved is a multi-national or transnational corporation. In addition, auditing firms have to ensure that they, and all of the persons involved in the audit, when preparing the audit, need to take into account all modifications and improvements to IFA standards, Company Law and the Combined Codes (Grey and Manson 2004). To monitor audits standards the government set up the Audit Inspection Unit (2006). The task of this unit is to ensure audits have complied with all current regulations (see page 6 of the report). Their latest report covered the â€Å"big four† firms and, for first time, the next five largest auditing firms. Seventy-seven audits were reviewed, over a number of sizes and industry sectors (see Appendix 1). Although, in general terms, the report responded positively, concluding that auditing firms are maintaining a reasonably high standard, there were some concerns. They found that progress on previous recommendations had been slower than expected, although there were mitigating circumstances (see section 4.1.1, p.11). In addition there was some concern expressed regarding the audit documentation (section 4.4.7, p.21). However, in other areas, such as leadership and human resources (section 4.2), improvements had been seen. In their final analysis, only in three areas did the Uni t make further recommendations. Addressing the position from the government viewpoint, a report was commissioned by the FRC[5] (Oxera Consultancy Group 2006). This report concentrated on the availability of auditor choice to corporations, and the competitive aspect of the profession in general. Whilst agreeing with the Audit Reporting Unit’s conclusion that generally the audit profession was performing their tasks well, this report expressed concerns in other areas. These focused on the dominance of the major audit firms within Plc and international fields. The fear is this leads to lack of choice and has produced increases in fees that exceed inflation by a significant amount, as much as 11%. There was also recognition that, from a logistical and cost point of view, it was virtually impossible for other auditing firms to compete for this market. One of the resultant fears that most corporate management expressed, was the problem that would be caused if there was a consolidation from four to three firms, and the impact this would have on other accounting and financial services, as well as the audit choice. Conclusion Having studied all of the research, we would concur with the conclusion that in view of the commercial concerns, audit firms are generally performing a good job. However, in our opinion, there is a need to address the competitive issues surround audit firms in the cases of quoted company audits. We would recommend that the laws of competition should be applied to the audit industry to ensure the numbers of firms do not reduce still further, and that ways should be considered to enable other firms to compete successfully in this market. References Audit Inspection Unit (2006) 2005/6 Audit Quality Inspections. Financial Reporting Council. London. UK Dassen, R., Schilder, A., Wallage, P. and Hayes, R. (2004) Principles of Auditing: An Introduction to International Standards on Auditing. FT Prentice Hall. Gray, Iain and Manson, Stuart (2004). The Audit Process: Principles, Practice and Cases. Third edition. Thomson Learning. Handbook of International Auditing, Assurance, and Ethics Pronouncements. (2006). International Federation of Accountants. New York. Kay, John and Carsberg, Bryan (2002) Stiffening the auditors’ backbones. Financial Times. UK Oxera Consultancy Group (2006). Competition and choice in the UK audit market. Report prepared for Financial Reporting Council. London. Parliamentary Correspondent. (2006). Auditors may escape criminal sanctions. Accountancy Age, UK. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) Retrieved 6 November 2006 from http://www.sarbanes-oxley-101.com/sarbanes-oxley-TOC.htm The Committee on Corporate Governance (2003). The Combined Code on Corporate Governance. Financial Reporting Council. London. Footnotes [1] International Federation of Accountants [2] Baroness Noakes, a former KMPG partner [3] An Ernst Young spokesman [4] Public Limited Companies [5] Financial Reporting Council

The Increasing Application Of Scientific Management Principles Of Work

The Increasing Application of Scientific Management Principles Of Work Organisations To Services Is, Despite Its Limitations, Inevitable and Irreversible. I  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction From the outset of this essay it is necessary to define the basic principles of Scientific Management in order for the statement to be fully understood and why if at all such a practice is ‘inevitable' and indeed ‘irreversible' within a service industry context. The underlying belief that scientific management, or rationalisation= , is able to provide the basis for separating management from the execution of work. ‘The rationalisation of work has the effect of transferring functions of planning, allocation and co-ordination to managers, whilst reinforcing the managerial monopoly of decision-making, motivation and control'. Hales (1994). Taylor (1856-1915) has been referred to as the father of Scientific Management. He believed that management, not labour, was the cause of and potential solution to problems in the industry. Taylor concluded that workers systematically ‘ soldiered' because they believed that faster work would put them out of a job and because hourly or daily wages destroyed individual incentive. Taylor believed that in order to discourage, and indeed halt, this ‘soldiering' a ‘ mental revolution' was required. He believed this could be achieved via four vital principles: (1) the development of the best work method, via systematic observation, measurement and analysis; (2) the scientific selection and development of workers; (3) the relating and bringing together of the best work method and the developed and trained worker; (4) the co-operation of managers and non-managers which includes the division of work and the managers responsibility of work. From this five key facets have evolved that lie at the foundation of scientific management. Hales (1994) has summarised these as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - systematic standardised work methods via mechanisation and standard times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - a clean functional division between managers and non-mangers. Braverman (1974) described this as the ‘separation of conception from execution'.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - centralised planning and control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - an instrumental, low-involvement employment relationship due to the requirement of t... ...s that are attracted to the industry. But the deskilling due to rationalisation means that such people are ‘strait-jacketed into one dimensional jobs' (Hales 1994) stifling variety and creativity. Therefore such a sentiment tends to argue against the notion that scientific management principles are inevitable. In summary to return to the original statement it can be argued against the belief that scientific management is inevitable and irreversible throughout the entire service industry, although certainly some areas of the industry could benefit from utilising such a management strategy - notably in the budget sector. Bibliography Hales, C. (1994) Managing Through Organisation, Routledge, London. Peters, T. & Waterman, R., In Search of excellence, Harper & Row, New York. Ritzer, G. (1993) The MacDonaldization of Society. Targett, D. (1995) ‘Management Science in service industries', in Schmenner, R.W. (ed.) Service Operations Management, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Taylor, F.W. (1984) ‘Scientific Management', in Pugh, D. Organisation Theory, Penguin, Harmondsworth. Thompson, P. & McHugh, D. (1990) Work Organisations: A critical introduction, Manmillan, London.

Aurobindonian Ontology: Salient Peculiarities :: Supernatural Mind Psychology Essays

Aurobindonian Ontology: Salient Peculiarities ABSTRACT: Aurobindo envisages a cosmic salvation via an endlessly open-ended, eternally optimistic, and forward-looking ontology. The purpose of humankind is to go beyond its present form of ordinary (mental) consciousness until it attains the Supermind. Aurobindo says this can be done by a technique he calls Integral Yoga that enables humankind to purposefully cooperate with the cosmic evolutionary urge and thereby rise from the present mental stage to the supramental stage. Another peculiarity of Aurobindo’s ontology is his concept of Brahman. It negates illusionism and gives his metaphysical scheme a religious dimension. There is no room in his system for any adversary, anti-Divine or Satan as an independent entity. Thus, evil and suffering also stand accounted for. Peculiarities of this order make him the very first and, so far, the only ontologist claiming a preordained divination of the universe. Aurobindo Ghose (1872 - 1950) was extraordinary as a man of learning . His knowledge of the world was encyclopaedic. The Wisdom he derived from it was astonishing in being synthesising, comprehensive and interpretative. Hence his familiarity with the scientific - materialistic nature of the West as also with the spirituality of the East. From 1901 onwards, especially from 1908 , he turned to the study and practice of yoga after unravelling the secret of the Veda, the Upanisads, the Bhagavadgita and other sacred writings of India. Factors like this account for the distinctive nature of the Integral philosophy and Yoga and ontology he has propounded. The most outstanding peculiarity of Aurobindonian ontology is its synthesising integrality leading to holism. It harmonises the western theories of evolution and life sciences with the mystical – spiritual theories of the Absolute as revealed in the Veda. On account of this , "spiritual evolution" or the evolution of consciousness b ecomes the sheet anchor of Aurobindo’s ontological argument. "Consciousness" for Aurobindo, is a rich and complex term. He believes that consciousness is inherent as much in seemingly inert matter as in plant, animal, human and suprahuman life. It participates in the various levels of being in various ways. The Spirit or Sachchidananda which means the highest level of "being, consciousness, and bliss" is nothing but the Absolute. Therefore , Aurobindonian ontological argument emerges from his ‘hierarchical view of consciousness or Spirit’. Accordingly Sachchidananda or the Divine is at the transcendent summit. The Supermind mediates Sachchidananda to the multiplicity of the world.

Databases and Y2K :: Computers

Databases and Y2K Introduction: Tremendous problems loom just around the corner for organizations that use two-digit years (i.e. 1-9-97). How tough could it be to change the year from 1999 to 2000? The "Year 2000 Problem" cannot be fixed by simply resetting a computer's internal clock on January 1, 2000. Computers may be smart, but their programmers weren't very farsighted. In the '60s and '70s, many businesses were looking to cut costs and because computer storage space was expensive at the time, programmers decided to cut year dates to two digits (i.e., 1969 became 69). It doesn't sound like a major error, but computers are extremely date-sensitive. Computers routinely add and subtract digits in a date to make a variety of logical calculations, ranging from travel reservations to how much interest one has accrued on a savings account. The problem lies in the fact that many computers designate century data using only two digits, 00, and will read 2000 as 1900. And the bug affects more than just computer systems. Many manufacturers have built products with software instructions embedded onto chips; equipment ranging from fax machines to auto assembly lines could all be affected by the bug. What's the Problem? For many organizations, the Year 2000 Problem has become the most complex project management exercise ever undertaken. The reasons for this are multi-factored. For starters, we are less than 13 months away from Year 2000 yet many organizations are just now paying attention to it.1 There is no way to avoid the fact that our information systems are based on a faulty standard that will cost the worldwide computer community billions of dollars in programming effort. This 'bug' touches on all areas of an organization, and the complexity of analyzing and quantifying the scope of the problem, repairing and replacing infected items, conducting adequate testing activities and finally, implementing multiple interrelated hardware, systems and software can be overwhelming. Compounding the difficulty is the lack of awareness in general regarding the potential risks, and the fact that the project is driven by a series of hard dates. In addition, many organizations have further complicated the process by beginning their e Databases and Y2K How might Y2K affect databases that, in turn, affect our everyday lives? Let's take your bank account. As the 1999 turns over to 2000, your bank's computer may calculate that your account deserves an additional 100 year's interest. Of course, it's also possible you may be penalized for being 100 years overdue on your loan payment! Or suppose you have some data records and want to sort them by

Nineteenth Century Short Stories Essay

The highly censored and controlled Victorian society contained a large contrast, with a small proportion of the rich-elite, composed often of aristocrats and judges. The majority however, was extremely poor, often struggling to provide for their families let alone themselves. In the strictness of life at the time, many people delved into stories of the more humorous and less controlled sides of life. Authors did not put their characters into regular, day-to-day scenarios that would seem rather dull and boring, but created light, dramatically complex narratives that involved people in desperate situations, such as the man that must choose between three women hiding in his truck. In the first story, ‘Tony Kytes, Arch Deceiver’ by Thomas Hardy, a young man is in a situation in which he must choose a woman to marry, being the only attractive young man in this village, he has a lot of control and authority over these women. Throughout the story, the women are portrayed as gullible and desperate, as we see in the climax of the story in which three different women are hiding in the same car. In the end of the story, Tony loses control and seems to be less in command of the situation and becomes manipulated by the three women who are competing with each other in order to secure Tony as a husband. The women finally find out that they have all been promised to become Tony’s wife, and Unity and Hannah leave, pretending to be strong women who are unaffected by this heart-breaking situation. Tony is left with Milly, to which he proclaims ‘†¦It does seem as if fate had ordained it that it should be you and I, or nobody, and what must be must be†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This line is very important as it links in with the theme of fate which applies to the other stories. The next story is called ‘Old Mrs. Chundle’ by Thomas Hardy. It portrays and old woman who is very separated from the rest of her village. The author states that she has never even ventured past the next town from hers. One day, Mrs. Chundle is visited by the Curate who asks her for some food. Mrs. Chundle refuses to sit next to the curate, saying ‘Oh, faith, I don’t want to eat with my betters- not I’. The Curate persuades Mrs. Chundle to go to church; she tells him that she is nearly deaf and would not be able to hear anything. Throughout the rest of the story, we see the curate create various devices in an attempt to get Mrs. Chundle to go to church. However, Mrs. Chundle is forced to rely on the Curate until he eventually leads her to her death when she runs up the hill to get to church on time. The final story, the Stolen Bacillus by H.G Wells, tells us the story of an anarchist who visits a bacteriologist. During the visit, the sheer potential of the destruction caused by the bacteria that he witnesses sparks his anarchy, impelling the young man to steal a batch of the perceptually dangerous bacteria, thinking that he could destroy an entire city with its unfathomable power. The scientist and his wife pursue the man through the streets of London in informal clothes, onlooker cheer thinking this is fast fuelled race, this also gives us the impression that this bacteria is very dangerous. The anarchist stops and the scientists think it’s too late. The final twist in the ending of the story is that the man drinks the virus thinking that he has now gained the ability to destroy the entire country through the power of cholera, but instead he drank a special bacterium that is used to turn monkeys blue. In the same story, the Anarchist is portrayed as a confused but clever man that wants to cause as much devastation and destruction as possible to society. He quotes ‘†¦.those mere atomies, might multiply and devastate a city! Wonderful!’ From this you can clearly see that this man’s objectives are to cause as much destruction as possible to the city. A ‘†¦.slight gleam of satisfaction appeared on the pale man†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ after he at living cultures of this bacterium, with the author stating that ‘†¦morbid pleasure†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ appeared from the man as he was inspected by the scientist. This makes the reader aware that this man has not come to learn about bacteria, but rather to find out how to use them to cause devastation. The way the bacteriologist is portrayed is also important, as he believes that it is a burden to keep that bacteria once muttering, ‘†¦..I am obliged to †¦.’ .The message verbalised by the author is that people should be judged by their appearance if you do not know them and that we should never underestimate the power of nature. The main character in Old Mrs. Chundle is clearly old Mrs. Chundle. Mrs Chundle is an old, deaf woman, who is clearly quite happy living on her own, she has never ventured past the nearest town in her whole life. One day, she is visited by the curate who asks her for some food. It is then revealed to us that she is nearly deaf and has trouble hearing people. The curator asks her why she does not go to church and she explains her condition. Throughout the story, the Curate attempts to help her by thinking of various ways she would be able to hear the church services. In the end of the story, Mrs. Chundle is let down by the curate who promised to come over and read to her. The main character in Thomas Hardy’s story is obviously Tony Kytes, he is described as ‘†¦ ‘Twas a little, round, firm, tight face, with a seam here and there left by smallpox’ but this was not enough to ‘†¦hurt his looks in a woman’s eye†¦.’ He was the ‘women’s favourite’ and loved all of them. He was highly involved with ‘all the rest of the scandalous stuff’ and told to us by the author. The message from the story is clearly ‘Looks can be deceiving’ and that you cannot change fate. The relationships between the author and narrator’s attitudes towards women in ‘arch deceiver’ clearly shows us that at the time, mean were quite sexist towards women and believed that all of them were desperate and would do anything to get married, such as in this story where they fight over an clearly dishonest man. The main relationship in Old Mrs. Chundle is the relationship between here and the curate. It is a very strange relationship due to the fact that as soon as the curate came into Mrs. Chundle’s life she dies. However we can see that the curate has helped Mrs. Chundle die happy as she managed to hear the word of God. All of the stories I have mentioned contain unexpected endings which add humour or sadness into the stories. Thomas Hardy’s novels both contain very different endings. In ‘Arch Deceiver’, the ending was expected as we knew that nothing good would happen at the end of the situation that Tony was in. After a large argument between Tony and the three women at his house, the women leave and Milly is left to marry Tony. He tries to worm his way out of the situation that he has gotten himself in by saying that it was fate that they would get married. In his other story, Old Mrs. Chundle, the Curate breaks a promise he had made with the rector saying â€Å"She’s probably forgotten by this time that you promised.† The Curate eventually goes so Mrs. Chundle doesn’t get angry with him, and finds out that she has died. In the story by H.G. Wells, the twist would have seemed humorous at the time but the overall effect of the story has decreased over time. The twist is that after the anarchist drank the bacteria, thinking that he would cause immeasurable devastation, he begins to turn blue. The twist is not very effective and is quite stupid, which is quite unexpected from an author as great as H.G Wells. In conclusion, I believe that the narrative with the best use of drama through language was the stolen bacillus, this is because Wells can clearly describe to us what is happening, and it is told in a way which sounds realistic. The story with the best relationships is Old Mrs. Chundle as we are told the story of an old woman who died as soon as there were new influences in her life. The story with the best ending is the Stolen Baccilus as it was the most unexpected. Wells uses language in such a way that makes you believe that the anarchist would succeed, although the ending is stupid, it was the most surprising and contained a strange twist.

A Short History of Nearly Everything Essay

A piteous narration of close E actu altogetherything is a common institutionalise wisdom contain by Ameri peck author heyday Bryson that explains around beas of recognition, increment a fashion of language which aims to be to a greater extent(prenominal) accessible to the general populace than adult maley an separate(prenominal) watchwords dedicated to the checkmate. It was star of the best(p) marketing ha procedureual learning disk hands of 2005 in the UK, selling e realwhere 300,000 copies.1instead describing general informations oft(prenominal)(prenominal) as chemistry, paleontology, astronomy, and social occasionicle physical light. In it, he explores magazine from the Big spot to the baring of quantum mechanics, via ontogenesis and geology. Bryson branchs the paper of accomplishment with with(predicate) the stories of the people who do the discoeries, much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as Edwin Hubble, Isaac refreshfulton, and A lbert Einstein.BackgroundBill Bryson wrote this take hold because he was dissitisfied with his scientific intimacy that was, non more than at either(a) in on the whole. He writes that skill was a distant, unexplained subordinate at trail. Text curbs and t s ever so every(prenominal)yers a same did non ignite the manic dis couch for practice love base little-emitting diodege in him, mainly because they neer delved in the whys, hows, and whens. It was as if the textbook writer wanted to glide by the intimately stuff obscure by making all of it severely unfathomable. Bryson, on the state of science books use at heart his school.2 editContentsBryson describes graphically and in laypersons terms the size of it of the universe, and that of atoms and sub nuclear split upicles. He whence explores the taradiddle of geology and biology, and traces life from its first appearance to straighta fashions modern creation, placing emphasis on the development of the modern Homo sapiens. Furthermore, he discusses the possibility of the Earths atomic number 18a infatuated by a meteor, and reflects on tender capabilities of spotting a meteor before it impacts the Earth, and the extensive damage that much(prenominal) an thus fart would cause. He also focuses on virtually of the close(predicate) recent hurtful disasters of vol derriereic origin in the narrative of our orbiter, including Krakatoa and Yellowst peerless National Park.A large part of the book is devoted to relating humorous stories or so the scientists behind the investigate and discoveries and their several(prenominal)times tinctence behaviours. Bryson also speaks both(prenominal)(a) modern scientific views on human effects on the Earths climate and documentation of different species, and the magnitude of natural disasters such as earthquakes, vol tushoes, tsunamis, hurri bungholees, and the mass extinctions caused by nigh of these events. The book does, however, co ntain a come in of factual errors and inaccuracies.3 An illust judged edition of the book was rel looseningd in November 2005.4 A a span of(prenominal) editions in Audiobook institute atomic number 18 also available, including an abridged variance read by the author, and at least three unabridged versions. editAwards and reviewsThe book authoritative generally favourable reviews, with reviewers citing the book as in unioniseative, easily write and super socialise.567 However, some feel that the contents king be un chaseing to an audition with prior agnise guidege of hi trading floor or the sciences.8 In 2004, this book won Bryson the prestigious Aventis Prize for best general science book.9 Bryson later donated the GBP10,000 poke to the Great Ormond Street Hospital childrens charity.10 In 2005, the book won the EU Descartes Prize for science communication.11 It was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for the aforementi singled(prenominal) year.Unremitting scien tific effort over the departed 300 years has yielded an surprise make sense of information close to the world we inhabit. By rights we ought to be really impress and extremely implicated. Unfortunately many of us simply arnt. Far from attracting the best candidates, science is proving a less and less prevalent subject in schools. And, with a a couple of(prenominal) nonable exceptions, popular books on scientific topics atomic number 18 a r atomic number 18 hiss in the bestseller lists. Bill Bryson, the travel- constitution phenomenon, thinks he chicanes what has at rest(p) wrong. The anaemic, lifeless prose of standard science textbooks, he argues, sm some others at birth our innate specialness some the natural world. Reading them is a chore preferably a than a trip of discoin truth. Even books pen by star scientists, he complains, ar in addition lots clogged up with impenetrable jargon. safe wish substantially the alchemists of h binglest-to-goodness, scientists devote a unfortunate tendency to vaile their undercovers with mistie speech. Science, John Keats sulked, allowing clip an Angels wings, / flog all mysteries by rule and line. Bryson produces this on its head by blaming the messenger rather than the message.Robbing character of its mystery is whathe thinks more or less science books do best. unless, unlike Keats, he doesnt believe that this is at all necessary. We whitethorn be reinforcement in societies less ready to believe in magic, miracles or aft(prenominal)lives, pass on the sublime remains. alternatively as Richard Dawkins has argued, Bryson insists that the go aways of scientific aim can be wondrous and rattling a good deal are so. The trick is to write almost them in a way that makes them clear without crushing natures mystique. Bryson renders a lesson in how it should be through and through. The prose is beneficial as star would expect energetic, quirky, familiar and humorous. Brysons s pectacular skill is that of lightly place the readers deal passim building up such cartel that topics as recondite as atomic betts, relativity and particle natural philosophy are shorn of their terrors.The amount of ground cover is truly impressive. From the furthest r separatelyes of cosmology, we avow through time and space until we are flavor at the smallest particles. We explore our get satellite and get to grips with the ideas, first of northward and whence of Einstein, that allow us to realize the laws that regularise it. therefore biology holds centre-stage, heralding the emergence of big- psycheed bipeds and Charles Darwins singular notion as to how it all came about. Crucially, this widely varied terrain is not presented as a series of discrete packages. Bryson made his shout write travelogues and that is what this is. A single, persistent journey, woven together by a pass over craftsman. The books cardinal strength lies in the fact that Bryson contends what its like to find science dim or inscrutable. Unlike scientists who turn their hand to popular writing, he can deed to have played out the vast mass of his life to date k right offing very little about how the universe works.Tutored by many of the leading scientists in each of the dozens of fields he covers, he has brought to the book some of the latest clevernesss together with an amusingly gossipy tone. His technique was to keep going back to the experts until each in turn was happy, in effect, to sign murder the storey of their work he had congeal together. In short, hes done the hard work for us. Bryson enlivens his lines of difficult c formerlypts with entertaining historical vignettes. We learn, for example, of the Victorian naturalist whose scientific endeavours included serving up groin and spider to his guests and of the Norwegian paleontologist who miscounted the outlet of fingers and toes on one of the most substantial fossil finds of recent hi trading flo or and wouldnt let anyone else have a calculate atit for more than 48 years.Bryson has called his book a annals, and he has the modern historiographers taste for telling it how it was. Scientists, like all tribes, have a gustatory sensation for foundation myths. But Bryson isnt acrophobic to let the cat out of the bag. The nonmeaningful of Darwins supposed Eureka moment in the Galapagos, when he spotted variations in the size of finch beaks on different islands, is fleetly dealt with. As is the fanciful notion of palaeontologist Charles Doolittle Walcott chancing on the fossil-rich bourgeois Shales after his long horse slipped on a wet track. So much(prenominal) for clarity and local colour. What about romance? For Bryson this cl early lies in natures infinitudes.The sheer improbability of life, the transcendental vastness of the cosmos, the ineffable smallness of unbiased-minded particles, and the imponderable counter-intuitiveness of quantum mechanics. He tells us, f or example, that any living cell contains as many functional part as a Boeing 777, and that past dragonflies, as big as ravens, flew among fiend trees whose roots and trunks were covered with mosses 40 metres in height. It sounds very impressive. Not all readers leave consider it sublime, but its hard to imagine a smash rough guide to science. John Waller is research fellow at the Wellcome Trust sum for the History of Medicine and author of fabulous Science Fact and Fiction in the History of scientific Discovery (OUP)What has propelled this popular science book to the New York terms Best Seller constitute? The answer is simple. It is superbly written. Author Bill Bryson is not a scientist far from it. He is a professional writer, and hitherto researching his book was quite ignorant of science by his consume admission. I didnt hunch what a proton was, or a protein, didnt recognize a quark from a quasar, didnt understand how geologists could look at a layer of rock on a canyon wall and tell you how old it was, didnt know anything rattling, he tells us in the Introduction. But Bryson got unpaired about these and many other things Suddenly, I had a powerful, un feature film urge toknow something about these matters and to understand how people omen them out. All of us should be gilded to be so curious.Young children are. Thats why theyre called little scientists. New to the world and without inhibitions, they relentlessly ask questions about it. And Bill Brysons curiosity led him to some good questions too How does any embody know how much the Earth weighs or how old its rocks are or what really is way down on that detail in the centre of attention? How can they scientists know how and when the Universe started and what it was like when it did? How do they know what goes on privileged an atom? The Introduction also tells us that the greatest amazements for Bryson are how scientists worked out such things. His book is a direct result of add ressing these issues. It is superbly written. Popular science writers should study this book. A ill-judged History of closely anything serves a great purpose for those who know little about science. The deep questions may not necessarily be explicitly presented but many of the answers are.The reader gets to journey along the paths that led scientists to some direful discoveries all this in an extremely simple and adoreable book. The prose is extraordinarily well written with lively, entertaining legal opinions and many clever and witty lines. Consider, for example, Chapter 23 on The Richness of Being. It develops present and in that respect in the Natural History Museum in London, built into recesses along the underlit corridors or standing between glass cases of minerals and ostrich eggs and a century or so of other productive clutter, are secret doors at least secret in the sense that there is nothing about them to attract the visitors notice. This opening sentence re ally captures the cash machine of a natural history museum. It is extensive of vivid interpretations and contains the cleverly constructed, paradoxical vocalise productive clutter.The next paragraph begins to make the point The Natural History Museum contains some seventy million objects from every land of life and every corner of the planet, with some other(prenominal)(prenominal) hundred thousand or so added to the collection each year, but it is really however behind the scenes that you get a sense of what a treasure sept this is. In cupboards and cabinets and long rooms intact of close-packed shelves are kept tens of thousands of pickled animals in bottles, millions of insects pinned to squares of card, drawers of shiny mollusks, drum of dinosaurs, skulls of early humans, endless folders of neatly press plants. It is a little like rambling through Darwins brain.And later We wandered through a confusion of departments where people sat at large tables doing intent, in vestigative things with arthropods and ornamentation fronds and boxes of yellowed bones. Everything there was an air of deliberate thoroughness, of people being diligent in a gigantic endeavor that could never be completed and mustnt be rushed. In 1967, I had read, the museum issued its report on the John Murray Expedition, an Indian Ocean survey, cardinal years after the expedition had concluded. This is a world where things move at their own pace, including the comminuted lift Fortey and I share with a scholarly looking time-worn man with whom Fortey chatted genially and familiarly as we proceeded upwards at about the rate that sediments are laid down. Often Bryson ends a paragraph with an amusing line.You find very few popular science books so well written. With the exception of Surely Youre Joking, Mr. Feynman, it is hard to think of even one that is witty. Popular science writers should study this book. I Bryson didnt know a quark from a quasar . . . Sometimes even quoti ng writers rather than scientists and original seeded players, Bryson draws extensively from other books. For example, most of Chapter 21, whose focus is largely on the Burgess Shale fossils and the Cambrian explosion, is taken from Stephen Jay Goulds Wonderful Life. And much of the rest of Chapter 21 is based on works by Richard Fortey and Goulds other books. The author does not hide this. Titles are cited in the text, chapter notes provide quotes from books, and there is a lengthy bibliography. presumption that Bryson in not a scientist, it is impress how few errors there are in A Short History of honorable about Everything. present are a couple that the staff at Jupiter scientific bring out On what would happen if an asteroid struck Earth, Bryson writes, Radiating outward at some the speed of light would be the sign shock wave, sweeping everything before it. In reality, the shock wave would travel only at about 10 kilometers per second, which, although very fast, is cons iderably less than the speed of light of 300,000 kilometers per second. Shortly thereafter, one reads Within an hour, a cloud of b lackness would cover the planet . . . It would take a few weeks for this to occur. The book bewilders the number of cells in the human body as ten-thousand trillion, but the best estimates are considerably less about50 trillion. Heres how one might determine the number. A typical man and a typical cell in the human body respectively weigh 80 kilograms and 4 10-9 grams. So there are about (80,000 grams per human)/(4 10-9 grams per cell) = 2 1013 cells per human, or twenty-trillion cells. By the way, since the number of microbes in or on the human body has been estimated to be one-hundred trillion, people belike have more foreign living organisms in them and so cells In the Chapter The Mighty Atom, it is written, They atoms are also fantastically durable. Because they are so long lived, atoms really get around. Every atom you possess has more or less legitimately passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to be glide slope you.We are each so atomically numerous and so cleverly recycled at death that a crucial number of our atoms up to a one million million for each us, it has been suggested probably once belonged to Shakespeare. about of this paragraph is correct, but because atoms are nude of there electrons in stars, Bryson should have said, . . . the nuclei of every atom you possess has most promising passed through several stars . . . maven might be shocked that each of the 6 trillion or so humans on Earth have so many of Shakespeares atoms in them. However, Jupiter Scientific has done an analysis of this problem and the puzzle out in Bryons book is probably low It is likely that each of us has about 200 trillion atoms that were once in Shakespeares body. Bryson also exaggerates the portrayals of some scientists Ernest Rutherford is said to be an overpowering force, Fred Hoyle a complete weirdo, Fritz Zwicky an utterly abrasive astronomer, and Newton a total paranoiac.Surely the descriptions of these and other scientists are distorted. From a scientific point of view, most topics are treated superficially. This renders the book of little disport to a scientist. Here are some examples of witty lines that cultivation paragraphs The concluding remarks on Big gripe Nucleosynthesis go In three minutes, 98 percent of all the matter there is or will ever be has been produced. We have a universe. It is a place of the most wondrous and gratifying possibility, and beautiful, too. And it was all done in about the time it takes to make a sandwich. On the Superconducting Supercollider, the huge particle accelerator that was to be built in Texas, Bill Bryson notes, In maybe the finest example in history of gushing money into a hole in the ground, Congress spent $2 billion on the project, then canceled it in 1993after fourteen miles of tunnel had been dug. So Texas now boasts the most expensive hole in the universe.Chapter 16 discusses some of the health benefits of received elements. For example, cobalt is necessary for the production of vitamin B12 and a minute amount of sodium is good for your nerves. Bryson ends one paragraph with Zinc stir it oxidizes alcoholic beverage. (Zinc plays an eventful role in allowing alcohol to be digested.) On Earths automatic teller machine, the author notes that the troposphere, that part of the lower aureole that contains the air we breathe, is between 6 and 10 miles thick. He concludes, There really isnt much between you and oblivion. In public lecture about the possibility of a large asteroid striking Earth, Bryson at one point writes, As if to underline just un-novel the idea had become by this time, in 1979, a Hollywood studio real produced a movie called Meteor (Its five miles wide . . . Its coming at 30,000 m.p.h. and theres no place to hide) starring henry Fonda, Natalie Wood, Karl Malde n, and a very large rock. From a scientific point of view, most topics are treated superficially. This renders the book of little interest to a scientist, but has authorized advantages for the layperson.In some cases, emphasis is not wedded to the most consequential issue. Bryson simply lacks the insight and judgement of a trained scientist. Chapter One on the Big Bang is busyly difficult for the author. There is too much discussion on inflation and on the many-universe theory. Inflation, which is the idea that the space underwent a direful stretching at a tiny fraction of a second after the beginning, is consistent with astronomical observations, is theoretically attractive but has no substantiate evidence yet. The multi-universe theory, which proposes that our universe is only one of many and disconnected from the others, is complete speculation. On the other hand, Bryson neglects events that have been observationally established. Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, in which the nucl ei of the three lightest elements were made, is g differenceed over in one paragraph.Recombination, the process of electrons combining with nuclei to form atoms, is not covered an unfortunate inattention because it is the parentage of the cosmic microwave ambit radiation (When nuclei capture electrons, radiation is inclined off). Bryson simply refers to the cosmic microwave play down radiation as something remaining over from the Big Bang, a description lacking true insight. As another example of misplaced emphasis, much of the chapter entitleWelcome to the Solar System, is on netherworld and its discovery and on how school charts poorly(predicate) convey the vast distances between planets. Although the sunlight is not even treated, Bryson ends the discussion with So thats your solar system of rules. Here is another example in which Brysons lack of scientific training hurts the content of the book. In Chapter 27 entitled Ice Time, he discusses as through it happened with c ertainty the sweet sand verbena Earth.It, however, is a very controversial end in which the entire planet was engulfed in ice at the end of the early Era. The book says, Temperatures plunged by as much as 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The entire start of the planet may have cold solid, with ocean ice up to a half mile thick at high latitudes and tens of yards thick even in the tropics. While it is true that this period was the most severe ice age ever to transpire on Earth, it is unlikely that the withstand became so cold as to manufacture the conditions described in the above quote. Then the chapter on hominid development does the blow by presenting the situation as highly unknown and debatable. It is true that the fossil record for the transition from apes to Homo sapiens is quite fragmentary and that anthropologists are dividerd over certain important issues such as how to draw the lines between species to create the family tree, how Homo sapiens spread over the globe and what c aused brain size to increase.However, the overall pattern of homonid evolution is understood. The reader gets to journey along the paths that led scientists to some amazing discoveries all this in an extremely simple and enjoyable book. Bryson has a nice way of summarizing atoms The way it was explained to me is that protons give an atom its identity, electrons its personality. The number of protons in the substance of an atom, also known as the atomic number, determines the element type. Hydrogen has one proton, atomic number 2 two, lithium three and so on. The electrons of an atom, or more precisely the outermost or valence electrons, determine how the atom binds to other atoms. The binding properties of an atom determines how it behaves chemically. Every important topic in A Short History of Nearly Everything can be found in Jupiter Scientifics book The Bible According to Einstein, which presents science in the language and format of the Bible. Jupiter Scientific has made avai lable online many sections of this book.This review, which has been produced by Ian Johnston of Malaspina University-College, is in the public domain, and may be used by anyone, in total or in part, without permission and without charge, provided the source is ac fellowshipdreleased October 2004. For comments or questions please border Ian Johnston.A Short History of Nearly EverythingThe first thing one notices about a novel Bill Bryson book in recent years is the disproportionately large size of the authors name on the cover largethan the title by a few orders of magnitude. Thats appropriate, I suppose, for an author who has emerged as North Americas most popular writer of non-fiction, with legions of fans around the world, peradventure even something of a cult figure, who can sell anything on the strength of his name alone. Brysons recently published book, A Short History of Nearly Everything, is surely a departure from what he has written so far. Its a overreaching and ambi tious flak to tell the story of our earth and of everything on it. Initially make by the most admirable of scientific feelings, intense curiosity about something he admits he knew virtually nothing about, Bryson spent three years immersing himself in scientific literature, talking to working scientists, and travelling to places where science is carried on, so that he might know a little about these matters and . . . understand how people figured them out and then produce a book which makes it affirmable to understand and appreciatemarvel at, enjoy eventhe wonder and accomplishments of science at a level that isnt too technical or demanding, but isnt entirely superficial either.The result is a big volume recapitulating the greatest story ever told, from the beginnings of the universe, to the physical history of the Earth, to the development and evolution of life herean sample to provide, as the title indicates, an all-encompassing and round-the-clock narrative, crammed with info rmation on everything from particle physics to plate tectonics, from cloud formations to bacteria. For all the unmistakable natural clarity and organization within science, writing well about the subject is not as easy as it may appear. It demands that the writer select an audience and then deliver what he or she has to say in a style appropriate to that readership, in the process risking the loss of other potential readers. Bryson has clearly thought about this point and introduces into writing about science a style very different from, say, the brisk omniscience of Isaac Asimov, the trenchant polemics of Richard Dawson, the engaged contextual scholarship of Stephen Jay Gould, or the idle and fascinating historical excursions of Simon Winchester (to cite some recent masters of the genre).He brings to fag on science his impressive talents as a folksy, amusing, self-deprecating spinner of yarns, assume considerable ignorance in his readers and inviting them to share his pertly d iscovered excitement at all the things he has learned, obviously trying with an atmosphere of cozy intimacy and friendship to ease any fearsthey may bring to a book about so many unfamiliar things. This feature will almost sure enough irritate a great many people who already know a good deal about science (who may feel they are being patronized) and charm many of those who do not. The information is presented here in an practically off-beat and amusing and certainly non-intimidating way. Bryson sticks to his resolve not to confront the reader with numbers and equations and much complex terminology. So he relies hard on familiar analogies to illustrate scientific theories, and these are extremely effective originative and illuminating.There is a wealth of fire and frequently surprising facts about everything from mites to meteorites, conveyed with a continuing sense of wonder and enjoyment. Bryson delivers well on his promise to provide an account of what we know and (equally imp ortant to him) of the enormous amount we still do not know. Bryson is not all that interested, however, in the second part of his announced intention, to explore how we know what we know. He pays little to no attention to science as a developing system of knowledge, to its philosophical underpinnings (hence, perhaps, the omission of any preaching of mathematics) or to the way in which certain achievements in science are important not merely for the facts they confirm or reveal but for the way in which they transform our dread of what science is and how it should be carried out. So for him how we know is simply a matter of accounting for those who came up something that off-key out to be of lasting valuate (no wonder he is somewhat helpless by Darwins delay in publishing his theory of natural creamthe notion that Darwins theory may have presented some important methodological difficulties of which Darwin was painfully aware does not await nearly as important as Darwins mysteri ous illness).Bryson is at his very best when he can pillar what he has to say on a particular place and on conversations with particular working scientists there. Here his considerable talents as a travel writer and story teller take over, and the result is an frequently amusing, surprising, insightful, and always informative g wiltedse into science as a particular application carried on by arouse individuals in all sorts of different places. The sections on Yellowstone Park, the Burgess Shale, and the Natural History Museum in London, for example, are exceptionally fine, mainly because we are ordain in fantastic touch with science in action, we hear directly from the scientists themselves, and our understanding ofscience is transformed from the knowledge of facts into a much fuller and more fulfil appreciation for a wonderfully human enterprise taking place all around us. Here Bryson provides us with a refreshingly new style in writing about science. Indeed, these passages a re so striking in comparison with other parts of the book that one warys that Brysons imagination is far more touched by scientists at work than by the results their work produces.This impression is reinforced by Brysons habit of plundering the history of science for amusing anecdotes about interesting characters, obviously something which he finds imaginatively exciting. Hes prepared to interrupt the ladder of his main narrative in order to deliver a good story, and routinely moves into a new section with a narrative hook based on a memorable character, a prominent clash of personalities, or an unexpected location. some(prenominal) of these stories and characters will be familiar becoming to people who know a bit about science already (e.g., the eccentricities of henry Cavendish, William Buckland, or Robert FitzRoy, the arguments between Gould and Dawkins, the adventures of Watson and Crick, and so on), but Bryson handles these bustling narrative passages so well that the f amiliar stories are still expenditure re-reading, and there are enough new nuggets to keep reminding the more knowledgeable readers just how fascinating the history of science can be. Not that Bryson is very much interested in linking developments in science to any continuing attention to historical context.Hes happy enough to refer repeatedly to the context if theres a good yarn to be hadif not, hes ready to bat over it or ignore it altogether. This gives his account of developments a distinctly Whiggish flavour, a characteristic which will no doubt debate historians of science. At times, too, this habit of frequent quick raids into the past encourages a tendency to light-minded snap judgments for the sake of a waggishness or some human drama. But given the audience Bryson is writing for and his appetency to keep the narrative full of brio, these criticisms are easy enough to overlook. And speaking from my own limited experience in writing about the history of science, I can attest to the fact that once one begins scratching away at the lives of the scientists themselves, the propensity to draw on the wonderful range of the extraordinary characters one discovers is almost irresistible. Brysons narrative gets into more serious difficulties, however, when he cannot write from his strengths, that is, when he cannot link what thesubject demands to particular people and places.Here the prose much tends to get bogged down in summaries of what he has been reading lately or undermanned condensations of subjects too complex for his rapid pace. Thus, for example, the parts where his prose has to cope with systems of classifications (for example, of clouds, or bacteria, or early forms of life) the sense of excitement disappears and we are left to wade through a profound array of facts, without much sense of purpose. At such times, Bryson seems to sense the problem and lots cranks up the golly gee element in his style in an attempt to hit some energy into his account, but without much success. And not surprisingly, the world of particle physics defeats his best attempts to render it familiar and satisfied to the reader, as Bryson concedes in an unexpectedly limp and apologetic admission Almost certainly this is an area that will see further developments of thought, and almost certainly these thoughts will again be beyond most of us.Its very curious that Bryson makes no attempt to assist the reader through such passages with any illustrative material, which would certainly have enabled him to convey organised information in a much clearer, more succinct, and less tedious manner. Early on, he lays some of the blame for his ignorance about science on boring school text books, so perhaps his decision to eschew visual aids has something to do with his desire not to produce anything like a school text (although, as I recall, diagrams, charts, and photographs were often the most exciting things about such books). Or perhaps hes simply supr emely confident that his prose is more than enough to carry the load. Whatever the reason, the apostrophize of that decision is unnecessarily high. I suspect reactions to this book will vary widely.Bryson fans will, no doubt, be delighted to hear the masters voice again and will forgive the lapses in energy and imaginative excitement here and there in the story. By contrast, many scientists and historians of science will find the tone and the treatment of the past not particularly to their liking. Ill respect the book as a source of useful anecdotes and some excellent writing about scientists at work, but turn to less prolix and better organized accounts to enrich my understanding of our scientific knowledge of the world and its inhabitants. But then again, if my grandchildren in the next few years begin to display some real interest in learning about science, Ill certainly put this book in front of them.