How To Write A Good Book Critique: Steps And Suggestions Essay

A book critique is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a book report, retelling, or a summary, It should (1) focus on the book’s purpose, content, and authority, (2) include the reviewer’s reaction on the strengths and weaknesses of the theories, concepts, and content presented, (3) evaluate how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, and (4) present evidence to support this evaluation. Step 1: The first, and most important, – Read the book. Suggestion 1: When you read a book (for its educational value), take notes about it and formulate your thoughts as you go along. (You should be able to write most of your critique without looking back at the book. If you continually are paging through the book as you write, the result is likely to be a string of paraphrases taken from the book, rather than your own evaluation.) Suggestion 2: While reading the book don’t be afraid to consult outside resources (dictionary, the book’s cited references, etc.) for confirmation and/or clarification. Include these findings in your notes. Suggestion 3: Keep in mind that your assignment is to write a 4-page (max) BOOK CRITIQUE, a summary and analysis (not a review) of a particular book’s (author or authors) perspective on a selected topic, not a 20-page paper on the topic. Step 2: To begin writing your critique, start with a centered title in 14 pt New Times Roman Bold, followed by your name in 12 pt New Times Roman standard (not Bold). As an example: Summary and Critique of (main title of the book you read) Submitted by (your name) Step 3: Using the following format, identify the book you read. Author & Author. (year of publication). Complete title of book in italics. City of publication: Publisher’s name. Number of pages. As an example: Marvin E. Lusts. (1997). How to Be Great: Getting Ahead in a Humble Way. New York: Deficient Press, 1997. xvii, 234 pp. Step 4: Write the introductory paragraph (or two). Without using a heading, provide a contextual background (such as for whom the book is intended; what we know about the author; the â€Å"school of thought† represented by this author or work), a statement of the purpose of the book (what the author or editor is trying to accomplish), and the scope of the book (how much ground the author is trying to cover) – you must judge what background information will be helpful and/or necessary for understanding the nature/uniqueness of the book. Step 5: Following a left-aligned, 12 pt Bold New Times Roman heading Overview, write your summary of the book. Your summary should consist of a short, succinct â€Å"overview† of the contents (as opposed to a play-by-play summary of the book), identification of the main thesis or theses, a recap of the supporting argument/logic/rationale, description of the author’s assumptions, and note-worthy statements/wordings/quotations from the book. Suggestion 4: Don’t plagiarize from the publisher’s, reviewer’s, or book seller’s reviews/summaries. They are trying to promote the book, you want to objectively describe the content. Suggestion 5: When you quote from the book that you are discussing, put the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. As an example: The author concludes that â€Å"size does matter, as all the truly great leaders were exceptionally short people† (p. 79). Step 6: Following a left-aligned, 12 pt Bold New Times Roman heading Analysis and Reaction, write your analysis and reaction. For your analysis, objectively evaluate the book for relevance and importance to the selected topic; accuracy, thoroughness, and usefulness, and the author’s objectivity (is the book based on research or personal opinion?) Show whether the author’s main arguments are logically rational (based on testable, factual evidence), logically irrational (based on un-testable espoused theory and rhetoric), or illogical (based on emotional opinion). Comment on parts of particular interest, and point out anything that seems to give the book literary merit. Additionally, relate the book to larger issues. Identify specific issues the book raises and the possibilities the book suggests to you? Suggestion 6: Be careful not to criticize an author just because he/she did not write the book that you would have wanted, or because their position is based on a belief that is diametrically opposed to your personal beliefs (for example, the author belongs to one political party and you belong to another). Only judge a book according to the author’s stated (or blatantly implied) intentions. For your reaction to the book, respond to the author’s arguments/opinions. What do you agree or disagree with, and why. What specific points are not convincing, and what has the author omitted or what problems were left unsolved. Support your argument for or against the author’s opinions with evidence (research findings or by bringing in other authors you agree with). Suggestion 7: When you quote or introduce supporting evidence from other books/authors identify the source by putting the author’s last name, year, and page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. As an example: However, the research has clearly shown that there is no correlation between genetics and leadership effectiveness (Sommebodi, 2001, p. 79). Step 7: Following a left-aligned, 12 pt Bold New Times Roman heading Summary write a summary paragraph (or two). Close with a comment on the overall significance of this work (is it a valuable piece, a useful piece with some minor problems, or a waste of the trees), briefly restate your main points, and comment on whether or not you would recommend this book to others, and why.

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay

* For the corporation that has acquired another company, merged with another company, or been acquired by another company, evaluate the strategy that led to the merger or acquisition to determine whether or not this merger or acquisition was a wise choice. Justify your opinion. Coca-Cola Company history originated in 1886 when the â€Å"curiosity of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton, led him to create a distinctive tasting soft drink that could be sold at soda fountains† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 1). He generated flavored syrup, took it to his neighborhood pharmacy, â€Å"where it was mixed with carbonated water and deemed â€Å"excellent† by those who sampled it† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 1). Dr. Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, is credited with â€Å"naming the beverage â€Å"CocaCola† as well as designing the trademarked, distinct script, still used today† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 1). The Coca-Cola Company is not just an average beverage company. The Company owns/licenses and markets in excess of 500 nonalcoholic beverage products, mostly sparkling beverages but also a assortment of still beverages, for instance; â€Å"waters, boosted waters (for example, Oasis, Powerade and Vitamin Water), juices and juice drinks (for example, Minute Maid and Five Alive), ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 5). Coca Cola most popular nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands are Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Dr. Pepper and Schweppes which they market worldwide. Coca Cola Company has a market capitalization of â€Å"$177.48 billion and is the largest company in the Food and Beverage sector† (Coca Cola Company, 2013, para.1). Whether you’re out shopping, working in the office or the gym, ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water delivers the natural replenishment you require to renew. As of November, 2013 â⠂¬Å"Coca-Cola Company and ZICO Beverages LLC announced that Coca Cola has acquired the outstanding ownership stake in ZICO† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para. 1). The merger will unlock more â€Å"capability for ZICO including marketing, selling,  manufacturing, innovation and distribution opportunities† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para. 1). Not only will this merger benefit ZICO, but the Coca Cola Company will gain a top position in one of the fastest rising beverage categories in the world. This final move concludes the relationship that began in 2009 when Coca-Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) business unit first invested in ZICO. In 2012, the Coca Cola Company acquired a bulk stake in the brand. And earlier this year, ZICO took its home on the unique red Coca-Cola trucks to be circulated throughout the U.S. and Canada. When Coca Cola initially invested in ZICO, they did so because they saw it as a â€Å"burgeoning premium brand with the potential to be significant leader in a high growth category† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para. 4). Over the past 4 year, Coca Cola has observed the coconut water industry spea r revenue impressively and gain household penetration. ZICO itself solidified its place as one of the primary brands in the coconut water industry. With this acquisition, Coca Cola plans to modernize all characteristics of the consumer experience and intensify both rate and delivery to place ZICO at the top and continue even more growth within the company. * For the corporation that has not been involved in any mergers or acquisitions, identify one (1) company that would be a profitable candidate for the corporation to acquire or merger with and explain why this company would be a profitable target. Grocery shopping is more difficult and complex than ever before. Today’s customers are more health mindful than customers of the past. Customers are more prone to buy specialty foods over the old-style foods their parents bought. Customers across the country have access to everything from bizarre products to exclusive delivery services. Specialty grocery stores have grown in attractiveness to customers, but the main issue is that often specialty stores have restricted locations which in turn limits their reach to customers. Whole Food’s Market and Trader Joe’s are two specialty grocery stores who have increased locations to the hundreds while adhering to an unforeseen market standing for formerly untargeted market segment. Trader Joe’s operates over 340 stores in 9 states were they â€Å"buy direct from suppliers whenever possible, bargain hard to get the best prices and then pass the savings on to the customer† (Trader Joe’s, 2013, para. 4). Whole Food’s Market is the â€Å"world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 360 stores in North America and the United  Kingdom† (Whole Food, 2013, para 2). Trader Joe’s and Whole Food’s Market have managed to take original ideas and spread them throughout the nation to many different customers. Although they differ not only in the technique in which they decide to bring products to their customers but also in term of inventory management and supply chain organization. These tw o companies have become so successful in my opinion, not by what they differ in but what they have most in common, which is their commitment to their loyal customers, employees and undeniable quality in their products they sell. Through their loyalty to their customers and employees in addition to their irreplaceable value proportion, both companies have effectively succeeded to upturn the grocery industry and have forced outdated grocery stores and its customers to reexamine their descriptions of what institutes a positive customer experience. The merger of Trader Joe’s and Whole Food’s Market would be lucrative to both companies since Whole Food’s Market is now international, they can allow Trader Joe’s access to an international market. Whereas Trader Joe’s offers unbelievable quality, but has a poor assortment of products, Whole Food’s Market will help offer both a great assortment as well as excellence of products. * For the corporation that operates internationally, briefly evaluate its international business-level strategy and international corporate-level strategy and make recommendations for improvement. Most customers have high hopes when buying a good or a service. As a general rule, it seems that most customers want to pay a low price for products with rather highly distinguished features. Because of these customers’ expectations, a number of firms, like Coca Cola, â€Å"actively engage in primary value chain activities and support functions that allow a firm to simultaneously purse low cost and differentiation† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 120), which is also called integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy. The reason Coca Cola uses this strategy is to efficiently create their products with some differentiated features. Efficient production is the â€Å"source of maintain low costs whole differentiation is the source of creating unique value† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 120). Coca Cola has successfully integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy which has allowed them to adapt quickly to today’s new technologies and to the rapid changes in today’s society/cultures around the globe. The ultimate goals of Coca-Cola’s business strategy is to â€Å"rise volume, develop their share of world-wide  non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverag e sales, maximize the long-term cash flows and create economic-value-added by improving economic profit† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para 8). Corporate-level strategy â€Å"specifies actions a firm takes to gain a competitive advantage by selecting and managing a group of different businesses competing in different product markets† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 164). Coca Cola Company has long been committed to the product development strategy in which case they do everything they can to become the best in their industry. They have moved into different geographic market such a Japan, United Kingdom, ect., Coca Cola have acquired competitors such as ZICO as discussed above, and also they have bought bottle suppliers to help grow the company even more. With all of these moves that Coca Cola have made over the years, this has allowed them to penetrate existing markets with new products due to their high brand awareness. You can’t go hardly anywhere these days without seeing a Coca Cola product of some sort being advertised or sold. This strategy capitalizes Coca Cola’s favorable trademark reputation, â€Å"Open Happiness.† Coca Cola has developed great business and corporate level strategies but there is always room for improvement. We are living in a social media world and I would suggest that Coca Cola take full advantage of this new world of communicating with their customers. So many people communicate through social media and find new products through social media that developed a marketing strategy evolving social media will ultimately be a win-win strategy for any company. * For the corporation that does not operate internationally, propose one business-level strategy and one corporate-level strategy and make recommendations for improvement. A differential strategy is an â€Å"integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or services (at a acceptable cost) that customers perceive as being different in a way that is important to them† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 115). I would suggest this differential strategy to Trader Joe’s because they currently are offering unique quality, private labels and outstanding pricing that other traditional grocery stores are not offer. To have success with the differentiation strategy, Trade Joe’s must consistently upgrade differentiated features that their customers value and/or create new valuable features with any significant cost increases to the customers. To  do so, Trade Joe’s needs to constantly update and change their product lines. This means that the products that are not saleing get rid of them quickly. Look into the new developed and increasing fades that customers are looking into. And because differentiated products satisfies customers’ unique needs, Trader Joe’s will be able to charge premium prices which allows them to out price their competitors and earn above average returns. A multidomestic strategy is an â€Å"international strategy in which the strategic and operating decisions are decentralized to the strategic business unit in individual countries and regions for the purpose of allowing each unit the opportunity to tailor products to the local market† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 235). I recommend a multidomestic international corporate level strategy for Trader Joes because this strategy is used with companies that have high local responsiveness but have low global integration. This strategy should maximize Trader Joe’s competitive response to the idiosyncratic requirements of each market it is in. The multidomestic strategy is most appropriate for use â€Å"when the differences between the markets a company serves and the customers in them are significant† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 235). Reference Coca Cola History. Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/coca-cola-facts/coca-cola-history/ Coca-Cola acquires ZICO, Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://m.newhope360.com/mergers-amp-acquisitions/coca-cola-acquires-zico Hitt, M.A., Ireland R., D., & Hoskisson, R.E. (2013). Strategic Management: Concepts and cases: Competiveness and globalization (10th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Trader Joe’s Our Story, Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://www.traderjoes.com/about/our-story.asp Whole Food’s Market, Company Info, Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info

Chapter 12 Holt Ancient World History

Chapter 12 1. A) Justinian I was an emperor of the Byzantine Empire. He reformed the roman laws by rearranging them and putting them in order. The revised law code called Justinian’s Code. B) Theodora influenced the nika revolt because she stood strong and convinced her king to do the same. C) Justinian could have made his achievements by being more conscious of how much land his government could support when he was taking over the land to the west. 2. A) A mosaic is a piece of art comprised of small pieces of colored tile or glass. Mosaics were one of the most common types of Byzantine art.B) I believe that the iconoclasts responded the way they did to the human images because it seemed to them like the images were to close to the non-Christian worship of an idols. C) The split between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church occurred because of their many differences the most important of which was who in the church had the most power. 3. A) Under the Macedonian dynasty th e Byzantine Empire enjoyed a 200 year golden age. B) The split between the aristocracies of city and countryside was a problem because it caused them to fight within their empire which weekend them to outside attack.C) The statement, â€Å"The Byzantines themselves, not the Turks, bear the greatest responsibility for the end of their empire,† is completely true. Section 2 1. A) The Slavs asked for help from the Rus to bring â€Å"Order† to their way of living and act as a kind of king. B) The accomplishments of Yaroslav the Wise are: fact that he became ruler of Kiev Rus, He hired scribes to translate religious books from Greek to Slavic, and under his rule the Russian law was codified, and he helped regain territory that had been lost.C) The physical geography may have affect the relationship between the Byzantine Empire and the Kievan Rus because since the where so close there seems as if there might be some territorial issues. 2. A) Cyril And Methodius converted Sla vs to Christianity. B) Vladimir I impacted Russian Christianity by converting then marrying the sister of the Byzantine Emperor. He also built libraries, schools, and churches. Then he made Christianity the state religion. C) I think Christianity spread more in he city then the country side because cities have more people which means it was probably more promoted. 3. A) Alexander Nevsky was known as a Russian hero. Not only did he defeat the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights, he also was the Mongols vessel. B) I think Invasions from the outside caused more damage to the Kievan State then Internal problems because they always seemed to be under attack. First, being attacked from the east, Then the north and then being invaded again by the Teutonic Knights.Section 3 . A) Alfred the Great was the kind of Wessex. He helped defeat the Danish Invaders and joined forces with Anglo-Saxon England. He also compiled a code of laws and promoted learning. B) The Franks converted to Christianity be cause their leader, Clovis, swore that if they won the battle be could become a Christian. The Franks won, and all his troops followed in Clovis’s footsteps. C) I think Western Europe broke apart probably because they didn’t have a unifying leader. Everyone in that age wanted power to themselves. . A) Patrick spread Christianity throughout Ireland without giving a care how he was treated. By the time he died he achieved making almost all of Ireland Christian. B) Gregory the Great was a Roman Catholic pope. His major achievement was restoring monastic discipline, and was zealous in propagating Christianity. C) I think Christendom affect medieval Europe in a small way. It was just another society that promoted Christianity and its customs. 3. A) Life for a Celtic Monk is quiet and reserved.They liked to be isolated from the rest of society because they felt as though it would keep them from being distracted from their faith. They like to fast and spend days at a time in solitary contemplation. B) Benedictines and Celtic monasteries were similar because they both where groups of monks who were very dedicated and focused on their religion. They were also both led by Abbots. They are different from each other because the Benedictines were open to the public about their religion and were not as brutal then the Celtics.Celtics often did intense fasts and like to be isolated and away from social activity. C) I think that the most significant thing that the Benedictines did was run schools that help educate and create the â€Å"Finest Minds† of the Middle Ages. This led to smart people copying important ancient manuscripts to help keep the knowledge of Greece and Rome alive. Without those manuscript, we probably would be reading this chapter and a big chunk of history would be undiscovered.

The rise of organized labor in the 1930s From the perspective of the Assignment

The rise of organized labor in the 1930s From the perspective of the early 21st century - Assignment Example These people, migrants who have decided to reside in camps, are the same people who are actively drawing the â€Å"other fun and light side† of their existing difficult life. This goes to show that despite the pressing needs of the moment: unemployment, poverty, lack of education, lack of quality living etc, people will always naturally look for ways to relieve them of the undercurrent stresses. As fun and leisure becomes more and more rare, engaging in these kinds of activities has become prized and photographers from this era have vividly captured that natural nature of humans to seek fun and leisure. The Great Depression and the Arts: East side West side. http://www.butlerart.com/pc_book/pages/william_gropper_1897.htm This literature offers a collection of paintings of the everyday life, hardships, and other related scenes among during the great depression. As life becomes harder and harder, strikes and other violent means of expressing anxiety against the government has be come a legitimate course of action among those severely affected. Unlike Documenting America, this collection emphasizes the people’s emotions that are captured through paintings; those that evoked suffering, resilience, and survival. The social unrest gave rise to these creative but sad expressions.

History Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History Discussion - Essay Example He made the decision to travel to the USA because he knew he could get some kind of job be it small or daily wages type. This kind of attitude from the immigrants endangered the natives of the country. Immigrants had determination and fire in their bellies to establish themselves anyhow. For that, they were willing to even sleep on streets, but they wanted to improve their economic situation. This attitude made them a more willing labor. This also created issues for the natives of USA as they could not get higher wages and in most cases, they also lost jobs. The reason being the immigrants were willing to work in much lesser wages and at the same time, they were okay with whatever facilities were being provided to them and had no whims and fancies. I myself asked for a raise in salary and was told that if I wanted I could easily leave the job because the company could hire two immigrant accountants in my place. Immigrants were making the job situation worse and were also creating the unhygienic environment as can be read in the book by Madison Grant, in which he talks about racial hygiene. It was important that such a law by the government be passed so that the natives could get their rights. The law will help us in establishing better economic situation. The people who were involved in the passing of the law felt that if immigration was not curtailed then Americans will lose their superiority as well as individuality. Their culture will be merged and will lose the uniqueness.

Islamic Women in the Socio-Political World Case Study

Islamic Women in the Socio-Political World - Case Study Example As the report stresses the society covered by the virtues and rules of Islamic religion can be observed and be seen to have a patriarchal form where male dominates the female. This is where we get to see the real and the original role of women in the Islamic society. This paper discusses that part of the teachings of the Q’uran is for women to be submissive to their husbands especially after marriage. It is also said that a woman has no right to talk with other male other than her husband or close relatives. Going over what is mandated and what is expected for women to do is against the Q’uran. However, this kind of belief and practices no matter how oppressive as seen by many feminists and critics continue to spread and obviously still being practiced to places where Islam resides. But going deeper to the subject of women’s oppressive role in the Islamic society, there can be no doubt that women for their part somehow influence male as they make decisions that affect political and economical status. It is interesting to know that the fact that they are submissive to their husbands, they can still affect these decisions, even if they are out of power. Power and influence the book The Heritage of Islam claims are not the same or co-terminous. The quoted line above gives us an inkling that women are significant in the society not because we are arguing about existence but because the effect of women’s influence to male’s decision-making that most of the times is indirectly done and indirectly observed. This situation has long been observed by women and therefore in answer to this need or rather call for change, they have also decided to take part in the different challenges that male have been facing since time immemorial. In the same book by Creevey, it can be understood that with the search for bigger roles in the society, this in now the very famous words we call 'women empowerment.' The goal of this paper is not merely to check what empowerment of women means, or what the process is. This is just however to simply reiterate the events and factors that affected Islamic women to come out of their shells being oppressed masked by the role of a wife to their husbands. The Heritage of women somehow gives us a glimpse of this abrupt change in the status and giving the Western African as an example, we could see how women tried to rise from the simple roles of just being a wife. Nowhere in West Africa do women control the political structures or dominate the political process. In all West African countries they are permitted to

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Case Study Example Basing on this, this paper has developed a SWOT analysis of FedEx. A SWOT analysis is a managerial strategic program aimed at analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization so that decision makers can enact policies basing on information at hand. From the DI case, the weaknesses of the organization are highlighted, and in all, they are internal, and based on employees negligence. This report will highlight that. The table below shows the SWOT analysis of the organization. Political instability in various countries and regions of its interest might affect its operations. For example the Arab Spring crises that started in Tunisia to Egypt that led to overthrow of these governments through mass participation. Poor judgment by its employees on appeasing aggrieved clients can lead to customer dissatisfaction for example Poor customer relationship skills witnessed by the supervisor sending chocolates instead of offering an apology to aggrieved customers. Loses arising from inefficiency of their services through paying of refunds and compensations to clients for expenses arising from the company’s negligence. For instance DI lost $ 600 in paying trade booths which were to be used for showcasing the undelivered goods (McDougall and Charles, 48). Risk negative publicity and therefore affecting their profitability due to their inefficiency in handling DI shipments. This is portrayed by Anita Kilgour expressing her disappointment and unhappiness at how the organization handled her orders. From this analysis, we can conclude that FedEx is a strong company with minimum weaknesses in its operations. It is also a technology oriented company and because of this, it is a market leader in provision of courier services. Despite its strengths and position in the market, the company can improve on its weaknesses by improving on the terms of the money back guarantee system, to give

Economic book summery on the book not a Drop to drink by ken Midkiff Essay

Economic book summery on the book not a Drop to drink by ken Midkiff - Essay Example Outstanding examples are the Ogallala river that extends from Nebraska to the Texas panhandle (Midkiff, 22), the Colorado River {â€Å"once a mighty, roaring river† (Midkiff, 9)} and the Rio Grande river, all of which fizzle out into arid river beds before they reach they designated destination – the Gulf of Mexico. Midkiff endorses the intensity of the problem by explaining more about one of these 3 rivers - the Ogallala - calling the area on its banks as â€Å"quite literally the nation’s bread basket† and warning that areas like Dumas {population 13,000} will run out of water from the Ogallala in 30 years’ time (Midkiff, 28). The second cause is water contamination. Midkiff describes how water from taps in Atlanta is so contaminated that it has to be boiled to become fit for human consumption. The main reason is pollution and fresh water depletion that has permitted salt water to enter into areas it has never flowed (Midkiff 61). The shortage of fresh water depletion automatically negates a possible solution to reduce depletion of aquifers by pumping fresh water into them (Midkiff, 152). The third cause is wrong choice of crops and wrong encouragement of such choice. Midkiff points out that whereas about 50% of the U.S. population were engaged in the agricultural profession in the early 1900s, that number has dwindled to just 1% at present (Midkiff, 36). While also blaming growing of crops like soya beans, corn and wheat on lands where irrigation is fed by depleting aquifers (Midkiff, 52), he heaps heavy blame on the â€Å"water guzzling† rice crop (Midkiff, 50), saying rice is a wrong crop choice as it needs a huge amount of water. For example, in Central Valley, California, rice has largely contributed to the water shortage; the Valley, once previously a desert, blossomed with agricultural abundance brought about by the supply of underpriced water as a result of old

Terrorist Finance Tracking Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorist Finance Tracking Program - Essay Example According to  Terrorist Finance Tracking Program: Fact Sheet  (2006),   The United States â€Å"Treasury department is uniquely positioned to track terrorist money flows and assist in the broader US Government effects to uncover terrorist cells and map terrorist networks here at home and around the world† (PP. 4). In order to ensure the success of this program utilizes SWIFT. According to  Legal Authorities Underlying the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program  (n.d. ). â€Å"SWIFT-a Belgium-based company with U.S. offices that operates a worldwide messaging system used to transmit bank transaction information- seeking information on suspected international terrorists† (PP. 6).The United States government uses subpoenas in order to view this information. Based upon the terms of the subpoenas the United States government is allowed to view this information only in regards to suspected terrorist investigations. The information obtained by SWIFT is legally obtained in accordance with The International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act was established in 1977. The President only during a time of national emergency may put forth this act in order to investigate financial transfers by means of banks and other relevant financial transactions in reg ards to a foreign individual suspected of being associated or being a terrorist. In regards to the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks former United States president George W. Bush issued executive order 13224 declaring an international emergency as future terrorist attacks were suspected. Subpoenas issued are in compliance with the United States Constitution’s fourth amendment as investigations of potential terrorists and relevant documents to terrorism are obtainable through subpoenas issued by Congress. In addition neither The Foreign Intelligence

Crime Control Policy Transfer from the US to the UK Essay

Crime Control Policy Transfer from the US to the UK - Essay Example The closing section will then attempt to summarise the study before making an overall conclusion on these findings. Moreover, the work of previous authors will be used as sources to back up assumptions and to formulate arguments throughout the entirety of the case study. In Britain, recent years have seen a particular spotlight put upon the perceived influence of developments in the USA over domestic public policies, an occurrence not only related to Conservative administrations, but progressively more associated with developments under New Labor. It has also been argued that the Blair-led Labor Party used to 'look across the Atlantic for inspiration and not across the Channel' (Marquand, 1996). These particular facts will be used as the core of the study, as well as for its justification. This case study will attempt to examine one particular example of policy transfer in the relatively under investigated area of crime control policy, together with the emergence of the idea of 'zero control' in the UK. It will briefly look at the concept of crime control policy transfer, and more particularly, at where this appears to have occurred between the US and the UK over the past decade. It will also analyse the evolution of the idea of zero tolerance in the US before offering some suggestions on the processes that have underpinned the transfer of its most recent manifestation to the UK. Crime control policy was chosen a

The Gullah community in American slave history Essay

The Gullah community in American slave history - Essay Example it can be said that the US slave trade is seen as one of the most infamous and unjust acts of forceful displacement. Such acts not only deprived the victims from living a life of peace and contentment in their own homeland, but also resulted in a loss of the culture, language and most importantly their original way of life. In spite of this, the level of loss in cultural and linguistic origins has not been common across all the displaced communities from Africa in the United States. The Gullah people have to a large extent been able to live an isolated life as compared to their other African counterparts both in terms of cultural identity and language. This paper, through review of relevant literature, tries to bring to light and how such a state of affairs came to be. In the process, the paper will trace the history of the Gullah and other slaves on their journey from Africa and how each of these two groups resettled into their new (forced) homeland. History of slave trade in the Un ited States: It was during the early fifteenth century that displacement of Africans as laborers (primarily in plantations) in the United States until import of new slaves were banned by an Act of Congress in 1808 (Curtis 298). Even so, imports were clandestinely carried out. Apart from this Whites could purchase slaves from other owners and also claim ownership of the children of slaves working for them. The 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery, even though their status as inferior continued on until the twentieth century until the arrival of such great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. What is to be noted is that the presence of Africans as slaves and then as free people in the United States started in the 15th century and continued to this date (a period of more than five hundred years). Having virtually no connection whatsoever with their African homeland, it is only natural that this group of aliens began assimilate the culture of their adopted land and as a result began losing their original cultural and linguistic identity. The next sections will discuss the life of the average Black people as slaves and later on as free African Americans and how these factors contributed to the social losses mentioned above. It will also discuss the unique status of the Gullah tribe taking into consideration the same parameters applied to other Africans in the country. The status of the African slaves: As mentioned earlier, slaves in Africa had no means of maintaining contact with their own people in their homeland and villages. Other factors included illiteracy which was rampant and also that they were not a cohesive group in terms of language or socio-religious customs (Klein 178). Slave trade flourished because of the lack of manpower to work in American fields and later on in business and homes. Slave owners did not apparently care about this diversity as they were only intent on obtaining cheap or free labor. As a result, even if there were groups of slaves from a single village or tribe available, most slave owners did not bother to categorize them in that manner. As a result, each farm, business or household had a set of slaves that were strangers in terms of culture and language even though they came from the same continent. Klein goes on to add that this diversity of African culture present in a single place soon led to dilution of the culture of individuals and tribes. They had

Troy Historical Accuracy Essay Example for Free

Troy Historical Accuracy Essay The epic poem the â€Å"Iliad† is arguably one of mans most well known novel or book behind the Bible and the Odyssey (sequel to Iliad). The Iliad, and Odyssey for this matter where ancient texts written by Homer. The Iliad is a story set approximately 1194-1184 BC about the Trojan War and the ten year siege of Troy. This battle has many famous mythical figures such as Achilles the leader of the Myrmidons, Helen the princess that ran off with Paris which sparked the battle. Helen was the wife of King Menelaus ruler of the Spartans. Paris is a prince of Troy and brother to Hector the air to the throne. The movie adaptation is focused less on the adventures the Spartans had while sailing to Troy and more on the short stint of pre battle and end battle. The movie suggests the battle of Troy was over the course of a few weeks when per the Iliad it latest ten years. Now this battle has never been proven for accuracy and may have never happened. However the movie has a very direct sense of what and how the war was. It shows the layout of the city of Troy, the characters mentality and fondness or lack there of, of the characters. The way battles started seems quite accurate. Before a battle the opposing armies would taunt each other. After this the major warriors, or best of the army would duel each other. Depending on the outcome of this the battle would ensue. This is shown a few times in the movie. Once between Paris and Menelaus, which started the war. Paris surrendered and went to his brothers ankles. Hector protected Paris from being slaughtered. It shows the ships, blood, and garb the persons would wear in this time frame. Or does it? The dates this war happened of approximately 1194-1185 (10 years) is during the bronze age. This plays a key role in the historical accuracy of it. The weapons, shields, and clothing for battle is all wrong. These items shown are closer to the dark ages. The uniforms or garb of the ancient Greeks and Trojans where slightly less than what is shown in the movie. The movie depicted a very if not identical uniform for every soldier. In reality only the middle and upper class soldiers would have these. Even at that, the uniforms were not identical like in the movie. They where typically handed down from generation to generation due to cost. The armor and shields where made of Bronze breastplates in a muscled style, a helmet that covered most of their head and shin protection made of bronze. This is the uniform of the very well off soldiers. The common man would have even less. They would use a linen reinforced with bronze plating or animal skin, this was called â€Å"Linothorax armor† which was priced much lower then the fully bronze uniforms for the wealthy. The Greeks also found range weapons to be cowardly and would avoid use of them. In the movie both the Trojans and Spartans (Greeks, who thinks range weapons are cowardly) had many bows and used them often. The weapons other than long range used by both armies where typically Doru, which were long spears. These Doru like in the movie were 7-9 feet in length and where the primary weapon. In the movie the swords were primary, which in reality these where secondary weapons. These swords, or Xiphos where for use after the Doru were snapped or lost in combat. The xiphos were 2 feet for the Trojans and a bit shorter for the Spartans. The Spartans blades were typically 1-1. 5 feet long. This was more advantageous for the Spartans when the lines got much closer. The movie depicts both blades to be equal size on either side of the war. The ships where also dated much later in time. The ships of the bronze age would not have the very large and ornate front (Stem, Bow, or Head) and the stern would be higher. In the movie it seems to be the opposite. Most of the ships had much larger and obvious heads than sterns. The bow and stern would also be more angled and arched up. The movie depicts the ships bow to be flat on many ships. The movie Troy is a great story about the war between Troy and the Spartans. It depicts Achilles as a great warrior and in a strange way kind man. It has the beauty of Helen and the Anger of Menelaus. Much of this movie has been done historically correct however there are major flaws in its accuracy. I highly suggest one to watch this movie as it is quite enjoyable and the epic it is based on should be read as that is quite great itself.

Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry

Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry Introduction Standards and quality control within the hospitality industry are of critical importance, particularly within the kitchen and food safety areas of these businesses. Within this paper, the intention is to evaluate the benefits of quality tools to policy makers within the hospitality industry and discuss the effects of two of these tools in relation to a specific case example. 1) Quality Tools Quality has become a factor of importance in both the product and the service offered to the consumer. In essence it is the art of seeking a continual improvement in the processes, products and services that are provided (Dale 2003, p.5). However, when applied to hospitality, and in particular the operations of an industrial kitchen in this environment, the term â€Å"quality† also encompasses the health and safety aspect of the operation. In such cases, it is not simply a matter of ensuring that the product and service is of the quality expected by the consumer, but that it has also eliminated the health and safety risk factor, both in respect of the consumer and other business stakeholders, which include the employees who work within the kitchen environment. In other words it has to address both the internal and external issues. Thus it can be seen that there are a number of ways in which the use of quality control tools can assist to achieve its core aims, particularly within the hospitality industry. In addition to the safety of the product itself, these also relate to other aspects, which include the environment, cooking process and team effort of the business (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.29). With the main element of an industrial hospitality kitchen being the standard and quality of the food that is served to the customers, it is important that the quality control focuses on the safety as well as the quality of the food being prepared. In an effort to reduce the potential of complaints within this area, there are several issues that need to be addressed, such as the quality and safety of the food supplied, its storage, the method of cooking and the service to the consumer. The introduction of quality models such as the FMEA[1] and HACCP[2] systems are essential in ensuring that no issues arise in terms of the condition of food on its arrival from the supplier, the kitchen storage facilities or the cooking processes. The purpose of FMEA system works on the basis of combining risk and cause and effect analysis, with the intention of endeavouring to forecast potential system failures in advance as well as establishing what could cause such failures (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.2). Such failures are then judged by their severity; likelihood of happening and the ease of detection. With this information to hand it is then possible to design a solution to the problem, which includes a continual monitoring process. HACCP takes the process a step further by identifying points within the process where a potential hazard might occur and ensuring monitoring of these points. For example, if one takes potential complaints about food, this can manifest itself in several ways. Food can be contaminated at the source of supply or during the storage handling processes within the hospitality kitchen facility. Additionally, problems can arise from the cooking process. The severity of these problems can range from customer complaints in respect of over-under cooked foods to potential threatening health and safety issues such as food poisoning. The Foods Standard Agency (2007) have recently published guidelines which cover the procedures needed to prevent food incidents, which provides crucial information for the hospitality policy makers. From the supplier viewpoint this includes ensuring that the raw food and its processing, packaging and all controls for issues such as contamination are vigorously controlled and that there is a facility to enable action to be taken in the event of a complaint. Policies for food management within the Hospitality kitchen itself must include similar controls, which are subject to inspection by the local authority. These would apply to the kitchen storage facilities and their locations, which are required to ensure that food does not decompose or create additional health problems for the consumer (Knowles 2004, p.96). Similarly, the standard for training within the establishment need to be monitored to ensure appropriate hygiene standards are being adhered to by all staff (Knowles 2004, p.202). Furthermore, the hygiene and health and safety issue also applies to the employees within the business in respect of consumer’s safety. An example of these issues in reality can be demonstrated from an inspection that was conducted by Norwich City Council in relation to an office kitchen Hospitality unit (Environmental Health Food Team 2005). In this case the office in question was refurbishing their kitchen areas. The authority found several issues that needed addressing. Among these was the fact that the food storage facilities were inadequate and posed a threat to the freshness of the products, as did the fact that the staff changing rooms were located outside of the kitchen environment, which could expose their kitchen clothing to outside bacterial problems. Finally, the other aspects of quality that affects the hospitality kitchen are the health and safety issues that relate to employees. This has been evidenced by the concerns that can arise in relation to the potential back problems that can afflict an employee within the kitchen environment, as has been recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (CAIS 24 2006). As their report reveals, â€Å"back pain and upper limb disorders† are responsible for nearly 75% of the incidences of â€Å"occupational ill health,† which currently amount to in excess of two million lost work days a year, and a considerable number of these occur within the hospitality industry. Therefore it is important that policies regarding the positioning of equipment, maximum weight carrying levels and appropriate methods of lifting heavy products are instigated and monitored to ensure their compliance. Lack of such controls could lead to the employer being subjected to a claim under the Health and Saf ety legislations. 2) FMEA and HCCAP Within this section of the paper it is intended to assess the quality control procedures within a hypothetical situation. In this situation a cook chill company has conducted a FMEA on a product that is used within the hospitality. The product is a chicken casserole. The following results were recorded. Failure modes occurrence severity detection -Uneven garnish 1 1 5 -Incorrect stamp 1 9 9 -Packages edges stamped 2 6 6 What would need to be evaluated to provide a more accurate analysis in this case is the level of sampling provided, as the statistical information does affect the potential for detecting problems (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.190). If one applies a statistical confidence level based upon the regularity of the incidence occurring over a number of sample batches, and this reveals that the results are within a 5% band, then that level would be 95%. Statistical confidence levels are used to ascertain the level of confidence that the analyst has in the result of his findings. Applying this to the above table would result in the following results Failure modes occurrence severity detection -Uneven garnish 0.95 0.95 4.75 -Incorrect stamp 0.95 8.55 8.55 -Packages edges stamped 1.905.705.70 However, even based upon these lower result, and using 10 as the highest level of concern, the following information can be garnered. In occurrence terms, the most prolific problem relates to the issue of stamping package edges, with the least being uneven garnish. However, when one looks at the problem of severity and potential for detection the incorrect stamp are the major causes for concern, with incorrect stamping being by far the most important issue to address. Of itself, the problem of uneven garnish will not present a health and safety issue. Similarly, it cannot therefore be considered to be a hazard in that it will not result in a potential biological or chemical danger to the consumer (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.40). All that will result from this problem is a change in taste of the end product. Although the management may wish to address this from a quality viewpoint, it would not be the highest issue of the three to be addressed. Severity and difficulty in detection in relation to the incorrect stamp and edging stamps on the other hand do present difficulties and potential dangers, with the former being of most concern. Incorrectly packaged products can lead to health and safety issues with the consumer. For example, a vegetarian would be seriously displeased if they found that the chilli casserole that they thought contained no meat actually contained chicken. Similarly, for persons with allergies, the incorrect packaging could present problems. However, the problem with the edging stamp would be at a two-thirds level of importance compared with the labelling issue. Furthermore, one has to define the exact issue arising from the incorrect labelling as to whether it can be considered a health and safety hazard (Skelton 1997, p.6). If the problem was an incorrect date then the hazard is more significant that if it is just incorrect ingredients, as the former could lead to ill health affecting the consumer. Whilst ingredient errors may produce displeasure and complaint from the consumer, incorrect dating could lead to potential food poisoning and other health problems. It is at this latter stage that the real effect of a HACCP analysis, an alternative method for identifying potential issues (Skelton 1997, p.67) would be beneficial. HACCP views the process from the raw product stage until it ends up on the consumers plate and seeks to identify the critical points at which the problems identified above are likely to occur. As a result of this analysis it is possible for the policy maker in the Hospitality kitchen to institute a procedure that will ensure that these points are closely monitored in an effort to eradicate the problem, with records maintained at all times (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.2). From the above analysis it is apparent that, although from a individual viewpoint packaging does not present a health and safety issue (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.120), it is the fact that the information displayed upon it that, as has already been identified, creates the hazard. Therefore, the combination of the errors and hazards identified could produce serious problems in terms of the potential effect on the consumer’s health and, as a result, could lead to the management of the hospitality kitchen being prosecuted. Conclusion From the information and analysis that has been conducted for this paper, it is apparent that as part of the effective management of a kitchen within the hospitality industry the policy maker must ensure that, as a integral part of the management strategy, the issues of failure and hazard awareness and the methods of reducing the incidence of these risks are taken into account. Therefore, it is essential that every aspect of the process and operations of their kitchens be subjected to an FMEA and HACCP analysis. This should encompass the food supply chain; the maintenance and efficiency of equipment and the safety of their employees as well as their consumers. These finding support the beneficial use that such quality tools provide for the hospitality policy maker. References CAIS 24 (2006). Preventing back pain and other aches and pains to kitchen and food service staff. Health and Safety Executive. London, UK. Dale, Barrie (2003). Managing Quality. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Oxford, UK. Environmental Health Food Team (2005). Food Premises Inspection Report, Norwich City Council. Retrieved 16 May 2007 from http://www.norwich.gov.uk/intranet_docs/A-Z/Environmental%20Health/2005/Food_Awards/Mills_and_Reeve_Insp_151105.pdf Foods Standards Agency (2007). Principles for preventing and responding to food incidents. Retrieved 16 May 2007 from http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/principles23mar07 Knowles, Tim (2004). Food Safety in the Hospitality Industry. Butterworth-Heinmann Ltd. Oxford, UK. Mortimore, Sara and Wallace, Carol (2000). HACCP. A Practical Approach. Aspen Publishing. Maryland, US. Skelton, Bob (1997). Process Safety Analysis. An Introduction. Guld Publishing. Houston, US. Footnotes [1] Failure modes and effects Analysis [2] Hazard analysis and critical control points Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry Brief 199613 POLICY DEVELOPMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Question 1: In the context of the CDM Regulations and the refurbishment of a floor of bedrooms in a multi storey hotel, critically outline the purpose and content of the Health and Safety Plan and Health and Safety File. Discuss the relationship between the two components and how the Health and Safety File will be of benefit to contractors in the future. Critically assess the merits of the Building Regulations application process and construction technique utilised for Mcdonalds modular drive through restaurants. The following will evaluate the best way of refurbishing a floor of bedrooms in a multi storey hotel so that the renovated building complies with all relevant health and safety legislation and regulations. The requirement to meet all the relevant health and safety legislation and standards means that the designers and the builders of renovations are as legally responsible as the hotel owners for all breeches of those requirements. Failure to meet regulatory standards could leave the constructors liable for civil prosecution or prone to litigation by the hotel owners, the hotel staff besides the hotel guests. Prosecution or litigation that could take years after the original renovation was actually completed (Youell, 2003 p. 99). The best way to develop a renovation plan that will receive planning permission from the appropriate local authority is to know exactly which health and safety regulations the proposed renovation needs to fully comply with. If the hotel is exempt from any of the health and safety regulations or the hotel owners believe that it is exempt from those standards it is always best to double check. Besides ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it, and it will not protect contractors from legal action been taken against them. Of more immediate concern for contractors tasked with renovations a failure to abide to all building or health and safety regulations could result in the refusal of planning permission. After all it will only cause delays if the renovation plans are refused planning permission or if such breeches of the health and safety standards are missed at that stage and leave the design firm as well as the hotel owners liable to prosecution or litigation. Renovation w ork that does not reach the required health and safety standards might not be good enough to last over the long-term without the need to be repaired or eventually replaced due to its low quality (Youell, 2003 p. 99). Therefore to ensure that the renovation proposals receive planning permission and are legally sound a Health and Safety Plan as well as a Health and Safety File are necessarily developed and maintained to safeguard the building contractors and the hotel owners from both accidents and legal proceedings. The purpose of the health and safety plan is to ensure that the hotel will be fully compliant with the health and safety regulations that it is required to meet so as to function legally as a hotel. To make a fully functioning health and safety plan not only needs a strong knowledge of relevant regulations; it also requires the blueprints or plans for the hotel itself. An understanding of the hotel’s layout is essential with regard to making the health and safety plan practical and well designed. The objective of the health and safety plan is to make sure all the safety measures within the hotel are clearly accessible thus allowing both hotel staff and all hotel guests to remain safe in any emergency situation. The content of the health and safety plan would include the design layout and the exact location of fire fighting equipment, first exits, fire alarms, and any available first aid facilities. The plan should also include where hotel employees and guests meet, should the hotel have to be evacuated, especially in the event of a fire taking hold of the premises. Consideration should also be given to the fitting of smoke alarms, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems (Youell, 2003 p. 99). Besides considering fire safety procedures, and first aid measures the health and safety plan should include measures to maintain hygiene standards in the kitchens, toilets, dining areas, and the guest bedrooms. Good hygiene standards are needed to ensure that the hotel remains clean, tidy, and free of dirt, allowing the hotel staff and all guests to avoid food poisoning or infection. The plan needs take into account the location of the kitchens, rubbish bins, and toilets in relation to the bedrooms used by guests. Poor hygiene standards and food poisoning could prove to be very bad for the future of the hotel, as it may bring it to the attention of environmental health officers that have the power to close it down until the hotel meets the minimum required regulatory standards (Bloomsbury, 2005 p.124). Another factor for maintaining the good hygiene of the hotel is the straightforward one of guests not wishing to return to dirty and unclean accommodation (Bloomsbury, 2005 p. 155). The purpose of the Health And Safety File is to record how the hotel complies with all relevant regulations before, during, and after the proposed renovations. The file is meant to ensure that the hotel sticks to the measures it set out in the Health and Safety Plan. The file should record the health and safety performance of the hotel with regard to the maintenance of equipment, facilities, as well as all the procedures that enhance safety standards or good hygiene. The Health and Safety File should also keep a note of all the training that the staff at the hotel is given in respect of maintaining and implementing safety measures and all hygiene standards. The hotel staff should ideally be given training to use fire fighting equipment when it is safe to do so, to provide first aid when needed, and carry out practice fire safety drills. When necessary staff will need to be given extra training should they not perform their duties to a high enough level to comply with the standards se t out in regulations. The Health and Safety File should also ensure that all hotel guests have access to information about the location of fire safety equipment, first aid facilities, and the assembly point in case of the hotel being evacuated (Youell, 2003 p. 99). There should be a strong relationship between the Health and Safety Plan and the Health and Safety File. The two items should compliment each other, as together they provide the means to plan and implement safety and hygiene standards at the hotel. The Health and Safety Plan sets out how the safety and hygiene standards will be achieved, whilst the Health and Safety File is intended to record what is actually happening at the hotel in terms of complying with regulations. The Health and Safety File by itself could be very useful to any contractors that need to carry out any building or renovation work at the hotel, as a means of checking the record of the hotel in meeting regulatory requirements. Contractors would be able to consult the Health and Safety File if they have any queries regarding the equipment, facilities, as well as the safety and hygiene procedures used by the staff at the hotel. If the Health and Safety File has been kept up to date consulting it will allow the contra ctors to know whether or not the hotel has been adhering to the regulations it is legally supposed to do at all times. Knowing if the hotel is not complying with regulation would give the contractor the opportunity to suggest building alterations or changes in safety and hygiene procedures that if implemented mean the hotel does comply with all relevant regulations (Bloomsbury, 2005 p. 155). There are ways of ensuring that a company only has to pay minimal attention to completing Health and Safety Plans and Files without breaking the regulations or ignoring the spirit of the law. The fast food company MacDonalds has probably devised the best way of minimising the planning permission required whilst adhering to the statutory safety and hygiene standards set out in regulations and legislation. As a company MacDonalds has made its fortune and its reputation by the mass standardisation of its restaurants, equipment, staff training, marketing image, and finally but by no means least its food products. People know what they are going to get when they go into a MacDonalds anywhere in the world, and more of them like it than dislike it (www.LHC.ORG.UK). MacDonalds believe that the standardisation process is definitely a successful strategy when it comes down to gaining rapid planning permission and complying with safety and hygiene standards. Planning authorities will be made aw are by the company that their restaurants are pr-designed to pass safety and hygiene standards, whilst all new staff will be fully trained to make sure that standards are always adhered to (Mason, 2005 p.44). The senior management are well aware of the benefits of standardisation, if one design passes safety and hygiene standards it is adopting that design for all its restaurants as that makes financial, marketing, and practical sense to do so (www.LHC.ORG.UK). MacDonalds have developed modular drive through restaurants as a method of constructing new outlets quickly at the same time as passing the Building Regulations application process. As a company MacDonalds has always set out to have all its ordinary and drive through restaurants designed to look exactly the same as each other as well as also having the same features and equipment. For MacDonalds having restaurants that look the same everywhere they are constructed has been a highly successful branding strategy and exercise that has allowed the firm to expand impressively across the globe. To be more precise it is a global franchise which, has expanded due to its high profits and relatively low capital costs (Mason, 2005 p. 44). However the merits of using modular designs go beyond marketing ploys and serve pragmatic purposes. When MacDonalds set out to design its modular drive through restaurants it certainly took the Building Regulation application process into account. The modular drive through restaurant was designed to meet safety and hygiene standards in as many countries as possible, so that they could be constructed in as many places as the company would like. The low cost of construction when combined with the ease of gaining planning at the same time as being able to pass all safety and hygiene standards makes buying into the MacDonalds franchise a good investment. The prefabricated structures have the advantage of not requiring a high degree of planning permission than buildings wholly constructed on site (www.LHC.ORG.UK). MacDonalds have found that with experience that prefabricated designs that already fully meet planning requirements and regulations will undoubtedly gain full building permission quickly wherever the proposed restaurant is located. The rapid gaining of building permission allows MacDonalds to have all its new drive through restaurants trading sooner rather than later. The new drive through restaurants thus quickly re-coup their modest construction costs and go into profit. Profits are not only made quickly; they are also made over a long-term basis as well. The use of prefabricated designs and materials therefore allows MacDonalds to expand its total number of restaurants at a much lower capital cost than many of its competitors. The beauty of the modular drive through restaurant design is that it is cheap and durable, yet it could also be quickly modified if it needed to be (Mason, 2005 p. 44). The modular design allows for standardised equipment to be fitted, equipment that could b e easily updated modified or completely replaced should building regulations alter, or if the company purchases improved equipment. The modular design is meant to be really simple to construct, maintain and keep clean. The simplicity of the kitchen areas is intended to make it easier to train staff to cook and prepare food as well as cleaning areas to maintain hygiene standards. The training of staff does not take long as all processes and procedures, as well as equipment and food is standardised. The simplicity of the whole operation means that food is prepared, cooked, and served faster (Bloomsbury, 2005 p. 117). Simplicity and standardisation keep costs low, product prices highly competitive, and the company’s profits high. Providing that all staff are trained and keep to the procedures they are taught the company should always be able to maintain safety and hygiene standards whilst never having to wait long for planning permission (www.LHC.ORG.UK). Question 2: Explain how the analysis of a local authority Development Plan can help the senior management team of a national hotel chain identify a suitable site for a new budget hotel in a particular locality? The majority of local authorities in Britain will have development plans to control where and whether new businesses or retail units would be constructed within the areas they control the planning for. Local authorities make up Development Plans as a means of generating wealth, creating jobs and regenerating run down districts and would wish to include such firms within their Development Plan. Development Plan would include the precise locations of where the new offices, hotels, and retail units would be sited. The Development Plan provides further useful information for the senior management to consider besides the proposed or the approved locations of other companies. For instance, every Development Plan should give the location of roads, motorways, railways, and rivers near or within the locality controlled by the local authority concerned. Other information that could be relevant to the locating of the new budget hotel could include local tourist attractions or places that would make hotels less attractive for potential guests, like waste ground, factories, or prisons. If the new budget hotel could be located near the most attractive features of the town or city it is a bonus in terms of marketing the hotel before it opens and expanding the number guests once it has opened. If the company has to locate the hotel in a less attractive site the company could consider pulling out of its construction or consider different ways of marketing it if it is actually built. The company would however wish to avoid being located in areas where it could not guarantee the safety of their guests and their staff, as more would have to be spent on security measures such as fencing or patrolled car parks. The company could find it useful to contact local people and possibly the Police to find out which parts of the town or city they need to avoid when picking the locality of their new budget hotel. Local authorities will make the Development Plan available for the public and b usinesses to examine which allows any firms that wish to open premises within the area to apply for a place within that plan. For the Senior Management of a budget hotel chain that would want to open a new hotel inside a particular locality being able to analyse the local authority’s Development Plan would offer definite advantages when it comes to making the new budget hotel a long-term success (www.LHC.ORG.UK). The exact location of any new budget hotel could make all the difference between it being a successful part of the firm or it being a loss making failure. From a study of the Development Plan the Senior Management should be aware of the alternative sites available for the location of the proposed new hotel, as well as the placing of other new businesses within the development area. Senior Management should have a strong knowledge of the best places and the worst places to locate new budget hotels when it comes down to maximising the number of guests that stay there. Analysing the Development Plan would make Senior Management fully aware of the local authority intentions of which firms to allocate land to, for the construction of their new outlets, offices, or hotels. The most prestigious firms will want to locate in the most prime positions possible to fit in with their corporate image, whilst a low budget hotel firm might not need to do the same. A low budget hotel does not have to obtain a prestigious land site, it does however have to be based if at all possible on land that is near to town or city centres, and ideally is easily accessible for as many potential guests as possible. The senior management would find it useful to locate the new budget hotel near the main roads, the railway, close to local businesses, and preferably with free secure car parking spaces available. Such a location would be a good selling point to business travellers and tourists a like. If they could gain an accurate analysis of the Development Plan then it increases the chances of securing a good locality for the new budget hotel (www.LHC.ORG.UK). The hotel company could benefit from examining the Development Plan as it would allow them to know if they could use prefabricated designs that permit the construction to be finished earlier and thus earning revenue sooner. If the hotel chain already uses prefabricated designs and construction techniques then it will them greater flexibility when it comes down to the precise locality of the new budget hotel. Flexibility that stems from the savings in construction costs being able to provide a bit of leeway if the price of being in a better location is higher than first anticipated. A sound understanding of the development plan would enable senior management to have the locality and the rapid construction of the new budget hotel finalised as soon as possible. Such an understanding would thus grant the company more time to advertise the opening of the new hotel at an early stage to maximise the number of guests upon its opening. The evaluation of the Development Plan would also give se nior management a precise idea of the number of hotels within the town or city that are already built and those hotels that are planned. Knowledge of the hotels within the district gives senior management invaluable information when it comes down to the marketing, and pricing strategy for the new budget hotel which could make all the difference between success and failure. Knowing the nature, location, as well as the strengths and the weaknesses of all its rivals within the locality could certainly prove very beneficial to the senior management in selling the merits of the new budget hotel in relation to its competitors. Senior management could also take advantage of the company’s brand name and its reputation. Marketing for the new budget hotel should emphasis that the locality will soon be able to benefit from the arrival of a low cost hotel that happens to provide high quality service (www.LHC.ORG.UK). Bibliography Bloomsbury Reference, (2005) Dictionary of Leisure, Travel, and Tourism – 3rd edition, Bloomsbury, London Mason P (2005) Tourism Impacts, Planning and Management, Elsvier, London www.LHC.ORG.UK Youell R, (2003) Complete A-Z Travel Leisure Handbook – 2nd edition, Hodder Stoughton, London

Understanding the negative attitude of the public towards police

Understanding the negative attitude of the public towards police As chief of a medium size city in the United States, you are aware that the citizens in your community have a lower than expected opinion of the effectiveness of the police department. Design a research proposal that will provide for a randomized public survey in an attempt to understand the nature and extent of the negative public opinion. Include in your plan a sample survey instrument that would be used in the research. Include in your plan, proposed hypotheses and how these hypotheses will be tested. The researcher will attempt to design a research proposal by using a randomized public survey in an attempt to try and understand the negative attitude of the public toward the police department. With this method prospective participants are chosen by chance rather than by choice. The researcher will also include in the research proposal a proposed hypothesis, an explanation of how this hypothesis will be tested and a sample survey. INTRODUCTION The researcher is always amazed to see that there are many individuals who are more than willing to serve their community in ways that are many times without thanks and dangerous. Among these elite individuals are law enforcement officers. In general many of us are not aware that they are present until some news headline shows up saying that there is a problem or that something or the other went wrong. We as a society need to understand the stress and strain of the law enforcement community that serves us and it is important that we support them. The researcher for one cannot imagine an individual running toward danger when for the most part many of us will choose to run away. So what really happens in law enforcement when there is a less than favorable story and the community begins to focus their entire attention on the incident? It is the researchers belief that from the perspective of individual officers there may be a lot of is a lot of concern and assumption of what is going to happen. There may be a lot of pressure, especially if the individual(s) in question end up in front of a Grand Jury or other court proceeding, not to mention the fact that if there is a civil action it can go on for years. So in essence, does this have an impact on how these law enforcement officers approach their job and or their community? When one really thinks about it, often times the entire enforcement department is suspect when there are a few officers in question. Many believe that there is always some concern that depending on the situation the impact could be negative. There could be a lack of focus. It could be very distracting. It could create doubt about ones supp ort or role. The individual or organization could be hesitant to engage or be proactive in the work they have been challenged or asked to do in the service to their community (Rice, 2010). Its not very often that the publics opinion of police departments is positive. Corruption, unethical behavior, Police brutality, and excessive use of force are all part of the negative views that the public have about law enforcement officers. These types of behavior of law enforcement have had a huge impact on the manner in which the public view law enforcement and the opinion that they have of them. Because of the tactless lack of judgment of some law enforcement officers, the uprightness of the profession of law enforcement officers has become a bit shaded. Lets face it; it is not always news-worthy when the good guys are doing a good job, its really that simple. The media has great influence on the interest of public opinion because they make the determination of what will be seen and what will not. The researcher has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly with the law enforcement department in my city. It is the researchers personal experience with law enforcement officers has been nothing but stellar, helpful, professional, and informative. The researcher do however think that law enforcement departments have their fair share of good and bad, but its the bad that gets the attention and when the public grabs a hold of it they take it and run. Studies have found that the characteristic of a neighborhood and the interaction that they have with law enforcement are factors that have the most influence of the opinion that the public have on law enforcement. The study, conducted in Los Angeles, found that residents from neighborhoods perceived to be crime ridden, dangerous, and disorderly were less likely to approve of the police. In contrast, residents who had informal personal contact with police were more likely to express approval. Race and ethnicity, factors cited as influential in other studies, were not found to be as important as community disorder in determining the publics satisfaction with police (Maxon, Hennigan, Sloane, 2003). HYPOTHESIS If a civilian review board is put in place there will be a change in the opinion of the public regarding law enforcement and there will be less complaints from citizens on a whole. There are major differences between the number of citizens who convey that they are dissatisfied with law enforcement and those who officially make complaints. Many will argue that a lot of citizens do not go on to the next stage in lodging a complaint because they are of the belief that a full investigation will not take place and nothing will happen. Some citizens also may fear retaliation from law enforcement. Supporters of civilian review boards is of the strong belief that the public will be more likely to have more confidence in a process when a complaint is made to a group of civilians rather than by forwarding their concerns to a unit in a police force, and this in turn could increase the number of complaints (An examination of, 2006). AREA DESCRIPTION The sample for the study will be taken from four of the New York Citys Police Departments (LAPDs) 18 geographic areas. The areas will be chosen to reflect comparable rates of reported property and violent crimes and demographic profiles, in particular income and race/ethnicity. Included in the survey will be one delegate from each of the four (4) administrative bureaus. On the other hand, the four chosen areas are not, and are also not intended to be representative of the entire city. Area A will be in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. This area has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the city, and it is estimated that it is more than four times higher than any of the other areas that would be included in the survey. In census taken in 1995, area A consisted of about 120,000 residents, of that number sixty percent (60%) were black and thirty-five percent (35%) were of Latino descent. Latinos have shifted into this area that was traditionally black in large numbers. Household incomes were reported among residents as follows: Eighty-five percent (85%) had household incomes below $45,000 and forty-three percent (43%) below $15,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). Area B will be the Brownsville area of Brooklyn. The violent crime rate in this area is the second, and is infested by the biggest population of gang in the city, comprising of more than 8,000 gang members, consisting of about 45 gangs. Area B, nonetheless, has a below average rate for property crime between the four areas chosen for the. Area B is mainly comprised of eighty-four percent (84%) Hispanics with low income and many of its residents live in households that are multigenerational. In the census done in 1995 eighty percent (80%) of these residents reported household incomes as follows: thirty-two percent (32%) below $45,000 and thirty-two percent (32%) below $15,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). Area C will be on the west side of the city. It has a somewhat violent crime rate that is low but among the areas to be surveyed, the rate of property crimes is the highest. Area C has an estimated 220,000 residents and is culturally mixed. Whites account for sixty-one percent, Latino twenty-two percent, Asians ten percent, and Blacks six percent. In the census done in 1991 residents reported the following incomes: Fifty-eight percent (58%) had incomes under $45,000 and seventeen percent (17%) had incomes below $15,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). Area D will be in the Chelsea Piers area. The violent crime rate in this area is very low and the property crime rate is the second lowest (higher than area B). This area comprises of seventy -three percent (73%) whites, seventeen percent (17%) Latinos and eight percent (8%) Asians. The incomes of residents in this area is higher that the other three (3) areas to be surveyed. In the census done in 1991 the reported incomes were as follows: fifty percent (50%) had incomes above $45,000 and twenty-six percent (26%) had incomes above $75,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). METHODOLOGY The researcher will conduct the survey via mail and face to face interviews. Residential addresses will be acquired from lists at the citywide utility service and will be coded to allow the collection of addresses inside the four (4) geographic regions. The survey will comprise of a random sample of five hundred and seventy (5,570) addresses. The procedures for the survey will be taken from Dillmans Total Design Approach (Hoddinott, Bass, 1986), in addition to five contacts with possible survey respondents. A postcard notice will be sent in advance, four survey mailings of which two will contain an incentive of $1.00, and a thank you and or reminder notice will be sent following the mailing of the first survey. All survey materials mailed will include Spanish translations. The researcher will offer other languages in the event that one is needed. Mail surveys let the respondent answer at their own leisure, rather than at the habitually inconvenient instant they are contacted for a phone or personal interview. Because of this, mail surveys are not considered as intrusive as other kinds of interviews. The downside is time! Mail surveys take longer than other kinds. The researcher will need to wait several weeks after mailing out questionnaires before he or she can be sure that they have gotten most of the responses. The face to face method will include personal interviews which have the ability to let the interviewee see the respondent face to face, it also has the ability to find the target population, and longer interviews may be tolerated by the respondent. Particularly with in-home interviews that have been arranged in advance, people may be willing to talk longer face-to-face than to someone on the phone. The down side to this is that personal interviews usually cost more per interview than other methods. This is particularly true of in-home interviews, where travel time is a major factor. The survey will summarize two (2) types of contact that the public has with law enforcement officers: formal contact and informal contact. The formal contacts will include residents calling the police departments in an attempt to ask for service, when residents are questioned by law enforcement officers about a potential crime that was committed. The informal contacts that residents has with law enforcement will include conversations with police officers who are on patrol and interactions that residents have with law enforcement at community meetings, youth activities sponsored by the police, and fairs about community and public safety. The measure of job approval will be based on a six-question scale which will be transformed from Skogans work in Chicago, which will ask residents how well police in their neighborhood and solve problems, help victims, and prevent crime (Skogan, 1998). The measure of the demeanor of law enforcement officers will be formed from five questions that asked respondents whether police were trustworthy, fair, helpful or respectful, and whether or not they seemed concerned. The study will focus on four issues that appeared to have an influence on the opinion of the public on police departments. The four issues will include the following: The perceptions that residents have about the amount of crime, chaos and confusion in their neighborhood and the sense that neighbors have of common trust and responsibility. The formal and informal contacts that residents have with law enforcement and their previous experience as victims of property and violent crimes if any. The demographic characteristics of residents; and The role that the media play in the perception that the public has on law enforcement. TREATMENT OF THE DATA The data received from the survey will be presented in pie charts, and rating scales which will show the percentage of individuals in each group and their opinion regarding law enforcement. Based on the results received it could show that there may be a need for more surveys to be done in order to understand the publics opinion of law enforcement because the acceptance of law enforcement authority by the public is essential for the maintenance of public order. Also, when the public has confidence in law enforcement it could lead to cooperation between law enforcement and the public at large, and this in turn can increase the effectiveness of policing. It is important for the public to trust and support law enforcement because this will be crucial when it comes to law enforcements expansion and maintenance. STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS In order to measure the activities of local law enforcement, the sensitive measurement of public opinion is important. When law enforcement and the community exchange information it can foster a law enforcement-community partnership that can be tailored to specific concerns of the community (Maxon, Hennigan, Sloane, 2003). The publics opinion of law enforcements activities, fear, crime, and identifying strengths and problems in the community is an important representation of law enforcement. Surveys need to be done on a regular basis in order to further understand these issues. Independent organizations are the ones who should be responsible for conducting these surveys in order to prevent responses that are biased. If these surveys are conducted over a number of years then this will allow for a better understanding of the publics opinion of law enforcement. When community residents are surveyed, this can provide important information regarding the publics opinion of the activities of law enforcement. As the above survey will show, this kind of survey will provide a surprising amount of valuable information regarding the relationship between the public and law enforcement. This information can assist in directing both law enforcement and the public alike and assist in monitoring the effectiveness of law enforcement interventions. CONCLUSION Data from research shows that the public will have more trust in citizens like themselves rather than law enforcement and that they will be more than willing to file a complaint; Citizens will be more unprejudiced when it comes to assessing complaints from other citizens; Their impartiality will bring into being a higher percentage of valid complaints that will discourage and aid in reducing instances of misconduct by law enforcement; and because of these actions the public, will have more confidence in law enforcement. Many law enforcement officers accept having a citizens review board as something to be anticipated and stated their willingness to work with members of the public (An examination of, 2006). The predicament for civilian review boards is that a good number of them do not have the clout and authority or the funds to make the first move on independent investigations of law enforcement nor to deliver judgments on complaints. For the most part all they can typically do is evaluate an investigation that was performed by law enforcement and put together commendations about punishment. Very rare do they have any final say over the decisions of law enforcement management (An examination of, 2006). All in all, the majority of research studies suggest that if civilian review boards are given enough funds there is a much superior possibility that their work will have an impact on the conduct of law enforcement officers and this will in turn increase the publics confidence in the police. Even as there appear to be a broad-spectrum agreement that civilian review is a necessity in order to set up boundaries for law enforcement in a society that is democratic, this technique of citizens becoming engaged in law enforcement needs, to a greater extent, to be developed further if it is to be proven successful (An examination of, 2006). Three of the most important issues are: Instituting and simplifying the level of authority that civilian review boards will hold and their level of independence from law enforcement; Making sure that they get enough resources to Ensuring they obtain adequate resources to accomplish their goals; and Investigating ways of addressing the numerous facets of racism by law enforcement. The main goal of civilian review boards is to accomplish a better balance between the publics participation in law enforcement so that they are held answerable to the public, and enhancing the independence of the police so that public order can be preserved in a peaceful and democratic society (An examination of, 2006).

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - The Importance of Atticus Finch :: Kill Mockingbird essays

The Importance of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird  Ã‚  Ã‚   The core character of a novel is responsible for maintaining the stability of society within the novel, exhibiting qualities of a true hero, and constantly emphasizing the novel’s central themes.   In the classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch serves as the core of the novel by displaying a character of stability, humility, and high moral standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Atticus Finch is a character of stability in an unstable society.   He is a balanced figure who is able to cope with the unreasonable and highly emotional town in which he lives.   He can manage the prejudiced white masses and still deal justly with the underprivileged Negro population of Maycomb.   He is one of the few people who understand the individual worth of a person regardless of the color of his/her skin.   This enables him to defend Tom Robinson based solely on the concept of justice and equality.   In his closing argument, Atticus explains that, â€Å"there is one place all men are created equal.   That place is in a court room† (Lee 205).   This justifies the fact that Atticus believes in equality in a society, the equality not only of race, but also of sex, class, and religion as well.   His view of equality and justice is a symbol of his own psychological stability throughout the novel.   Accordingly, in the final analys is of the story, Atticus represents the â€Å"justice† in the community of Maycomb.   His stability throughout the book is one of the many characteristics that depict Atticus Finch as the novel’s core.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a town of such undeserved glory, Atticus Finch is the one character who is worthy of glorification.   Yet, his humility further illustrates Atticus as a man of pure stability.   Surrounded by the self-righteousness of others, he is able to remain emotionally grounded.   Atticus Finch is a highly accomplished man of great intelligence, but even greater meekness.   For example, during one of their chats with Miss Maudie, Scout learns that her father’s childhood nickname was â€Å"Ol Shot† (Lee page #), which referred to his unbelievable marksmanship.   When Scout becomes excited about telling all of her friends about her father and his incredible talent, Jem says, â€Å"I'd reckon if he wanted us to know he’d a told us.   If he was proud of it he’d a told us†¦ but Atticus is a gentleman†¦and people in their right minds never take pride in their talents† (Lee 98).

Shakespeares Othello - Desdemona in Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Desdemona in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, the wife of the protagonist is Desdemona. She is a lovely, intelligent, wholesome and pious person. This essay will analyze her.    In Act 1 Scene1, Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. Once there the two awaken him with loud shouts about his daughter’s elopement with Othello. In response to Iago’s vulgar descriptions of Desdemona’s involvement with the general, Brabantio arises from bed and, with Roderigo’s help, gathers a search party to go and find Desdemona and bring her home. The father’s attitude is that life without his Desdemona will be much worse than before:    It is too true an evil: gone she is;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And what's to come of my despised time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is nought but bitterness. (1.1)    So obviously the senator has great respect for his daughter, or at least for the comforts which she has afforded him up the beginning of the play. This respect is shared by her new husband Othello, who says to Iago    that I love the gentle Desdemona,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would not my unhoused free condition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Put into circumscription and confine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the sea's worth. (1.2)    Once that Brabantio has located Othello, the father presses charges publicly in order to have Desdemona returned:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To prison, till fit time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of law and course of direct session   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Call thee to answer. (1.2)    The proceedings which take place before the Duke of Venice cause the father to permanently lose his daughter, mostly due to Desdemona’s own fluent presentation of her point of view in the city... ...he was heavenly true!† And upon the arrival of Iago, she publicly accuses him of lying:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You told a lie, an odious, damned lie;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   She false with Cassio! (5.2)    Then she accuses him of causing murder: â€Å"And your reports have set the murder on.† Emilia’s stunning interrogation and conviction of her own husband as the evil mastermind behind the murder results in Iago’s murder of her. Gullible Othello, grief-stricken by remorse for the tragic mistake he has made, stabs himself and dies on the bed next to his wife, his sorrow being as deep as his love for Desdemona prior to Iago’s machinations.    WORKS CITED    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.      

5- HTP- Myth or Miracle? :: Chemistry Chemical Papers

5- HTP- Myth or Miracle? The neurotransmitter, 5-hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP)is a compound created in the body which is used to regulate serotonin levels in brain and central nervous system. (www.medquestpharmacy.com). According to the web sites used, a supplement of 5-HTP is said to regulate moods, help treat anxiety and aid in weight loss (www.biosynergy.com/5htp.htm). They also stated that 5-HTP helps with insomnia and lower the risk of heart disease. The risk of heart disease is supposed to be lowered as a result of less anxiety and a more peaceful state of mind (www.biosynergy.com/5htp.htm). However, according to medical journals and reviews it is only proven that 5- HTP helps improve moods of depressed patients and may aid in weight loss, improve sleep patterns and help panic attacks. In the medical articles which were read, it was indicated that more research should be conducted on 5-HTP before any claims were made regarding the effects on sleep patterns or weight loss. Within these articles there was little to no mention of the effects of 5-HTP on heart disease. However, in a clinical trial Schwarcz, Young, and Brown (1989) performed, there was evidence to show that 5-HTP combined with a diet high in carbohydrates does lower blood pressure. How 5-HTP Works: Serotonin is a "neurotransmitter which is responsible for mood, hunger sleep" (www.herbsnow.com/sotm.htm). The website, medquest pharmacy claims that 5-HTP works by increasing the amount of serotonin produced in the brain. And in fact, according to Gastpar and Wakelin (1998), 5-HTP is a known precursor to serotonin which has been proven in many studies. Serotonin levels are supposed to have a direct effect on a persons mood (www.medquwestpharmacy.com/5-htp.htm). In fact antidepressant drugs approved by the FDA, such as Prozac, are said to work by increasing the amount of serotonin available to the brain(www.biosyenrgy.com/5htp.htm). Effectiveness of Treatment: It is said on medquest pharmacy’s web site that when 100mg of 5-HTP is taken three times a day for an extended period of time showed a 50 % improvement in depressed patients. In addition the patients are said to have had no side effects(www.