Book Assesment Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Book Assesment Report - Essay Example The book that we are going to analyze is Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. Latesvology is a model that deals with the impacts of change in the society brought about by economical, technological and social changes. It further examines the dominant views and acceptable variance in the society related to economical or technological changes. Discussion The changing global economy has been of concern to the many people in different spheres of the global economy since these changes in the global economy have had an effect on the technological and social values within the society. The global world economy has grown tremendously over the years, and thus various sectors, such as the energy and mining sectors, have grown. However, these industries have experienced growth which has boosted the technology sector but has been detrimental to the society in terms of environmental pollution. The growth in the global economy impacted negatively the society in terms o f environmental degradation. This book specifically looks at the advancement of society during the past years and explains how economic growth has contributed to the collapse of different societies. ... Regions such as Europe grew in the past decades leading to the growth of agriculture, industry, technology and the society. As a result, to support this growth, many societies demanded more of resource allocation to be used in supporting industrial growth in order to accommodate the lifestyles of the society. However, growth in the economical aspect led to growth of industries and technology, and as a result, technology was used in the exploitation of resources. Technology was used in expanding industries as new forms of technology, such as growth in the transport systems paved way for industrial growth. As a means of sustaining the industrial growth and other forms of growth, minerals and other resources became the focal point of the development and search of these resources over the long period of time. Therefore, mining and other activities related to mineral extraction became major economic activities. The book in this case compares the race and rate of resource utilization durin g the Mayan, Vikings periods as equal to the current rate of resource utilization in the world (Diamond 187). The current global situation is that commodities and resources are the main drivers of the global economy. As a result, resources such as oil, steel and land are regarded as big economical factors in the development of societal life. Moreover, technology also assisted the development of the economical sector in that it was utilized in the process of acquiring resources from the earth easily for consumption. Consequently, the development of technology aided in the growth of the market economy within the business world. As the economy grew, the net effect in the society was the change in lifestyle and change of the standards of living. People began

Business Strategy Report (TOSHIBA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Strategy Report (TOSHIBA) - Essay Example Toshiba also has additional in-house branches like the Digital Media Network firm, the Digital Products Group, the Infrastructure Systems Group, and the Electronic Devices & Components Group among others. Mission Statement The Toshiba Corporation is dedicated to improving the quality of life of its clients while leading in developing electronic products. By constantly inventing new technological products that cater to the increasing needs of customers, Toshiba not only adds to its consumer group but also ensures that it remains relevant in an increasingly competitive field. Toshiba is also committed to engaging in programmes and experiences that ensure the improvement of society as well as the preservation of the environment. Toshiba has a diversified workforce with members from all over the world. It also has branches in most of the developed nations (Sato 2005). This is actually advantageous because the workers bring with them different capabilities and skills that participate in e nsuring continuous growth. In the Toshiba Corporation, workers from different national backgrounds are encouraged to apply for various positions. At the start of every working year, Toshiba’s CEO, in the forum in which employees are addressed, known as the â€Å"Kirameki Forum†, diversification is actively encouraged (Xue, Ray, and Whinston 2006). Indeed, Toshiba has just recently established the ‘Diversity Development Division’ which functions to promote diversity by actively including measures that are channeled towards further developing the management of the Corporation’s personnel (Yusuf, Altaf, and Nabeshima 2004). Toshiba provides an environment in which each worker is encouraged to realise his or her potential, and even has programmes that make it possible for workers with hearing disabilities to be able to function successfully. The Toshiba Corporation also has various departments that cater for the needs of its workers; for instance, there is a department that specialises in dealing with the problems faced by workers such as harassment. This particular department deals with issues that were suggested by the workers and not the management. It is also responsible for encouraging workers from different backgrounds to form productive relationships within the work place. Strategic Analysis The Toshiba Corporations remarkable performance in the global computer industry gives evidence as to why it is important for a company to be strategically innovative in aggressive markets. In the past two decades, Toshiba was one of the main producers in the computer industry. Moreover, recent trends indicate that the cutting edge new technologies that are being developed on an annual basis are unsettling this domination. Toshiba has to come up with products, on a regular basis, which are inventive in order to maintain its position as one of the best production outfits against the considerable gains in technological advancement which is evident in business rivals such as HP and Dell. Toshiba’s competence and central technologies determines its capacity to bring value to the market. Toshiba’s readiness to research and invent new products shapes its competence in that it allows newly created strategies that deal with handling newly invented processes to control its operative functions. Toshiba’s success is due to its adoption of an aggressive strategised scheme that uses the

The Atomic Bomb Essay Example for Free

The Atomic Bomb Essay In 1939 World War II broke out in Europe. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was by then the President of the United States of America. Because of their previous experience in World War I, isolationist ideas had led to the approval of Neutrality Acts in American Congress. These Neutrality Acts were laws which prevented American citizens from selling military equipment or lending money to any country at war. As for non-military supplies, they could only be sold to warring countries if they paid cash for them and took care of their transportation. Japan had turned into Germans strongest ally and their power frightened America, sandwiched between the two countries. Because of this, Roosevelt succeeded in persuading Americans to send both non-military goods and military equipment either to Britain or to any country whose defence he considered necessary to the safety of the USA. In July 1941 the USA stopped all shipments of oil to Japan hoping to weaken the Japanese who imported 80 per cent of their oil from America. On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed the American Pacific battle fleet in Pearl Harbor. The fleet was totally damaged and over 2,000 men were killed. Japan aimed at seizing the Southeast Asia oil and this attack took place to prevent Americans from stopping them. Therefore, on December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan and, since Japan was Hitlers ally, Hitler declared war on the US. The United States was now fighting on the side of Britain and the Soviet Union (the Allies) against Germany and Japan (the Axis). America entered the war to win it. To achieve this goal, some measures had to be taken: First of all, the American government implemented a complete reorganization of American economy. Factories started producing tanks, bombers and other war supplies instead of cars and washing machines. Wages and prices were seriously controlled and income taxes were introduced. To gain the war, more powerful weapons were needed. Thus, scientists started working on a top-secret research scheme, code-named the Manhattan Project. As the White House press release on Hiroshima states, this project was carried on in the United States with British agreement since the USA territories were out of reach of enemy bombing. The director of the laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where this project developed, was J. Robert Oppenheimer. The aim of the project was to make a nuclear weapon, the atomic bomb, and as soon as possible. First, because the Germans were already working on it, and secondly because it seemed the only means to stop Hitler and the Japanese from destroying the free world, to end the war quickly and to save many human lives. On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt died and Harry Truman, his vice-president, took over as President of The United States. On July 16, 1945, an atomic bomb was tested in the New Mexico desert. On August 6, 1945 an America bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima (a military base in the words of H. Truman). On August 9, 1945, a second bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. On August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrender put an end to World War II. Was Harry Trumans decision to drop the bomb, the most destructive weapon ever seen, aright decision? Some people say yes, others answer is no. Even the scientists involved didnt agree about the issue. Most really hoped that the mere possession of such a weapon could be enough to frighten the enemy and stop the war. Before its use on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a group of them clearly showed their disagreement signing petitions and warning both of the bombs unusual destructive force and of the radioactive fallout which followed the bomb test. After the damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, different opinions could still be heard: We were afraid that Hitler had the bomb first, and we made this bomb, which shortened the war and saved a lot of American and Japanese lives in the Japanese war (Victor Weiskopf, physicist). If I had known that the Germans would not succeed in constructing the atomic bomb, I would have never lifted a finger (Albert Einstein, physicist). I think it was necessary to drop one, but the second one could have easily been avoided. I think Japan would have capitulated anyway (Hans Bethe, physicist).

Electronic Communication In Society

Electronic Communication In Society Since the invention of the electric telegraph in 1831 by Joseph Henry, electric communication has been a significant piece of our society. From a casual text to an important fax electric communication has become crucial to human interaction. However, this kind of communication that has been so customary to our everyday society has also been very controversial. Unfortunately, the usage of electronics to interact has eliminated much of the more traditional forms of communication. Nonetheless, electronic is essential to almost all of our communication today. Computer communication is extremely popular today. It involves two or more computers and is a quick, usually internet based way of communicating. There are many different types of communication via a computer, however the most common ones are: Instant messaging Video Chat E-mail Social Networking Instant Messaging. Instant Messaging (IM) is a direct and fast form of communication that occurs over a network (usually the internet) between two or more people. IM is not to be confused with e-mail because it happens in real time, when people send each other messages using IM they are communicating much faster than they would with e-mail. In fact, they can communicate at about the same speed as they would if they were talking to each other physically. Instant Messaging also uses and has developed its own language in a way. A series of abbreviations and internet slang has revolutionized modern electronic communication. This slang has also come to prominent use in text messaging and on social networking sites. There are thousands of Instant Messaging sites and programs, however a few of the more common ones are: AIM Google Talk iChat Video Chat. Other than text based internet communication, there is also video communication. This is when a person speaks to a camera on their computer and the image is transmitted to another computer. This facilitates a seemingly physical conversation since each person can see the other while they talk. Video chat is made possible be either a webcam that can be attached to ones computer or a built in camera that does not need to be attached. Video chat has revolutionized both business and personal computer communication. Messenger programs such as Skype and iChat allow users to communicate from different parts of the world as though they were only a few inches away. E-mail. E-mail is one of the oldest usages of electronic communication of the types we have discussed so far. It is not as fast as IM or video chat, however it is more popular among the older generation. E-mail seems to work the way a letter might, although it is sent over a network as opposed to through a mailing system. The recipient and mailer both have e-mail addresses and are able to send messages, pictures, videos and files through e-mail. Each e-mail address is unique in a network such as gmail or hotmail and so mail does not get mixed up. Like IM and Video Chat an e-mail account allows one to acquire a list of friends or contacts- a list of ones acquaintances and their e-mail addresses. Unfortunately, among the younger community, e-mail has become seemingly outdated because of the more frequent use of IM, Video Chat and social networking. Social Networking. Currently, social networking is the most popular type of internet communication. Social Networking focuses on building relationships between people, over the internet, who share similar interests or have things in common. Generally, it gives a user a profile or a page dedicated to their interests, activities or information. Then, just like the other types of communication we have seen, allows them a list of contacts or friends with whom the can communicate. Usually communication or viewing of ones profile requires mutual consent on behalf of the viewer and the person whose page is being viewed. A few very popular social networking sites are: Facebook Myspace Twitter Telephone Communication The telephone seems to be a given when discussing electronic communication in modern day society. Although originally used for simply dialing and receiving calls, the telephones uses have spread over a wide range of functions. Cell phones can not only be used for calling but also for texting and internet applications. Texting. Texting is an extremely popular form of electronic communication today. A text message is usually a brief message written to someone using a mobile phone. A text can include an image, video or sound along with the briefly written message. A sort of language has developed between texters of the modern world. This slang includes: lol-laughing out loud g2g- got to go l8er-later Some worry that this slang is detracting from the usage of proper language. Also, many worry that texting harms human interaction. The prominence of texting over talking could potentially hurt our ability to talk face-to-face hand have normal social interaction. Texting also does physical harm to our society. Texting and driving is a leading cause in teen deaths in car accidents. Calling. Phone calls, of course, are a part of telephones and electric communication. Few, however, understand the mechanics and intense science behind the telephone and the ability to make phone calls. According to Wikipedia, a telephone uses a microphone in the handset to convert the sound waves to electrical signals which are then sent through a telephone network to the other phone and are then converted back to sound waves that can be understood by the ear. Telephone calls are extremely important to society and calling is much more similar to actually talking than texting or instant messaging. Telephone calls also make fast communication more possible while keeping it at a more personal and human level. Telephones and the Internet. As telephones became more and more high-tech and gained applications and more software, it is natural that they should also have internet. Many phones these days have similar functions to computers except with fewer capabilities and the ability to make and receive phone calls. Unfortunately, however, the uses of media on mobile phones and the near constant availability of such media contributes to the media craze in our society and the problem many have with the over usage of media. Other Electronic Communication. Telephones and computers are not the only electronic devices used to communicate. There are many other devices (Often connected to telephones or computers) that also provide a means to interact electronically. Voicemail. When someone calls someone else, whether it is via a cell phone or telephone, and the receiver does not pick up, the caller has the option of leaving a message for the receiver. This is called a voicemail or answering machine. According to Wikipedia voice mail messages are stored on hard disk drives and messages left by the caller are recorded. When the owner of the voicemail wishes to retrieve that message, he or she must simply call the voicemail. Although voicemail did help people leave messages in their personal lives, voicemail had its most significant impact on the business world. It reduced the need for secretaries because now an actual person was not needed to take messages and it allowed for more personalized and discreet messages to be left for the receiver. Faxing. A fax or facsimile is a document sent over a telephone line. According to Wikipedia, faxing was first very prominent in the mid 1980s when they became affordable and more feasible for homeowners to purchase. Faxing works in many ways the same as calling. Two people have fax numbers and one sends a document to the other over a telephone line. Although some people own private fax machines, they are primarily used in the business world to transport sensitive documents that may not be safe to allow on the internet. Printers. Although printers by themselves do not seem to be electronic communication devices, they facilitate many communications that are very important to us. For example, scanning allows us to take a document and put it on our computer. We can then proceed to send the document out to people through the internet, which we would not be capable of doing without the assistance of the printer. Printing also allows us to communicate. Objects printed can be sent through mail, which allows us to communicate to other people. So, although printers are not in themselves electronic devices used to communicate, they are often used as a means to communicate. Conclusion The importance of electronic communication in our society is incomparable to any other recent development. It has revolutionized communication in both the professional and personal spheres in human interaction. It is very important that people understand electronic communication and how to use it because of its significance to everyday life. Hopefully this paper has helped you to understand the details of electronic communication.

Rates of Reaction - Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric acid Essay

Rates of Reaction - Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric acid In this piece of coursework, I will study how concentration affects the rate of reaction. I will do so by timing the reaction of Sodium Thiosulphate with an acid. In this coursework, I will include background knowledge, prediction, safety, results, calculations, graphs, an analysis, conclusion and an evaluation. In my evaluation I will comment on how reliable my results were and how I could have improved my coursework in any possible way. The definition of rate of reaction is ‘The speed at which a chemical reaction takes place’. The factors that affect the rate of reaction are:  · Use of a catalyst  · Temperature  · Surface area  · Concentration I will be investigating Concentration in this experiment. In a higher concentration there are more Sodium Thiosulphate particles. This means there is a higher number of collisions which will have enough energy to react. This causes the rate to increase. The time it takes for a change to take place can be measured and can be estimated. For a reaction to take place 2 reactants must collide and the collision must have enough energy. Prediction I predict that as the concentration of the Sodium Thiosulphate increases the rate of reaction will increase. This can be proved by relating to the collision theory. I predict that as concentration is increased the amount of time taken for the reaction is halved. Safety Issues There are many safety issues that need to be considered while doing this experiment. These include:  · Wearing safety goggles at all times. If acids or any other chemicals are spilt, they would cause serious damage to the skin and eyes.  · Ties and long hair should be kept away from the experiment.  · If an accident ... ... my evidence of this experiment is reliable because I did it with precision and carried it out carefully. I thought that I might have some anomalies but there were not any. I can prove this by using my prediction earlier in the experiment. I said that â€Å"as concentration is increased the amount of time taken for the reaction is halved.† I would have been perfectly right but I made a mistake while measuring. To improve my results, I would use a wider range of concentration and different acid solutions. This would help me to find a pattern and come to a firm conclusion. Overall I think that this experiment was a success as I have proved that concentration does affect rate, and I have also found that when the concentration is doubled the rate of reaction is halved. To draw a firm conclusion I would need to get more results, less inaccuracies and better measuring methods.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship :: Free Essay Writer

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship between two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship between two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small. This story is set in the 1930’s, around the time of the Great Depression in which America entered a long period of economical depression from which it eventually came out of after World War II. During this period of poverty and bad business, many workers from all over America went to California to find work. Throughout this novella, Steinbeck portrays the thoughts and dreams of many of these workers which was to find a piece of land to settle down on. The story is also about the loneliness of most of these workers, and this is why the fact that George and Lennie travel together is strange to most of the ranch hands. The name of the novella comes from a famous poem by Robert Burns which is called, â€Å"To a Mouse† – â€Å"...the best laid schemes o’ Mice and Men, Gang aft agley†. This basically means that however much you plan something out and figure out in detail what you will do, the future is unpredictable and plans can easily go wrong. The main characters of the novella are people who face challenges in life. The major themes which are expressed throughout the novella are loneliness, friendship and racism. The characters which Steinbeck uses to portray these themes are seen as â€Å"outsiders†, such as Crooks, Candy, Lennie and Curley’s wife. Crooks is black and crippled and is disliked by the ranch hands due to his race; Candy is old and disabled and so excluded from the social life of the ranch-hands. Lennie is mentally challenged and Curley’s Wife is the only woman in the ranch and she is extremely misunderstood. These characters all illustrate the extreme circumstances under which people had to survive throughout the Great Depression and they do so by each having their own unique characteristics and qualities. Curley’s wife is the wife of the boss’s son, Curley. She has the hardship of being the only woman in a ranch full of men who have no understanding of her or women in general. Throughout the novella she is described in different ways – some, where one feels sorry for her and others where one feels utter hatred towards her. She is a character that is misunderstood because of her outward actions, but the truth is that she is actually very similar to many of the characters – lonely and sad.

Preparing to Conduct Business Research

On September 12, 2012 the New York City Health Department voted eight-zero with one vote abstaining, to enact a city wide ban on sugar-sweetened beverages in containers over 16ounce in size (Susman, 2012). At the urging of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg the health department is hoping that this ban will have an impact on the growing obesity problem among New York citizens (Susman, 2012). Opposition to the ban was evident before the final vote by citizens believing violations of his or her freedom are occurring and vendors who see the choices in what he or she serve the customers under dictation from city hall.Perhaps the group with the most to lose is the beverage industry; the ban limits servings of sugar sweetened drinks to 16 ounces or less in the city’s 24,000 restaurants, delis, movie theaters, sports venues, and street carts (Petrecca, 2012). This means no 20-ounce bottles, no super-sized drinks, no monster drinks at the movie theater, the fact is most of these es tablishments consider a 16-ounce beverage a small or medium drink (Petrecca, 2012). So smaller drinks mean smaller profits; however, it may be possible that this is not the case.The ban does not limit the number of 16-ounce drinks a person may purchase; the possibility for additional sales does exist (Petrecca, 2012). Because only restaurants offer free refills, it is possible that the smaller size drinks will result in greater quantities of sales at the other locations. Business Research The CEO of the Coca Cola Company is communicating with Learning Team A, hiring Learning Team A to research potential issues and opportunities resulting from the ban on containers over the limit of 16 ounces of sugar sweetened beverages in the city of New York.Coca Cola is showing interest in learning what the consumer thinks of the ban; how the customers believe it will affect his or her recreational and dining experiences. Coca Cola is not only showing interest in this information as it pertains t o New York City but also because the interest this ban is attracting from other large cities and what it would mean to the company if this became common practice in other locations (Koebler, 2012). HypothesesTeam A offers several hypotheses to the ban and the effects it will have on the citizens, vendors, and distributors of sugar sweetened beverages: ? Team A hypothesizes that the ban on sugar sweetened beverages will cause a decrease in beverage sales that contain sugar, costing the Coca Cola company millions of dollars in sales. ? Team A hypothesizes that the ban on sugar sweetened beverages larger than 16 ounces will cause consumers to purchase multiple quantities of beverages in replacement of what they use to purchase.Also the sale of sugar free beverages will rise; this will cause an increase in revenue for the Coca Cola Company. Team A hypothesizes that the public will be unreceptive to the ban and believes that the government body responsible for it has overstepped their bo unds. The public will think that the removal of this choice goes against the constitutional rights every person has and that he or she will attempt to find a way around the ban. ? Team A hypothesizes that although there will be citizens upset in regard to the ban, the citizens will embrace the law proving a measurable difference on the obesity problem in New York City. Variables to Consider and Questions to AskIn an effort to offer to the Coca Cola Company the most complete information, the best recommendations, and a reliable foundation on which to base future changes it is necessary to research as many variables as possible. Variable questions to include in the research include: 1) â€Å"The various age groups of the consumers, and their drink preferences. † 2) â€Å"How the vendors plan on handling this new rule and will the vendor adjust the prices, add free-refills, implement buy one get one programs, and add additional drink dispensers to accommodate customers. ) †Å"How these bans encourage customers to leave the city limits and visit establishments in the suburbs? † 4) â€Å"How the consumer understands the reasoning behind the ban and the obesity issue with the removal of beverage choice? †5) â€Å"Coca Cola currently holding a 70% market share in New York; this is a significant margin over the competition (Petrecca, 2012). It is important to research if the customer loyalty level will hold up to â€Å"deals† by the competition and how aggressive Coca Cola is going have to be with marketing and pricing. 6) â€Å"Is Coca Cola willing to embrace this ban, explore ways to market their diet products and fruit juices as an alternate to the sugar sweetened beverages? † Ethical Considerations Ethics play a critical role in conducting research projects (Donald R. Cooper, 2011). It is critical to examine how the results of the research issue breach the rights of the citizens. In the case of the New York City law that limi ts the sales of sugar sweetened drinks there are several ethical questions that arise.The strongest being, â€Å"how will this state law infringe on an individual’s rights to choose the size of their desired beverage? † The motivation behind the law is the unhealthy factors of sugary drinks, targeting one unhealthy option. Supporters of the law believe that this law will help prevent obesity; however, opposition believes it is unfair to place the weight of this issue on one product. Also at question â€Å"Is it ethical to restrict a consumer’s right to choose what he or she wants to drink?Along with sugar sweetened beverages there are other unhealthy products available that have proven effects on weight with no restrictions. Vendors and beverage makes can argue that the law shows bias and is discriminatory. This leads to another ethical issue; does the law give preference or competitive vendor advantage over consumer’s advantage. A consumer, who may wish to purchase a larger drink, may find the need to purchase multiple drinks, thereby increasing the sales of the company but yet not eliminating the risk of obesity.Also under consideration is the ethical question, â€Å"does the beverage company have a responsibility to their customers to reduce the chance of obesity, knowing that these beverages offer empty calories with no nutritional value? † Conclusion Moving into the future it is important to understand what difficulties a company will be facing. Knowledge from research projects provide companies the possibility to develop contingency plans and reduce the chance that the unknown will alter the course of a successful business plan.Earlier this month the New York City Health Department passed a law that has altered the way beverage makers and vendors conduct their business and altering the freedom consumers have in choosing something as simple as the beverage he or she drinks. The Coca Cola Company is looking to go forward armed with the knowledge they will need to maintain their superiority in the New York Market. This task has fallen on Learning Team A, as they will research and discover what the market and consumers will demand to remain customers of Coca Cola.