Charlie Gordons Change In Flowers For Algernon - 1675 Words

â€Å"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.† - Harriet Tubman. Charlie Gordon is a very welcoming, playful, and genuine man. He attends Beekman College for Retarded Adults and has a strong motivation to learn and to improve his intelligence. He dreams of being popular, and making friends. Throughout the novel Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon changed in many ways. Prior to his life changing operation, he was not able to grasp that the people at Donner’s Bakery were not his friends, they only spoke to him to make fun of him. Charlie acknowledged their harsh actions, and started retaliating. Charlie is a very open†¦show more content†¦Charlie wanted to be left alone because he is not a â€Å"guinea pig any more. I ve done enough. I want to be left alone now.† (Keyes 288). Charlie is fed up with how he has been treated by the d octors. He wants to be left alone, so he can do whatever he pleases. He â€Å"can’t afford to spend my time with anyone-there’s only enough left for myself† (Keyes 292). Charlie is beginning to shun his peers, and the people that love him. He has become devoured by his work, and is not able to give up any of his time to spend with loved ones. Charlie does not value the importance of having his loved ones around him, but prior to the operation, he had a strong motivation to have friends, and to be loved by his peers. Auger 3 Charlie was a man that did not know how to stand up for himself. He allowed his peers to bully him, and treat him like he is worthless. Charlie thinks that if he allows people to laugh at him, and tease him, they will become his friend. He thinks â€Å"Its easy to make frends if you let pepul laff at you.† (Keyes 23). Charlie thinks that it is ok for people to tease him, and bully him because it doesn’t affect him in any way. He can not comprehend that the people around him are not laughing with him, they are laughing at him. After his operation, he realizes that his peers are not as he presumed, and that he has been treated poorly for many of years. He stands up for himself, without acknowledging what he could be doing to others. HeShow MoreRelatedThe Theme Of Main Themes In Flowers For Algernon1075 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Flowers for Algernon† contains numerous themes throughout Charlie Gordon’s journey. Charlie Gordon the story’s protagonist is a 32-year-old mentally disabled man who has the opportunity of a lifetime to undergo very special surgeries which will most likely change his life for the better, hopefully. This operation has already been preformed on a laboratory mouse named Algernon, who received astonishing and outstanding results so the doctor is convinced it can alter a human’s disability and help millionsRead MoreEssay on Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes1120 Words   |  5 PagesFlowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a classic science fiction set in southeastern New York, New York City. The fictitious prose traces a mans inner psychological journey within from a world of retardation to a world of great intelligence. Narrated through a series of empirical Progress Reports, Flowers for Algernon follows the intellectual and emotional rise and fall of Charlie Gordon, a young man born with an unusually low Intelligence Quotient (IQ), as he becomes the first human pilot-studyRead MoreEssay on Mental Retardation in Flowers for Algernon1185 Words   |  5 PagesA drug to treat a type of mental retardation has showed promise. I chose this particular text because it relates to my novel Flowers for Algernon this article states that a they’ve discovered a drug that will treat types of mental retardation and this relates to my book because Charlie the main character of Flowers for Algernon was a mentally retarted man and a couple of scientists did an experimental operation on him to boost his IQ and intelligence. In this article they state that the drugRead MoreA Life Of Personal Delight1899 Words   |  8 Pagesintelligence is usually an indicator of happiness, in Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon lacks the luxury of personal happiness, even with an obscene IQ of 180. Though Charlie Gordon’s intellect quotient surgery had the (temporary) effect of skyrocketing him into the status of a genius, it also had the adverse result of bringing Charlie into a state of sadness. Teased and bullied thoroughly during his lifetime as a classified retardate, Charlie actually did experience happiness during thisRead MoreFlowers for Algernon6322 Words   |  26 PagesUnit 1 Title: Flowers for Algernon Suggested Time: 5-7 days (45 minutes per day) Common Core ELA Standards: RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3; W8.1, W8.4, W8.9; SL8.1; L.8.1, L.8.2 [Additional Tasks: RI8.8, RI8.9] Teacher Instructions Preparing for Teaching 1. Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task

Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay

The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports (doping) is done to improve athletic performance. Doping in sports has become a highly controversial topic among professional sporting venues and in the media. With the increased pressure to perform, high priced contracts, increased competition, and advanced training methods today’s athletes will try to gain an edge by any means necessary. Performance enhancing drugs used by athletes today include Human Growth Hormone (HGH), anabolic steroids, peptide hormones, amphetamines, insulin and stimulants. The reason athletes use performance enhancing drugs is to increase the amount of testosterone produced in the body. The increased testosterone in the body increases muscle strength by enabling new†¦show more content†¦Eugene Robinson from the Washington post claims â€Å"Most fans watch sports†¦to see people unlike themselves perform extraordinary physical feats. The superhuman quality of professional athletes is precis ely what Americans admire about them† (p.A25). Supporters of the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports argue if athletes want to take drugs to improve their performance, why should we determine what risky behavior they take part in unless it directly interferes with our lives? They are not harming anyone else but themselves. They are adults and are capable of making decisions about what they put in their own bodies. Keith Burgess-Jackson, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Arlington states â€Å"†¦people should be able to use whatever substances they want when they compete. Those who dont want to risk their lives or health should take up another line of work.† Supporters of PED’s further argue justification by claiming that athletes use dietary supplements, exercises, medical treatment etc. to enhance their performance. They argue that taking protein powder, vitamin pills or spending exuberant amounts of time working out in a gym is also unnatural and enhances performance, but we don’t view that as cheating. â€Å"If something can be said to be natural, we tend to be okay with it. If it seems lab-made orShow MoreRelatedThe Use Of Performance Enhancing Drugs Within Sports1966 Words   |  8 Pages Legalization of Performance Enhancing Drugs within Sports Do you want to want to become the peak athlete that you know your body is capable of? Well, this paper will not do that for you, but it will tell you how, and it will tell you why it should be legal to do so. Doping in sports is one of the most extensive debates within the realm of athletics. Whether it be injecting anabolic steroids, consuming them, or blood doping, athletes will do drugs. Doping has no effect on the viewershipRead More The Use of Steroids and Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports1507 Words   |  7 Pagesto write my paper on the topic of steroids and performance enhancing substances that are used today in sports. In this paper I hope to focus on the steroids and performance enhancing drugs and how they have become a problem in sports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An anabolic steroid is a substance that is related to male sex hormones, known as testosterone. The word â€Å"Anabolic† means muscle building. The word â€Å"steroids† is just referred to as a drug name or a class of drug. Some athletes have made the decision that theyRead MoreThe Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Today1583 Words   |  6 Pages Performance enhancers are very prominent in professional sports today. A lot of players are facing suspensions and other penalties for using them. The sport that gets scrutinized the most for this is Baseball. Many former users in the MLB (or formally the NABBP) have come out saying that they were using these drugs while playing. Some of these players are Jorge Sosa, Antonio Bastardo, and the famous Alex Rodriguez. Although these drugs have been prohibited, players are still finding ways aroundRead More The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay1148 Words   |  5 PagesThe Use of Pe rformance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Is the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports dangerous? To what degree do these drugs really enhance strength, size, training ability, and muscular performance? Not only are the answers to these questions still unclear, they are the subjects of deep controversy. In order to understand why we are confronted with the problem of performance-enhancing drug use in athletics today, we must look at the history of the development of anabolicRead MoreDoping in Sports and the Current Issues for Management757 Words   |  3 Pagesand for all, I did not use steroids or any other illegal substance. (Mark McGwire) Doping in Sport and the current issues and challenges for sport management, how did it all start and what now? Sports in the world have been generating billions and billions of dollars for years. This money comes from sponsorships, media rights, and legal gambling. All of a sudden, out of know where several sports have been destroyed by doping. Doping has questioned the integrity of most sports on a global scale. A combinationRead MoreNegative Effects Of Doping In Sport974 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximise their performance are continually tempted to use illicit drugs to gain competitive advantage and to aid recovery from training and injuries. Do ping in sport can affect performance, destroy reputations, impact friends, families, teams and community support. Doping is defined as the administration of drugs to an animal or person in order to enhance sporting performance. Doping has been traced all the way back to 393 BC when Ancient Greeks used substances to improve their performance in the GreekRead MoreSports Enhancing Drugs Is Great for sports: Personal Opinion Essay1422 Words   |  6 PagesSports are full of entertainment and great players. Imagine if the players were boosted with skills and performed like the monster on the movie Space Jam. This would be amazing if you never watched space jam I highly recommended you do so. The movie was great; it had one of the worlds best athletes in it Michal Jordan. He is known as one of the greatest basketball players ever to play the game. Space jam can show how an extra boost can improve players’ game play to the next level. Athletes shouldRead MoreThe Future For Sport Management833 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The future for sport management in Australia appears prosperous. Over the years, Australia has managed to develop an international reputation for sporting excellence through its national team performances and the expansion of its sports systems (Daly, 1991; ASC, 1998; Shilbury Kellett, 2011). The country has managed to host some of the greatest sporting events, notably the Olympic games, the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup, with aspirations to bring the Football (soccer) WorldRead MoreSay No to Doping!1042 Words   |  4 PagesDoping in sports has been one of the most discussed issues by the world; either by the free writers or the body of agencies related with sports. The discussion about this kind of issue has started long time ago but it became more controversial and intense when Lance Armstrong, who won the 2002 Tour de France by leaving his nearest rival 7 seconds behind, failed the drug test (Cashmore) . Ellis Cashmore, a professor of culture, media, and sports at St affordshire University in the United KingdomRead MoreKey Content Or Arguments Presented787 Words   |  4 Pageswas as an athlete. Despite the fact that drug taking is not ethical, nor admirable, a reporter by the name of Lawton recalls, â€Å"The race was stupendous, arguably the most riveting thing I’ve seen†. This suggests that although there are so many risks, dangers and negative impacts of drug use, there is a positive viewpoint on the issue that it does make watching sport more interesting and engaging for perspective viewers. If more people choose to watch sport, a huge potential financial pool would grow

Arguments For ‘Invitation To Treat And An Offer’ Free Essays

The English Law on the formation of contracts generally requires there to be an offer and a matching acceptance. The offer must set out and refer to the object for sale and all the important terms of the contract. The acceptance must indicate agreement to all the terms of contract. We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments For ‘Invitation To Treat And An Offer’ or any similar topic only for you Order Now If it does not do so, the acceptance will be regarded as a counter-offer which is capable of rejecting the original offer, thereby making it incapable of acceptance later (Hyde v Wrench (1840) CC 49 ER 132). There are two offers, the one made by Susan through the advertisement on the 1st of March and that of Alice in response to the initial offer on the 27th of March that amounted to a counter-offer. There is also the issue of the application of the postal rule and its limitations in the case of Tahir, the issue of instantaneous communications and when the revocation of an offer becomes effective in the case of Emma and its rules. In Tahir’s case, the letter and enclosed Cheque he sent on the 27th of March would have been the most preferable choice of acceptance because the general postal rule would have applied easily which allows the effectiveness of a posted acceptance to start right from when it was posted, so as to enhance the effectiveness of businesses, if they can start working farther on the assumption that there is a binding contract between both parties as in Adams v Lindsell (1818). But, the fact that Susan defined the terms of the contract by stating the modes of acceptance and payment that was acceptable, which does not include a letter or a cheque makes the postal rule ineffective on Tahir’s letter, as it is unacceptable. Although, sending a letter as a form of acceptance was reasonable; there is no binding contract between Susan and Tahir because of the definition of terms and conditions of the offer. 2 Alice’s letter on the 27th of March is a counter-offer which is capable of rejecting the original offer. If Alice had not altered the terms of the offer, which resulted in an offer of her own, The letter would have been an acceptance, and the usual rule when a letter of acceptance is sent in reply to an offer is that the acceptance takes effect on posting, ensuring there is a binding contract. However, this postal rule has no application here, since; the case of Holwell securities v Hughes (1974) makes it clear that the rule can be avoided by a specific request in the terms of the offer according to LAWTON L. J â€Å"Now in this case, the â€Å"notice in writing† was to be one â€Å"to the intending vendor.† It was to be an intimation to him that the grantee had exercised the option: he was the one who was to be fixed with the information contained in the writing. He never was, because the letter carrying the information went astray. The plaintiffs were unable to do what the agreement said they were to do, namely, fix the defendant with knowledge that they had decided to buy his property. If this construction of the option clause is correct, there is no room for the application of any rule of law relating to the acceptance of offers by posting letters since the option agreement stipulated what had to be done to exercise the option. On this ground alone I would dismiss the appeal†. Considering, the email Alice sent on the 28th of March, which would have been the most suitable form of acceptance as at that time, although it was sent on Friday, it was out of office hours and so Susan is unable to read it, therefore the acceptance was not communicated as the instantaneous communications rules requires as in Entores v Miles East Corp. It is generally agreed that the instantaneous communications will cover the email, and so the time of communication, rather than the time of sending, is the relevant time. Applying this rule to Alice’s email, the email has no effect because as at the time it was communicated the offer was no longer capable of acceptance. Alice has no binding contract with Susan because her letter was a counter-offer and the email was communicated when the offer was already withdrawn. The case law on revocation of offers establishes that offers can be withdrawn at any time prior to acceptance (Payne v Cave (1789)), provided that the withdrawal is communicated to the offeree. The latter point is reinforced by the decision in Byrne v Van Tienhoven (1880), which concerns the revocation of an offer by telegram. Applying this to the dealings of Emma and Susan, If Susan received Emma’s email before the revocation was published in the papers, the revocation will be ineffective, and there will be a binding contract. This assumes, however, that the advert is deemed to be  communicated to Emma as soon as it was published and available to read on the 29th of March, because the information in the advert is sufficient notification to Emma that Susan has withdrawn the offer. Although, Emma may want to argue that the offer was open until the 31st of March, therefore they have a binding contract. This is not so, using the case of Routledge v Grant (1828), in which it was held that a promise of this kind will not generally be binding. The reason is that the promise will generally not have provided any consideration for the promise. If Susan had been given any amount of money or valuable in return for keeping the offer open until the 31st of march, then consideration would have been provided, and she would be bounded to her promise but in the absence of such she is free to withdraw the offer anytime. Therefore, Emma’s email has no effect because, she bears the responsibility of reading the revocation in the paper as Susan has taken the most reasonable form of communicating the revocation in this case. In conclusion, there is no binding contract between Susan and the other parties. How to cite Arguments For ‘Invitation To Treat And An Offer’, Essays

Promotion And Marketing Of Communications â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Promotion And Marketing Of Communications? Answer: Introducation Integrated marketing communication goal for Boost juice Company is to increase brand awareness for generating a seamless customer experience. The primary approach towards this form of brand communication is to create awareness and core competence such as to combat new competitive forces within the industry for providing more promotional activities(Clow, 2007). Strategies for IMC are integrated to strive towards the goal for the Company such that customers can be made aware regarding brands core message. Customers needs to make repeated purchase from the brand generating greater sales. Customer in this case will be provided with similar tone of the brands marketing communication that will enhance and unite various efforts of the company as sales, advertisements, public relations, promotions, personal selling, public relations, online communications, social media and so on. It creates an impact amongst various synergies of management elements. It impacts cost competitiveness for mass m edia for fragmentation of modern marketing(Darley, 2010). Reference Lists Clow, K. 2007. Integrated Advertising, Promotion and Marketing Communications, 4/e. Pearson Education India. Darley, W. B. 2010. Toward an integrated framework for online consumer behavior and decision making process: A review. Psychology marketing, 27(2), 94-1

Puerto Rico Essays (954 words) - Americas, Puerto Rico,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico is an island. It's rectangular in shape. It's coasts measure approximately 580 kilometers. It is the smallest and most eastern island of the Greater Antilles. Puerto Rico has many Mountains; they cover 60% of the island. The territory also consists of a large amount of rain forests, deserts, beaches, caves, oceans and rivers. A few of the largest mountains in Puerto Rico are, the Cerro La Punta (4,389) Rosas (4,156), and Guilarte (3,952). Many of the rainforest that covered the island has vanished. The 28,00 acres that are left remain at El Yunque peak. Locations of mountains- This is the Carribean national Forrest. In this Forrest you can find many varieties of plant and animal life. Locations of rainforests- Also some very important caves of the west hemisphere are in Puerto Rico. For example the Rio Camuy. Within it are fine examples of stalactites, stalagmites, and plenty of bats. Due to the fact that Puerto Rico is a relatively short in whidth, it does not have any large bodies of water like rivers and lakes. However it is surrounded by water so that's not really a problem. There is also a very large amount of rainfall due to the rainforests. Puerto Rico's natural resources consist of some stone, fish, copper and nickel, and there is a potential for on and off-shore crude oil. The weather is regularly warm with an average temperature of 80 degrees F. The north coast gets twice as much rain as the south coast. The dry season is December to March. Puerto Rico is very exposed to the cyclones of the Caribbean. Not as bad however as Jamaica, Cuba, and other Lesser Antilles. Hurricanes frequently occur between August and October. The most destructive hurricane in Purto Rico's history was San Ciriaco. It occurred on August 8, 1899. History Puerto Rico's first inhabitants were the Taino Indians. They first called the island Boriken or Boriquen. The name means "the great land of the valiant and noble Lord". The island was first discovered by the Spanish in 1493. It went through many changes. The Indians were pushed aside and made slaves for the new settlers. Slaves were shipped in from Spain as well. Hundreds if Indians died from disease. Many Spanish men married Indian women. The island colony suffered for hundreds of years from hurricanes and plagues. After about 1850, the desire for greater freedom from Spain increased among the people of Puerto Rico. As a result of this a new form of government was set up in 1898. Puerto Rico was taken over by America. It became a part of the United States on December 10, 1898. Being a part of the U.S. helped the Puerto Rican society a lot. They built hospitals, dams, roads, and schools. In 1917 the second Organic Act gave Puerto Ricans the ability to become U.S. citizens. The U.S. Army's 65th Infantry Regiment won fame for their courage and daring. This regiment was made up of all Puerto Ricans. The government of Puerto Rico is run by the United States congress. Most federal laws apply to Puerto Rico. The Common wealth government is operated under its own constitution. The governer is chief executive officer and is pretty much in charge. Voters elect 2 senators and 1 representitive. The supreme Court is the highest court in Puerto Rico. It has 7 justices appointed by the govenor. They my serve as long as they want, as long as its not past retirement age. The 92 superior court judges are appointed to 12 year terms. Cases involving federal law are heard in the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico. It has 7 judges appointed by the President of the United States. Culture Puerto Rico is a very crowded island it is populated by about 3,522,037 people. The capital is San Juan. San Juan is also the largest city. Other large cities of Puerto Rico are, Carolina, and Mayaguez. Puerto Rico is a great place to go and see spainish culture. The food is a lot like Spanish and Mexican food. But certain spices make some things more Puerto Rican. Puerto Rico has many different types of music, as well as the United States. But it is most know for its Salsa. Many think it as a sauce to dip chips in. However in Puerto Rico it is a very commonly listened to music. And with Salsa music comes "The Salsa". The salsa is a Latin dance where a man and woman partner up and swing there hips in

20 Critical Essay Topics on the Dangers of Antibiotics

20 Critical Essay Topics on the Dangers of Antibiotics How often have you been given a task to write a critical essay, only to find out that you don’t have the slightest idea of how to approach the task at hand? You seem to have everything you need at your disposal, but not a single thought comes to mind – does this situation look familiar? So, if you have to write an essay about antibiotics and possible dangers associated with their use and misuse, feel free to take one of the topics we’ve prepared for you: Short-Term and Long-Term Adverse Effects of Antibiotics Antibiotics and Their Role in Disturbing Natural Gut Microflora Antibiotics as the Primary Cause of Bacterial Drug Resistance Antibiotics and Their Influence on Increasing the Healthcare Costs Antibiotics and Their Side-Effects Do Antibiotics Increase the Risk of Allergy? Antibiotics and Their Influence on Human Immune System Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics and Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome Can Antibiotics Lead to Chronic Illnesses? Misuse and Overuse of Antibiotics The Use of Antibiotics in Agriculture and Possible Adverse Effects on Human Health Agricultural Use of Antibiotics and Its Influence on Drug Resistance of Bacteria Can Antibiotic Resistance Be Stopped? Antibiotic Resistance and Its Possible Ramifications for Human Civilization Antibiotics as a Possible Reasons of Excess Weight and Obesity Possible Ramifications of Prenatal Exposure to Antibiotics Cellular Damage Caused by Fluoroquinolone and Its Possible Repercussions Side Effects, Adverse Reactions and Allergies to Antibiotics The Dangers of Wrong Usage of Antibiotics Common Misconceptions about Antibiotics and Associated Health Risks Good topics, aren’t they? Among them, you will find anything you may wish for, from careful examination of specific aspects of the issue to ones aimed at generalized descriptions of the situation. And, if you still have problems deciding how to perform the task you were given, don’t forget to glance at the facts on the dangers of antibiotics. Moreover, there are tips on writing a critical essay that will assist you in a difficult situation. But now let’s check out the example of an essay written on one of these topics. A Sample Critical Essay on Short-Term and Long-Term Adverse Effects of Antibiotics The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 was one of the greatest and most important world-changing discoveries ever made by a human being – there is no doubt about that. This discovery has saved and continues to save the lives of millions who would have been swept away by bacterial infections. However, just like many other wonders of science, antibiotics come at a price. When we misuse or overuse them, the price is even greater, especially if it goes on for a long time. Antibiotics were never intended to be used in a way they are used today – to quickly kill off any ailment that makes our lives even the slightest bit uncomfortable. They initially were aimed at and were used to treat serious, life-threatening infections that would otherwise lead to death or impairment. However, their effectiveness and usefulness in treating all kinds of diseases made antibiotics a go-to solution for a wide range of conditions, including even something as trivial as a common cold. Ironically, although prescriptions for common cold are among the most widespread usages of antibiotics today, in most cases they don’t do anything to fight the actual disease – most upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses, not bacteria, and antibiotics are useless against them. Which doesn’t mean that they are harmless as well. Depending on the patient, the type of antibiotic, other medications and substances imbued by the patient and a myriad other factors, antibiotics may have all kinds of adverse effects, ranging from short-term, personal and annoying at best, to long-term, lethal and having a global importance. The most easily recognized adverse effect of antibiotics is the so-called drug resistance of bacteria. Although bacteria don’t mutate as fast as viruses, they still are fairly quick to develop resistances to drugs that kill them. Some strains of staph aureus, for example, have developed resistance to penicillin just four years after the drug started being mass-produced. As the bacteria grow more resistant, doctors have to use either more potent antibiotics or the older ones in greater doses, increasing their side-effects and toxicity for humans. Some â€Å"superbugs†, bacteria that are non-responsive to most known forms of treatment, already exist, and the prospect of the world in which antibiotics no longer work is a terrifying one indeed. But this apocalyptic image is not the only danger posed by antibiotics. There are many more immediate and personal problems that may be caused by them, ranging from relatively mild side-effects, such as excess weight and allergies, to much more serious ones, including psychiatric problems, cardiac attacks, tendon ruptures, a wide range of chronic illnesses caused by cellular damage and much, much more. Thus, when all is said and done, antibiotics still remain an incredibly useful (and in many instances – life-saving) invention. However, the way they are used today, be it in healthcare or in agriculture, is a way that is likely to cause the entire human race a great many problems in not so distant future – unless something is done quickly, and we start using them responsibly as soon as possible. Antibiotics are certainly not a quick fix to get rid of every little ailment that may befall us. References Andrews, K.T., G. Fisher, T.S. Skinner-Adams. â€Å"Drug Repurposing and Human Parasitic Protozoan Diseases.† International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance 4.2: 95-111. Print Meikle, James. â€Å"GPs Who Limit Use of Antibiotics Risk Worse Patient Ratings†. The Guardian. Dec. 7 2015 Parker-Pope, Tara. â€Å"Frequent Antibiotics May Make Children Fatter†. The New York Times. Oct. 21 2015 Siddique, Haroon. â€Å"Antibiotic Use if Food Fuels Resistance to Vital Drugs – Report†. The Guardian. Dec. 8 2015 Stone, Judy. â€Å"Common Antibiotics Cause Arrhythmias, Death and Everything Else†. Forbes. Nov. 9 2015 Strom, Stephanie. â€Å"Perdue Sharply Cut Antibiotic Use and Jabs at Its Rivals†. The New York Times. Jul. 31 2015 Tavernise, Sabrina. †White House Meeting Elicits Pledges to Reduce Antibiotic Use†. The New York Times. Jun. 2 2015

Globalization and culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Globalization and culture - Research Paper Example Anglo-American producers still comprise an absolute majority in the field of TV and film-making. In comparison with European and Asian countries, US fashion, media trends and cultural patterns dominate in international communications. â€Å"Syn-fin† rules and deregulation policies of 1980th – 1990th promoted quick growth and strengthening of national media market. Merge of CBS Corporation and Viacom in 2004 was the result long-term favorable atmosphere on the US domestic market. Newly created media giant owns a wide range of services such as television broadcast networks and stations, radio, film and TV production, publishing, news etc. Media globalization results into misbalance of international communications flows, because, for example, Turkish or Danish television viewers subject to Americanization. Although they come across cross-cultural variety and partial glocalization on MTV, MTV2, the majority of foreign songs and clips bear Anglo-American patterns. Such a large media conglomerates as Viacom monopolize international market and hinder activity of smaller national companies. English still remains a dominant international language, but Showtime en Espanol, MTV Spain, MTV Brazil/Latin America, Spanish-speaking broadcasting network and other projects approve redirection of Viacom media infrastructure towards preferences of multinational audience. Hispanic population is steadily growing in the USA and other countries and their culture (music, dancing, festivals) also is a source of revenue for the media giant. Thus, Viacom appeals to its consumers through variety of provided services and glocalization. The 1996 Telecommunications Act broadened rights and terms of simultaneous ownership for different kinds of media, i.e. local TV stations, radio stations. Both abovementioned companies advantageously supplement each other. CBS news serve as basic instrument of Viacom products and programs propagation. For

It Doesnt Matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

It Doesnt Matter - Essay Example As expected, this is a full reorientation from the manner IT is depicted. For several years, people have been taught with the notion that IT is an indispensable resource for strategic business. However, Carr persuasively explains that the age of the strategic significance of IT has gone by. From the point of view of business, strategic leverage arises from shortage, not fullness. The universal character of IT has made it another crucial component of the business world. Although the notion of strategic significance may have been reasonable in the formative years of IT, nobody predicted the current global recognition of these technologies. Similar to earlier scholars, Carr evaluates the progress of IT against other industries like electricity, transportation, and communication. Studying how technologies influence firm-level competition, Carr compares infrastructure and private technologies. The latter can be owned by a company and employed as the foundation of continuous competitive le verage. The former are accessible to everyone and are typified by principles, diminishing prices and heightened competition.

Barclays Bank PLC Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Barclays Bank PLC - Case Study Example Barclays' four centuries of growth and provision of services in retail banking such as current accounts, savings and investments, mortgages and other loans, credit cards and online banking were surprisingly responsive to the instability present within international financial investment and services corporations across the board (Hoovers 2010). The company also holds majority apportionment of Absa Group insurance (i.e. 59% stockholder). Representation of the Barclaycard in the Spring 2010: Investors Presentation Post Q1 IMS indicated that despite the retraction of revenues from revolving credit within this sector, Barclays saw 'strong income growth largely offset by increased impairment' and 'international diversification of business' with over 50% of the card's customers outside the UK (Barclays 2010). Credit market exposures reduced by 22BN, with protium loans at 7.9BN as of December 31, 2009. Dating to the 17th century, Barclays Bank is the flagship subsidiary of Barclays PLC financial services group, with retail and commercial operations in 50 countries throughout Africa, Europe and the Middle East. In 2010, Barclays acquired the Italian credit card business of Citibank International Bank; a deal that absorbed 197,000 credit card accounts and approximately 234 million ($320 million) worth of assets globally. Integration of the Citibank acquisition, and including business assets and employees, will be incorporated into the existing Barclays Western Europe division, with conversion of the credit card accounts to Barclaycards (Hoovers 2010). In 2008, the bank had made a more limited purchase of Goldfish, the UK credit card unit of Discover Financial Services for a sum of 46 million ($70 million). Emerging market expansion has also defied the climate of default within the international financial services sector, and the company has moved forward with strategic agreements made in Asia and Russia between 2007 and 2009. The agreements also include mergers that combine liability through sale of assets with retention of administration, as in the 2007 Barclays sale of its trust administration and custody business in Japan to Sumitomo Trust and Bank for some 21 million ($32 million). In 2008 the Bank acquired Russia's Expobank at 690 million ($750 million), and began negotiations to confirm agreement on 19.5% of New China Trust - just under the maximum 20% investment cap allowed to foreign companies. Finally, in 2009 the group moved to acquire a 99% stake in Bank Akita, Indonesia at 65 million ($100 million). The acquisition includes a rebranding of the company as 'Barclays Bank of Indonesia' which will further the corporation's interests in the region through integration with its gl obal retail and commercial banking services administered by its emerging markets business division. While many people blame the 2008/09 'credit crunch' on a lack of risk management and unreliable financial reporting by banks, Barclays has shown significant leverage in planning and in critical change management decision making. Although much fiscal risk management looks to the audit process toward implementing strategic measures of mitigation, Barclays strategic model incorporates restructuring of the internal organizational

Diagnosing Depression In Ethnic Minority Groups Social Work Essay

Diagnosing Depression In Ethnic Minority Groups Social Work Essay The essay title is curious and could be interpreted in a number of ways. Firstly, it invites me to decide whether the essay should be from the perspective of a client, or the therapist, or both. I have chosen to present the essay from the point of view that it is the client who is a member of an ethnic minority group. Perhaps what drew me to this title over the others is of personal significance, being from a multicultural family and having lived and worked in countries in the Far East and West Africa where culture and society is vastly different to that of the UK. Essentially, I have experienced being an ethnic minority member in the opposite context and hence was eager to explore the essay from a clients perspective in the UK. I chose to focus on depression rather than psychosis, as I was less aware of current research linking ethnicity to depression and felt this would balance out my motivations and be beneficial for my development as a trainee. As for the content, I will begin with a discussion on what is meant by an ethnic minority group and by the term depression. I will then present my view of how ethnicity affects the diagnostic process, initiated with a brief health warning about the implications of racial stereotyping. Following this I will focus on presentation of symptoms and the formulation process of depression. The second half of the essay will be about the treatment process, looking closely at the influence of ethnicity on help-seeking behaviour and psychological treatments. Finally I will end the essay with a reflective account containing my thoughts about finishing the essay and a conclusion. What is an ethnic minority group? When translated literally, the term ethnicity means people or nation (i.e. ethnos; Franklin, 1983). Senior Bhopal (1994) highlight that is now used as a variable to describe health data. On closer inspection, the concept of ethnicity is not simple or easy to understand. Firstly, ethnic minority status does not account for changes over time and context. There are also many different terms used for groups. McKenzie Crowcroft (1996) highlight a good example of this: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a Black Baptist born in the UK whose parents were born in Jamaica might be called Afro-Caribbean, black British, of Caribbean origin UK born, West Indian, and of course, Jamaican. Furthermore, ethnic categorization does not inform us of whether the individual is of first or second generation descent, not to mention the migrant status of the individual. Given our multicultural climate, the meaning of ethnicity is a source of continuing debate and is also likely to change with national trends and politics. For example, the Irish have only recently be recognized as an ethnic minority in the UK. Although the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH, 2003) has advised that ethnicity should be self-identified, this does not always happen in the process of research. McKenzie Crowcroft (1996) point out that this leaves many researchers in the position of assigning membership of an ethnic minority group on an informal basis in order to have comparable data. Indeed, defining an ethnic minority group is problematic due to the lack of consensus. Despite these issues it was necessary for me to attach myself to a concrete definition for the purpose of this essay. Furthermore, I have selected a particular ethnic minority group (African-Caribbeans) when specific examples are needed. The definition I am following regarding an ethnic minority group is: Those with a cultural heritage distinct from the majority population (Manthorpe Hettiaratchy, 1993). What is Depression? Depression is a term used both clinically and in everyday discourse (Valente, 1994) to describe a host of unpleasant feelings which people experience, ranging from a low mood to describing a situational feeling (Keller Nesse, 2005). When depression is considered clinically significant is it quite different from the common experiences just narrated. A person may be diagnosed with clinical depression if they are experiencing depressed mood or loss of interest and pleasure plus at least five other adverse feelings during a two-week period or longer (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychological Association, 2000). When depression is at its worst, it can make people withdraw from ordinary pleasures and concentration may become very poor. Some people with depression report a sense of hopelessness and can experience suicidal feelings or ideations as a result (APA, 2000). Clinical depression can occur alongside different disorders and be multifaceted in its presentation (e.g. Akiskal et al., 2005). It is probably fair to say depression does not occur in every country across the world in the way we view it in the West. Other cultures may label it as something different. For example, Kleinman (1980, as cited in Bentall, 2003) found Western depression and a Chinese condition called Neurasthenia to be the same thing, although expressed in different ways. Given this, I question how useful our depression label is. This essay is however, directed by the title and the focus of this essay will therefore follow the DSM-IV-TR definition of depression. According to the Office for National Statistics clinical depression is experienced by 10% of the British Population at any one time. Depression is a diagnosis of increasing popularity, and was once referred to as the common cold of psychiatry (Seligman, 1975 as cited in Hawton et al., 2000). It is estimated that there are over 6 million people in England alone who are designated as from minority ethnic groups (Department of Health (DoH), 2003). Much of our current knowledge of depression in UK African-Caribbean people relies on limited research showing inconsistent results. I feel such statistics often lead to misdiagnosis, as clinicians are informed by research and policy. In order to avoid statistical discrimination I have therefore not included any data displaying suggested prevalence rates of depression in this population. Chakraborty McKenzie (2002) points out that early studies were criticized for methodological problems, but argues that more recent studies have attempted to advocate more rigorous methodology. More recent studies tend to suggest a high prevalence of depression in African-Caribbean populations (e.g. Nazroo, 1997 as cited in Chakraborty McKenzie, 2002). Interestingly, it is also thought that depression is underecognised and undertreated in African- Caribbeans, especially in primary care (Ahmed Bhugra, 2006). To what extent is membership of an ethnic minority group influential in the process of diagnosis of people experiencing depression? In the recent Inside Outside UK national initiative (Department of Health, 2003) a well-established link between health care disparities and ethnicity is claimed and structures are recommended which target this. I question the wider implications of producing such documents as it appears to suggest people should be viewed differently according to their ethnic status. As Lewis-Fernandez Diaz (2002) rightly point out, even people who share the same ethnic minority status can differ, as ethnic groups are culturally heterogeneous. As noted above, membership of an ethnic group is not a static thing and there are vast differences within an ethnic group as well as outside of it. I can relate to this as I often have difficulties when completing the ethnic status box on equal opportunities forms. Although I would class myself as white-British my father is Italian-American and my mother is Swiss, hence I have four passports. I normally choose to categorize myself as British however this someti mes changes to white-other or white-American depending on where I have been living. In my experience, I feel the desire to categorize people in society outweighs the usefulness of doing so. Given the increasingly multicultural climate of the UK it may not always be accurate to state that white people are of the dominant origin however statistically that is currently the case. This means that the relatively recent surge in interest and attention on differences of ethnic groups in mental health is often taken from an essentialist perspective (Giles Middleton, 1999), where differences are observed from my or our perspective. Claims made in research detailing differences between ethnic groups also encourage categorizing of individuals, which simply creates an othering between groups. Othering has been explained as a way to serve and mark those thought to be different from oneself (Weis, 1995 as cited in Grove Zwi, 2005). There is a concern for me that by focusing on the differences between African-Caribbeans and whites, or any other ethnic minority simply serves to reinforce the idea of racial differences and segregation. Institutional racism is a form of discrimination, which stems from the notion that groups should be treated differently according to phenotypic difference (McKenzie, 1999). It has been suggested that it is widespread in the UK (Modood et al., 1997). It seems to me that if we are to eliminate racial disparities in mental health care; concordant with the aims of the recent Department of Health initiative (2003), we all need to look at the way we are talking and presenting our ideas around this. For the reasons just discussed I will now attempt to present a view that is balanced and allows disparities of depression in African-Caribbean people to be seen in a relational context. Whilst I will describe potential areas of difference, the aim is not to stereotype people according to their ethnicity. Presentation The bodily styles of experiencing and expressing distress may be different for some people of African-Caribbean origin living in the UK than people from other ethnic backgrounds. Some studies suggest they experience and present more somatic symptoms of depression, e.g. headaches, achy limbs (Comino et al, 2001). Comino and colleagues also contend that idioms of distress differ linguistically and can take the form of cultural metaphors. If clinicians do not recognize these symptoms as signs of distress I imagine some clients may be left feeling quite frustrated. For us, as therapists, this does make the process of diagnosis more complex. An awareness of the possibility of somatic presentations, with a view to enquiring about the clients understanding of them seems helpful. A unique approach for the assessment and understanding of somatic symptoms of depression and idioms of distress has been developed (Lewis-Fernandez Diaz, 2002). There have also been attempts at identifying the core symptoms of depression across different ethnic groups, although the last one is most probably outdated now. In their large cross-cultural study, Jablensky et al., (1981 as cited in Bhugra Ayonrinde, 2004) found nine common international symptoms of depression; sadness, joylessness, anxiety, tension, lack of energy, loss of interest, poor concentration and ideas of insufficiency, inadequacy and worthlessness. Perhaps doing more studies like this could help in us developing a more universal approach to symptom recognition. Despite the evidence, I do believe that symptom presentation of depression can vary for a number of reasons completely unrelated to an individuals ethnic minority status. Children were once considered a difficult and under diagnosed population as they often present with somatic symptoms (e.g. failure to make expected weight gains in very young children; Carson Cantwell, 1980) which makes it difficult to diagnose. Subsequently, rating scales and measures have been devised which are appropriate for different age groups and enable a conventional diagnosis to be made (Goodyer, 2001). People living with HIV may also present somatic symptoms of depression. Kalichman et al., (2000) suggest available methods for distinguishing overlapping symptoms should be utilised when assessing such individuals. It seems obvious to me that we have to adapt standard methods of recognizing depressive symptoms when dealing with the diversity that naturally occurs in human beings. Language is also thought to be a potential barrier (e.g. Unutuzer, 2002) in the diagnostic process of depression. African-Caribbean people may not always speak clear English but speak multiple local languages or with an accent. Whilst I know this happens, I could not find any research investigating the percentages of African-Caribbean people in the UK and their language abilities. This so-called barrier could therefore be perceived rather than actual; however I will briefly discuss methods to work with this in the clinical context. As stated in the aforementioned Inside Outside document (2003) mental health services now aim to be culturally capable, which includes tackling difficulties with language. There is no doubt in my mind that communication is a key element in diagnosis, and I know from personal experience that not being able to communicate in a locally understood language can cause people to feel isolated. Thus, ensuring language access for people who speak a language other t han English through appropriate interpreting/translating services is crucial. However, I do feel that this parallels a need for people who have other difficulties with language. For example, I am sure it can be difficult to identify depression in individuals who have suffered severely dehabilitating strokes or physical injuries where speech is severely impaired. My point is that there are an array of factors which influence the way people talk about their difficulties and how they are understood by clinicians. Not being able to speak the English language in a clear English accent is simply one of those factors. I feel the issue raised here is more related to how we work with diversity rather than how we work with ethnicity. Formulation As a trainee clinical psychologist involved in the diagnostic process of depression I am also concerned with the formulation process and how this is affected. The beliefs people have about the nature and causes of depression do differ between cultures. For example, Bhugra et al., (1997) identified some African and Asian cultures view depression as part of lifes ups and downs, rather than a treatable condition. From this perspective, many psychological models which aid us in understanding depression can account for the differing beliefs and experiences of people. For example, the Cognitive model of depression (Beck, 1967, 1976) suggests that peoples early experiences lead people to form beliefs or schemata about themselves and the world. These assumptions are thought to cause negative automatic thoughts which perpetuate symptoms of depression on five different levels; behavioural, motivational, affective, cognitive and somatic. Despite this model being quite flexible at face value, ho wever, the negative cognitive triad (Beck, 1976) is directed by the beliefs and experiences of the individual. This may not fit in with those from more collectivist cultures. Indeed, we know that social networks often play an important part in the belief systems of ethnic minority members (Bhugra Ayonrinde, 2004). Therefore, thinking more systemically may be particularly useful when considering individuals from ethnic minority groups. However, we do need to be cautious in making assumptions about what beliefs people from ethnic minorities have. There is a danger that in doing so, we may be able to formulate quicker but may also cause considerable distress to the client. I recently attended a mental health awareness course as part of my placement where an African Caribbean service user came to talk to us about her experiences of being in the mental health system. She described her first traumatic admission to hospital after a close suicide attempt at the age of nineteen. She told us it was persistently assumed by mental health staff that she had attempted suicide because she did not understand or fit in with the predominantly white community in her area. She told us how upset and misunderstood this made her feel, as this was not the case at all. On reflection, this highlights the importance of service-user feedback in clinical practice. The question I see appearing with regards is how we as clinicians in the UK can best explore the beliefs, experiences and background of the multicultural population we are working with in order to diagnose appropriately. As Fernandez Diaz rightly point out, to do this we need a systematic method for eliciting and evaluating cultural information in the clinical encounter (Lewis-Fernandez Diaz, 2002). There is a paucity of information debating ways to take this forward and models to encapsulate these ideas are currently being developed and tested in the USA. One such model is the Cultural Formulation model (Lewis-Fernandez Diaz, 2002), which is an expansion on the depression guidelines, published in the DSM-IV-TR. This innovative model consists of five components; assessing cultural identity, cultural explanations of the illness, cultural factors related to the psychosocial environment and levels of functioning, cultural elements of the clinician-client relationship and the overall impact of culture on diagnosis and care. I find this model very inclusive as it can still elicit very useful information about culturally-based norms, values and behaviours even when there is no ethnic difference between the clinician and the client. Whilst cultural differences exist within an ethnic group, they are not necessarily ethnicity-bound. For example, they can equally be associated with an individuals age, gender, socioeconomic status, educational background, family status and wider social network (Ahmed Bhugra, 2006). If this is the case, then I would say that it is important for clinicians to have a very exploratory and curious approach when assessing and diagnosing an individual in a mental health service, whether they are from an ethnic minority or not. To what extent is membership of an ethnic minority group influential in the process of treatment of people experiencing depression? Some people with depression get better without any treatment. However, living with depression can be challenging as it impacts many areas of an individuals life including relationships, employment, and their physical health. Therefore, many people with depression do try some form of treatment. This process usually begins at primary care level and then a collaborative decision is made between the patient and the clinician as to what treatment suits them best. It has been suggested that Africa-Caribbean people are less tolerant to antidepressant medication than whites (Cooper et al., 1993). Therefore this section of this essay will focus on the process of psychological treatments of depression. Treatments vary and have altered radically with the growing use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is based on the scientist-practitioner model and routinely offers outcome data (Whitfield Whitefield, 2003). In CBT, and in the majority of other talking therapies, treatment usually involves seeing a therapist for a number of sessions on a regular basis. Seeking help There appear to be two main potential barriers when it comes to the treatment of depressed clients from ethnic minorities. Firstly, the help-seeking behaviours of African-Caribbean and other ethnic minority groups have attracted considerable attention in the research domain. Members of the African-Caribbean population are thought to be less likely to seek professional treatment for psychological distress (e.g. Bhui et al., 2003). Whilst reading a mountain of papers listing reasons why the help-seeking behaviour of people from ethnic minorities is so different, a few ideas sprung to my mind. From my own experience when people are very depressed they may struggle to get motivated and make less use of the support available to them. Moreover, I wonder whether one it is a possibility that African-Caribbeans do not approach services as much because of negative experiences of the UK mental health system. I recall seeing an elderly Jamaican gentleman for an assessment last year whilst working as an Assistant in a Clinical Health department. Following the very limited referral information I had, I elicited his ideas about what brought him to our service. He told me that he had felt unable to cope with his low mood and intrusive thoughts for some while, however he did not feel able to seek help because a family member of his had been treated unfairly by mental health staff before. Perhaps the reasons for people not acc essing treatment are simpler than we think. In their study of reasons for exclusion of African-Caribbean people in mental health services, Mclean et al., (2003) found the types of interactions between staff and patients strongly associated with disparities in treatment. They encourage positive, non-judgmental interactions as the first step on the path to social inclusion of mental health services (Mclean et al., 2003). Their study reminded me of a report I read recently on placement about the Circles of Fear (Salisbury Centre for Mental Health, 2002). Essentially, this report stipulates that people from ethnic minorities tend to have a more negative experience of the mental health system. People may then fear the consequences of becoming involved with it and avoid contact. This leads me to believe that we (the health service) are very much part of the reason why such individuals may not seek help. Geography may also be a reason for varying help-seeking behaviour. People living in rural areas are thought to be at risk of facing isolation and discrimination in mental health treatment (Barry et al., 2000). I do think there is something valuable about looking at populations which services are not reaching. However, it has just struck me that writing about the help-seeking behaviour of people can come across as quite blaming and puts the responsibility very much with the individual. Whatever the reason, if minority members are less likely to get appropriate care, I feel the focus should be on how to engage different members of society in effective care for depression. Fortunately, depressed people who fail to seek help for treatment can often be identified and treated in general medical settings (Shulberg et al., 1999). One study also suggests that the majority of people who are depressed do want help, regardless of their ethnicity (Dwight-Johnson et al., 1997). What I find particu larly interesting is that the desire for help seems to be related to the severity of the depression in precedence of their ethnic minority status. Thus it appears that ethnicity, severity of depression, geographical location, previous experiences with the mental health system and beliefs about what help is available all influence help-seeking behaviour. Psychological Treatment The second claimed difficulty in the treatment of African-Caribbean people who are depressed is poor attendance rates and incompletion of treatment (Bhugra Ayonrinde, 2004). There are also claims that African-Caribbean people are more likely to experience a poorer outcome from treatment. Given that the search for a biological cause for disparities in treatment success rates has not been fruitful we must turn our focus to other explanations. For example, we now know that the relationship between the therapist and client is a key component of treatment outcome (Hovarth Greenberg, 1994). As such, I am going to focus on those explanations which link to the therapeutic alliance. There are few empirical studies which explore how ethnic differences affect the therapeutic alliance and these have consisted mostly of client preferences. Cultural unfamiliarity may act as interference to some African-Caribbean people staying in psychological treatment (Davidson, 1987). In their study of secondary school students, Uhlemann et al., (2004) looked at how being an ethnic minority therapist affected relationships in a counselling setting. They found ethnic minority counsellors were perceived more favorably than white-Caucasian counsellors. Most students believed therapists were less able to understand or empathize with them if the therapist was ethnically different. In another study Coleman et al., (1995) surveyed studies comparing ethnic minority clients preferences of therapists, being ethnically similar or ethnically dissimilar. They found that in most cases clients preferred therapists of similar ethnic background, particularly those with strong cultural attachments. I acknowledge that this may be something to be aware of as a therapist; however I do not think this in itself would put people off psychological treatment. It might be useful for us as therapists to address this issue and to do so early on in the treatment process. One way of doing this could be to address any obvious ethnic differences and explore together how it may affect the given relationship. This may also help the process of understanding which is deemed very important in strengthening the therapeutic alliance. Whilst this is something I will try and be aware of in my practice, I also feel it is important to present this discussion in a realistic and in context. From my experience as a trainee, the age and amount of experience a therapist is far more valuable and influential than the ethnic status of a therapist. One lady I saw recently had difficulty accepting me as her therapist for the simple fact that she worried about how much I would be able to help her in comparison to a qualified clinical psychologist. There was also an ethnic difference between us but this was did not cause her concern. Similarly, Coleman et al., (1995) asked clients individuals in their study to list the characteristics of a competent therapist in order of importance. Sure enough, they found that people placed ethnic similarity below that of other characteristics such as educational ability, maturity, gender, personality and attitude. I think this illuminates just how important it is for us to tailor the treatment process to the individual needs and concerns of the client. Is a more holistic approach to psychological treatment of depression the answer? I do wonder whether CBT, the current preferred model of treatment, will soon lose its popularity. The somewhat prescriptive nature of CBT for depression may mean the varying needs of people in our multicultural climate are not being met. Rather than creating new and separate treatment models or services for ethnic minority clients, perhaps we should be embracing ones which encourage clients to lead the treatment. One model I find demonstrates this is the Recovery model. Recovery from mental illness is seen as a personal journey and the unique experiences of each individual are valued and explored (Jacobson Greenley, 2001). Treatment using this model works around helping the client gain hope, a secure base, supportive relationships, empowerment, social inclusion, coping skills, and finding meaning to their experiences. Although used more with individuals experiencing major mental health problems, I think the principles are very inclusive and useful for the treatment of any mental health problem, including depression. Of course, I have only touched upon one model and there are many more which embrace individual differences. Reflective statement As a current trainee on my adult mental health placement, I cannot pretend that I am able to provide an objective nor extensively experienced view. I am also aware that I am at the beginning of my first placement, in a service which very much promotes recovery from mental illness through understanding the individual rather than categorically through their psychiatric label. Whilst this may have had an influence over my stance towards the essay topic, I have witnessed the positive effects in my clinical work of not categorizing people and feel that this has indicated some valid concerns. Upon finishing this essay it came to mind that that the buoyancy of the essay may be a reflection of the ideas and questions I have been grappling with as part of my practice on placement. However, these ideas are by no means a closed deal and I continue to work with them in an applied context. Furthermore, I acknowledge that had I chosen to present this essay assuming that it was the therapist who was a member of an ethnic minority, my essay and conclusions may be very different. How will writing this essay affect my practice as a Trainee Clinical psychologist? I do feel we are in a contentious situation. If we treat people differently according to any issue of diversity we run the risk of perpetuating institutional racism. On the other side of the coin, if we work with everybody in exactly the same way and try and fit people in to Eurocentric systems then we run the risk of ignoring important cultural differences. What I will take from this is the importance of being sensitive to peoples backgrounds and experiences and investigation of what makes them who they are. I will definitely attempt to bring more flexibility, curiosity and receptiveness to my practice and acknowledge when there is a noticeable difference between myself and the client in the therapeutic setting. Conclusion In conclusion, membership of an ethnic minority group may influence the diagnosis and treatment process in how people experience depression, present to services and possibly how they proceed with psychological treatments. If we are to diagnose and treat depression through a Euro centric lens, we should be embracing the use of models which allow for cultural diversity in the diagnosis and treatment of depression. However, as I hope I have demonstrated in my writing, no two people in a therapeutic setting will ever be exactly the same. So how useful is it to continually focus on ethnic differences when they are just one drop in the ocean of diversity? Perhaps instead we need a shift in the dominant discourses surrounding ethnic differences in mental health? The real challenge I think we face is understanding how the identity of the individual contributes to the diagnosis and treatment of depression.

The Little Prince :: essays research papers

THE LITTLE PRINCE The Little Prince was one of the first books that got me interested in reading. I got it as a present from my mother when I was nine together with Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Since then, I have gotten it as gift four times and read it at least ten times. After each reading, I seem to come away with different insights from the book depending on what stage of my life I was in or what my situation was. It strikes me that this book, first published in 1943, holds timeless truths on many different levels. It tells the truth of love, the truth of perspective, and the truth of childhood innocence, to name just a few. Of all the people who teach us about life’s meaning it is not the Socrates or the Platos of the world that we find truly touching or moving. Instead, we find that simple naà ¯ve people can offer us the most profound insights into life because of this very simplicity. They offer us a new perspective on things that we take for granted or things that we fail to even stop to look at. The beauty of a flower or a friendship can be easily overlooked unless it is brought to light through the eyes of a child or character possessing the same qualities of untainted observation that children so often have. It is this innocence and simplicity that sticks to my mind and that impacts me the most. It reminds me to go back to basics and to re-learn to relax and to appreciate the simple pleasures that life brings. Sometimes I get too caught up in everyday realities that I forget what is really important to me – my family and friends. How many times do we miss the message of love that people send to us because we are too busy? How many times have we missed the signs that people around us are seeking desperately for a simple gesture of love - a smile, a wave, a kind touch on the hands or shoulders or simply a gentle look? I sometimes forget how these simple gestures can change or affect lives of people around me. I do not have to knock myself out to help others; I simply have to show I care. The Little Prince is a good novel, in great part, because it has very entertaining characters.

Campus Recruitment

Grail Research – Campus Interaction Campus Placements – 2012 August 2011 Presentation Plan ? Introduction to Grail Research – An Integreon Company ? What We Offer ? Q&A August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 2 About Grail Research ? Grail Research provides organizations with accurate, succinct answers to their most important business questions ? Global firms rely on Grail to deliver market intelligence required to make strategic decisions that support business growth Common client themes include entering new markets, launching and enhancing products, making acquisitions or strategic investments, unseating competitors, and more ? Grail Research was founded by Monitor Group, one of the world’s leading business advisory and investment firms with its own US 2Bn+ private equity firm ? Grail Research is now a part of Integreon, a market leader in research, legal, and analytics services ? Grail’s global capabilities include condu cting research in 110+ countries and 35+ languages In A New World, A New Model For Answers Market Research Cost-effective ? Data rich Immediate, Global and Concise Strategy Consulting ? Personalized ? Insightful ? Rigorous August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 3 About Integreon A Leading Global Provider of Knowledge Services ? Our mission is to be the most trusted provider of Knowledge Support Solutions to professionals ? Integreon is a stable, profitable private company †¢ Established in 1998 †¢ Financially secure, 75% owned by Ayala Corporation, a leading publicly listed Philippines conglomerate with a market capitalization over $15 billion, 25% owned by management ? We employ almost 2,500 staff worldwide ? We have Six Sigma Black Belt expertise and are certified in †¢ ISO 27001:2005 Information Security †¢ ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management UK US Atlanta Cambridge Fargo Los Angeles New York Washington DC Office Locations London Bristol China Beijing Philippines South Africa Johannesburg India Mumbai New Delhi Manila August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 4 Milestones†¦.. Setting up offices in Beijing and Johannesburg – Offices in newer locations were established to tap market intelligence needs in different geographies. Beijing marking the fourth and Johannesburg being the seventh office worldwide gathering market and competitive intelligence to make informed strategy and investment decisions Paul Boni starts appearing on Fox’s Happy Hour – Chief Sales Officer, Paul Boni appears on Fox’s channels Happy Hour show to discuss events and growth of various industries and share his perspective on growth of market intelligence in the present day scenario HBS presents a case study on Monitor and Grail as part of their 100 year anniversary summit Founder and CEO Colin Gounden was selected to participate in a panel as part of Harvard Business School’s India Conference to discuss Changing Nature of Sub-continent’s Economy Grail shortlisted in NASSCOM EMERGE 50 – The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) names Grail Research as a 2009 EMERGE 50 company †¦Grail Research, an Integreon Company continues to set new milestones and move toward s greater heights August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 5 Meet the Team VIVEK NEB Vice President, Corporate Market and Business Research Vivek Neb is the Vice President of the Integreon’s Research and Analytics practice and heads the Research Operations teams based out of Noida, Gurgaon, Beijing and Johannesburg Vivek holds an MBA from Indian Institute f Management, Indore and Bachelor in Technology from Punjab Technical University KAPIL SHARMA . ANALYST, NOIDA Kapil holds a Bachelors degree in Industrial and Production Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi â€Å"Grail Research provides immense exposure across industries and very bright and talented team members to work with† JULIAN SUN ANALYST, BEIJING Julian holds a Bachelors of Art degree (Honors) in Business Administration from University of Bedfordshire, UK â€Å"My learning curve has gone up significantly in last 16 months. Grail offers cross-cultural / cross-geograph ical experience by working with diverse set of people† TARUN SINGH ANALYST, JOHANNESBURG Tarun holds a Bachelors degree in Information Technology from Delhi College of Engineering â€Å"I have had an enriching experience working with Grail. I also got chance to work with Jo'Burg team as part of GAP. The multi office project delivery model is excellently executed in Grail† August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 6 Presentation Plan ? Introduction to Grail Research ? What We Offer ? Q August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 7 Grail Experience Advantage The ‘CRISP’ Approach Research Rigorous and consistent Triangulation: secondary, experts, surveys ? Ensure approach meets the required burden of proof Insights Clear â€Å"so what’s† Context to make data meaningful Question Charge ? Extract logical conclusions ? Explain the non-obvious insights Answer Synthesis ? Reframe business need as a research question ? Address the underlying need behind the initial question Simple but not superficial ? Know why the question is being asked ? Articulate nuanced summary in 1-2 pages ? Highlight and explain findings that are surprising, new, or provocative ? Weigh the importance of the question ? Identify the audience ? Confirm that the right question is being asked Presentation Concise Powerful graphics ? State what remains unanswered ? Leverage for future value Determine whether the question can be answered ? Provide visual metaphors to make insights from data intuitive and easy to grasp August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 8 Learning and Exposure Projects across Sectors Life Sciences ? ? ? ? ? Technology ? ? ? ? ? Consumer ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Telecom ? Biotechnology Diagnostics Healthcare Medical Devices Pharmaceuticals Hardware Internet IT Services Networking Software Apparel Automotive Food & Beverage Electronics Health & Beauty Media & Entertainment Retail Travel & Tourism White Goods ? ? ? Cable Satellite Wired Wireless Energy ? ? ? Materials ? ? ? Business Services ? ? ? Industrial ? ? ? ? Government ? ? ? ? ? Alternative Energy Electricity Gas Oil Utilities Chemicals Commodities Metals & Mining ? Advisory Outsourcing Printing Publishing Manufacturing Packaging Textiles Transportation Wholesale ? Competitiveness Country Local Regional August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 9 Learning and Exposure †¦across Geographies Grail’s global capabilities include conducting research in 110+ countries and 35+ languages Countries where we have conducted research August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 10 Organization Structure Groups in Grail Custom Research Life Sciences R esearch QR & Analytics ? ? ? ? ? Industry Attractive Study Sector Analysis Competitive Benchmarking Market Feasibility Study Benchmarking Studies ? ? ? ? ? Product launch feasibility Drug Pipeline Analysis Acquisition target identification Technology assessment Physician perception mapping ? ? ? ? ? Online Questionnaire Analysis Qualitative Analysis Focus Groups Statistical Analysis Segmentation Studies ? Grail conducted a Market Opportunity Analysis for Enterprise Applications of a large software vendor ? Grail conducted Product Assessment for a financial services client ? Grail was tracking pipeline development and strategy initiatives taken by competitors of a large pharmaceutical company Grail is helping a client create a pricing mode for a product based on statistical analysis of transaction data August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 11 Learning and Exposure Outside Project Initiatives Branding Internal Process Improvement IT Tools Confidentiality Compliance Knowledge Management Capa bility Groups Part-time Associates Newsletter August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 12 Professional Development Pillars of Grail’s Professional Development There are three pillars of Professional Development that Grail employees will interact with; Combined, these are often referred to as â€Å"The System† Allocations Conversations with Allocations PD Advisor helps set PD goals and provides advice on how to work with allocations Feedback used by allocations to determine skill levels of individuals GRAIL EMPLOYEES Conversations with PD Advisor Project and Semiannual Feedback PD Advisor PD Advisor helps interpret feedback and look for ways to act on developmental priorities Feedback August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 13 Professional Development Alternative Paths Career growth of individuals on different career tracks in Grail – based upon merit, individual’s desire and firm’s need Latika Mahar (Member of HR Team) Shashank Dewan (Member of Jo’burg Team) Manager, Human Resource ? Got promoted to Manager – HR in Apr’10 ? Now key member of the HR team, working across the entire value chain of HR ? Showed interest in moving to HR ? Worked actively with the allocations team ? Joined organization in June, 2007 Associate Project Manager ? Got promoted to APM in Oct ‘10 ? Promoted to Project Lead in Oct ’09 ? ? ? ? exhibiting strong people skills Was an integral part of the team in South Africa for 6 months Got promoted to Associate in Oct’ 08 One of the consistent top performers of the group Joined Grail in June, 2007 Project Lead Human Resource Associate Career shift to Human Resource August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential Analyst 14 Value Proposition ‘What it is in for me? ’ Diverse Industry Exposure Continous Learning Talent Management Professional Development Compensation and Growth August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 15 Career at Grail Talent from World Class Institutes Grail has a set of extremely talented people with education from world class institutes August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 16 Compensation and Growth Career Path Director ? ? ? ? ? Skills Strong orientation to solve complex problems Good subject knowledge Ability to learn faster Strong written and oral communications skills Strong team player Project Manager Associate PM Characteristics Project Lead ? Self starter ? Strong work ethic and maturity in in professional environment ? Should take pride in his / her own work ? Have drive and enthusiasm to take initiatives Associate Analyst Job Location & Salary ? Base Location: Noida / Gurgaon ? CTC: INR 4 Lacs per Annum (Fixed) Management Trainee August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 17 Recruitment Process ? Written Test †¢ Objective: Analytical and Language Test †¢ Subjective: Language Proficiency Test ? Announcement of first short–list candidates ? Interview Rounds: 2 – 3 †¢ Consist of case based studies to assess the problem solving skills and analytical ability of the candidates ? Final Selection August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 18 Presentation Plan ? Introduction to Grail Research ? What We Offer ? Q August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential 19 For more information contact: ? Charu Gulati (charu. [email  protected] com) Copyright  © 2010 by Integreon No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without the permission of Integreon. This document provides an outline of a presentation and is incomplete without the accompanying oral commentary and discussion. August 2011 | Copyright  © 2011 Integreon — Confidential COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL 20

The 5 Great Schools of Ancient Greek Philosophy

The 5 Great Schools of Ancient Greek Philosophy Ancient Greek philosophy extends from as far as the seventh century B.C. up until the beginning of the Roman Empire, in the  first century A.D. During this period five great philosophical traditions originated: the Platonist, the Aristotelian, the Stoic, the Epicurean, and the Skeptic. Ancient Greek philosophy distinguishes itself from other early forms of philosophical and theological theorizing for its emphasis on reason as opposed to the senses or the emotions. For example, among the most famous arguments from pure reason we find those against the possibility of motion presented by Zeno. Early Figures in Greek Philosophy Socrates, who lived at the end of the fifth century B.C., was  Plato’s teacher and a key figure in the rise of Athenian philosophy. Before the time of Socrates and Plato, several figures established themselves as philosophers in small islands and cities across the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. Parmenides, Zeno, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Thales all belong to this group. Few of their written works have been preserved to the present day; it was not until Platos time that ancient Greeks began transmitting philosophical teachings in text. Favorite themes include the principle of reality (e.g., the one or the logos); the good; the life worth being lived; the distinction between appearance and reality; the distinction between philosophical knowledge and layman’s opinion. Platonism Plato (427-347 B.C.) is the first of the central figures of ancient philosophy and he is the earliest author whose work we can read in considerable quantities. He has written about nearly all major philosophical issues and is probably most famous for his theory of universals and for his political teachings. In Athens, he established a school – the Academy – at the beginning of the fourth century B.C., which remained open until 83 A.D. The philosophers who chaired the Academy after Plato contributed to the popularity of his name, although they did not always contribute to the development of his ideas. For example, under the direction of Arcesilaus of Pitane, began 272 B.C., the Academy became famous as the center for academic skepticism, the most radical form of skepticism to date. Also for these reasons, the relationship between Plato and the long list of authors who recognized themselves as Platonists throughout the history of philosophy is complex and subtle. Aristotelianism Aristotle (384-322B.C.) was a student of Plato and one of the most influential philosophers to date. He gave an essential contribution to the development of logic (especially the theory of syllogism), rhetoric, biology, and – among others – formulated the theories of substance and virtue ethics. In 335 B.C. he founded a school in Athens, the Lyceum, which contributed to disseminate his teachings. Aristotle seems to have written some texts for a broader public, but none of them survived. His works we are reading today were first edited and collected around 100 B.C. They have exercised tremendous influence not only upon the Western tradition but also upon the Indian (e.g. the Nyaya school) and the Arabic (e.g. Averroes) traditions. Stoicism Stoicism originated in Athens with Zeno of Citium, around 300B.C. Stoic philosophy is centered on a metaphysical principle that had been already developed, among others, by Heraclitus: that reality is governed by logos and that what happens is necessary. For Stoicism, the goal of human philosophizing is the achievement of a state of absolute tranquility. This is obtained through the progressive education to independence from one’s needs. The stoic philosopher will not fear any bodily or social condition, having trained not to depend on bodily need or any specific passion, commodity, or friendship. This is not to say that the stoic philosopher will not seek pleasure, success, or long-standing relationships: simply that she will not live for them. The influence of Stoicism on the development of Western philosophy is hard to overestimate; among its most devoted sympathizers were  the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the economist Hobbes, and the philosopher  Descartes. Epicureanism Among philosophers’ names, â€Å"Epicurus† is probably one of those that is most frequently cited in non-philosophical discourses. Epicurus taught that the life worth being lived is spent seeking pleasure; the question is: which forms of pleasure? Throughout history, Epicureanism has often been misunderstood as a doctrine preaching the indulgence into the most vicious bodily pleasures. On the contrary, Epicurus himself was known for his temperate eating habits, and for his moderation. His exhortations were directed towards the cultivation of friendship as well as any activity which most elevates our spirits, such as music, literature, and art. Epicureanism was also characterized by metaphysical principles; among them, the theses that our world is one out of many possible worlds and that what happens does so by chance. The latter doctrine is developed also in Lucretius’s De Rerum Natura. Skepticism Pyrrho of Elis (c. 360-c. 270 B.C.) is the earliest figure in ancient Greek skepticism. on record. He seems to have written no text and to have held common opinion in no consideration, hence attributing no relevance to the most basic and instinctive habits. Probably influenced also by the Buddhist tradition of his time, Pyrrho viewed the suspension of judgment as a means to achieve that freedom of disturbance that alone can lead to happiness. His goal was to keep each human’s life in a state of perpetual inquiry. Indeed, the mark of skepticism is the suspension of judgment. In its most extreme form, known as academic skepticism and first formulated by Arcesilaus of Pitane, there is nothing that should not be doubted, including the very fact that everything can be doubted. The teachings of ancient skeptics exercised a deep influence on a number of major Western philosophers, including Aenesidemus (1st century B.C.), Sextus Empiricus (2nd century A.D.), Michel de Montaigne (1533 -1592), Renà ¨ Descartes, David Hume, George E. Moore, Ludwig Wittgenstein. A contemporary revival of skeptical doubting was initiated by Hilary Putnam in 1981 and later developed into the movie The Matrix (1999.)

Best Book Writing Software 14 Writing Tools For Authors [2019 Update]

Best Book Writing Software 14 Writing Tools For Authors [2019 Update] Best Book Writing Software: 14 Writing Tools For Authors [2019 Update] Want to find the best writing software for you in just MINUTES? Take this quiz and well tell you exactly which one will help your writing process the most.Click Here to Take the QuizWriting a book requires something major.It requires the right attitude, a powerful book idea, some solid writing prompts, and the best writing software out there.And we know which writing software is best for you and more importantly, why it matters.With the best writing tools, you can write faster and more effectively. You’ll be more focused, with fewer distractions, and you can actually learn a thing or two from some of them like Grammarly.And just as importantly, you’ll have an easier time keeping your outline, notes, and even those writing exercises organized.But even if you have all the best writing prompts and an imagination that wont quit, you cant do either without the right book writing software.You’ll have to make some choices. Nowadays, authors have so many options when l ooking for the best book writing software.These are 13 of the best book writing software programs both free and those thatll justifiably cost you so you can up your author game:Microsoft Word Word Processor, $79.99Scrivener Word Processor, $45Pages Word Processor, $28Freedom Productivity Software, $2.42/monthGoogle Docs Online Word Processor, FreeEvernote Note-Taking Software, FreeFocusWriter Word Processor, FreeFastPencil Word Processor, FreeyWriter Word Processor, FreeHemingway App Style Grammar Checker, FreeDropbox Document sharing platform,Free Open Office Word Processor,FreeGrammarly Editing Software, FreeLet’s get started by comparing the 3 book writing software â€Å"giants,† and then I’ll share some less well-known tools that might help improve your writing process even more. Which book writing software features are right for you?I’m not trying to sell you on any particular book writing software in this article. Instead, my goal is to give you an idea of what’s out there so you can weigh the options for yourself.Who knows- you may even discover a brand-new writing and publishing tool you absolutely love.In the end, the truth is that there are many great writing tools out there. It isn’t really a question of which tool is BEST. What it comes down to is: which tool works best with YOUR book writing process?There are 11 things to consider when deciding which program to use for your book:How easy is it to format text the way you want?Does it have templates available?How many?How much does it cost?Is the program simple easy to use?Does it offer any extra features or other bells whistles?How about a distraction-free writing experience?Is the program user-friendly?Can you access your files no matter where you are?How easy is it to collaborate with editors team members?Is there distribution capabilities when its time to publish?The Top 3 Book Writing Software ProgramsWriters everywhere flock to these specific tools and claim them to be the best book writing software for them. Well break down each so you can decide for yourself if their features are the best fit.#1 Microsoft WordBefore any other writing tools came along, Microsoft Word was the only option available. Everyone used it.Today, even though there are many other word processors out there, Word is still the most widely used book writing software in the U.S. Millions of people continue to use it for their writing needs.And it’s easy to see why. Word has a lot going for it!It’s been around a long time. It’s trusted, reliable, and gets the job done well.It also provides a relatively distraction-free writing experience; much better than working on Google Docs in your browser, for example, where you’re only an errant mouse-click away from the entire internet.If you just need to wake up in the morning and meet your word-count goals by keeping your head down and getting those words pounded out onto the page, then Word is an obvious choice of book writing software. No fuss, no muss. It’s about as simple as it gets.Word also offers some simple organization. While writing your chapters, changing the chapters heading (seen in the example below) allows easy navigation as your book progresses further and further.Using headers, you can organize your book into chapters- and then you can navigate through them quickly using the Navigation pane:In order to view your navigation pane in outline-format click: View Navigation Pane (its a box to check) select the bullet/outline tab within the navigation pane (seen above).You can also create your own free book writing template using Word. And if you start writing your book in Word and don’t begin with the correct formatting, it’s pretty easy to clean up your formatting to make it â€Å"book ready† with a few simple steps.If you’re a Word user and you’ve got your own system in place for writing books , then perhaps you need to look no further.But as a writing tool, Word does have some downsides.For starters, it doesn’t always play well with Macs. If you use a Mac, then Word might cause you a lot of frustration with crashes and formatting.Thankfully, Apple offers a comparable program called Pages, that we reviewed below for you.Word is also pretty vanilla. That’s part of its appeal, sure, but it also means Word lacks some of the more advanced features you get with other programs like Scrivener and Google Docs.For example, Scrivener offers more advanced outlining functionality. And Google Docs makes it easier to share and collaborate on your files.All in all, Word is a solid contender for best book writing software. But there are many other choices out there.Book Writing Software Cost: $79.99 if purchased separately.#2 Scrivener You just learned that Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processor in the world. But does that mean it’s the best book writ ing software?Think about it this way. The fact that Word is so prevalent means that it has to cater to all sorts of users- students, businesspeople, writers, teachers, marketers, lawyers, the list goes on and on and on.But Scrivener was created for one type of person only:Writers.And if you’re a writer, chances are you’ve heard of Scrivener. A lot of writers absolutely love this program, with its advanced features and distraction-free writing experience.In short, Scrivener gives you an insane amount of flexibility for writing, formatting, and organizing your book for self-publishing.Blogger and author, Jeff Goins, swears by Scrivener after giving up word. He says,â€Å"I wasted years of my life doing all my writing on Microsoft Word. But that’s all over now. I have finally seen the light.†Entrepreneur Michael Hyatt also praises Scrivener: â€Å"I now begin every piece of content- no matter what it is- with this tool. It has simplified my life and enabled me to focus on the most important aspect of my job- creating new content. I am more productive than ever.† Here are some of the top takeaways of this book writing software:Helps with plotting for fiction authorsEasily export your data to other digital platforms such as Kobo, ibooks, etc. (this is one of the best features)Provides outlining functionality that keeps your content organizedPowerful composition mode with distraction-free writing environmentEasily drag and drop to move sections aroundProvides a collection of robust templatesSupports MultiMarkdown for bullets and numbersBecause Scrivener was designed for writers, it’s super easy to lay out scenes, move content around, and outline your story, article, or manuscript.Instead of keeping all your content in one big file, Scrivener allows you to create multiple sub-files to make it easier to organize and outline your project: Scrivener is a fabulous tool for plotting out storylines. Using the corkboard view, for in stance, you can recreate the popular â€Å"notecard method† for outlining your project:But as awesome as Scrivener is, it’s not perfect.And the biggest downside to using Scrivener is the steep learning curve involved. You aren’t going to master this program overnight.But if you’re serious about your writing career, then investing the time to learn this specific writing tool will be worth it. You’ll save time and energy in the long run.And if you want to learn how to use Scrivener as quickly easily as possible, we can help! Heres a full Scrivener tutorial so you can easily maneuver this program. If you want to dig even deeper, you can also download the Scrivener Manual, or watch the Scrivener YouTube tutorials they’ve put together at Literature Latte. Long story short: Scrivener is an investment, but one thats worth it. It will take some time to master. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll never go back- it’s the single mos t powerful book writing software out there.If you like what you see from Scrivener, you can buy it here:Buy Scrivener 3 for macOS (Regular License)Buy Scrivener for Windows (Regular License)Book Writing Software Cost: $45#3 Google Docs We’ve looked at the appealing simplicity of Word and the in-depth power of Scrivener, but there’s another book writing software that more and more people are starting to use for various reasons:Google Docs.ï » ¿Essentially, Google Docs is a stripped-down version of Word that you can only use online. It’s a simple, yet effective writing tool.The beauty of this program (and Google Drive in general) comes in the ability to share content, files, and documents among your team. You can easily communicate via comments, for example: This program keeps a complete history of all changes made to a document, so if you accidentally delete something you wanted to keep, simply click the link at the top of the screen that says, â€Å"All chang es saved in drive.†That will bring up the version history, where you can review all the changes that have been made to your book file and revert to a previous version if you so choose.Google Docs doesn’t require any installation and can be accessed anywhere via your browser, or an app on your phone.(Anyone who has ever lost a draft of a book understands how valuable this feature is!)And here’s one of the best features: everything is saved on the server frequently and automatically, so you never have to fret about losing a version or draft of your workPlus you can access your work when you move from one location or another- no carrying a laptop or thumb drive around with you. When you share a book draft with others, like test readers or your editor, they can comment directly on the draft using the built-in comment functionality.Out of the â€Å"big 3† book writing software tools, Google Docs is probably the least sophisticated when it comes to formatting an d outlining tools. But it makes up for that with easy collaboration, sharing, and online access.Book Writing Software Cost: FreeBook Writing Software You Might Not Know AboutLets get to know some of the best book writing tools you can use to up your author game and make some progress.Just because you may not be familiar with a specific writing software doesnt mean its not beneficial or even better than what youre using now.#1 Pages Think of Pages as the Mac alternative to Microsoft Word.It has a variety of beautiful templates to choose from, has a simple design, and syncs with all devices from within iCloud so you can access it in a number of different places.Personally, I love the ease of Pages. It works great for creating ebooks or manuscripts with a variety of writing tools you can get creative with.Book Writing Software Cost: $28#2 FreedomFreedom isn’t technically a writing tool, but it sure can help improve your writing. It’s a productivity app designed to help eliminate distractions by blocking certain websites something more than beneficial for those of us who get sidetracked easily.For example: let’s say you have a tendency to get distracted by social media sites. All you have to do us start a Freedom session that blocks all your social media sites- and then you won’t be able to visit them even if you wanted to.Here’s what it looks like when you schedule a session:Notice that you have a lot of options. You can schedule one-time sessions (starting now or later), or you can set up recurring sessions (for example, to block distracting sites every day when it’s time to write).When you try to visit a site that’s being blocked, you’ll get this message:This is a really liberating tool. Once you know you don’t have the option of visiting those distracting sites, you’ll find it easier to keep focused on your writing and you’ll be able to get a lot more done.Book Writing Software Cos t: $2.42/month and up, or $129 for lifetime access.#3 UlyssesIf youre a Mac owner, this might be the best book writing software for you. While you do have to pay $39.99 per year to use it, the cost to use Ulysses is completely justified.One of the best features has to be the distraction-free capabilities. As a writer who gets distracted easily, this is definitely a feature I look for in a good book writing software. This one is also great for exporting. Meaning, you can do all your writing in-app and then export it in relatively any format youd need in order to send it to your editor, critique partner, or even beta readers.And if youre someone who has a hard time keeping all of your notes and ideas organized for your book, this app also has a feature that helps you keep all of it straight!Say goodbye to forgetting what you wanted to add in that obscure scene you wrote two months ago!Overall, this is one of the best book writing software programs out there for Mac users. But if your e not sure if its worth the price, you can actually try it forfree for 14 days. What a deal!Book Writing Software Cost: $39.99/yearFree Book Writing SoftwareTheres not much we love more than getting stuff for free especially when it comes to our aspirations. You dont have to doll out a ton of cash just to use highly beneficial book writing software.In fact, there are many bestfree book writing software programs.#1 FastPencil FastPencil is a nice little platform with lots of tools. You can also use it for distributing your ebook. It is free to start writing with, but they offer paid services as well.Everything happens online in your browser, which means you can access your files from any computer (as long as you’re connected to the Internet).Here’s what the word processor looks like:Book Writing Software Cost: Free (paid upgrades are optional)#2 FocusWriterFocusWriter is a word processor for writers thats intended to eliminate distractions to help you get your book w ritten quicker. Its a basic, lightweight writing tool that was designed to be completely free of progress inhibiting distractions.In its fullscreen mode, there are no toolbars or additional windows, just a background and your text so that you can concentrate solely on writing your draft.FocusWriter also allows you to choose what your screen looks like, as seen in the example below.You can customize the image in the background to suit your project to help inspire your writing.It’s simple and effective. If you need a lot of features, it probably won’t work for you. But if simplicity is your thing, then you may have found your perfect free writing tool.Book Writing Software Cost: Free#3 yWriter yWriter is a really popular word processor (intended mainly for novelists) with some impressive features (especially for a program that’s completely free).It helps keep your project organized by giving you space to include notes on all sorts of things, like character notes, scene notes, scene goals, etc.You can specify whose point of view each scene will be written in, and you can see the word count of your entire novel broken out by chapter- all at a quick glance:One thing that yWriter does differently than a lot of other writing programs is focus on scenes rather than on chapters. A lot of writers prefer this since scenes are usually fun chunks of story to work on.And using yWriter, you can rearrange all those scenes to compose a compelling novel.I’d call it a Scrivener alternative thats free to use. But one downside is that it only works for Windows (at least, for now).Book Writing Software Cost: Free#4 EvernoteEvernote is a note-taking app. It’s a great way to keep track of your thoughts- like brainstorming ideas, outlining chapters, and jotting down inspiration when it strikes.The mobile app is particularly useful for capturing new ideas when they strike, since most people have their phone with them 24/7. This is what it looks like on a mobile device:While Evernote has been around for a little while, they seem to always be expanding on their features, making it one of the best writing softwares out there.Here’s are some of the extended features Evernote offers:While you can use Evernote to write content- I’ve used it for writing blogs and other small sections of books- you wouldn’t want to use it as your main word processor. Its functionality is a bit too limited.But as a way of keeping track of ideas, it’s a great find.Book Writing Software Cost: Free, but there is a cool upgrade for $5 a month that gets you Evernote Premium#5 Hemingway EditorThe Hemingway Editor is a unique kind of writing tool. It’s a style checker that’s designed to help tighten up your prose and make your writing clear and bold. Simply paste your writing into the editor and scroll through. You’ll notice that the program highlights certain words passages- like long, hard-to-read sentences , passive verbs, and phrases with simpler alternatives.Its basically your own personal editor rolled into a writing software.Here’s an example of what it looks like:(Yikes. Too bad Dickens didn’t have this app.)What I love about this tool is how easy it is to use. Everything is color-coded and super easy to understand, so you can see at a glance where your writing could use a little elbow grease.Book Writing Software Cost: Free, or you can purchase the desktop version for $19.99.#6 DropboxReading this, you may be wondering:Dropbox? How is that a writing tool?Trust me- it is!While it’s true that Dropbox isn’t a word processor like Scrivener or yWriter, it is a very helpful writing tool. Especially for writers who write on more than one computer, who need to collaborate with other writers or editors, or who want an easy way to back up their work.Here’s how it works:When you set up Dropbox and install it on your computer, it will create a new â€Å" Dropbox† folder on your machine.Any files that you save in this folder will be automatically backed up to Dropbox’s servers in the cloud, which will be automatically downloaded to any other computers that are synced to that same Dropbox account.A lot of writers choose to save their book on Dropbox, so that it will be automatically backed up. And as you can see, it looks the same as any other folder on your computer:Using this strategy, you can make it easier to share and collaborate on your files- even if you aren’t using Google Docs.Book Writing Software Cost: Free for a basic plan, or $9.99/month for extra storage.#7 Open OfficeYou may know of this software, you may not. Essentially, its a free version of a word processor much like Word or Pages. If you dont have Word on your computer and cant afford to buy it, this is a great alternative thatll get the job done.Heres what this book writing software looks like:The capabilities are pretty limited with Open Offi ce but if you really only need the basics and dont want to spend any money, this is the perfect writing software for you.Book Writing Software Cost:Free#8 PauseForIf youre someone who needs incentive to stay off your phone (and actually write), this is a perfect writing software.Technically, its not for writing. PauseForis a productivity app designed to motivate you to stay off your phone. That means you can get more writing done by spending less time scrolling through Twitter or whatever your social medial of choice is.How?PauseFor is designed for YOU to set a time, and then not pick up your phone until that time is done.But whats the incentive?The longer you stay off your phone and the more sessions you complete successfully, the more youll have to DONATE. Thats right. You can be a philanthropist AND a writer at the same time.Simply set your time, dont touch your phone, and collect your Kin. When you a certain amount, you get to choose where the donations go.Book Writing Software Cost: Free + the added benefit of feeling great about donating#9 GrammarlyIf you havent heard of this editing software, youve been living under a rock. It has taken over as one of the most versatile simple editing softwares and for a good reason.We have a Grammarly review that covers all the features and functions but essentially, this is a browser extension you can download and it automatically corrects your grammar and spelling in whichever online medium youre writing on. This writing software is perfect if you need to brush up on your grammar or are looking for an easy way to sound professional in written emails as well.Book Writing Software Cost: Free with upgrade optionsHow Much Does Book Writing Software Programs Cost?I would recommend not worrying too much about the cost of these programs. After all, dropping $100 or less on a program is not that big a deal if it is going to help improve your writing for years to come.That said, I know you work hard for your money- and you want to get the best deal you can!Here is a breakdown of the most recent prices for all of the tools in this article along with their comparative features:Writing SoftwareCostMicrosoft Word$79.99Scrivener$45Pages$28Freedom$2.42/monthGoogle DocsFreeEvernoteFreeFocusWriterFreeFastPencilFreeHemingway AppFreeDropboxFreeOpen OfficeFreeyWriterFreeWhats Your Favorite Book Writing Software?Take some time to check out each of these tools if you aren’t already using them. Stay focused on crafting your next book and stick with the book writing software that gives you the best results in terms of saving you money, time, and frustration.Keep writing. Keep it simple. Best of all, enjoy the creative process!Now that you have these awesome tools at your disposal, what is your favorite writing tool? What best suits your needs as an author? Can you speed up the writing process with any particular tool?What to do NextWriting a book takes a lot more than discovering some helpful book writing sof tware. Heres what you can do right now to head in the right direction with your book.#1 Join your free training!The process of learning never stops when it comes to writing and publishing a book. And just because you have a fancy piece of software doesnt mean writing a book will come naturally.In fact, it hardly ever does.