Impact Of Technology On The Music Industry - 1414 Words

Developments within the music industry are seemingly frequent and numerous due to diversity and the various issues faced. For a sector that consistently adapts to demand, it was logical to decipher a development which not only alters significant factors within the industry, but also a development which endures (and even encourages) smaller advancements. The increase in readily available technology has had a significant effect on the music industry. Unlike other developments, advancing technology is constant and boundless. As technology advances, as does the equipment and processes used in the music industry. There are various arguments on whether advancements are beneficial or unfavourable. In such an adaptable and flexible industry, perhaps technological advancement was always inevitable. It pushes figures in the industry to explore new methods of distribution, possibly expanding even further. Technology affects every single person in the music industry from musicians to consumers. It changes the way music is created and the way it is received. The Transition from Physical to Digital There is no doubt that the recent advancements in technology have granted further possibilities as entrepreneurs adapt to new concepts. The introduction of the internet was possibly the propelling factor that paved the way for new and competitive thinking. Today, millions of people are accustomed to using the web; it is very much a part of everyday life. â€Å"More than 70 per cent ofShow MoreRelatedTechnology And Its Impact On The Music Industry Essay2573 Words   |  11 Pages Technology and Its Impact on the Music Industry Name College Technology and its Impact on the Music Industry Introduction The creation of musical works has always been culminated by several different processes and usually involves many people. The process takes a lot of time delaying the release of music. Advancement in technology has played a significant role in the music production by lowering the length of time it takes to produce recorded material. Artists usually sign a contractRead MoreImpact Of Technology On The Music Industry1933 Words   |  8 PagesOver the years, music has become portable, starting with the transistor to a set of headphones. Technology has allowed us to create a diverse musical culture. Music will always have an effect on one’s culture, and it has definitely mad a huge impact on the use of technology. Cultural diversity is about bringing people closer together though the World Wide Web. Many music publishers are the key to cultural diversity when it comes to publishing all genres. They will increasingly continue to play aRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On The Musi c Industry Essay2587 Words   |  11 PagesTechnology: The Significant Impacts on the Music Industry It’s intriguing how the music industry has significantly changed throughout the years due to the constant increase of technology. There are many different reasons to show how technology has made a huge impact whether positive or negative on this phenomenal industry. Music cultivates so much meaning to the world, and speaks volumes on the behalf of individuals when they don’t know what to physically say. That being said, whether it’s listeningRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On The Music Industry1845 Words   |  8 Pagestoday’s music is trash. It’s repetitive and oversimplified, and all because of this new music technology constantly being developed. A listener rarely hears a piece of music that has not been touched by technology, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. These people fail to realize that the theory of music technology has been around since the 1700’s when Mozart invented a game using a die to compose music by chance ( Baggi). It is also important to realize the true of meaning of technology to societyRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On The Music Industry Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology has brought many advantageous opportunities to the music industry in the area of production and distribution. Besides popular and valuable instruments such as the electric guitar and the synthesizer, technology has brought us new production equipment such as high-fidelity microphones, re-mastering equipment and CD-ROMs that provide us with a crystal-clear sound of the recording. The development of these equipment has allowed the audience to experience a higher quality of sound coming fromRead MoreImpact Of Technology On The Music Industry Essay1139 Words   |  5 PagesCreating music has likewise turned out to be more open and more moderate with a few specialists recording work in their home, or enlisting out a recording studio for a day. Luke Henderson of Fluke Productions, a recording studio in Londo n perceives that contrasted and a quarter century, it is much simpler for craftsmen to kick begin their profession. When a track is transferred to the web it can be gotten to by individuals over the world on the off chance that they know where to look. The music businessRead MoreThe Impacts of Technology on Music Recording Industry and Society1751 Words   |  8 PagesThe Impacts of Technology on Music Recording Industry and Society TV has restored the daily life of family, Photography has altered the way we look at the world, the computer has changed everything.† (Mark Katz, 2010) It is true the computer has converted everything into digital. Digital technology has also changed the ways of sound and voice recording. It has gradually led to the changes not only in the production of sound but also in the views of societyRead MoreThe Impact of Technology on the Music Industry: a Study Into How Organisations Adapt in a Rapidly Evolving Business Environment7559 Words   |  31 PagesThe impact of technology on the music industry: A study into how organisations adapt in a rapidly evolving business environment Profile - Sam Ford from UK Indie band One Night Only. The Group have recorded a top 10 hit on the Top 40 UK Singles Chart in 2008 from their debut album â€Å"Started a Fire†. From your debut album Started a Fire, you had a top 10 hit with â€Å"Just For Tonight†. What did it take you to get to the point? How did you market and promote your band to get to this point, did itRead MoreThe Effect Of Digital Technology On The Music Industry1442 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ The effect of digital technology on the music industry Nowadays, teenagers are living constantly surrounded by technology. Even if the younger generation may not see it, technology has had an impact on different factors. The widespread use of digital technology in the music industry has allowed consumers to reproduce digital versions of copyrighted songs inexpensively, with the help of many software and websites. There has been an increase in digital copying activities and those are most ofRead MoreBenefits And Benefits Of The Performance1749 Words   |  7 PagesMichael Jackson could rake in half a billion dollars† (Sherwell, 2014). With such profit potential, it is likely that the popularity of holograms will increase among event organisers. Arguably, technology does increase the ease of making a profit in some aspects. A current issue within the industry stems from ticket resale websites. In the circumstances of popular artists, tickets can sell out in minutes only to be resold for dramatically increased prices. â€Å"Tickets for Brand New’s June tour sold

Against Animal Cloning - 1063 Words

Against Animal Cloning The welfare of animals should be considered when thinking about cloning and artificially creating new animals, but those who want to clone animals disregard any repercussions that would arise from any harmful effects on the animals. In this case, a primary animal could go literally extinct because of how humans are either invading their environment or even killing them. Animals are less likely to survive as clones. Animals should not be cloned because there is no guarantee of having a perfect clone, there might be an extinction of the primary animal, and there is a similarity in humans and animals. Cloning involves extracting DNA from a living animal and placing it into surrogate mothers who will carry the clone pregnancy. This is unnatural, and can lead to complications to the mother because of this process. There is always a high risk when cloning animals, abnormalities can occur, deformations are possible, and there is no guarantee that both the surrogate and the clone will live a healthy life or provide as healthy and hearty livestock. Cloning reduces the chances of an animal living a longer and healthier life like a natural-born animal. So many things could go wrong when it comes to cloning. We have seen examples of this in movies such as Jurassic Park. In the film of Jurassic Park, they though it would be a great idea to bring back dinosaurs that are harmless so they could benefit science and we could learn about our past. Once the dinosaursShow MoreRelatedCloning Right or Wrong? Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesCloning Right or Wrong? Have you ever heard of cloning before? Well it has a lot of ups and its downs, many people are against it and many are for it? In my paper you will hear and of the good things and the bad things that happen in cloning and you can decide if you think it is right or wrong. History When I looked up the definition for cloning on www.m-w .com it stated that cloning is to propagate a clone from or to make a copy of. A book on cloning that I read stated that cloning is geneticallyRead MoreThe Cloning Of Cloning For Medical Services1586 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ethicality of Cloning Cloning the latest process that could change the way we look at our environment, and the step to take us to lose what makes us unique and unparalleled. Cloning is the process of producing a genetically identical individual to the original. There are three types of cloning: gene cloning, reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. The disadvantages of cloning is that there had been many attempts at cloning and the results have been numerous deformations and abnormalitiesRead MoreThe Ethics of Cloning Essay1504 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to Richard Dawkins â€Å"Cloning may be good and it may be bad. Probably its a bit of both. The question must not be greeted with reflex hysteria but decided quietly, soberly and on its own merits. We need less emotion and more thought† (Dawkins, 2011). Cloning is a general term used to describe the replication of biological material (Cloning Fact Sheet, 2009). Throughout this paper the reasoning behind why cloning is an acceptable an d potentially life changing science will be examinedRead MoreThe Ethical Implications Of Cloning1265 Words   |  6 PagesCloning is the process of making copies of individuals that occur in nature such as bacteria, insects, plants, invertebrates or vertebrates. The copy is called clones. Clones are genetically identical to their original parent. Development of cloned animals, which have been genetically engineered to produce valuable proteins in their milk. These have uses in medicine, cloning can also save animals from extinction. Cloning would open doors to even more powerful technologies of human genetic informationRead MoreCloning, The, And False Interpretations Of Cloning1424 Words   |  6 PagesCloning, an ethical issue that has been pressed across the globe, has become a substantial debate throughout a majority of nations. The incorporation of a new type of reproduction in the United States has a plentiful amount of benefits for certain animals and objects, but duplicates of humans is hard to comprehend for many people across America. Currently, cloning is an interesting topic that could become a new way to improve reproduction of animals and humans, prevent diseases, and increase theRead MoreThe Cloning Of The Sheep1749 Words   |  7 PagesName: Lanster Yang Teacher: Mrs. DeGregorio Course: English III Date: 8 May 2015 Human Cloning Cloning of Dolly the Sheep was a first on many fronts. First, it represented the first mammal ever to be cloned from a somatic cell. It also sets a benchmark on which to evaluate other animal cloning experiments going forward. Secondly, her cloning was the start of controversy and panic in regards to animal cloning, as it raised the question of whether scientists would seek to clone humans too, and theRead MoreThe Cloning Of The Medical Field Essay1712 Words   |  7 PagesThe idea of cloning used to be considered science fiction, that was until dolly was made. In the late 90’s Scottish scientist, Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell along with colleagues from the Roslin Institute accomplished the first cloning in history -Cloning is basically creating a copy of something, but in genetic cloning means creating an identical copy of existing DNA (of an organism)-. The final object was named Dolly, born on July 5, 1996 she was the first clone to be produced from a mammal cellRead MoreA nimal Cloning Debate Essay1045 Words   |  5 PagesAnimal Cloning Debate A clone is a genetic copy of another living organism –animal, plant or human. Animal cloning is a widely discussed issue in our society today. The question now is whether the Australian government should ban animal cloning. Many opinions are generated from this subject, such as the justifiability of cloning, and how far it should go. Religious views are prevalent, so too are numerous ethical concerns. The issue of whether or not the government shouldRead MoreThe Cloning Of Human Cloning1006 Words   |  5 Pageswhat is cloning? Cloning is the process of making a genetically identical organism through the use of a DNA sample. There are three different types of artificial cloning: gene cloning, reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. Dolly, the sheep, was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell. There is a specific procedure that has to be followed for a clone to be made. Over the course of time, scientists have been able to clone many different types of animals. There areRead MoreCloning as Solution to Food Shortages and Needs for New Medicine1436 Words   |  6 Pagesthat there could ever be a solution to these issues. Cloning could be one of the many solutions to the problems that are afflicting the world as we know it. But that has many people wondering what exactly cloning is, and, more importantly why people do it. Knowing what cloning i s, why people do it, and other opinions and feelings about cloning could help us solve these issues. To clone means to create a genetic copy of another organism. Cloning depends on there being two cells, one of a female’s

Just a Little Fun free essay sample

When I was about 12, I was really into riding snowmobile. My brother Cody, who was 9, and I rode together all the time. One crisp, winter day, my niece, Brittany, 6, was over, and we decided it would be fun for us all to go ride our really old, beat up, yet fun snowmobile. My mom and sister were a little unsure about it but decided that they would be home if anything happened and we were always careful. So we went out just as usual and my brother checked the oil and everything else he needed to do before we rode. We got on: my little brother in front, driving, then my niece Brittany and me in the back. We were having so much fun. We have a grove of trees, 13 acres to be exact, and we were riding around on the back of the grove on the edge of the field, going fast and having tons of fun. We will write a custom essay sample on Just a Little Fun or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Our faces were freezing like icicles and our cheeks were rosy red, but we didnt care, we were having a blast! We had gone around our usual path around the grove about three times when we were coming to the short edge that leads to the gravel road we live on. There is a driveway there and then a field across the road. I remember my niece yelling, â€Å"Faster! Faster, Cody! Go faster!† As shes yelling this, giggling between words, I was watching the road in front of us. It was coming closer and closer and we werent slowing down at all. Right that instant I knew something was wrong. I looked up at my brother and could tell he was nervous, starting to panic. We went right through the driveway and I watched as we sped right across the road. Then, BOOM! We hit the ditch and ramped it. We were soaring through the air for a short second or two then hit the ground like a gigantic rock that had just fallen from the sky. I remember the snowmobile slightly tipping to the side, the firs t time, and my niece was going to fall off until I grabbed her as fast as I could and held on tightly. At this point, there was nothing we could do. The snowmobile tipped again, and that was it, we all went down. As for the snowmobile, it just kept right on going. We later found it stuck in the fence at the other edge of the field, still running. It was a monster, trying to force its way through the fence. Luckily, we werent severely injured, just a few minor cuts and scrapes and we were only about a half mile from the house. I remember us all getting up and attempting to walk to the house. My brother was fine other than a big, HUGE, fat lip that looked like he had a baseball in his mouth! He was the first to arrive at the house as my mother and sister found him and started freaking out. Meanwhile, I was just really sore all over and slowly made my way to the house, dragging my niece along like a dead animal on a leash. I recall her sobbing, â€Å"Kyla, carry me! I dont know where my boot is.† Next thing I knew my mom and sister were running out to help us to the house. As I said, we didnt have any major injuries, just minor ones that didnt even require medical attention, other than a littlea lot of ice and some rest.

Snake Bites Essays - Venomous Snakes, Wilderness Medical Emergencies

Snake Bites Bob was walking in the woods one day when his life was put in great danger. He had just stepped over a log when he felt a sharp sting on the back of his leg. He looked down and saw two small puncture wounds on his leg. The stinging sensation instantly went throughout his body and that was when he saw a snake still laying beside the log he had just stepped over. Bob had many questions running through his head. He didnt know what to do. He didnt know if the snake was poisonous. Bob began to panic. What next? Is Bob going to live? We will find out later but first lets learn more about the dangers of snakebites. What are snake bites? Snake bites are wounds inflicted by the mouth of a snake. A wound from a snake with short teeth and no fangs may look like a series of scratches or tiny punctures. The twin puncture wounds usually associated with snakebites appear when the paired fangs of a fanged snake break through the skin.(Encarta 99) Snakebites from nonpoisonous snakes are not serious but should be cleansed with an antiseptic to prevent infection. The bite of a poisonous snake, which can inject venom into the body, may cause a burning pain usually spreads rapidly from the place where you have been bitten. Swelling and color changes in the skin follow soon after. A person may feel feverish, thirsty, and sick at their stomach. They may even vomit.(Diseases-Encyclopedia) Bites by coral snakes produce somewhat different symptoms, including numbness, vision problems, and difficulty swallowing.(Diseases-Encyclopedia) The victim of a snakebite should seek first aid promptly. An attempt should be made to identify the snake if it can be done safely. First aid measures should focus on keeping the victim quiet so that the heart rate remains normal, thereby slowing the spread of venom in the bloodstream. The area of the bite should be kept below the level of the heart. The victim should seek medical attention immediately. Depending upon the victims symptoms and the species of the snake, the physician may administer antivenin, a preparation that helps to neutralize the venom and minimize its harmful effects.(Encarta96) The venom of poisonous snakes is produced and stored in specialized glands within the snakes head. In the United States, there are four types of poisonous snakes: coral snakes, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths, or water moccasins. With the exception of coral snakes, all these snakes are pit vipers.(Encarta99) Responsible for most snake attacks on human beings, pit vipers have the most efficient fangs for injecting venom. Their fangs are hollow, curved, and so long that they fold back into the mouth when not in use. Their venom mostly affects the circulatory system, but it also causes disruption of normal nervous system function.(Encarta99) Coral snakes have short, fixed fangs in the front of the mouth and they hang onto and chew their victims. Unlike vipers, coral snakes bite only when they are being handled or are accidentally touched or stepped on. Their venom primarily affects the nervous system.(Encatta99) When walking in areas where poisonous snakes are present, individuals should wear high boots and thick loose pants, and should remain alert in order to avoid close encounters with these reptiles. Individuals should also be able to distinguish between poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes.(Encarta99) People who frequent these wilderness spots, as well as those who camp, hike, picnic, or live in snake-inhabited areas, should be aware of potential dangers posed by venomous snakes. Every state but Maine, Alaska and Hawaii is home to at least one of 20 domestic poisonous snake species. A bite from one of these, in which the snake may inject varying degrees of toxic venom, should always be considered a medical emergency, says the American Red Cross.(For Goodness Snakes) About 8,000 people a year receive venomous bites in the United States nine to 15 victims die. Some experts say that because victims can't always positively identify a snake, they should seek prompt care for any bite, though they may think the snake is nonpoisonous. Even a bite from a so-called harmless snake can cause an infection or allergic reaction in some people.(For Goodness Snakes) Types of Venomous Snakes Two families of venomous snakes are native to the United States. The vast majority are pit vipers, of the family Crotalidae, which include rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths (water moccasins). Pit vipers get their common name from a small pit between the eye and nostril that allows the snake to sense prey at night. They

The differences between a tough boss and a bad boss

The differences between a tough boss and a bad boss Those of us who have been in the work world for a while know all about the dreaded â€Å"difficult boss†- the boss who fills your thoughts with misery when you think about coming into work each day. The boss who somehow manages to make every work project and task more annoying and less enjoyable for everyone involved, and who’s skilled at chipping away at your confidence, self-esteem, and optimism with every encounter. Most of us have had the misfortune of having a difficult boss in our orbits and know just how unfortunate this reality can be. In fact, having a difficult boss may actually be worse for you than you even realize. Forbes recently published an article that highlighted a recent study by the University of Manchester’s Business School that uncovered a wide range of negative effects from having a toxic boss. These include higher rates of depression and negativity, lower job satisfaction, worse job performance, and a more pessimistic professional outlook - and the ripple effects spill out of the office and all over employees’ personal lives in a variety of detrimental ways. Clearly, having a difficult boss is not an ingredient for a happy life.That said, not all difficult bosses are created equally. In fact, a clear distinction should be made between the two types of difficult bosses- tough bosses and bad bosses. The short- and long-term effects they can have on you can be completely different, so it pays to know the difference. Let’s take a closer look at each of these two breeds of boss and see what makes each type tick.How to handle bad bossesMost of us know a flat-out bad boss when we see them, and the truth is that beyond a paycheck and perhaps bolstering our resumes, there’s very little upside to working with them. They’re constantly and consistently working to bring out the very worst in us and drain us of every last drop of energy and enthusiasm. Maybe it’s out of greed and selfishness for their own needs, with no regard for ours, or maybe they’re just simply terrible at being people and get some satisfaction from seeing us unhappy and squirming.Regardless of their motives, the end result of working with a bad boss is often the same- you spend way to much time trying to make them happy, which is often an elusive and unattainable goal, and you’re left miserable in the process. You often get nothing in return from the interaction and, even worse, it affects your entire life negatively. Like in any toxic relationship, you often come out of the bad boss experience shell-shocked and worse for wear, and it can take a while to shake off the ill effects.If this sounds like your situation, after diagnosing the problem you should see if there are any steps you can take to either improve the situation or minimize the impact. If there aren’t, consider whether or not it’s worth sticking it out. If not, figure out an exit strategy.How to handle tough bos sesThis breed of difficult boss doesn’t always make your professional life happy or fun, but there’s a significant difference between a bad boss and a tough boss. Where interacting with a bad boss is a toxic exchange that benefits you in no discernable way, having a tough boss can actually have the opposite effect- they can challenge you to be your best self, step out of your comfort zone, and build new and better professional skills. Tough bosses often have lofty demands and high expectations for both you and their companies, but is that such a bad thing? In fact, in some cutthroat industries where the level of competition is insanely high, having a tough boss at the helm can mean the difference between a company that navigates its way to success and a company that can’t distance itself from the crowd.Tough bosses often expect results and require a commitment to seeing things through to the end, regardless of whatever adversity or challenge rears its ugly head. But learning to face these things head-on can be great additions to your professional skill set- both at this job and in your future endeavors. Sure, there are limits, and there’s often a fine line between a tough boss and bad boss. But if the truth is that your boss often gets on your nerves and drives you crazy, but they’re actually helping you build better skills and are turning you into a better employee, then try to appreciate what you’re getting from this exchange and do your best to learn how to work with them in a way that minimizes the awfulness and allows you to continue to benefit from the situation.If you have a difficult boss, use the information here to diagnose whether your boss is tough or just plain bad. Then, take the necessary steps to make your professional life as fulfilli ng, beneficial, and stress-free as possible.

Internal Analysis Apple Essay Example

Internal Analysis Apple Essay Example Internal Analysis Apple Essay Internal Analysis Apple Essay Internal Analysis Tangible resources Apples tangible resources are extensive and widely documented despite the companys high level of security in matters of design. The value of analyzing the tangible assets of the organization lies in the determination of the potential for the creation of competitive advantage (Grant 2007). In terms of financial resources, the case quotes Apples market capitalization is approximately US $550 billion, with sales annually over $100 billion. This makes Apple the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. The share price currently stands at around $600, merely 12 ears after Steve Jobs return to the company, where the share price was $5. Apples physical resources include 362 retail stores world wide, which promote sales and effective advertising. Third party manufacturing relationships are also a key aspect of Apples success allowing for relatively inexpensive manufacturing while all design aspects stay in-house (Mass 2009). The systems in development, design and software systems are all key aspects of Apples organizational and technological resources, and are closely linked to the organizations intangible resources due to their close relation with knowledge and managerial capabilities. Intangible resources Apples overwhelming and unprecedented success in the technology industry undoubtedly stems from its intangible resources. The influence that co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs had on the company is undeniably accountable for its achievements. As an entrepreneur and human resource to Apple, Jobs managerial capabilities and innovative ideas were invaluable. The retail stores of Apple also provide intangible resources in the interaction with customers, aesthetically appealing design of the tortes and technological support provided on site in the genius bar Arbor 2011). The reputation of Apple and the unique creation of customers needing the newest design in the latest release of products is an intangible resource vital to the organizations success; they have captured exactly what the consumer wants. Apple develops and integrates its own hardware and software, and along with the creation of the App store, has created a self-sufficient technological process from start to finish. Consequently, the brand name Apple evokes a whole new facet of technology in todays society. Capabilities The capabilities of Apple lie in the integration of tasks that combine all aspects of their company, from research and development to product development to marketing and advertising. The entrepreneurial skills and capabilities of Steve Jobs and the the company. Retail Apple stores act not only as a mechanism for sales, but also as a product themselves, as they are invaluable marketing for the brand. The Internet based sales also offers customers to create combinations of their own products, which could be built and shipped with efficiency and quality guarantee. Apple rates products that are simple in design, yet so focused on the specifics that customers inherently deem them as cool. Apple also maintains an air of suspense and mystery upon the unveiling of their products, which captures the consumers curiosity on a huge scale, an unusual tactic in a society concerned with collaboration and transparency. The use of a platform strategy to create a family of products that will all stream from each other and make use of design elements for derivative products, I. E. the phone, pod touch and pad. The creation of products that, despite ever changing and evolving in technological progress, maintain a clear look and use for consumers is a capability for Apple. Capability Rare Valuable Costly to imitate Non-substitutable Competitive Consequence Design team Yes Yes Yes Yes Competitive Advantage Retail stores Yes Yes Yes Anthropometry CA Internet sales Noses Yes Noncompetitive Parity Design of cool products Yes Yes Anthropometry CA Unveiling of products Yes Yes Yes Anthropometry CA Platform strategy Yes Yes Yes Yes Competitive Advantage Clear Apple look and use Yes Yes Yes Yes Competitive Advantage Core Competencies Apple defies the norm in regard to core competencies, that is; the capabilities that serve the company with competitive advantage over rival firms, as it has three that are clearly distinguishable. While most companies can hope to have one or maybe two core competencies, the success that Apple has seen in the past few decades in the global commercial electronics industry has been unprecedented. This has been largely due to the innovation and entrepreneurial quality that has stemmed from the design team and Jobs influence in creating products that consumers desire on an ongoing basis. The use of a platform strategy has seen the success of a multitude of products which have offered countless benefits to both Apple itself, and their customers, who can use the same software, hardware, accessories and production between products. Finally, the simple, elegant look and usability of Apple products across the brand has proven to be the core capability that no other company can par. Value Chain Analysis Primary Activities Inbound Logistics superior products, while maintaining a level of quality control. The unique hardware system has also allowed for Apple to be produced entirely from scratch with a unique pirating system. Operations Apple capitalists on economies of scale in their production techniques by utilizing cheaper and more efficient partners to carry out production at a high quality. This leaves the company to focus on the design processing and engineering of innovative development for both current and future products. Outbound Logistics Apple stores have transformed from merchandising buildings designed to attract foot traffic and curious non-Apple customers, to retail destinations. In conjunction with the stores (which are products in themselves), Apple products are also sold wrought select authorized retailers, which provide a point of contact between staff and consumers as well as an outlet for advertisement for the Apple brand. Customized Internet orders are also directly shipped from storage facilities in China arbor 2009). Marketing and Sales Retail stores are life size advertisements, as the sleek interior design and advanced technological displays of Apple products are a credit to the company as the ultimate marketing display. The secretive product unveiling create hype and curiosity about new Apple products, effective in capturing consumer interest. The real secret to Apples marketing, however, lies in its ability to create functional, instinctive products that the consumer finds natural to use. Apples marketing campaign highlights this not by specifying the complex features of the product, but rather showing the way that consumers will use them in day to day life and look good doing it (Hollies 2011). Service The genius bar feature of the retail Apple store provides a direct consultation service that allows customers to consult an expert technician on problems they may have encountered with their product. The platform strategy that Apple uses also meaner that consumers are already aware of how a product works from previous products of the same family, requiring less training and also less maintenance and repair due to a better developed product. Supporting Activities Firm Infrastructure The structure of the company once Jobs returned to Apple saw the rapid onset of success, due to the focus on innovation rather than process. The lack of specific processes disclosed to the public also raises questions as to the efficiency of creates opportunities for growth, extensive research and development and product expansion. Human Resource Management The employee benefits of working at Apple are numerous, from the testing of products to receiving gifts of the newest designs to superior working environments. Consequently, for such an innovative and rapidly paced industry, the hiring process is selective in order to attract the best entrepreneurial talent. Technological Development The level of secrecy within Apple is extremely high, even between departments within the organization. This is vital to keep the company relevant and competitive. The level of research and development at Apple is extensive, with many employees particularly senior level management) taking a hands on approach in order to utilize knowledge work to achieve the most beautiful, elegant solution. Procurement The relationship between Apple and its suppliers is of utmost importance to the company in order to meet the needs of a competitive, fast-paced business environment. This is supported by Apples Supplier Diversity Program, established to uphold social and environmental responsibilities by utilizing a range of suppliers with diverse cultural components (Apple and Procurement 2012). Strengths and Weaknesses table Strengths Weaknesses Large market capitalization Lack of concrete processes Annual sales making Apple the largest publicly traded company worldwide Level of secrecy between departments could lead to overlap of ideas/double-up 362 retail stores worldwide providing advertisement for the company Continuing to release relevant and improved products is rapidly paced industry Strong relationships with third party manufacturers and suppliers Design team with extensive entrepreneurial and innovative skills Retail stores offering a point of contact for consumers as well as customer support for product difficulties

Law course (case study) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Law course ( ) - Case Study Example This puts Renault in a safe albeit embarrassing position. Nonetheless, Lyon's decision to sue Sherman for breach of contract may have some merit. On his part, Sherman could use the argument that he is not under any legal obligation to sell his business only to Lyon. He could strengthen his case if he has included the clause that the counteroffer is subject to cancellation by the present owner of Adgraphics without assigning any reason whatsoever. In this case the role of Robert Renault of V.R. Brokers is crucial in bringing about an amicable, out-of-court settlement. A court proceeding could prove to be messy for Sherman and question his personal integrity. The case is tilted in favor of Lane, manufacturer of Zeus bran butane. It is just as good as any open-and-shut case. The tragic end of the victim, Stephen Pavlik's life is the result of his own desire to "get high" by inhaling the dangerous substance which the manufacturer has already cautioned against in bold capitals on the fuel's can. The victim was 20 years of age when the accident occurred. As such, he was quite mature and fully aware of the dangerous consequences of his debilitating addiction.

Flannery OConner Biography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Flannery OConner Biography - Essay Example Flannery’s life as a writer was very eventful and comprised of numerous literary works that earned her fame. Her 1952 novel, Wise Blood, established her as one of America’s budding writers. The New York Times positively reviewed Flannery’s novel and this paved the way for later success. Awards and fellowships supported her writing career. She received the Kenyon Review fellowship shortly after she published the Wise Blood. She went on to win the O. Henry Prize in 1955; this award was the first of three she received for her literary works. A Good Man is Hard to Find is the story that earned her the most fame. Although described as terrifying by her readers, the story depicts the creative genius of Flannery O’Conner. She continued to write stories based on characters that she described as â€Å"freaks and folks†. In 1959, she published her second novel The Violent Bear It Away inspired by the Bible. Christianity inspired all of her work and this novel but many of her readers contested this claim. The grotesque nature of her work disputed Christianity as her source of inspiration. Her writing is often compared to those of Carson McCullers, a fellow Southern Gothic writer She fervently refused this comparison because she had a different view of her work. O’Conner compared her work to Nathaniel Hawthorne due to their similarity in worldviews. Twice Told Tales by Hawthorne was among the work she admired the most. Her illness did not kill her passion for writing and in 1963, she was awarded her second O. Henry Prize.

Dynamicity in HRD Essay Example for Free

Dynamicity in HRD Essay Introduction One of the vital pre-requisites in the field of human resource management is the development of its members.   Consequently, to be able to meet the complex changes that occur in every organization, human resource development seemingly surfaces through the essence of maintaining the ability of the human resource to perform their duties and obligations in the most competitive mean possible.   Organizational behavior critically stresses the idea that every organization must shape up an efficient managerial style—which includes the human resource department—so as to have a thorough breakdown of work for the pursuance of the organization’s established goals and objectives (Schwab, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conceivably, to be able to get the top notch mark of the member’s designated task or job prescription, one undergoes a series of training to be able to harness the skills and the abilities apt for that certain individual as well as for the person to be able to thoroughly understand the importance of being â€Å"an expert† on the certain job.   Moreover, organizational changes must take place when companies change strategies. However, even the best strategic plans encounter resistance. Any significant transformation creates â€Å"people issues†. To thrive, administration should have a personal indulgence of the human phase—the placement of the company’s culture, values, people, and behaviors—to support the preferred results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Training is considered as a dynamic that contain value; value is realized only through the continual, combined actions of all employees who are accountable for designing, executing, and existing with the shifting milieu.   Hence, in this certain kind of schema, then it goes to show the perception that no matter how high an individual’s position may be, each member of the organization must be open to change, to allow themselves to be trained and develop for the betterment of the whole group or the company for that instance. Synthesis on the role of HRDs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human resource developers are perhaps one of the most important key players in an organization.   It is through them that the employees and the prospect workers are being oriented, trained, assessed and evaluated before a certain position is given.   As a matter of fact, they are vested with the authority to control the inevitable shortcomings or other forms of predicaments which normally arise in diverse situations.   Promotion for example, is influenced by the HRD’s advice to the higher authority since that these individuals are concisely those who have carefully studied and analyzed whether an employee deserves to get that position (Wilson, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Further, human resource developers are required to be in flying colors in public relation skills as well as with human behavior schemas.   Not only does it make the responsibility quite complicated, but it is also one of the main reasons why they need to not only see the â€Å"intellectual† skills of the employees but must also pay high regard on the factors that may have manifested the behavior and the performance of the subjects under study.   As to how HRD is defined: â€Å"..Organized learning activities arranged within an organization in order to improve performance and/or personal growth for the purpose of improving the job, the individual, and/or the organization.† (Wilson, 2002)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With this connotation alone, the role of human resource developers in managing an organization is nevertheless the backbone of the management.   Globalization stresses the need of carefully and intelligently crafted programs designed to set certain provisions on communication, leadership and management skills as a pre-requisite in achieving administrative goals (Hughes Beatty, 2005).   The complexity of the world of business strategically sets varied requirements which stage the flow of the environment’s dynamicity requiring a higher level of attention for the adaption of organizational changes (Segil, 2002).   Hence it may then be taken to assumption that without the aide of these â€Å"critics† in an organization, growth and development within its members would be crippled down.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The role of the HRD’s specifically include areas of training and development, career development, and organization enhancement which, in essence, adheres with the level of changes that occur in the environment as well as with the society where the organization falls of service.   Training is primarily the focal point of enhancing the skills and abilities of the employee.   Surveys have shown that employees who are inclined with rigor training through the guidance of HRD constituents are most likely to have an outstanding performance in an organization.   This is because through proper training—wherein the employee is able to fully understand, practice and study one’s job description—mistakes have a minute chance for being committed. Key aspects of training in HRD Managers of training and trainers, no matter what their titles, will find in this book all the tools they need for any training challenge (Wilson, 2002).   Training directors and human resources directors, who are in positions with administrative accountability, will find this short and snappy how to method, particularly the checklists that have a propensity to make bigger judgment, exceptionally useful. Executives will promptly see the capacity of a variety of aspects of training and be ministered to in decision making about the series of their responsibilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several ways to perform training, (1) learning and development can be best defined with the quote:   â€Å"If you are not going forwards, you are in fact going backwards;† (2) leadership/management training and development can be done through a series of formal or informal approaches which will help both the trainee and the trainer meet the loop of expectations, (3) setting training and learning at the right level denotes that in every training, there is a corresponding time or duration for each activity or session to be performed, hitherto implying that the activities involved need to be in an order and has to be followed. Not only does the training need to be speculated in the most deliberative context of the schema, (4) it must also give high regard on Training Needs Analysis (TNA) which is characterized as the point of determining what is necessary to complete the work in action; the accessible skill intensity of the staff carrying out the work and the preparation gap—which floats in the final stages of the training. Understanding the root causes of training is an essential advantage in management. Theories of mental models and mind traps help explain why individuals are more likely to maintain previous positions. As individuals, we all build our own mental maps that we use to perceive, contextualize, simplify, and make sense of things happening in front of us. Those formulated mental maps can trick us into mental traps from thinking objectively, logically or rationally. They also hinder us from accepting differences. Changing mental maps causes discomfort or pain. The greater the pain and the experience, the greater the training will be. Conclusions and further remarks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The necessity of training in an organization is consequently a factor which presumably exists even in the medieval ages and is carried along in the contemporary society.   The difference between the past and the present would only fall on the streamline of â€Å"intellectual capacity† hence taking the training methods which are implemented nowadays are aimed towards the composition of technical and conceptual skills—all of which tantamount to a conclusion that for a person to be able to develop, one must consistently train his or her self so as not to be left behind and be competent enough for society’s constant changes (Watson Noble, 2005). References Hughes, R. L., Beatty, K. M. (2005). Becoming a Strategic Leader: Your Role in Your Organizations Enduring Success (Lst Ed ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Schwab, D. P. (2004). Research Methods for Organizational Studies (Second ed.). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum. Segil, L. (2002). Dynamic Leader Adaptive Organization: Ten Essential Traits for Managers (1 ed.). Toronto: Wiley. Watson, T., Noble, P. (2005). Evaluating Public Relations: A Best Practice Guide to Public Relations Planning, Research Evaluation. London, United Kingdom: Kogan Page. Wilson, J. P. (2002). Human Resource Development: Learning and Training for Individuals and Organizations (Second ed.). London: Kogan Page.

Media and Society Essay -- Papers Media TV Television Impact Essays

Media and Society Works Cited Not Included Media is all around us. We as a society absorb media from television, radio, magazines, billboards, and newspapers. Media has such a strong effect on our lives that we do not even notice its presence sometimes. Media is the central force in shaping our culture and democracy. Media reflects and sustains the values and traditions of our striving, but necessary democracy. We as a society can use mass media to our advantage if we watch over the impact it has over us (Media and Culture 35) Let me first give some insight on how media bombards our life everyday. In our society, television is the main source of news and information, and the main source of entertainment as well. More than 99 percent of U.S. households have at least one television set, and about two-thirds of them have two, three, or more sets (Nielsen 1993). As the number of TV sets in a household has increased, family viewing has declined, and individual program selection and so...

Characterization in Science Fiction

Characterization in Science Fiction Kirill Kachinsky 03/30/2010 Introduction By analyzing Isaac Asimov's, â€Å"The Caves of Steel† as a work of the Science Fiction genre and its comparison to similar works in the genre as well as supporting texts, it will be clear to see how characterization amongst the five literary elements merely serves as a secondary discussion point within the work, as its non involvement proves valuable for the other literary element development. Caves of Steel character analysis â€Å"Caves of Steel† by Isaac Asimov proves to show throughout,that the lack of character detail and development allows for other literary elements such as setting and narration to benefit and create more interest for the avid Science Fiction reader. Characters such as Robot Daneel, Commissioner Enderby and Elijah Baley make it possible for the narrator to concentrate on the setting of the story, providing the readers with a grand visual of a futuristic city and an acute understanding of the development of social interaction in a foreseeable future. Flat characters in Science Fiction as vehicles for literary element development As for the fear of manufacturing the uncontrollable that was mentioned in the earlier section, primitive technology and its exploration is seen in the story, â€Å"The Lost Machine† by John Wyndham. Even though â€Å"The Lost Machine† is social science fiction and focusing on the human aspect more rather than the technical aspect of its genre predecessors, none the less the flat characterization of human characters is present. The story centers on a robot exploring Earth and realizing that our technology is primitive because we’re afraid of anything that’s superior to us; humans are portrayed as archaic beasts compared even to the robot as one human tries to sell the robot to another human, â€Å"I’m takin’ it to a place I know of—it ought to be worth a bit. † Once again the simplicity of a greedy human becomes a vehicle for the robot to further describe and interpret the people of Earth and its surroundings in its own point of view, or rather once again, making narration a key literary element in the story. The benefit and/or drawback of flat characterization The benefits of flat characterization are obvious. There is much more room for development of literary elements that are key to the genre of Science Fiction. But of course to every advantage there is a disadvantage, such mentioned earlier and put forth by Clyde F. Beck; a simple argument in which characterization should be more developed to engage the reader. In â€Å"A Conversation with Isaac Asimov,† Asimov simply states it’s a trade off in Science Fiction of one for the other, since the setting is so descriptive, in and of itself it is a character, â€Å"I meant also that spending time on background takes time away from your characters. You don't have characterization as it's usually understood by most people. If you consider your background society as a character, that society has all kinds of â€Å"characterization. Asimov’s statement holds true upon almost any Science Fiction novel, whether discovering or destroying worlds, the key literary elements do not include characterization, that element would most likely best well in a drama. Conclusion Caves of Steel like many Science Fiction works of literature contain certain prominent literary elements such as setting, style and narration. Although the literary element of characterization is not as prominent as the others, its absence is none the less important to any work of Science Fiction as its emptiness becomes the vehicle for the development of a â€Å"good† work of Science Fiction; a work full of descriptive setting, a setting that almost takes place of a fully developed character. Works Cited Asimov, Isaac. The Caves of Steel. New York: Bantam, 1991. Print. Ingersoll, Earl G. Isaac Asimov, Gregory Fitz Gerald, Jack Wolf, Joshua Duberman, and Robert Philmus. â€Å"A Conversation with Isaac Asimov. † Science Fiction Studies 14. 1 (1987): 68-77. Print. Smith, E. E. The Skylark of Space. Lincoln, Neb. : University of Nebraska, 2001. Print. Westfahl, Gary. â€Å"The Popular Tradition of Science Fiction Criticism. † Science Fiction Studies 26. 2 (1999): 187-212. Web. Wyndham, John, and Angus Wells. The Best of John Wyndham: 1932-1949. London: Sphere, 1973. Print.

Summary of Everyday Use

Alice’s Walker’s, â€Å"Everyday Use†, tells a story of a southern, African American family that consist of Mama, the story’s narrator, and her two daughters, Dee, the oldest, and her sister, Maggie. Set during the back to Africa movement of the early 1970’s, when African Americans removed their surnames or names fully and adopted new names that represented their African heritage, Dee leaves home for college and returns to announce the change of her name from Dee to Wangero. She collects items that Mama and Maggie uses everyday to take with her, and finally tries to take a quilt that has been stitched together by her family for generations. â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker reveals the intracultural class within the Black community as African Americans struggle to piece together the elements of their lives that are both African and American into a cohesive whole. Alice Walker characterizes Dee as an aggressive, confident woman who normally gets what she wants. Mama recalls, â€Å"Dee wanted nice things†¦. She was determined to stare down any disaster in her effort†¦At sixteen she had a style of her own: and knew what style was† (paragraph 12). Dee has ambitions and goals and lets nothing stop her from reaching them. She has her own way of going about things and is determined to get her way no matter what. Highly intelligent and ambitious, Dee goes to school to further her education and to expand her horizon, and, while in college, Dee learns the culture of her people. However, Dee’s intelligence and ambition are characteristics that lead to the conflict in the story because they also reveal Dee’s naivety and the static nature of Walker’s character development. Because she always gets her way, Dee is single minded and does not see the clash she creates between herself and her family members. When she first returns home, she snaps photos of Mama and Maggie sitting on the porch as if they are artifacts of an old way of life, illustrating their setting in an old way of life, and her modern, Afro-centric world. She flaunts her education by reading to Mama and Maggie and gives unnecessary information as if they are dimwits further contrasting herself with her mother and sister, and does not realize the division she is causing. Dee has gotten all that she has wanted; however, her education does not indicate a dynamic development in her character. The level of Dee’s greed and superiority are finally revealed as she tries to take a quilt Mama has promised to Maggie. Dee and Mama argue for a while then Dee claims, â€Å"Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts†¦They’re riceless†¦You just don’t understand†¦Your heritage† (paragraph 66-81). Dee knows the objects are of valuable, so she wants to show them off, in her world, as an example of her coming from nothing to the college educated woman she has become. Walker’s character development allows the setting to show in the contrast of Dee’s world, her stroking hand adorned in bangles as pa rt of her African grab, against the faded much used quilt from Mama and Maggie’s world. Dee believes Mama doesn’t understand her own heritage because the quilt is rare and valuable, and she doesn’t see why Maggie, who doesn’t know how valuable the quilts are and will put it to everyday use, should have them. Even though Dee is gifted and excels in school, she is completely unaware that her true cultural heritage, honor, survival, family and family history, have been passed down through generations. Driven by ego and blinded to the truth, Dee thinks her culture is found in books rather than the stitches of the quilts, the fabric of her mother’s promise to her children. Mama wants to honor her promise to give the quilts to Maggie, and it was Mama who provided Dee with the opportunity to receive an education, â€Å"But that was before we raised the money, the church and me, to send her to Augusta to school† (paragraph 11). Dee, however, does not realize the history of her culture is not just in the quilts, the items and pictures, but the people that take the knowledge and abilities they learned from their ancestors to provide for the current and next generation; that’s why culture heritage can not be learned in school. On the other hand, Maggie, the sister who does not go to school, is fully aware of her cultural heritage. Maggie, being very family-orientated, reveals the knowledge of her family. Dee asks for the dasher, her friend asks if Uncle Buddy had made it and they both look at Mama for confirmation, but it was Maggie who says, â€Å"Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled the dash†¦His name was Henry, but they called him Stash† (paragraph 52). In recognition of Maggie’s expertise of the family’s history Dee says Maggie has the brain of an elephant; meaning she remembers a lot. Maggie comprehends the family history and can identify what responsibilities people in the family possessed. Mama’s brother-in-law, her sister’s husband, helped Mama’s family by making them a dasher; Walker uses this to illustrate how united their families are because they assist each other when needed. In addition, they gave Mama’s brother-in-law a nickname; nicknames are a sign of affection and Maggie calls him by his nickname which shows their close relationship. Maggie inherited her culture customs. Mama explains, â€Å"She knows she is not bright†¦She will marry John Thomas and then I’ll be free to sit here and I guess just sing church songs to myself† (paragraph 13). Maggie will become like her mom and keep the tradition of the southern black woman because she too is uneducated, will marry, and raise kids. Walker reveals the cultural heritage of southern blacks that they are supposed to get married and raise children. Maggie tells Mama Dee can have the quilt, which was promised to her, and she can remember her grandmother without the quilt. Maggie says, â€Å"She can have them, Mama†¦I can ‘member Grandma Dee without the quilts† (paragraph 74). Then Mama explains, â€Å"It was Grandma Dee and Big Dee who taught her how to quilt herself. She stood there with her scarred hands hidden in the folds oh her skirt† (paragraph 75). Maggie doesn’t need the quilt to remember her grandmother because she has memories which are more valuable to her than the quilt. The quilt is just a symbol of the memories Maggie had with her grandmother. Grandma Dee and Big Dee taught Maggie the skill of quilting which has been passed down through family generations. This shows the cultural heritage of the family that they are skilled quilt makers. Maggie is very family-orientated she learns the family skill of making quilts, has knowledge of the family tree and its history. Maggie is very close with her family because she calls them by their nicknames and has plenty of memories of the family. She will continue to pass on the culture heritage of the family by marrying, having children, teaching her children how to quilt, and keeping the family close together as did the people before her; she is her family cultural heritage. What makes the story well written is because it reminds people that they are their cultural heritage and that’s not something people can just get from a one dimensional textbook. It shows how two people can be raised by the same mother and have a different view of life, as in they are sisters by blood, grow up in the same house, and be so far apart. There is one sibling, Dee, she has a lot of text book knowledge of her people’s history, but loses touch with her own cultural heritage, and than there is the other sister, Maggie, she has no text book knowledge of her people’s history but is living proof of her people’s history. A great lesson people need to learn because people are losing touch with their family morals and becoming less family orientated, which is weakening a lot of families. United people stand together and divided people falls, which is the key lesson the story, teaches and makes it a well written story because it is able to take something that is happening in real life and reflects it to where an average person can relate.

Practice in Identifying Indirect Objects

Practice in Identifying Indirect Objects An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that indicates to whom or for whom the action of a verb is performed. This exercise will give you practice in identifying indirect objects in sentences. InstructionsEach of the following ten sentences contains an indirect object. Identify the indirect object in each sentence, and then compare your answers with those on page two. Give Marie the prize.The taxi driver charged us twenty dollars.I wished my friends a happy new year and headed back into the house.After washing the dishes, I told the children a bedtime story about otters and eagles.Preetha often lends her brother money, but he never pays her back.Mikey handed me a note from his mother explaining his absence the day before.The young man built his family a house in an isolated hollow near White Bluff.Lynn bought her uncle a Western-style gray felt hat at the Franklin Sporting Goods store.Kate passed him the canteen, and he took a big drink of the cold water.Last fall our church group sent the missionaries mops and pails and building supplies. Below are the answers (in bold) to the exercise Practice in Identifying Indirect Objects. Give Marie the prize. The taxi driver charged us twenty dollars. I wished my friends a happy new year and headed back into the house. After washing the dishes, I told the children a bedtime story about otters and eagles. Preetha often lends her brother money, but he never pays her back. Mikey handed me a note from his mother explaining his absence the day before. The young man built his family a house in an isolated hollow near White Bluff. Lynn bought her uncle a Western-style gray felt hat at the Franklin Sporting Goods store. Kate passed him the canteen, and he took a big drink of the cold water. Last fall our church group sent the missionaries mops and pails and building supplies.

Correcting an Incorrect Business Email

Correcting an Incorrect Business Email What is the best way to correct an error in an email sent to multiple recipients, if you are listed in the cc: line of that email, along with other recipients? It can be a little confusing, because if you are listed on the cc: line you can assume you are being informed, with no expectation of a response from you. However, the one exception to this rule is when you know the message to be incorrect, requiring you to correct the misunderstanding. If time is not critical, do not reply to all and correct the sender. Instead, email the sender, explaining your correction, and ask him or her to resend the corrected information to the same recipient group. Only if the sender does not correct the message should you alert the group with your correction. If time does not allow you to alert the sender to correct the message, only then should you reply to all with your correct information. And, be kind and phrase your correction clearly but tactfully. This applies in both business email and personal email. I received a message from a friend this morning alerting me and a large group of recipients how to detect a two-way mirror in case we were being spied upon in clothing dressing rooms. Ok, it was silly. Still, my friend who sent this message is well-intentioned and a nice lady. Another recipient replied to everyone, providing a terse message that the sender was incorrect and included a Snopes link (a site which identifies urban legends) refuting her two-way mirror test. This correction was unkind. The corrector should have sent the Snopes link to the original sender and given her an opportunity to make her own correction. Give a colleague or a friend a chance to wipe the egg off their own face, before you throw some more. Master business email in your career in this Email Course.

Wall Street by Oliver Stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wall Street by Oliver Stone - Essay Example However, the theme of the film brings out some of the goings-on in the lives of everyday stockbrokers, and how they take advantage of unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). The desire to be driven by greed often leads one into doing bad things in order to make it in Wall Street. One thing that happens that might violate the code of ethics is insider trading. Although it may not be considered illegal, there are instances where insider trading may be considered as criminal. This is when personal knowledge is used to disclose information about company shares, and the information is not yet public. This is illegal and is also unethical. The manipulation of stock values also goes against a financial institution’s code of conduct. It is wrong, and, in fact, criminal, to manipulate stock values to make shareholders buy or sell more in a bid to make a profit. This is what the main characters depict, and they go on to show how they benefit from unsuspecting shareholders (Wall Street 1). My favorite quote from the film can be considered the most famous in the film. Gordon Gekko, the main character in the film, is heard as saying that greed is good and that greed marks the essence of the evolutionary spirit. It is also through Gordon Gekko that the audience learns of the innovative and wealth creative ways that are brought on by greed in this quote. Greed, as depicted by the film, drives most of the characters to lie, cheat, and even steal in order to make a name for themselves in the financial corporation and money making machine that is Wall Street (Wall Street 1). I chose this quote as it directly changes the manner in which most people will view greed and its impact on their lives. The most essential question to ask is whether it is actually right to lose one’s sanity and morality in a bid to attain riches and wealth. The context in which this quote was used in the film was to showcase the depth people are disposed to take in order to get

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF AN ARTICLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF AN ARTICLE - Essay Example Abstracts are meant to let readers know what to expect in an article they are about to read; this article, according to the author investigates, in form of a case study, a control framework resulting from a strategic lean manufacturing initiative in a natural environment. The author suggests that, a theoretical framework is developed that assists in comprehending accounting practices, organizational structure, and control choices associated with lean manufacturing (Kennedy & Widener 2008). Additionally, the abstract is very clear about numerous bidirectional and intervening relations that the article identifies. The introduction is very informative, extensive and well researched; it makes reference to various studies by different authors. It thus offers a vivid introduction to various concepts of business systems such as total preventive maintenance TPM, JIT, and TQM. It is interesting how the author dedicates time to offer readers with a vivid background on lea accounting coupled with a clear mention of the aims and objectives of the study (Kennedy & Widener 2008). Finally, the introduction outlines how the article would be subdivided from literature review, to a discussion on methodology, case study description, summary and

Pleasant Manor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pleasant Manor - Essay Example Some states enacted the policy of PPS on nursing homes where the medical providers are paid based on how severely ill the patients are rather than the volume of services provided to the patient (Griffin, 1995). The medical reimbursement provided was not enough to provide an incentive for medical providers to retain patients during subacute phase recovery. SNF was reimbursed with cost limits, the total amount needed to treat subacute patient normally goes beyond the SNF cost limit. This means that the amount dispersed for treating heavy care or subacute were inadequate. There are several theories of organizational behavior and communication that could have assisted PM from collapsing, one of it is structuration theory, this theory was developed by Anthony Giddens (Andrew, Richard, and Catherine, 1989). In this theory, leaders make decisions and choices that can limit what can be done in an organization. The decision to introduce PPS did not work well with the medical providers and it limited the choices of PM, but with proper communication, the organization could have updated their types of equipment and introduce other people with new ideas and innovative programs to drive the organization. The management should have come up with the meaningful solution to the complex problem facing the organization using innovative technological solution that could have provided answers to the problems facing PM. According to Douglas McGregor, there are two types of organizational behavior theories, these are theory x and theory Y. in theory X the manager believes that the workers are lazy and cannot be trusted, in theory, Y, the managers believe that the workers are trustworthy and capable of assuming responsibility (Andrew, Richard, and Catherine, 1989). This theory could have been important in PM since it could have promoted management understanding of employees’ motivation.

Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

Roman Empire Essay The Romans created urban centers that looked and functioned much like our urban centers do today. Pick an example of an actual coliseum, arena, or civic center in your area. Describe its style and function as if it were a Roman building in a Roman city. The term arena, signifying the place of combat, is derived from arena or harena, the sand sprinkled on the fighting field to soak up blood and facilitate cleaning. I would compare our local coliseum to the Roman urban center, it is named Hampton Coliseum and it has held numerous events such as the urban center. The Hampton Coliseum is basically the center of the city of Hampton such as an urban center in a Roman city. The Hampton Coliseum is arena like and the size of a football field. The Hampton Coliseum had its ground breaking on May 24, 1968. There were 96 exterior triangular shaped concrete wall panels poured, each weighing approximately 26 tons. Each panel was pelted with stones to give a speckled appearance. Also cast on the site were 700 concrete bleacher sections, weighing from one to three tons each. In all, 17,000 cubic yards of concrete were used for the structure, including 300 cubic yards for the arena floor alone. The floor contains nearly 10 miles of coolant coil for freezing the ice rink. The floor of the arena is almost the size of a football field. I have included pictures of the coliseum to show the comparison to a Roman building. This is the inside of the Hampton Coliseum. This is the outside of the Hampton Coliseum. As you can see in the pictures the structure is very similar to a Roman building as far as the rectangular shape of the entrance and triangular walls in a circular pattern so that the seats could be constructed on the upper floors and balconies of the surrounding buildings and erect barriers at the entry points on ground level. If you look at the Hampton Coliseum and a Roman building like the one below, you can see how much they are alike.

The Emerging Culinary Trend - Gluten-free Essay -- Nutrition

Wheat is one of the number ones sources of fiber in the American diet. According to gluten.net (GIG) gluten is a storage protein that is found in all grains. The immune system response to this protein is called Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy or Celiac Disease. People with this sensitivity must adhere to a gluten-free diet and must avoid wheat, rye and barley products. This paper will examine gluten-free products and address the opinion that this emerging trend tastes as good as any other food with gluten in them. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, oats, rye and barley. What most people don’t know is that wheat is also used in products from tomato soup to lip gloss to even shampoo. Most medications, art supplies and also in the body of Christ at Holy Communion. (Alicea, 2008). Unless items are certified to be gluten-free those with Celiac Disease cannot consume them. (Alicea, 2008) Celiac Disease is an autoimmune response to gluten. (Alicea, 2008) In an article written in Long-Term Living: For the Continuing Care Professional. The article states, â€Å" A person {with Celiac Disease} immune system’s sees the gluten protein as a toxin and produces antibodies that damage the small intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients, which can lead to weight loss and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Celiac disease is one of the most under-diagnosed diseases among the American population; many doctors confuse the symptoms with that of irritable bowel syndrome. (Alicea, 2008) Celiac Disease affects everyone differently; infants, toddlers, adults and senior citizen are all at risk for developing Celiac Disease. In infants the symptoms have far worst effects and even fatal results than those in older suffers if left untreated. Babies with Cel... ...essed carbohydrate from your daily intake. This doesn’t hold true for all gluten-free products as they have the same carbohydrate level as their counterparts; so just because it says gluten-free doesn’t mean that they are healthy in excess. Everything is healthy in moderation. References Alicea, Ronni. "Gluten-Free Diets: Are You Prepared?." Long-Term Living: For The Continuing Care Professional 57.12 (2008): 22-24. Academic Search Complete Web. 9 Nov. 2011. Coffey, Lynette. Wheatless Cooking: including Gluten-free and Sugar-free Recipes. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 1985. Print. "Frequently Asked Questions." Gluten Intolerance | Gluten Intolerance Group. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. . Walsh, William E. "Gluten Intolerance." Food Allergies: the Complete Guide to Understanding and Relieving Your Food Allergies. New York: Wiley, 2000. 216-24. Print.

Life or death †whose decision is it anyway?

The courses of actions that were taken shall be justified through the use of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative. The categorical imperative provides that one ought to, â€Å"[a]ct only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.† There are however two formulations of the categorical imperative. The above-mentioned is the first one and the second is â€Å"[a]ct in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any another, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end.†Scenario 1The primary issue at hand is whether or not it was ethical for the doctors in George Washington Hospital to insist that her baby be allowed to live despite Angela’s, her physicians’ and her family’s objections; especially when it was found that in the end, the surgery was a contributing cause to Angela’s death. Thus, the primary issue here is wheth er or not abortion would have been ethical given the situation. What is the best course of action to take given the situation?But even before proceeding, what exactly is the situation? The situation is the fact that Angela is faced with cancer and she has only a few days to live. Her physicians and her family wanted to preserve her life as much as they could. In addition, the surgery (cesarean section), which while gives the baby 50 to 60% chance to survive, endangers Angela’s life and withers the last few days that she has left, not to mention the fact that .   Furthermore, they estimated that there was a less than 20 percent chance that the child would be disabled.   The physicians also testified that the surgery would increase the chances of Angela Carter’s death.The best course of action taken was the course taken by the doctors in George Washington Hospital to insist that her baby be allowed to live despite Angela’s, her physicians’ and her famil y’s objections.. Thus, given the situation it would not have been ethical to abort the baby. This decision can be justified using Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative.The categorical imperative can be explained simply through the discussion on duties. Basically if a course of action or decision is one’s duty, then it can be willed to become a universal law. If on the other hand, a course of action is not part of one’s duty then it cannot be said to become a universal law.Given the situation above, it is the duty of Angela’s doctors to uphold the value of life. In fact as doctors, it is part of their Hippocratic Oath â€Å"[t]o practice and prescribe to the best of my ability for the good of my patients, and to try to avoid harming them† and â€Å"[n]ever to do deliberate harm to anyone for anyone else’s interest.† However, it becomes complicated as they, in a way have to choose between Angela’s and her baby’s li fe. As it is their duty to protect their patients’ lives, they are now confronted with a scenario that they have to inevitably choose one of their patients’ lives. Thus, the question is can the doctors continue performing their duties without aborting the baby? Are there alternatives?Subjected to the first formulation of the categorical imperative, the action not to abort and keep the child may be regarded as a universal law and may be imposed upon any other individual who finds himself/ herself in such a situation.They may do without abortion as the same is in compliance with their duty to preserve life because there are other means by which they may still comply with their duty to Angela to protect and safeguard her life. One of these is by making sure that she is given the best possible attention during the surgery. It must be noted that Angela’s is bound to live for only a few days, no matter what the doctors do.The course of action is further affirmed and c larified as it is subjected to the second formulation. From such maxim arises the duty that human life must be protected and safeguarded because it must not be treated just as a means but always at the same time as an end.Ideally, the best course of action is to try all means possible and necessary to safeguard both Angela and her baby’s life. However, it must be noted that Angela’s life is already on the losing end and no matter what the doctors do, she was bound to die sooner rather than later. Thus, aborting the baby is but a means to making sure that Angela will live albeit for a few a days; with this fact, such course of action does not pass the second formulation of the categorical imperative. The life of the baby must be treated not just as a means but also as an end.Thus, in this case the doctors of George Washington Hospital undertook to perform the best course of action given the situation as at the end of the day, life or death is not a decision that any per son can make. For that matter, no one person can ever make that decision for someone else.Scenario 4The primary issue in this scenario was whether or not it would be ethical for the Dr. Wendy Smith to inform Jack’s father that he will die unless he gets a liver transplant.The issue arises from the fact that Jack believes that his father’s situation will worsen once the gravity of his predicament is made known to him. On the other hand, Dr. Wendy Smith believes by his sworn duty to inform the patient of what he is up against.In this situation there is a clash of duties between the duty of Jack to his father, as a son and the duty of the doctor to Jack’s father as his doctor. It is the duty of Jack to do everything in his power to make sure that the best interests of his father is upheld and taken care of. On the other hand, in addition to the above-mentioned duties of a doctor â€Å"[t]o practice and prescribe to the best of my ability for the good of my patient s, and to try to avoid harming them† and â€Å"[n]ever to do deliberate harm to anyone for anyone else’s interest,† it is also their duty â€Å"[t]o keep the good of the patient as the highest priority.†We shall now find out the resolve of the conflicting duties by subjecting them to the two formulations of the categorical imperative.With respect to Jack’s duty, it is true that the upholding the best interests of one’s parent can be willed that it should become a universal law. In addition, by upholding the best interests of one’s parent, one acts in such a way that he/she treats humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any another, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end.With respect to Dr. Wendy Smith’s duties â€Å"[t]o practice and prescribe to the best of my ability for the good of my patients, and to try to avoid harming them,† â€Å"[n]ever to do deliberate harm to anyone for anyone else’s interest,† and â€Å"[t]o keep the good of the patient as the highest priority.† The same can be willed that they can become universal laws and the same are also means by which humanity is treated not just as a means but also as an end.Thus, as both were subjected to the categorical imperative and both passed the formulations, what then? It can be noted that Jack’s duty is to make sure that the best interests of his father are upheld, but how does Jack know what his best interests are? Is concealing the truth to him of his best interest? Thus, we subject this to the categorical imperative.Concealing the truth cannot be willed to become a universal law. If the same were to be allowed to become universal law then all concealments of truth in all situations not related to the situation at hand will be justified. The same is inconsistent to upholding the virtue of truth. At the same time, concealing the truth is actually a method by which one is treated as a means and not as end. This is so as concealment provides a myopic view – it is a mere means for the people around Jack’s father to avoid the issue of his impending demise for themselves rather than making sure that Jack’s father is apprised of his situation and is prepared for the worst possible ending of his situation.Thus, the best course of action to take is the action backed up by Dr. Wendy Smith’s duty as a doctor to inform the patient of his predicament no matter how grave said situation is.

Even Sigmund Freud participated Essay

Today the medical sphere may offer us good examples of how the existing diversification of approaches and methods towards the treatment of people is related to the fundamental shifts in our perception of the old problem of finding the connection between the human body and the mind. In fact, on one hand medicine as such is on the most fundamental level an inherently conservative filed of knowledge and practice because what is at stake for a doctor is often the very human life, the value of which overthrows any possible dubious methods of treatment that may lead to the lack of positive results, or even to negative ones. On the other hand, as we are constantly learning new things about such an intricate structure as the human body is, it becomes clear that phenomena that had been thought understandable in reality have a much more complicated nature, which requires elaboration of existing scientific approaches, or even demands refusal from some of the traditional medical postulates. To grasp challenges that arise from such shifts in our understanding of mind-body connection we may consider perhaps too extreme examples – numerous schools of the so-called New Age medicine which under the pretence of the break-through knowledge all too often advance simply untenable and absurd claims based on mere speculations (Reisser, Reisser, and Weldon, 1988, pp. 147-52), and the overly sceptical defenders of the traditional Western medicine who may tend to be too inflexible in their admission of the validity of alternative approaches to medical treatment of people. More specifically, the matter of the influence of human psychological processes on what has traditionally been considered purely physiological disorders is one of the most inflaming causes of disagreements between the mentioned approaches. This tension that in one form or another is ongoing between representatives of different medical camps to a large degree defines the modern discourse of approaches to the medical treatment (Miller, 2003, pp. 185-187). In this regard, it would be interesting to closely investigate the existing literature that represents the current state of affairs in the perception of the connection between the mind and the body. As a suitable object of our analysis may serve the book written by Doctor of Medicine John E. Sarno, a Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at the New York University Medical Center. His best-selling work â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain† belongs to the list of the most popular books that highlight academic and practical achievements in the field of psychosomatic medicine, a school of medicine which is based on the principle of unity of the mind and the body, and which aims to examine the mechanisms of the interdependency between emotions and bodily functions and to promote psychological methods of medical care (Levenson, 2004, pp. 3-66). The combination of the academic approaches of the author to the support of his material and the popularity of the book among lay people to whom it is largely addressed suggests that on the example of this work we may judge the level of penetration of what could unanimously be perceived alternative medicine not long time ago into the modern medical discourse. With all this in mind, let us examine the volume of John E. Sarno in the context of its connection as of a textbook of applied psychosomatic medicine with the modern medical paradigms. For this purpose, we will briefly outline the history of psychosomatic medicine, then will try to link it with the book of Sarno, and in the main body of the paper will provide the book report with relevant comments on the book`s contents. Background on psychosomatic medicine The origins of the psychosomatic medicine can be found in the teachings of early Western philosophers and physicians who acknowledged that emotions played an important role for the human health (Cacioppo, 1989, p. 589). Still, the Western medicine has traditionally been more inclined towards the study of the significance of bodily functions (Loudon, 1997, p. 238). However, by the middle of the nineteenth century the level of attention to the involvement of emotions in diseases development grew as the observational evidence was accumulating that had suggested that some disorders were not always accompanied by organic affections (U. S. National Library of Medicine, 2005). For example, only since the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries such a neurosis as hysteria began to be linked with emotional factors and the nervous system in general. Even Sigmund Freud participated in the study of symptoms of hysteria, and one of his conclusions was that they are based on memories linked to mental traumas which under certain conditions may intrude in the processes of somatic innervation. In this way, a possible mechanism for the interaction between mind and body was offered that was reminiscent of mechanisms that Sarno would be describing in his book. The German psychoanalysts Georg Groddeck even went as far as claiming that psychological mechanisms engendering hysteria can be applied to all somatic diseases which from this point of view are the bodily manifestations of unconscious psychological processes. In the 1930s psychoanalyst Franz Alexander attempted to find a compromise between the Freudian theory, such views as those of Groddeck, and existing knowledge of physiology. He was against excessively psychological interpretations that ignored the automatic mechanisms in the body that to a large degree directed emotional expressions. The theoretical basis developed by Alexander contributed in the United States to the invigorated extensive research of psychosomatic mechanisms, and psychosomatic medicine as a separate field of study was formed in 1939 when the medical journal dedicated to this branch of medicine was published. After that time, psychosomatic medicine was only gaining momentum. For example, World War II spurred the interest to it due to numerous manifestations of psychosomatic symptoms in soldiers. Eventually, by the 1950s interest to psychosomatic medicine and its scientific background grew so much that its concepts entered the popular culture as media started to publish numerous articles and thus popularized psychosomatic theories (U. S. National Library of Medicine, 2005). Now, fast forward to today, and we can witness that many of the postulates of psychosomatic medicine are already among the undisputed popular opinions of many people, and for instance the maxim that in order to stay healthy a person should avoid excessive stresses and disturbing emotional states is among the most frequently heard ones in both media sources and in our everyday interaction. However, after the surge of academic interest to it half a century ago, psychosomatic medicine, in contrast to its successful penetration into the public perception, somewhat lost momentum within scientific circles in the second half of the twentieth century (Kennedy, 2004, p. 400). So, it is in such circumstances that the book of John E. Sarno â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain† saw the light of the day. The book of John E. Sarno in the larger social and historical context â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain† builds upon themes from Sarno’s previous book â€Å"Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection† that advanced the idea that the cause of back pain, headache, slipped discs, and other chronic forms of pain is actually rooted in our psychology (Sarno, 1991). In â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† Sarno adds new knowledge about the psychology of emotionally stimulated physical manifestations, and elucidates how such emotions as anger, anxiety, guilt, and other negative mental states can cause mental stimulation of negative physical symptoms. Thus, in both of those books the author touches upon very urgent topics for the modern American society in which an increasing number of people are plagued by back, neck, or limb pain. In fact, this is a serious economic problem as well, as industries in which large percentage of people are working at computers bear significant health insurance burden due to a variety of similar disorders causing pain, like fibromyalgia or repetitive stress injury (Sarno, 2005). More generally, pain as such in its different forms is a crippling problem for many individuals in both their professional and private lives (Margoles, 1998, pp. 9-32). So, â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† addresses precisely this disturbing epidemic as it analyses clinical data to find the main cause of the pain disorders, and elaborates methods to treat those disorders. Importantly, in doing so the author tries to fill the gap existing in the traditional methods of chronic pain treatment that are apparently unable to stop this pain epidemic. From the very beginning of the main body of the volume it becomes clear for a reader that the author adopts a holistic approach to his subject. More specifically, Sarno opens the first chapter of the book with construction of various typical and stressful scenarios that in one form or another take place in lives of many of us and contribute to chronic physical pain that people experience. What is untypical, though, is that Sarno from the very beginning of the book begins to draw our attention to what could be considered as a minor element of those scenarios, but what in reality, according to the author, underlies the different manifestation of the pain disorders. This significant element is the factor of unconscious anger or outright rage that Sarno envisions as inevitably accompanying all of the scenarios that he delves in, like our troubles with private life, or within family, or career-related frustration, and many other different â€Å"or† that Sarno repeats in succession to bring home to us his case of unconscious mechanisms that generate anger in so many people. Now, this initial attention to the emotional side of our life is in a good agreement with our above observations about the widely acknowledged role that our mind plays in our health, and the author as if resumes that the existence of the definite connection between our emotional experiences and our bodily health is factual. But, judging from the way he begins his work, what we can expect from Sarno is the elaboration on the exact mechanisms that keep the mind-body connection running, especially as the author immediately claims that the disorders that he is about to discuss â€Å". . . are neither illnesses nor diseases, but rather symptomatic states induced by the brain to serve a psychological purpose† (Sarno, 1998, p. 3). After all, while general public does not always bother to verify its views, practitioners of classical pathophysiology would surely expect solid support of any claim related to the emotional aspects of diseases and illnesses and to the connection between pain problems and stress. At the same time, having chosen the non-technical style of presentation Sarno procured the easiness of reading for common people whose pain-related problems are the actual target of the book. The structure and the contents of the book â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† consists of three parts preceded by an extended preface and an introduction that deals with a historical perspective of the book`s theme. The preface and the introduction of the book summarize theories and experience of Sarno with treatment of back pain and other types of musculoskeletal disturbances. Naturally, already in the opening parts of the work the emotional foundation of the pain is emphasized. In the end of the book we can find a thorough appendix, which provides supportive citations for conclusions of Sarno, and a bibliography which refers to articles that cover physical and psychoanalytic issues related to chronic pain and its treatment. In the first part of the book Sarno reflects upon concepts underlying mind-body medicine, and exemplifies influences that physical stress and such psychological states as feeling of guilt, anxiety, depression, or personality disorders have on the range of symptoms manifested in patients. Sarno categorizes the range of painful symptoms that may arise due to psychological processes as belonging to what he terms Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), which is a painful condition that develops in the back, shoulders, neck, or buttocks, and may equally arise in other parts of the body, and which throughout the whole book would be the main object of study for the author. But before shifting to investigation of concrete instances of TMS-related maladies, in order to justify his principal claim that chronic pain symptoms are in reality a kind of a defense mechanism used by our brain to distract our attention from our unconscious emotions of anger, Sarno copiously refers to the prominent figures whom we have discussed – Sigmund Freud, Franz Alexander, and some other defenders of the theory of psychoanalysis like Stanley Coen and Heinz Kohut. I believe that this approach is beneficial as it helps readers appreciate the historical inheritance that underlies basic conceptions of the psychosomatic medicine, and thus provides a firmer footing for beliefs held by many people who have had successful experiences with psychosomatic approaches to treatment of illnesses. Aside from the references to important figures in the history of psychosomatic medicine, the first part of the book also elaborates a distinct and well-structured explanation of the concepts constituting the basic principles of mind-body interaction. In the process of such explanation the author mentions such fields of study and such medical and psychological notions as neurophysiology of psychogenic disturbances, problems of psychosomatic origin, and reactions of conversion (which is one of the types of interaction between the mind and the body when unconscious elements of human psyche intrude into somatic processes) (Sarno, 1998, pp. 173-174). Sarno also mentions the findings of Candace Pert, a neuroscientist who found opiate receptors in the human brain, and who greatly contributed to the growth of our knowledge of links between biochemical processes in the brain and physiological phenomena. In this way, Sarno anchors the theme of his book in the history of psychosomatic medicine, and, even though he is mentioning some radical concepts that may be critically perceived by adherents of traditional pathophysiology, the style of Sarongs presentation is lucid and definitely absorbing. All in all, the first part of the book serves as a bridge between the general discussion of the psychological mechanisms of emotional influence on physical disorders and more detailed investigation of psychoneurophysiology that underlies psychogenic processes. In the second part of the book Sarno closely examines his clinical experience with emotionally caused physical disorders, and is primarily concerned with various manifestations of TMS and with the possibility to extend his theory of the mechanisms of TMS emergence to other diseases and illnesses. In fact, many of the clinical problems that he examines have already been known to have a connection to stress, which either produces them, or aggravates their effects. However, what makes the work of Sarno special is his approach to explanation of these disease states from the point of view of unconscious working of repressed anger and rage. To prove his case, Sarno has combined physical medicine with psychoanalytic theory in order to give what he believes is a proper account for TMS, which, according to his practice, is the main cause of musculoskeletal and back pain. For Sarno, the origin of painful manifestations of TMS lies in repressed emotions. And the pain in various parts of body as such is theorized by the author as being caused by a diminution of blood flow to the corresponding tissues. This process of blood flow reduction is mediated via the autonomic system as a stressful reaction of brain to repressed emotions. We may chart the TMS pathophysiology in the following way: The formation of unconscious repressed emotions (anger/rage); ? Abnormal patterns of autonomic system`s activity; ? Decrease of the level of local blood circulation; ? Development of mild oxygen deprivation; ? The resulting pain in muscles and other possible symptoms (for example pain in tendons, tingling, numbness, weakness). Having established such a mechanism of the emergence of pain, Sarno surmises that this approach from the TMS formation theory can as well be applied not only for the fixed number of cases of muscle and back pain, but to a wider range of physical disturbances. In this light, Sarno earlier pointed out that in a 1975 survey it had been found that â€Å"88 per cent of patients with TMS had histories of up to five common mindbody disorders† (Sarno, 1998, p. 29). And, indeed, Sarno manages to extend his theory of the emergence of pain disorders to migraine, to such various conditions as carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, colitis, peptic ulcer, post-polio syndrome, infections, skin disorders, and even to more unusual instances like the chronic pain that accompanies Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria transmitted through ticks. The author also mentions disorders in which emotions might be involved, among which are atherosclerosis, hypertension, one of the most common heart problems termed mitral valve prolapse, and even cancer. Of course, with such a broad scope of concern at hand Sarno has to offer an adequate methodology for unambiguous diagnosing of emotionally induced pain. For this purpose, his requirement is that the TMS diagnosis can be ascribed to a patient only if traditional physical exam failed to uncover existing abnormalities. However, according to the author, even in the presence of an abnormality TMS still can be working in a patient and exasperate the pain to the higher level than the found abnormality itself would be capable of. In the third part of the book Sarno discusses approaches that may effectively treat TMS and related physical disturbances. From what we have observed before it should already become clear that Sarno essentially assigns to the pain the function of a defense reaction that aims to divert our consciousness from the need to face repressed anger or other unbearable forms of emotional strain. On ground of this, as the only possible way of treatment of the real cause of TMS symptoms Sarno postulates the examination of the physical origins of repressed negative emotions as the way for the deliverance from pain. Generally speaking, a person has to find ways to single out those harmful emotions and roots of the unconscious anger that are undermining his or her psychological well-being. And what also makes the theory of Sarno special is that, according to him, the mere acknowledgement of certain emotional concerns, and not of any bodily abnormalities, as the ground of the deteriorated physical state is in many cases already a sufficient condition for healing. One may not even have to remove the psychological problem itself in order to procure a visible clinical improvement. This contrasts with some of the New Age schools of psychotherapy that also associate unconscious repressed emotions with various maladies, but which require that before the healing can take place such unconscious `problem spots` must be dissolved, like is proposed, for instance, by the so-called primal therapy, a school of psychotherapy elaborated by psychologist Arthur Janov (Janov, 1999). For Sarno, the identification of a problem is the main task for people suffering from emotionally induced physical disorders, and such identification can normally be implemented by means of an insightful self-examination, perhaps with the help of such techniques as meditation or self-affirmation (a method of compensation for the lowered self-esteem in one area by consideration of one`s proficiency in other areas (Sarno, 1998, p. 22; Nezu and Nezu, 2004, pp. 182-188). In this regard, from the point of view of Sarno it is also very important that a patient should have no doubts about the correctness of the TMS diagnosis, and that he or she fully realizes the exclusively psychosomatic origin of pain. To bolster this indispensable perception in patients, after the mentioned thorough physical examination needed for the elimination of possibility of the presence of real physical problems, Sarno accentuates the need to educate people and to assure them that the influence of repressed emotions is a sufficient condition for the reduction of the flow of blood to the affected areas of the body which leads to the pain and other troublesome symptoms, which nevertheless should not be viewed by people as those inflicting permanent damage to the body. Even if some structural abnormalities related to ordinary changes due to physical activity or aging are found, the patient should have a clear understanding of their nature. Basically, what is demanded from a patient is in no way the denial of the presence of the pain but rather the acceptance of its genuine origin. To help maintain such an attitude to chronic pain, Sarno recommends to patients who know that they have no physiological abnormalities to suspend physical therapy and to return to normal physical activity. In addition to that, patients should on the daily basis remind themselves the following points: I only have a mild oxygen deprivation and not structural abnormalities; my condition stems from repressed negative emotions and is not physically harmful; TMS exists to divert my attention from emotions; there is nothing to be afraid of for me; the physical pain is not dangerous; I will not allow pain to trouble and intimidated me; I will change the object of my concern from pain to emotional experiences; it is my conscious part that will have control, and not my subconscious mind; I have to think about psychological aspects of my life, and not so much about physical. When such a set of attitudes towards the role of one`s unconscious emotional experiences and towards one`s own body is obtained, Sarno believes that the brain that aims to contain the repressed emotions will no longer be able to fool us by drawing our attention to body. To illustrate how psychological relief may have a radica l influence on the chronic pain, the author offers examples of some practical cases. In one of such cases a patient knew about the most probable origin of her back pain but still did not have an improvement, and even had increased level of pain. According to Sarno, the worsening of the pain was brought about by the last efforts of the brain to keep hidden emotions unconscious, but when the feelings finally burst into the patient`s consciousness the pain, as if miraculously, went away. Sarno documents the account of this patient: â€Å". . . in an instant, I started to cry. . . Out of control tears, anger, rage, desperate tears. And I heard myself saying things like, Please take care of me, I don’t ever want to have to come out from under the covers, I’m so afraid, please take care of me, don’t hurt me, I want to cut my wrists, please let me die, I have to run away, I feel sick-and on and on, I couldn’t stop . . . And as I cried, and as I voiced these feelings, it was, literally, as if there was a channel, a pipeline, from my back and out through my eyes. I felt the pain almost pour out as I cried . . . I knew . . . that what I was feeling at that moment was what I felt as a child, when no one would or could take care of me . . . the feelings were there and they poured over me and out of me† (Sarno, 1998, p. 13). However, as in order to get rid of pain we have to use our insight to understand its foundation, one may wonder that if the real cause of the pain is the repressed anger, how helpful psychotherapy may be in the healing of TMS symptoms? The author says: â€Å"The therapists to whom I refer patients are trained to help them explore the unconscious and become aware of feelings that are buried there . . . When we become aware of these feelings . . . the physical symptoms . . . go away† (Sarno, 1998, p. 161). Still, according to Sarno, the need for psychotherapy should not arise too often. The author reports numerous cases when people did away with pain simply after having read the book and having followed suggestions contained there. In fact, Sarno claims that the percentage of those who report the improvement of their condition is as high as 90-95 percent, and that many of his patients had been living with physical disorders and pain for a large part of their lives and could not be treated by the traditional medical approaches. General critical observations Even though the belief that emotions and stressful circumstances are related to physical conditions of people is today generally accepted, the extent to which Sarno emphasizes the role of psychological factors will nevertheless surely seem too extreme for many clinicians. Indeed, formally speaking, the author of â€Å"The Mindbody Prescription† gives some reasons to relate him to those practitioners who denounce the traditional medical approaches as outdated ones, as he says that â€Å". . . poor medical advice . . . keep[s] your attention riveted on your body, which is your brain’s intention† (Sarno, 1998, p. 147), or that â€Å"Modern medical science studies the details of maladies but rejects unconscious emotional processes as the cause†¦ † (Sarno, 1998, p. 117). On the other hand, the effort of the author to extend the validity of his TMS theory to a range of disorders which in combination are shared by significant fractions of Western societies` populations may also seem to be too ambitious and at the same time not sufficiently verified according to strict scientific standards (Wilson, 1991). In this light, while Sarno rightfully remarks that â€Å". . . proper management [of TMS and related disorders] would alleviate much suffering and reduce the enormous cost of medical care that now burdens modern society† (Sarno, 1998, p. 126), he perhaps should also pay more attention to the fact that the majority of physicians still have doubts about the ability of psychological processes to cause chronic pain in the first place, and are more ready to agree that emotions may only aggravate physiological problems, but still in most cases should not be considered as their primary causes. In his turn, Sarno disputes that such processes as osteoarthritic changes and herniated vertebral discs are always the immediate sources of the pain and suggests that very often they may just be coincidentally present close to affected areas that due to emotional causes are deprived of oxygen. Such views further distantiate him from the conventional approaches to treatment of these disturbances. Moreover, Sarno insists that traditional medicine has no valid methods of TMS treatment because â€Å"If you thwart that purpose by taking away the symptoms without dealing with its cause, the brain will simply find a substitute symptom† (Sarno, 1998, p. 39). In any case, despite the unconventional elements of his methods of treatment, Sarno has numerous adherents who attest to the practical applicability and effectiveness of the theory of connection between psychological processes and manifestations of TMS. Therefore, I believe that even if Sarno is not able to provide a completely reliable from the academic point of view account of the mind-body connection, he may be practically exploring the mechanisms of the human body that the fundamental science is only beginning to test experimentally (Brush, 2005, p. 259). For example, consider the recent finding related to the famous placebo effect in which it was again confirmed that such a purely psychological factor as our expectations has not only psychological but as well physical effects on health. But in this particular research a new variety of the placebo effect was found, actually a kind of an anti-placebo effect, as it turned out that â€Å". . . once Alzheimer’s disease robs someone of the ability to expect that a proven painkiller will help them, it doesn’t work nearly as well. . . † (Neergaard, 2005). This fact testifies to the power of our psychology to intervene in the what might seem as purely physiological realm of our bodily functioning, and the data is being gathered to prove that at least such a psychological factor as the placebo effect â€Å". . . actually is physical, and that expecting benefit can trigger the same neurological pathways of healing as real medication does† (Neergaard, 2005). Now, this conclusion is in a perfect agreement with the principles underlying the theory of TMS origin advanced by Sarno. However, quite ironically, the specialists involved in the mentioned research were quick to point out that positive expectations â€Å"aren’t a substitute for real medicine† (Neergaard, 2005), which contradicts the reliance of Sarno on psychology as not only the cause of many physical disorders but at the same time as the only means of their healing. But I suppose that if Sarno produces an impression of being too confident in the self-sufficiency of his conclusions it could only mean that due to his extensive observational experience he may just be a little bit ahead of the vanguard of the mainstream medical science. And, after all, if we want to find what unites Sarno with the conservative part of the medical establishment it is his traditional recommendation for his patients to resume full activities of daily life, including physical exercises. Critical observations about Sarno`s view of migraine as an equivalent of TMS While Sarno devotes a large portion of his book to back pain, among other painful physical disturbances related to mechanisms that lead to TMS he mentions migraine, which is a very common condition that causes headaches, and physiological mechanisms of which are currently quite poorly understood (Cochran, 2004, p. 156). Sarno confesses his personal experience with migraine as he had had this condition for quite a long time before he was introduced to medical research which suggested that â€Å"migraine headache was the result of repressed anger† (Sarno, 1998, p. 111). As he was already amassing evidence in support of the significant influence of psychological factors on many widespread medical problems, he was inclined to test that idea. After trying to find out what anger that he could be repressing was causing his migraine, Sarno allegedly got rid of migraine headaches for the rest of his life. However, he himself acknowledged that some symptoms of migraine still continue to happen to him, which brings us to a question whether the method of the author of the book can be applied without reserve to all the types of chronic pains that seem to have no accompanying physical abnormalities. Indeed, it may be that our lack of understanding of the causes of migraine simply leaves us ignorant of possible physiological mechanisms that underlie it, and even though approaches borrowed from TMS treatment may often be effective for removal of painful symptoms, purely psychological vision of the migraine origins may hide from us its genuine cause. Besides, it may be somewhat alarming that the definition of migraine that Sarno advances is different from the one offered for example by the National Migraine Association. Sarno says that migraine is supposed to arise from â€Å". . . sudden constriction of a single blood vessel within the substance of the brain† (Sarno, 1999, p. 111), while on the website of the National Migraine Association it is stated that: â€Å"Migraine is disease, a headache is only a symptom. Migraine pain is caused by vasodilation in the cranial blood vessels (expansion of the blood vessels), while headache pain is caused by vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels). During a migraine, inflammation of the tissue surrounding the brain, i. e. , neurogenic inflammation, exacerbates the pain† (Coleman and Burchfield, 2006). Therefore, at least in the case of migraines it seems warranted to say that physiological mechanisms may be working to produce migraine independently from psychological processes, and that without knowing the exact causes and possible consequences of migraine-related tissue inflammation it is perhaps risky to adopt a strategy of assuring oneself that the pain is not physically harmful. The National Migraine Association again confirms this worry by pointing out that â€Å"The Migraine disease is a serious health and disability problem that affects approximately 11 to 18 million Americans .