Traces of the Trade free essay sample

Slave youngsters, her fifth extraordinary granddad, James Dowel, had given his better half for Christmas one year. The sonnet concerning both Adjust and Applauder can be found In Inheriting the Trade and furthermore taken from Mount Hope: a New England Chronicle by George Howe and is as per the following: Adjust and Applauder sitting on the basement entryway; Applauder and Adjust; sitting in the basement way! Down fell the basement entryway, knock went Applauder; up flew the basement way, off blew Adjust! I Moreover, Brownies progenitors utilized their Bristol refinery to make rum, which hello exchanged for Africans they caught off the bank of Africa.Their ships, stacked with rum and different products, would then take their human freights over the Middle Passage to ports in the Caribbean or South to the United States. There, they would sell the slaves and regularly purchase freights of sugar stick, molasses and different products delivered with slave work to acquire north to busines s sectors New England. We will compose a custom article test on Hints of the Trade or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Distillers in the upper east would then make rum from the sugar stick, which thusly could be sold in Africa for additional slaves. For Brownies slave exchange narrative, she reached 200 Dowel ascendants. Browne stated, just a single hundred and forty of the 200 family members she reached for the narrative reacted. Many communicated concerns, including stresses activists may request reparations. What's more, one was stressed over what his partners would consider him. In 2001, she, her sister and eight cousins followed the alleged Slave Triangle, making a trip from Rhode Island to the bank of Ghana and afterward to Cuba. During their endeavor Browne increased another viewpoint on the racial partition in the United States. Her film disposes of the fantasy of the South being exclusively liable for theAfrican Diaspora. Watchers will be horrified and as a rule moved to tears as they trek nearby the Dowels during their reported journey; uncovering their Northern, New England legacy. Browne uncovers her families heritage Of slave exchanging and their acquired subjugation line. James Devoid, cruised ships from Bristol, Rhode Island to West Africa with rum to exchange for African men, ladies and youngsters. Africans, who were purified through water by alleged Christians, deprived of their original names and kept to swarmed cells underneath their captors.The Dowel hostages were then taken to ranches that the Dowel family claimed in Cuba or were sold at barters along the northern seaports. Likewise, sugar and molasses were brought from Cuba to the family claimed rum refineries in Bristol. In the event that costs in the United States fell, the family would work the slaves on at any rate five Cuban estates creating espresso, sugar and molasses until they could get more significant expenses. Over ages, the family moved in excess of ten thousand oppressed Africans over the Middle Passage. It is assessed that in excess of 600,000 Africans were taken room West Africa and dispatched to Cuba throughout three centuries, with many thousands passing on during the merciless Atlantic Crossing. All through, this African holocaust, the Deifies amassed a huge fortune. A fortune based on a heap of African cadavers reluctantly prompted the United States. The United States restricted slave exchanging 1808. In any case, Browne said family letters demonstrate the Dowels kept managing in the African slave exchange until the sasss by experiencing Cuba.The slave exchange, as per, Thomas Dowel , .. . T appears was one individual or one family required as well as the entire town. Pretty much every business and industry in the locale exchanged or worked with vendors or shippers whose riches was produced through the slave exchange. Also, the individuals who put resources into slaving journeys originated from practically varying backgrounds. Regularly littler offers were possessed by customary tradesmen. In addition, when the Newport, Rhode Island insurance agencies quit guaranteeing slave vessels, James Dowel established his own firm.James and his siblings claimed the boats, ranches in Cuba, the rum refinery, the stirs, and the insurance agency, and they additionally possessed the bank. In any case, during the years slave exchange was lawful in the United States, Sesames nephew Henry worked sell off houses where cargoes of Africans were purchased and sold. What's more, the associations continue endlessly. A removed relative got himself named the traditions authority in Bristol, by president Thomas Jefferson, he was answerable for reviewing all the cargoes that went in and out the seaports.In expansion, between 1 790 and 1821, more than 240,000 subjugated Africans were brought to Havana, as indicated by customs information, including the 53 patties who revolted on board the first Animist in 1839, holding onto the boat and cruising up the United States, East Coast. The Supreme Court in the end allowed them opportunity. The United States Congress has an expression of remorse goals pending in the House of Representatives. In 2007, the assemblies of seven states had authoritatively communicated lament for their contribution in servitude. Others had pending or proposed enactment in progress. Browne says she got loathe mail from white individuals.

Varying Activity Preferences Essay Example for Free

Changing Activity Preferences Essay I have discovered that a people culture affects which physical exercises people take an interest in to remain solid. There is a very notable distinction in the kinds of exercises that everybody takes an interest in, when culture is considered. It significantly affects what exercises individual’s like. I talked with three individuals about what sort of foundation they have, there age, and exercises they do to remain fit as a fiddle to demonstrate it. The principal individual I met was German Glosslin a multi year old brought up Canadian. Harris says I love the speed of the game. Of the players, however how quick things change. I understood that you must be continually on your toes. Likewise, in contrast to like ball, football and soccer, I discover hockey requires capacities and abilities. Theres no other game that you need to skate or utilize a stick. Everybody is brought into the world with the common capacity to toss or kick, yet hockey abilities are found out. He additionally says that hockey is exceptionally well known in Canada. He plays at whatever point he finds the opportunity. The following individual I met is Jesus Espendosa a multi year old secondary school senior, disclosed to me why he adored soccer so much, â€Å"soccer is in reality a ton of fun. You have all the more arranging and you don’t get injured as much as you might suspect. Indeed you must be progressively adaptable then ground-breaking to play the game. † I inquired as to whether he believed that his legacy preferred football more than different games and he stated, â€Å"Yes, on the grounds that it was the main game we could truly play when we lived in Mexico, every one of my companions there play it as well. Jesus is dynamic, and has taken an interest in numerous soccer matches. My last meeting was with Drake Half. He is a multi year old American secondary school graduate. He cherishes American football. He really needs to play expertly sometime in the future. He said he doesn’t quit talking or pondering football ever. American Football is extremely well known here in the U. S. Drake says â€Å"American Football is the best game ever! † I fantasy about playing for the Dallas Cowboys sometime in the not so distant future.

Were Up To Date!

We’re Up To Date! Our fabulous Records Office team has processed all of the mail we have received. Now were really ready to read applications! This is a good time for you to check your application tracking on MyMIT. It will show what materials we have processed for you. We should have the following: Application Part 1, Application Part 2, Secondary School Report and Transcript, Evaluation A, Evaluation B, Testing Requirements (we should have processed most December testing by now), and, if applicable, Interview Report. What happens if the tracking system is missing something? First, do not worry. We do not assign blame on why we dont have it, we just know that we have not processed it. We will not look at your application unfavorably because it is missing an application component at this time. We will wait a while longer before having it evaluated to give you time to send along another copy. There are still many more weeks of reading to be done, so as long as you get us the copies in a timely manner, there will be no impact. The best way to get us a missing piece is by fax. Our Records Office fax number is (617) 258-8304. If we are missing an evaluation, the teacher may fax a copy to us. If they need another copy of the evaluation form, you can get a PDF from the tracking system. If you had an interview more than two weeks ago and we havent yet processed it, you should fill out the Conducted Interview form on the MyMIT Application Tracking Detail page. We will follow up with your Educational Counselor. If we have not processed standardized test scores that that you had the testing agency send us, then you may fax us a copy of an official score report. We will follow up with the testing agency. As mid-year grades are not yet available for most students, we do not expect that most students have sent in the Mid-Year Grade Report. You should send this in as soon as possible after your grades are available. Bottom line: do not stress if we are missing pieces. It happens every year for reasons usually beyond your control. No worries.

Performance Management At The Retail Store - 1519 Words

Performance Management In the retail store that in which I work as an HR manager clothes are sold along with shoes, handbags, linens, etc. Recently my company had its worst quarter and being the HR manager I have asked by the upper management to improve the performances of the retail store employees on an immediate basis so that the sales and merchandise of the store can be improved and good customers can be retained along with attracting new customers. When I got into the process of assessing the employee performance in the retail store I was annoyed and yet amazed to find out how the employees are less motivated due to the negative media attention the company has been getting about its earnings. I gradually realized, putting aside my†¦show more content†¦So the intuitive ability of a Retail Sales Associate to adapt to different shopping preferences is needed on his/her part to succeed in this job role. Responsibilities of a Retail Sales Associate include building customer confidence by making their shopping experience interactive, engaging and reassuring; developing the customers’ experience by positive addressing to and solving their problems; making effective use of store displays to attract the customers; and developing a positive customer relationship. Moreover, to improve the employees’ performance I need to modify their behaviors and need to define before them three essential behaviors that are necessary for job performance – being polite and communicative so that customers feel easy to interact, being a good and patient listener so that the problems of the customers can be understood and addressed properly, and always having a pleasant attitude. So, for behavior modification I need to implement the following Organizational Behavior Modification (OBM) Plan: Firstly, I have to identify the performance-related behaviors that are problematic (â€Å"Organizational Behavior Modification (OB-MOD): A corrective behavior strategy†, n.d.). Secondly, I have to measure the degree of the problem by establishing a baseline in the target problem behavior (â€Å"Organizational Behavior Modification (OB-MOD): A corrective behavior strategy†, n.d.).Show MoreRelatedPerformance Management At A Large Retail Department Store1925 Words   |  8 PagesPerformance management can focus on a specific process or on entire departments. Measuring tools can include performance appraisals, reviews, and forms. Performance management is essential in order to foster an environment that values communication and hard work. Performance management includes the execution of new training plans that are identified during individualized coaching sessions. 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It is also in lineRead MoreCase Study on Change Management1607 Words   |  7 PagesCase Study This case study is about the Human Resources Management challenges faced by a retail organization and the appropriate HR Technology solution provided to meet out these challenges. About the Organization in Case Study The organization in the study is one of the largest retail stores chain across the globe. They have around 100 retail stores in India in different locations and looking to expand further to more than 200 store across India. Organizational Structure OrganizationRead MoreImagine A Corporate World Without Management. No One To1232 Words   |  5 Pagesa corporate world without management. No one to lead an organization along the path of success. No one to sustain important information and records of the company. No one to manage and organize inventory. No one to go to when business is in chaos. Management is an essential element within the corporate world, as we know it. 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My Life Experience At Holy Trinity Church Of Murree Essay

In my own life experience, I became aware of my state of sin in my early teenage years. Through the ministry of the Word at Holy Trinity Church of Murree in Pakistan, I had a clear understanding of the saving grace provided by the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I embraced that grace in my youth and began a lifelong spiritual journey. I was baptized as an infant but was confirmed as a teen ager which helped me reflect on my sinful nature and the pardoning and loving nature of God. My spiritual journey has been formed by a lifetime of Bible study and accountable small -group fellowships. Through these disciplines I have learned to open myself to the nurture of the Holy Spirit and my fellow believers. In so doing I have been trained to live at peace with all people, to accept the differences in cultures, beliefs and personalities, to recognize the grace of God in people at all stages of spiritual maturity and to nurture the faith of others. A lesson of disci pleship is to put off any behavior that may be a hindrance to the spiritual growth of those with whom I am in fellowship. As the Apostle Paul taught, I should not allow what is a freedom for me to become an obstacle to my fellow believers. By living to the best of my ability to this standard, I have the freedom to be in fellowship and ministry with both non-Christians and Christians across the broad spectrum of the global Church. I see my spiritual gifts to be most compatible with the

Exploring the greek mythology through the ‘Odyssey’ Free Essays

Literary narratives such as the Greek and the Roman mythologies have played a great part on the development of societies around the world. Especially in the context of western civilization, the mythologies of the Greeks and the Romans significantly shaped the culture of this region. Aside from its culture, it also highly influenced its society in general. We will write a custom essay sample on Exploring the greek mythology through the ‘Odyssey’ or any similar topic only for you Order Now In fact, politics and religion are also explained in the light of the Greek and Roman mythologies. In this paper, it will explore on the Greek mythology through the myth on the ‘Odyssey’. More specifically, it will emphasize on its main character by the name of Odysseus or Ulysses. Through this character, this paper will be able to explain the role of myth on the changing cultural make-up of Greece. In particular, this myth will serve as an instrument in identifying the way Greeks perceive and use mythologies. Finally, this paper will also present the different key points of the myth. The Odyssey is an epic of Homer about the adventures of Odysseus. Specifically, this myth is considered as the sequel to the earliest well-known surviving work in Western literature which is the ‘Iliad’. In comparison to many sequels in the present era, the ‘Odyssey’ is considered to be distinct because of its originality and even stands as an independent work. (Napierkowski, 1998a) It has been said that its main character, Odysseus, has been a celebrated hero in the Greek mythology. Being the central character in the ‘Odyssey’, he is best known for is adventures during his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. His journey to home on Ithaca took ten years because of the anger of the sea god Poseidon. During his journey and adventures, the hero went to many wondrous and dangerous places. Along the way, he lost all his companions and the treasure he had gotten from Troy Arriving home at last after an absence of 20 years, Odysseus had to defeat rivals trying to take possession of his wife and his kingdom. Then he had to prove his identity to his wife, Penelope. (Wickersham, 2000) The adventures of Odysseus are highlighted by his achievement of victory in various challenges or struggles. Among this is the encounter with the Ciconians, the Lotus-eaters, Polyphemus, Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, Circe, Journey to the underworld, the sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, the cattle of Helios as well as the Calypso and the Phaecians. More importantly, one can also add the difficulties he acquired upon his arrival in Ithaca due to the suitors of his wife, Penelope. Eventually, all of these trials were conquered by Odysseus. Therefore, he was dubbed as a hero. Moreover, the qualities he manifested during his trials were considered as the qualities of a real or true hero. Undoubtedly, the voyages and troubles encountered by Odysseus highlights the concept of heroism, loyalty, creativity and order. In addition, the ‘Odyssey’ is also famous for its use of symbolism as well as for the pace and variety of its action. With this, both the ‘Iliad’ and the ‘Odyssey’ set the standard by which epic poetry, if not all poetry of any kind, was judged in the past 1,500 years. More importantly, the story on the wanderings of Odysseus has remained a perennial favorite to the present day. (Napierkowski, 1998a) Basically, the appeal of the ‘Odyssey’ is derived from its nature as being able to present the Greek people as well as the way of life in ancient Greek society. In short, the story serves as an archetype to various societies and not just the Greek community. Particularly, the characters of Penelope and Odysseus serve as a role model to the multitude. Their way of life has been the idealized life of the many. Until today, the moral of the story has continuously been resonated to the people of any culture or ethnic group. Furthermore, the theme of human condition is the most important theme in the ‘Odyssey’. In the story, almost every aspect of humanity is depicted- good, bad, young, old, individuals and groups, the living and even the dead. Other themes also include love and loyalty, order and disorder, heroic craftiness, the nature of women, triumph over temptation, home, the epic journey, the God’s involvement, revenge, heroism and, creativity, imagination and deception. Â  (Napierkowski, 1998b) Indeed, the story of Odysseus made a great impact on the society of the Greek people. In fact, even in the present day, the story on the adventures of this great hero is still related to many people around the world. In the contemporary society, people have created a modern version of the ‘Odyssey’ through the aid of media technology. This is evident on the animated version of this story in order to cater the needs of the children or the young generation. REFERENCES Burns, M. (1996, May 1). The wanderings of the Odysseus: The story of ‘The Odyssey.’ The Horn Book Magazine. Â  72 (3). Napierkowski, Marie Rose. (Ed). (1998). Odyssey: Introduction. Epics for students. Vol.1. Detroit: Gale. (1998). Odyssey: Themes. Epics for Students. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, Wickersham, John M. (Ed). (2000). Odysseus. Myths and Legends of the World. Macmillan: Thomson Gale. Â   How to cite Exploring the greek mythology through the ‘Odyssey’, Essay examples

Exploring the greek mythology through the ‘Odyssey’ Free Essays

Literary narratives such as the Greek and the Roman mythologies have played a great part on the development of societies around the world. Especially in the context of western civilization, the mythologies of the Greeks and the Romans significantly shaped the culture of this region. Aside from its culture, it also highly influenced its society in general. We will write a custom essay sample on Exploring the greek mythology through the ‘Odyssey’ or any similar topic only for you Order Now In fact, politics and religion are also explained in the light of the Greek and Roman mythologies. In this paper, it will explore on the Greek mythology through the myth on the ‘Odyssey’. More specifically, it will emphasize on its main character by the name of Odysseus or Ulysses. Through this character, this paper will be able to explain the role of myth on the changing cultural make-up of Greece. In particular, this myth will serve as an instrument in identifying the way Greeks perceive and use mythologies. Finally, this paper will also present the different key points of the myth. The Odyssey is an epic of Homer about the adventures of Odysseus. Specifically, this myth is considered as the sequel to the earliest well-known surviving work in Western literature which is the ‘Iliad’. In comparison to many sequels in the present era, the ‘Odyssey’ is considered to be distinct because of its originality and even stands as an independent work. (Napierkowski, 1998a) It has been said that its main character, Odysseus, has been a celebrated hero in the Greek mythology. Being the central character in the ‘Odyssey’, he is best known for is adventures during his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. His journey to home on Ithaca took ten years because of the anger of the sea god Poseidon. During his journey and adventures, the hero went to many wondrous and dangerous places. Along the way, he lost all his companions and the treasure he had gotten from Troy Arriving home at last after an absence of 20 years, Odysseus had to defeat rivals trying to take possession of his wife and his kingdom. Then he had to prove his identity to his wife, Penelope. (Wickersham, 2000) The adventures of Odysseus are highlighted by his achievement of victory in various challenges or struggles. Among this is the encounter with the Ciconians, the Lotus-eaters, Polyphemus, Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, Circe, Journey to the underworld, the sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, the cattle of Helios as well as the Calypso and the Phaecians. More importantly, one can also add the difficulties he acquired upon his arrival in Ithaca due to the suitors of his wife, Penelope. Eventually, all of these trials were conquered by Odysseus. Therefore, he was dubbed as a hero. Moreover, the qualities he manifested during his trials were considered as the qualities of a real or true hero. Undoubtedly, the voyages and troubles encountered by Odysseus highlights the concept of heroism, loyalty, creativity and order. In addition, the ‘Odyssey’ is also famous for its use of symbolism as well as for the pace and variety of its action. With this, both the ‘Iliad’ and the ‘Odyssey’ set the standard by which epic poetry, if not all poetry of any kind, was judged in the past 1,500 years. More importantly, the story on the wanderings of Odysseus has remained a perennial favorite to the present day. (Napierkowski, 1998a) Basically, the appeal of the ‘Odyssey’ is derived from its nature as being able to present the Greek people as well as the way of life in ancient Greek society. In short, the story serves as an archetype to various societies and not just the Greek community. Particularly, the characters of Penelope and Odysseus serve as a role model to the multitude. Their way of life has been the idealized life of the many. Until today, the moral of the story has continuously been resonated to the people of any culture or ethnic group. Furthermore, the theme of human condition is the most important theme in the ‘Odyssey’. In the story, almost every aspect of humanity is depicted- good, bad, young, old, individuals and groups, the living and even the dead. Other themes also include love and loyalty, order and disorder, heroic craftiness, the nature of women, triumph over temptation, home, the epic journey, the God’s involvement, revenge, heroism and, creativity, imagination and deception. Â  (Napierkowski, 1998b) Indeed, the story of Odysseus made a great impact on the society of the Greek people. In fact, even in the present day, the story on the adventures of this great hero is still related to many people around the world. In the contemporary society, people have created a modern version of the ‘Odyssey’ through the aid of media technology. This is evident on the animated version of this story in order to cater the needs of the children or the young generation. REFERENCES Burns, M. (1996, May 1). The wanderings of the Odysseus: The story of ‘The Odyssey.’ The Horn Book Magazine. Â  72 (3). Napierkowski, Marie Rose. (Ed). (1998). Odyssey: Introduction. Epics for students. Vol.1. Detroit: Gale. (1998). Odyssey: Themes. Epics for Students. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, Wickersham, John M. (Ed). (2000). Odysseus. Myths and Legends of the World. Macmillan: Thomson Gale. Â   How to cite Exploring the greek mythology through the ‘Odyssey’, Essay examples

Juvenile Crime Essays - Penology, Crime, Juvenile Detention Centers

Juvenile Crime Thirteen dead, over twenty wounded in a suburb of Denver Colorado, from a threat far greater than any Iranian terrorists. The threat is from within, the threat is our children. Youth Violence is a more common occurrence than the media would like us to believe. Similar instances have happened many times before: in Paducah, KY, three students were killed by a fellow student during a morning prayer circle(Leung). Also in Pearl MS, two were killed over a simple breakup (CNN), and in Springfield, OR, a sixteen-year-old killed one youth and critically wounded twenty-three over the alienation from his schoolmates (Barnard). Not to mention the sad atrocity in New Jersey where a young teen couple threw their newborn kid into a dumpster on a subfreezing night(Bad Seeds). This kind of delinquency is a problem, luckily all problems have solutions. Unfortunately the proper solutions are simply overlooked for the similar programs that address the problems cheaper. So the public believes that this type of treatment will do. However, we need something new, something radical to curb the growing violence among the youth in America. Society needs boot camps. Not just any type of boot camp. Those have been tried, and in some places, they worked, but not well enough. For any juvenile treatment to work research shows that it must address three basic needs of all children (NCCP): 1. A locus of control. 2. Significant adult role models. 3. Significant accomplishments. While many of the instituted plans have included some of the above goals they have not included all due to the cost of implementation. The problem affects kids of ages as shown in a survey taken in 1992, sixty-five percent of kids ages seven to ten feared they would die young, while that fear was shared by forty-two percent of eleven to seventeen year olds. (NCPC Report) With the arrest rate of juveniles increasing significantly during that time period, I don't blame kids for being scared. (Canada and the World) I have the solution, and recommendations for the implementations of what I like to call, "self-sustaining" boot camps. They will be self-supporting and cost very little maintenance fees save those for the main initialization process, which can be taken out of the government slush fund. Crime has increased greatly over the past ten years with an increase of over seventy-five percent in arrests of juveniles. (Current Events 2a) This increase is unacceptable. It shows just how little we have done to curve the growing problem of youth crime in America. Society today seems to have developed a not my child kind of outlook. It is no longer the Hispanic-American male age fifteen to eighteen that are committing all the crimes and causing the increase of violent crimes by eighteen percent from '91 to ?92. Nor, were they the ones mainly responsible for the increased arrests for homicides to 14.5 of 100,000 children in 1993. Surprisingly, children under age fifteen are responsible for thirty six percent of the crimes. With this age group committing thirty-six percent of the forcible rapes, and forty-five percent of the larcenies. While the leading race committing the crime is the Caucasians. They committed seventy percent of the total crimes and fifty-two percent of the forcible rapes. (FBI Uniform Crime Report) These statistics show how people today have turned a blind eye to the real problem and ignore the basic needs that a youth tries to fulfill through the crimes. If we continue to let this type of violence grow unchecked, it will rage from what could be considered a small ember, to a mighty conflagration of violence and anarchy by the middle of the twenty-first century. We look around us now and shake our head, telling ourselves that it's not our problem, or that the kid has bad parents. If we let this continue we will be condemning ourselves to our fate. Yet, "self-sustaining" boot camps are the way to get through the darkness, and a way to take back our streets and once again feel safe. It is cost effective and capable to turn or kids into responsible adults. There is one major problem that holds this plan back, and that is money. Whenever a new program is started more money has to be spent on it then on a program already in effect. However with the type of boot camp I recommend implementing would be of significant enough saving to fund the program. The price for keeping a single juvenile incarcerated for a year in a detention facility is approximately $47,400, While a

20 Geography Dissertation Topics to Call Your Audience to Action on Summer Holidays

20 Geography Dissertation Topics to Call Your Audience to Action on Summer Holidays 20 Geography Dissertation Topics to Call Your Audience to Action on Summer Holidays One of the most important choices you will ever make in your academic career is the topic for your dissertation! John Komlos, a university professor, in the Chicago Guide to Your Academic Career advices to take a balanced approach to the choice of dissertation topics. As you you’re supposed to deal with a kind of work for a long period of your student life, it will have an impact on the direction of a future career. In fact, choosing a topic is a challenge for most students. And you may be at a loss for what topic to choose, or you haven’t found any good ideas yet. Don’t get worried! There is a solution, and you have found it in this article. The key point is obvious: it has to be something you feel passionate about. You can be eager to write a dissertation on something that holds personal interest for you. A dissertation is too labor intensive. If you are stuck or looking for inspiration, you’re moving in the right direction. We have done some brainstorming with topics for your dissertation! The following ideas can match or be adjusted to your interests. They are very flexible! Here are 20 geography dissertation topics: The Earth’s Tilt is Changing: The Reasons, Causes, and Effects Does the Climate Change Mean an Everlasting Summer? Water and Air Pollution: How Do They Change the Environment Each Summer Caribbean Coral Ecosystems Are in Jeopardy Why Are Natural Environmental Hazards Becoming More Common in Summertime? How a Change in Air Pressure Influences a Change in Climate The World’s Oceans Getting Warmer: Is It Going to Affect the Population? The Solar Energy Issues in India World Migration Report 2018 Shows Ill Conceived Facts Why Could Subregions of Europe Experience Scorching Summers? Petroleum Extraction Is the Worst Thing for Our Summers Are Fires in Latin America Affecting the Landscape? Weather Forecasting Technological Advantages in the Modern World How Extraterrestrial Seasons Show Our Future Fertility Rate Increases Every Summer in America: What? and Why? The Hazardous Waste: The Realistic Solution Summer Droughts Can Decimate Cities Without Proper Planning Differences in Asian Cultural Identities Because of Geography Endangered Languages in Europe Need to Cross Borders to Survive Why Are People Conditioned to Care Less About the Environment in the Summertime? As you can see, almost all of these topics are related to summer in some way. This word used in dissertation topic will help keep your reader interested! Everybody loves summer, especially, summer holidays. These are a good way to keep people interested and keep yourself motivated when writing! It’s important to choose a topic that other people enjoy, otherwise, you will not catch their interest. Did you see one you really liked? Don’t worry if you didn’t, but hopefully, you did. Now that you have these topics in mind, you can come up with your own in an easier way. Feel free to combine one of these with something you have already thought of. Either way, you have come out a step ahead considering a topic. If you do like what you see, then, it is time to get started! The next step is either to create an outline or get expert help from a good writing service. That will ensure that you are headed in the right direction towards a great dissertation. Good luck with the writing process. It is a big undertaking for sure!

50 Tips on How to Write Good

50 Tips on How to Write Good 50 Tips on How to Write Good 50 Tips on How to Write Good By Mark Nichol The contents of this post are an alphabetical arrangement of two lists that have been circulating among writers and editors for many years. In case you have missed out all this time, I’m sharing here the wit and wisdom of the late New York Times language maven William Safire and advertising executive and copywriter Frank LaPosta Visco. 1. A writer must not shift your point of view. 2. Always pick on the correct idiom. 3. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake. 4. Always be sure to finish what 5. Avoid alliteration. Always. 6. Avoid archaeic spellings. 7. Avoid clichà ©s like the plague. (They’re old hat.) 8. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky. 9. Be more or less specific. 10. Comparisons are as bad as clichà ©s. 11. Contractions aren’t necessary. 12. Do not use hyperbole; not one in a million can do it effectively. 13. Don’t indulge in sesquipedalian lexicological constructions. 14. Don’t never use no double negatives. 15. Don’t overuse exclamation marks!! 16. Don’t repeat yourself, or say again what you have said before. 17. Don’t use commas, that, are not, necessary. 18. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous. 19. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, â€Å"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.† 20. Employ the vernacular. 21. Eschew ampersands abbreviations, etc. 22. Eschew obfuscation. 23. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed. 24. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing. 25. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement. 26. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos. 27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms. 28. Hopefully, you will use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them. 29. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is. 30. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing. 31. It behooves you to avoid archaic expressions. 32. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive. 33. Never use a big word when a diminutive alternative would suffice. 34. No sentence fragments. 35. One should never generalize. 36. One-word sentences? Eliminate. 37. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary. 38. Parenthetical words however must be enclosed in commas. 39. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of ten or more words, to their antecedents. 40. Placing a comma between subject and predicate, is not correct. 41. Poofread carefully to see if you any words out. 42. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with. 43. Profanity sucks. 44. Subject and verb always has to agree. 45. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors. 46. The adverb always follows the verb. 47. The passive voice is to be avoided. 48. Understatement is always best. 49. Use the apostrophe in it’s proper place and omit it when its not needed. 50. Use youre spell chekker to avoid mispeling and to catch typograhpical errers. 51. Who needs rhetorical questions? 52. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided. Oh, and let me add one tip: If your article consists of a list and the title refers to the number of items in the list, count the number of items in the list carefully. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowDeck the HallsTitled versus Entitled

Platelet Expression of COX1, IL1 and IL10 Research Proposal

Platelet Expression of COX1, IL1 and IL10 - Research Proposal Example Platelets are approximately 20% of the diameter of the red blood cells. They have proteins on their surfaces that enable them to stick to break in blood vessels. Their count is 150,000-350,000 per every microliter of blood (Andre, 2014). Each megakaryocyte produces an average of 1000-3000 platelets in a lifetime. An un-activated platelet is biconvex and disc-shaped, about 1-3 micrometers. In human beings, the average lifespan of a platelet is 7-10 days; however, the lifespan of an individual platelet is determined by the internal apoptotic regulating pathway (Machlus and Italiano, 2013). Platelets are formed from the cytoplasm of the megakaryocytes which are found in the bone-marrow. The megakaryocytes are approximately 75 micrometers in diameter. The megakaryocytes become polyploidy by endomitosis to assemble and release the platelets. They then mature, where the majority of the cytoplasm is packaged into proplatelets and the nucleus extruded. The platelets form at the tip of the proplatelets (Machlus and Italiano, 2013). The platelet formation is divided into two phases; one where the megakaryocyte mature ad when the megakaryocyte generate the platelets. The whole process takes place approximately in 5 days. During the first phase, the megakaryocyte matures and develops and it requires specific megakaryocyte growth factors. The megakaryocyte’s cytoplasm nuclear proliferates and enlarges as the megakaryocyte is filled with cytoskeletal proteins, platelet-specific granules and a sufficient membrane that completes the platelet assembly. The second phase is short and the megakaryocyte generates platelets by remodeling their cytoplasm into pro-platelets and later into pre-platelets that undergo fission and generate discoid platelets. The second phase may just take place in hours. Cytokines are antibody proteins that are mediators between the cells. Most of the cytokines are

The Pantheon Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Pantheon - Term Paper Example From the research "The Pantheon" it is clear that even though the traditional porch was a popular thing among the Romans, combining it with a giant rotunda resulted into a completely new and unique structure. Those visiting the building would approach it via a large courtyard referred to as forecourt. The forecourt was bordered by marble columns on each of its sides (DuTemple22). â€Å"At the far end, they would see the traditional porch with its carved stone columns† (DuTemple22). However, there was no clear view of the rotunda at the back of the porch. When approaching the building from the forecourt, the dome appeared to be large, but not particularly fundamental. The rotunda resembled a gigantic saucepan fitted with a lid on its top (DuTemple22). It is only after entering the porch that anyone could come into the reality of the beautiful sight inside the rotunda, which was â€Å"a perfect hemisphere, 142 feet (43 m), in diameter, curving upward from the top of a giant rou nd wall† (DuTemple22). After clearing the ground on which the building was to be built, the measurements of the building were done by Hadrian’s architects. The measurement was in circular form because it was easier to measure a circular building than a rectangular one. Because the place in which the Pantheon was to be built was near a river, which often flooded, the architects knew the only solution was to lay a strong foundation for the building. The strong foundation was very important owing to the massive weight that the dome of the Pantheon would exert on it.

EGovernment: History, Causes and Trends

EGovernment: History, Causes and Trends BENCHMARKING EGOVERNMENT SERVICES Abstract: Governments around the world have embraced the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This represents a relatively new branch of study within the IT field. EGovernment Services are provided through many different means of access and to a variance of audiences, citizens, businesses or even other governmental entities. After clarifying the definitions and differences among similar terms (i.e. eGovernance and Digital Government, eDemocracy) this paper examines how eGovernment is measured by analyzing the dominating methodologies that are used. Furthermore, following specifically the eGovernment benchmarking methodology that is used by the European Commission, a greater focus in the evolution of eGovernment in Greece has been made. The finding through this assessment was far from satisfactory. Particularly, comparing the 20 Basic eGovernment Services offered in Greece, from 2007 to 2009, no development in terms of improvement, has taken place. Finally, the measures tha t governments need to undertake are discussed. Introduction In the past years, assisted by the invasion of Information Technology in everyday lives, governments all over the world have begun widely using information technologies for increasing the effectiveness and quality of the services they provide. These initiatives have become known as â€Å"electronic government† or eGovernment services. In most cases, when words gain that attractive â€Å"e-â€Å" in front of them, the popular belief is that they have become â€Å"electronic†, whatever that means, even though in some cases it does not make much sense. This confusion is much more obvious when the original word itself has conceptual and abstract meanings. Words like Government and Governance. Section I presents the most popular definitions, choosing the one that describe each term the best, and clarifies boundaries between the most common terms. Furthermore, the different ways that eGovernment can be classified, depending on the delivery model or the audience, is outlined. Although the definitions of eGovernment may vary widely, there an obvious shared theme emerges; eGovernment involves using information technology, and especially the Internet, to improve the delivery of government services to citizens, businesses, and other government agencies. It acts as enabler for citizens to interact and receive services from governments twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Monitoring eGovernment development and evaluating its effectiveness is a complex and challenging task, as the phenomenon is new and dynamic. In Section II, the basics of Benchmarking are presented and its structural elements are analyzed. Focusing on specific examples of methodology used, a set of four dominant practices that represent the longest running efforts for measuring eGovernment is chosen to be explored further. Using the reports publish by each one of them, on a periodical basis, their inner workings are analyzed and the various developments, changes and evolutions in the methods employed by each one are mentioned. Section III focuses at benchmarking of eGovernment Services in Europe. In order to recognize how eGovernment has evolved and matured within the European Union, the relevant European directives, initiatives and frameworks for the development of eGovernment Services in the region since 1999 are examined. Following that, the methodology used for benchmarking eGovernment the European Union is examined in detail. All measuring elements, including some that were used for the first time in the most recently published report are evaluated. Having established what eGovernment is, what Benchmarking is and how its methodologies function, Section IV uses the data from the latest European eGovernment Benchmarking Report, which was published in November 2009, to assess how the Greek eGovernment landscape evolved since the previous report in 2007. The results are disappointing. When comparing the 20 Basic eGovernment Services offered in Greece, there was no improvement, what so ever, from 2007 to 2009. Following that, Greek performance in the two new indices introduced in the latest report (EProcurement and User Experience) is reported and compared to the respective EU27+ average. Finally, in Section V, a general overview is provided along with the conclusions about the (lack of) progress in eGovernment in Greece. Scope and aims The scope of this project is to analyze how the meaning of eGovernment has evolved in the past few years and then review the current trends in benchmarking the penetration sophistication of eGovernment services in Europe and the rest of the world. Furthermore, this project reports and analyses the level of eGovernment services offered in Greece. The basic aims of this project are: Define the eGovernment ecosystem, typology and taxonomy. Analyse the dominant methodologies of benchmarking eGovernment services Gather and process existing results about eGovernment in Greece, regarding service penetration and sophistication, along with other relevant metrics. Resources This project relies heavily on research. In particular, a lot of research on what the different and sometimes contradicting terms that define eGovernment as well as the rest of the relevant terms in academic papers throughout the previous decade was made. Following that, further research about the current and past trends in benchmarking in general and eGovernment benchmarking in particular are is conducted. From there on, having established what eGovernment is and what the provided services should be, along with how they are measured, more research was conducted in order to reveal what the actual current level of provided eGovernment services is. To accomplish this, reports from many different parties are used. These include reports published both by well knows analyst firms or government bodies in various levels as well as reports issued at a global level such as the United Nations to local reports issued by the authorities of each country such as the IT Observatory in Greece. Typology Convention Throughout the bibliography, or any other sort of resource for that matter, â€Å"electronic† terms do not have a consistent representation. So, just like electronic mail can be found abbreviated in quite a few forms, â€Å"electronic† Government is abbreviated to eGovernment, e-Government, E-Government etc. To avoid this inconsistency, through this project the term eGovernment will be used (changed to EGovernment only in the beginning of sentences). This convention will apply to â€Å"electronic† terms that will be used such as eGovernance. I. EGovernment, eGovernance and Digital Governance EGovernment is one more of the recent years â€Å"buzzwords†. It is usually either paired with the word â€Å"services† at the end or other words like eGovernance and Digital Government. Like every other (relatively) new and cool â€Å"buzzword† they are used widely by a broad spectrum of individuals who represent mostly two different backgrounds. Information technology and politics. The first because it is a technological issue, the later because they have come to realize, even though a little late, that they represent an excellent vehicle for them to provide a better experience to anyone who interacts with the Government. But, what do these terms mean? Do they collide or conflict each other? How about covering or including one another? A. EGovernment Definitions There is not one, unique and commonly accepted definition for eGovernment. It is quite difficult to decide over a specific one but after the research made, the following definition from the World Bank (ÃŽ  ÃŽâ€˜ÃŽ ¡ÃŽâ€˜ÃŽ  ÃŽÅ¸ÃŽÅ"ÃŽ  ÃŽâ€") describes it best: â€Å"Government refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies (such as Wide Area Networks, the Internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management. The resulting benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost reductions ((AOEMA), 2004). Although other definitions have been provided, this definition is preferred. The reason is that it is the most concise and the easiest to be understood since apart describing in simple words how eGovernment is utilized, it goes on to offer a very brief, yet to the point, reference to its main advantages. EGovernment definitions various other sources as follows:  · United Nations definition ((AOEMA), 2004): â€Å"E-government is defined as utilizing the Internet and the world-wide-web for delivering government information and services to citizens.† * Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce GBDe definition ((AOEMA), 2004): â€Å"Electronic government (hereafter e-Government) refers to a situation in which administrative, legislative and judicial agencies (including both central and local governments) digitize their internal and external operations and utilize networked systems efficiently to realize better quality in the provision of public services.† * Gartner Groups definition: â€Å"the continuous optimization of service delivery, constituency participation, and governance by transforming internal and external relationships through technology, the Internet and new media.† * Definition of the Working Group on eGovernment in the Developing World: E-government is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to promote more efficient and effective government, facilitate more accessible government services, allow greater public access to information, and make government more accountable to citizens. E-government might involve delivering services via the Internet, telephone, community centers (self-service or facilitated by others), wireless devices or other communications systems.† EGovernment is in the first stages of development. Most governments have already taken or are taking initiatives offering government services online. However, for the true potential of eGovernment to be realized, government needs to restructure and transform its long entrenched business processes. EGovernment is not simply the process of moving existing government functions to an electronic platform. Rather, it calls for rethinking the way government functions are carried out today to improve some processes, to introduce new ones and to replace those that require it. The range of services that may be provided by e-government spans from simple information sites to fully interactive experiences where users and government engage in a dialog mediated by information technology. Internal information systems of Government agencies, information kiosks, automated telephone information services, SMS services and other systems all comprise e-Government services. All these are applications of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to improve the services of the Government towards its primary clients: the citizens. In the last few years, there has been much talk of mobile government or m-government. MGovernment refers to the use of wireless technologies like cellular/mobile phones, laptops and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) for offering and delivering government services. MGovernment is not a substitute for e-government, rather it complements it. 1. Benefits of eGovernment E-Government initiatives contribute to citizen empowerment by making information about government processes and decisions easily available, and allowing information-sharing among people and organizations, and between citizens and the civil service (Accenture and the Markle Foundation, 2001). Well-informed citizens are better able to hold their governments accountable. Governments are then compelled to improve the quality of services, expand accessibility of these services, and increase responsiveness to their constituents. Many Government services rely on information passed among different offices within a department or across departments. The large amount of information and paperwork required results in an environment where for red tape rips, the workforce is inefficient and bureaucratic, and the delivery of services is ineffective. With the usage of ICT, the government bureaucracy and citizens are both winners in the battle against the paper trail. eGovernment allows government kno wledge and data exchange to be accessed more easily (whether public or secure) by the appropriate offices or individuals. By this, it reduces redundancies of information flows, and resulting in overall increased productivity. Another result of the integration of operations of government agencies is the improvement of transparency in government. EGovernment minimizes redundant information flows, helps to eliminate duplications of functions, and improves the adherence of public servants to proper government procedures, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption. This, provided it is accompanied by well-informed and active citizens, will assist in limiting the relationship between bureaucracy and corruption and will help lead to a higher sense of accountability among officials. B. EGovernment Taxonomy EGovernment can be classified according to different criteria. It can be classified according to its level, its audience and last but certainly not least, according to the delivery mechanism used. 1. Reach EGovernment can be categorized in the following five distinct levels depending on how broad it is. The levels are: * International * National * Regional * State/Provisional * Local These levels are illustrated below (see 1 adapted from Heeks, 2006) 2. Audience The question of where eGovernment originates is pretty much self-explanatory. Nevertheless, the same does not apply when wondering about who is in the receiving end. The answer that first comes to mind is, the citizens. But isnt so. Apart from citizens, there are other entities that are benefited by eGovernment services. According to Backus, â€Å"the three main target groups that can be distinguished in eGovernment concepts are government, citizens and businesses/interest groups. The external strategic objectives focus on citizens and businesses and interest groups, the internal objectives focus on government itself† (Backus, 2001). a) Government to Citizens (G2C) Government to Citizen activities are those in which the government provides, on-line, one-stop access to information and services to citizens. G2C applications allow citizens to ask questions of government agencies and receive answers, such us: * File income taxes * Pay taxes * Arrange driving tests or renew drivers licenses * Pay traffic tickets * Make appointments for vehicle emission inspections and * Change their address In addition, a government could: * Distribute information on the web * Provide downloadable forms online * Conduct training (e.g., in some US States, the classes for the drivers tests are offered online) * Assist citizens in finding employment * Provide touristic and recreational information * Provide health advice about safety issues (e.g. warnings for epidemics like the recent H1N1 virus) * Allow transfer of benefits like food coupons * File natural disaster relief compensation electronically through the use of smart cards; and the list goes on. b) Government to Business (G2B) Government to Business activities refers to those where the government deals with businesses such as suppliers using the Internet and other ICTs. It is a bidirectional interaction and transaction: Government to Business (G2B) and Business to Government (B2G). B2G is about businesses selling products and services to government. The most important G2B areas are eProcurement (which essentially is actually a reverse auction) and the auction of government surpluses. c) Government to Government (G2G) Lastly, Government to Government refers to those activities that take place between different government organizations/agencies/entities. Many of these activities aim to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of overall government operations. One such example is the Intelink, an intranet that carries classified information shared by different U.S. intelligence agencies. 3. Delivery Mechanism EGovernment services are provided not only via the Internet. Instead, many other means are often used. In fact, studies and reports indicate that these â€Å"other† means of eGovernment services provision show in some cases extremely high utilization. For example: * Telephony dominates channel usage in some situations: Accenture (2005) reports 63% of industrialized country respondents contacting government by telephone; compared to 31% using the Internet over a 12-month period. * In-person visits dominate in other situations: an Australian survey reports half of government contacts to be face-to-face compared to one-fifth undertaken via the Internet (AGIMO 2005). * Survey data also reflects an ongoing preference for telephone or in-person channels especially for transactional, problem-solving, urgent and complex interactions (AGIMO 2005, Horrigan 2005). a) Multichannel Examples Some Governments have embraced this reality and adopted a multichannel approach to the services they offer. In its Progress Reports, the European Comission includes some specific examples: * In Malta, citizens can access their personal social security records and payments via the internet, and may also opt to be notified about their social security payments via SMS rather than receiving printed payment advice by post. However, the most innovative initiative is the introduction of eGovernment Agents that act as intermediaries to those without access. (ePractice eGovernment Factsheets Malta, 2009) * In Austria, all websites that belong to the .gv.at domain are available free of charge or connection fees via wireless hotspots (WLAN), and via public kiosks, thanks to an excellent cooperation between the Austrian Government and two major telecommunication providers. Similar to Malta, Austria also has legislation in place allowing officials to act as intermediaries for citizens who do not have online access or a citizen (ePractice eGovernment Factsheets Austria, 2009) * In Spain, 060 is the magic code providing a single access point. Many services provided by different administrations can be accessed via the 060 network, whether they are office-, internet-, or phone-based. Citizens can access the networks 2800 points of presence in the street or their office on the web, by the phone (060) or SMS. The 060 phone number is intended to replace over 1000 phone numbers available for citizens to access information of the General Administration of the State. The network is available 24/7 and currently offers 1225 national, regional and local public services. It is worth noting that In August 2007, only 15 months after its creation, the citizen information phoneline 060 had already dealt with 700000 enquiries. (ePractice eGovernment Factsheets Spain, 2009) C. EGovernance Definitions Just like eGovernment, there is not a single common definition to describe eGovernance. However, the UNESCO defines it best: â€Å"E-governance is the public sectors use of information and communication technologies with the aim of improving information and service delivery, encouraging citizen participation in the decision-making process and making government more accountable, transparent and effective. E-governance involves new styles of leadership, new ways of debating and deciding policy and investment, new ways of accessing education, new ways of listening to citizens and new ways of organizing and delivering information and services. E-governance is generally considered as a wider concept than e-government, since it can bring about a change in the way citizens relate to governments and to each other. E-governance can bring forth new concepts of citizenship, both in terms of citizen needs and responsibilities. Its objective is to engage, enable and empower the citizen.† Other definitions include * â€Å"EGovernance, meaning ‘electronic governance is using information and communication technologies (ICTs) at various levels of the government and the public sector and beyond, for the purpose of enhancing governance.† (Bedi et all, 2001, Holmes , 2001 and Okot-Uma, 2000). * Whereas according to Backus (2001), eGovernance is defined as the, â€Å"application of electronic means in (1) the interaction between government and citizens and government and businesses, as well as (2) in internal government operations to simplify and improve democratic, government and business aspects of Governance.† D. Digital Government The term Digital Governance was introduced more than 7 years ago (McIver Elmargarmid, 2002). Notions such as eGovernment, eGovernance and any future technology of ICT (e.g. Web 2.0 applications), should fall under the Digital Governance umbrella (Schellong, 2009). This term has been preferred by other researchers as well, due to the excessive usage of adding letters like â€Å"e† (electronic), â€Å"m† (mobile), â€Å"u† (ubiquitous) or â€Å"2.0† to government-related terms. Schellong goes further to suggest a specific typology (2008) as illustrated below in 2: EGovernment contains the terms: * EAdministration Internal use of ICT * EServices. External use of ICT * EDemocracy. Use of ICT for direct public participation in government (decision making or voting) EGovernance is a completely different branch and deals with government, society and economy. E. Open Government In the last decade, there have been many efforts to promote eGovernment. A new initiative has emerged though, Open Government, or OpenGov as it is usually abbreviated. OpenGovernment efforts have begun not only in the US but also in other countries, like Greece. Although OpenGovernment and eGovernment have similar characteristics and share common goals, the greatest one being the promotion of transparency, they are not the same. Open Government can be argued to be an evolution of eGovernment (GUSTETIC, 2009), since the only reason that it exists as an initiative today is because of advances made by eGovernment along with various technological improvements and innovations. II. Benchmarking A. Definition Benchmarking is defined as the process of measuring the performance of an organization along with the practices it applies in key areas and subsequently comparing them to other organizations. It is widely accepted in the private sector and is being used as a practical tool in order to achieve positive results with unlimited potential. EGovernment benchmarking means undertaking a review of comparative performance of eGovernment between nations or agencies. These studies have two purposes: * Internal: Benefit the individual and/or organization undertaking the benchmarking study * External: Benefit achieved for users of the study. This project falls into the first category, as described in the Scope and Aims paragraph earlier in the document. B. Goals With new expectations about their performance, government entities are being encouraged to look at ways of implementing changes in their practices. Benchmarking provides them with one of their most useful options. In every industry, there are ways of doing things that are broadly recognized as standard practices for that industry. However, every industry has its leaders. These leaders are organizations that over perform when measured against those standards. They have achieved â€Å"best practices† as demonstrated by their results in quality, cost, customer satisfaction and responsiveness. Benchmarking aims to discover what the â€Å"best practices† are that lead to superior performance. In greater detail, the process of benchmarking e-Government : * Fosters accountability for eGovernment projects. * Helps meeting rising public expectations * Enables government officials to take more informed decisions and corrective actions * Validates the generated public value * Fosters projects interchange Moreover, benchmarking can be distinguished from other traditional forms of evaluation by its attempt to visualize â€Å"best practices† through normalizing comparison and by urging public entities to ask themselves what they can do to promote them. Benchmarking enables and motivates them to determine how well current practices compare to others practices, locate performance gaps, experience best practices in action, and prioritize areas for improvement or other opportunities. It is quite important to note that â€Å"Benchmarking is not the same as benchmarks. Benchmarks are performance measures and benchmarking is the action of conducting the evaluation.† (Yasin, 2002). C. Data Sources After establishing what benchmarking is, the most common data sources are evaluated.. 1. Calculated Indicators Quite a few benchmarking reports use composite indicators, for example, for the purposes of national rankings. Because it is not always clear how they are calculated or researched, composites have been criticized (UIS 2003) for their lack of transparency along for their subjectivity. Fortunately, a guide for good practice in use of composites has been developed (eGEP 2006a:45) and includes: * Developing a theoretical framework for the composite. * Identifying and developing relevant variables. * Standardizing variables to allow comparisons. * Weighting variables and groups of variables. * Conducting sensitivity tests on the robustness of aggregated variables. Other than the composite calculation of national rankings, there seems to be little use of calculated indicators in the benchmarking of e-government. The most commonly used indicators include: * Benefit/Cost Ratio. * Demand/Supply Match. * Comparative Service Development. * National Ranking Some examples along with the methods used for each indicator are illustrated in Table 1below (adapted from Heeks, 2006). Calculated Indicator Example Method Benefit/Cost Ratio Expected financial benefit (impact) / Financial cost (input) (NOIE 2003) Interview (internal self-assessment / internal administrative records) Demand/Supply Match Preference for online channel in particular services versus Online sophistication of that service (Graafland Essers Ettendgui 2003) Mass citizen survey Comparative Service Development Stage model level of citizen services versus business services (Capgemini 2005) Stage model level of different service cluster areas (Capgemini 2005) Third party Web assessment National Ranking Composite of features and stage model level for national websites (West 2005) Composite of ICT and human infrastructure with stage model level for national/other websites (UN 2005) Composite of stage model level, integration and personalization of national websites (Accenture 2005) Third party Web assessment Table 1 Calculated Indicators Used in eGovernment Benchmarking (Heeks, 2006). 2. Standard Public Sector Indicators Apart from calculated indicators, others (Flynn 2002) suggest using a standard indicator set for public sector performance. This set is displayed in Table 2 below (adapted from Flynn 2002). Indicator Explanation eGovernment Example Benchmark Economy The amount of inputs used Expenditure per capita on IT None Internal efficiency The ration of input intermediates Cost per website produced per year Minimization External efficiency The ratio of inputs: outputs (use) Cost per citizen user of government websites per year Minimization Internal effectiveness The fit between actual outputs (use) and organizational objectives or other set targets The extent to which underserved communities are users of e-government services Maximization External effectiveness The fit between actual impacts and organizational objectives or other set targets The extent to which citizens are gaining employment due to use of an eGovernment job search service Maximization Quality The quality of intermediates or, more typically outputs (use) The quality of eGovernent services as perceived by citizen users Maximization Equity The equitability of distribution of outputs and impacts The quality of time/money saved by eGovernment service use between rich and poor Maximization Table 2 Standard Indicators for eGovernment Performance (Flynn 2002) D. Methodologies Having described the methodologies used more commonly when benchmarking eGovernment services, the next step is to illustrate how the necessary data is gathered. There are a number of official methods (eGEP 2006b): * Focus groups * Internal administrative records * Internal self-assessment * Mass user surveys * Official statistics * Pop-up surveys * Third part web assessment * Web metrics and crawlers Each of these methods can be compared in four different and distinct factors (Heeks, 2006). Those are: * Cost: The time and financial cost of the method. * Value: The value of the method in producing data capable of assessing the downstream value of e-government. * Comparability: The ease with which data produced can be compared across nations or agencies. * Data Quality: The level of quality of the methods data. In particular, Heeks suggests using the CARTA (Complete, Accurate, Relevant, Timely, Appropriate) check list when assessing data quality (2006). There is also a set of methodologies that are not used as frequently as the ones mentioned earlier. These are: * Intermediary Surveys. * Intranet Assessment. * Public Domain Statistics. * Public Servant and Politician Surveys. 1. Automation With new eGovernment services being introduced by Governments every day, benchmarking is gradually becoming a more and more important mechanism for identifying best practices and keeping track of developments, but as the number of the offered services increase, data collection becomes more and more difficult. Apart from that, since eGovernment is being expanded to other eGovernment levels, as illustrated earlier in 1, it is only natural that the number of benchmarking studies is increasing fast. Thus, the traditional approach of fata collection has not only become a very challenging but also a very resource intensive task. In order to address this matter, there are projects (eGovMon) which attempt to automate the data collection (Research Council of Norway, 2009). In particular, the eGovMon project is co-funded by the Research Council of Norway and â€Å"is developing methodology and software for quality evaluation of web services, in particular eGovernment services, concerning four areas:†  · Accessibility  · Transparency  · Efficiency  · Impact Additionally eGovMon will provide a policy design tool Case study: SIGMUND FREUD Case study: SIGMUND FREUD Sigmund Freud  (1856-1939),  Austrian physician, neurologist, and founder of psychoanalysis, who created an entirely new approach to the understanding of human personality. Through his skill as a scientist, physician, and writer, Freud combined ideas prevalent at the time with his own observation and study to produce a major theory of psychology. Most importantly, he applied these ideas to medical practice in the treatment of mental illness. His newly created psychotherapy treatments and procedures, many of which in modified form are applied today, were based on his understanding of unconscious thought processes and their relationship to neurotic symptoms (see Neurosis). Regarded with skepticism at the time, Freuds ideas have waxed and waned in acceptance ever since. Nevertheless, he is regarded as one of the greatest creative minds of the 20th century. I. Freuds life Freud  was  born  into  a middle-class Jewish family in Freiberg, Moravia (now PÃ…â„ ¢Ãƒ ­bor, Czech Republic), on May 6, 1856. When he was three years old his family, fleeing from the anti-Semitic riots then raging in Freiberg, moved to the German city of Leipzig. Shortly thereafter, the family settled in Vienna, where Freud remained for most of his life. Although  Freuds  ambition from childhood had been a career in law, he became intrigued by the rapidly developing sciences of the day after reading the work of British scientist Charles Darwin. Freud decided to become a medical student shortly before he entered Vienna University in 1873. Inspired by the scientific investigations of the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Freud was driven by an intense desire to study natural science and to solve some of the challenging problems confronting contemporary scientists. In  his  third  year  at  the university Freud began research work on the central nervous system in the physiological laboratory under the direction of German physician Ernst Wilhelm von Brà ¼cke. Neurological research was so engrossing that Freud neglected the prescribed courses and as a result remained in medical school three years longer than was normally required to qualify as a physician. In 1881, after completing a year of compulsory military service, he received his medical degree. Unwilling to give up his experimental work, however, he remained at the university, working in the physiological laboratory. At Brà ¼ckes urging, he reluctantly abandoned theoretical research to gain practical experience. Freud  then  spent  three years at the General Hospital of Vienna, devoting himself successively to psychiatry, dermatology, and nervous diseases. In 1885, following his appointment as a lecturer in neuropathology at Vienna University, he left his post at the hospital. Later that year he worked in Paris with French neurologist Jean Charcot. On  his  return  to  Vienna in 1886 Freud began private practice in neurology. Also that year Freud married Martha Bernays, to whom he had become engaged four years earlier. The first of their children was born the following year. Their family would become complete with the birth of Anna in 1895, who herself would become an important psychoanalyst (see Anna Freud). In  1902  Freud  was  appointed professor of neuropathology at the University of Vienna, a post he held until 1938. In 1923 he developed cancer of the jaw. Although repeated operations and prosthetic appliances in his mouth made his life most uncomfortable, he continued working incessantly until his death. When the Germans occupied Austria in 1938, Freud was persuaded by friends to escape with his family to England. He died in London on September 23, 1939. II. Freuds work Freud  was  by  training a research scientist and a physician. His decision to devote himself to the neglected and poorly understood area of emotional disorders has to do with currents of the time as well as his own interests. Chief among these was the prevailing attitude toward scientific endeavor at the time. Scientists were looking for causes and for connections between previously unrelated phenomena. Although Jewish by birth and cultural tradition, Freud saw all religion as illusory and was non-practicing. Instead, he can be seen as a determinist, viewing the world and human experience as understandable in terms of cause and effect. A. Hypnosis and the influence of Charcot In  1885  Freud  was  awarded a government grant enabling him to spend 19 weeks in Paris as a student of French neurologist Jean Charcot. Charcot, who was the director of the clinic at the mental hospital, the Salpà ªtrià ¨re, was then treating nervous disorders by the use of hypnotic suggestion. Fascinated by the apparent success of these treatments, Freud met and studied with several of the leading figures in the field. Charcots  group  had  been tackling the problem of hysteria, a term derived from the Greek word for womb. Hysteria traditionally was seen as a condition of women and was characterized by unexplained fainting, paralysis, loss of sensation, tics, and tremors. In time, Charcot came to see that men could also be so troubled. Although the mechanism of hysteria was not understood, Charcot and his contemporaries showed that its symptoms could be cured by hypnosis. Freuds studies under Charcot influenced him greatly in channeling his interests to psychopathology (the study and treatment of disorders of the mind). In  his  practice  in  Vienna, Freud met many patients with nervous disorders for which there was no apparent physical cause. Their symptoms included paralyzed limbs, tics, tremors, loss of consciousness, memory impairment, and numbness that could not be explained. These unexplained cases were labeled as neurotic, meaning that they were similar to neurological conditions. In time they became known collectively as neuroses. Freuds  observation  of Charcots use of hypnosis in the treatment of similar disorders led him to conclude that there could be powerful mental processes operating that remain hidden from conscious understanding. He began to employ hypnosis in his own practice, publishing articles on the subject in 1892. Freud came to understand hysterical neurotic symptoms as the product of a conflict between opposing mental forces. Conscious forces representing will were balanced by unconscious opposing forces representing counterwill. He understood hypnosis to act on the side of will to subjugate the counterwill, thus obliterating the symptom. The idea of conflict proposed in the 1892 paper A Case of Successful Treatment by Hypnotism: With Some Remarks on the Origin of Hysterical Symptoms Through Counterwill' was to become a fundamental principle of psychoanalysis. B. The beginnings of psychoanalysts The  next  important  development in Freuds theory of psychology came out of work he conducted with his friend and colleague Josef Breuer, a Viennese physician who was involved in the treatment of a young woman who was distressed while caring for her dying father. The patient had developed a number of hysterical symptoms, which Breuer initially treated by hypnotic suggestion. Initial success gave way to disappointment when on her fathers death her symptoms returned with increased severity. Somewhat at a loss as to how to proceed, Breuer had continued to talk to his patient on a daily basis and in time she began to talk about various reminiscences from the past and about her daydreams. Remarkably, as her narrative revisited memories from the past, which were associated with the onset of a particular symptom, each symptom disappeared when accompanied by an emotional outburst. Breuer made use of this discovery to eliminate her symptoms one at a time. He called the treatment the ca thartic technique (from the Greek katharsis meaning purgation). The treatment was time consuming and required considerable effort to reach dimly recalled and otherwise inaccessible memories. Freud  and  Breuer  published the case and several others in 1895 under the title Studies on Hysteria. Their view was summed up in the statement Hysterics suffer mainly from reminiscences. They proposed that when faced with emotionally traumatic memories, hysterics subjugate them from conscious appreciation to prevent the unbearable emotional pain and suffering that they cause. Rather than being driven out of the mind, however, these memories are driven into an area of the mind that is unconscious and inaccessible. Here the memories may be redirected from the emotional system into the somatic (bodily) system and appear as apparently unexplained physical symptoms. The cases that constitute Studies on Hysteria outline the transition from treatment by hypnotic suggestion to the earliest descriptions of what is now known as psychoanalysis. Working  on  his  own  Freud hypothesized that hysterical symptoms were most likely to arise when repressed traumatic memories related to adverse childhood sexual experiences. This view generated tremendous controversy at the time because the existence of childhood sexuality was not widely accepted. In time Freud was forced to reconsider this aspect of his theory, instead relating the repressed memories to childhood fantasies of sexuality and their relationship to parental figures. 1. Dreams The  next  development  in Freuds theory stemmed from his observations on dreaming. He came to see that many of the characteristics of dreams were shared with the symptomatic memories recalled by his patients in the narrative of free association. In his therapeutic relationship with his patients, Freud had abandoned hypnotic suggestion in favor of encouraging the person to speak freely about whatever came into his or her mind. Unintentionally, the patient would bring order to these free associations, whose structure and content Freud used to try to understand underlying unconscious processes. In  dreams  Freud  noted  the same apparently unstructured experiences of thoughts and images coming into the mind that seemed to be representative of some underlying unconscious process. To explain these phenomena, he suggested the existence of an inner censor that effected a compromise between conflicting mental forces and in the process disguised their meaning from conscious appreciation. He defined resistance as the unconscious defense against awareness of repressed experiences in order to avoid the resulting anxiety. He traced the operation of unconscious processes, using the free associations of the patient to guide him in the interpretation of dreams and slips of speech. Slips of speech or parapraxes, now known as Freudian slips, Freud claimed, were revelations of unconscious wishes. His 1904 publication, The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, discusses these ideas. Freud  came  to  understand the mind as a series of layers, with the most superficial layers in conscious appreciation and the deeper layers containing repressed memories and remaining unavailable to conscious thought. He termed this the topographical model and likened it to an iceberg, a small part of which is visible above the surface while the greater submerged part remains obscured from view. These ideas were published in 1900 in The Interpretation of Dreams. During  the  first  two  decades of the 1900s Freud concentrated on modifying and improving his theory of psychoanalysis. He defined a number of principles and described a model of personality development. 2. The unconscious Perhaps  Freuds  greatest contribution was to describe the unconscious and to postulate that it obeys the principle of psychic determinism, which holds that human thoughts, feelings, and impulses, rather than being random, are linked in a system of causally related phenomena, behind which lies some reason or meaning. Freud concluded that on this basis unconscious processes could be investigated and understood. Some experiences that are not immediately accessible to conscious appreciation can be brought into the conscious mind by the process of remembering. Freud referred to these experiences as the preconscious. Still-deeper thoughts cannot be remembered and are actively repressed in the unconscious. Unconscious  experiences, according to Freud, are not subject to the same logic characteristic of conscious experience. Unconscious ideas, images, thoughts, and feelings can be condensed or dramatized in the form of abstract concepts and imagery. Often the relationship between the original experience and the unconscious symbolic representation can seem obscure. 3. Role of conflict The  central  theme  of  conflict had arisen early in Freuds work. Conflict arises in a persons conscious mind when one set of beliefs impacts adversely on another area of belief, causing emotional suffering felt as disappointment, anger, or frustration. Freud was interested in the unconscious aspect of mental conflict. He described the pleasure principle as another fundamental of psychoanalytic theory. This holds that human beings have a tendency to seek pleasure and avoid pain. The principle is said to dominate in early life, bringing the developing individual into conflict with the external world. These conflicts are retained in the unconscious. Freuds  original  concept held that the conflicts of early life arose as a result of innate human drives or instincts. He conceptualized how development might occur in terms of the drives and their satisfaction according to the pleasure principle. Among the chief drives was the libidinal, or sexual, drive, which serves the human species by directing individuals to reproduce. Awareness of a need to keep rein on the free expression of drives gradually develops, and failure to rein in these drives (and fantasies about their expression) is felt as guilt. Life becomes an equilibrium between drives, conflicts, and reality.  Freud  believed  that  by understanding the crucial events and fantasy wishes of childhood, psychoanalysis could shed understanding on later adult character development with its attendant conflicts and neurotic symptoms. Later, he extended his model to include psychoses (serious mental disorders in which people have a distorted view of reality). Conflicts  repressed  into the unconscious are retained, according to Freud. From time to time they may overcome repression and reemerge into conscious appreciation, precipitating anxiety or panic. To counteract this, the individual unconsciously produces various defense mechanisms, which become part of that persons character. Examples of defense mechanisms include projection, where the individual ascribes to others his or her own unconscious desires (I hate you, for example, becomes You hate me), and reaction formation, where the individual adopts a pattern of behavior directly opposed to a strong unconscious drive.  In 1923 Freud reformulated his ideas in a structural model of the mind that postulated the existence of the id, the ego, and the superego. Freud  gave  the  name  id to unconscious drives. The id knows nothing of morality or reality. It seeks only to gratify the instinctual drives, and it operates solely according to the pleasure principle. Freud held that the biological drives of a young person are often frustrated by delays and restricted by the demands of parents and other older members of the family. As time passes, the demands of the community or society also become important obstacles to id gratification. In adapting to the environment, the child begins to acquire an ego, or set of conscious perceptions, memories, and thoughts that enable the person to deal effectively with reality. Thus, according to Freud, the ego obeys the reality principle. As the individual absorbs the teachings of family and society, he develops a superego, or conscience, that frequently conflicts with the drives of the id. In many cases the ego reduces the conflict by at least partially fulfilling the id impulses through socially ac ceptable behavior. Often, however, the conflict disappears on the conscious level as unfulfilled impulses are repressed into the unconscious mind. Freuds  therapy  consisted of listening to the patient relate a narrative of free associations over many sessions. By listening to the patients associations, Freudian slips, contents of dreams, and thoughts, he linked and interpreted these experiences to the patients conscious world. He came to understand the nature of transference, in which the patient develops feelings for the therapist that are in fact representative of previous feelings toward other important figures in the patients life. These thoughts and feelings Freud interpreted and linked to the patients current emotional state.   C. Major influences Freuds  early  psychological work shows the influence of the sciences of the day on his thinking. Ideas from physics, chemistry, and evolutionary theory occur regularly in his writing. At the time,  Charles Darwins writings, especially the theory of evolution, were challenging contemporary Judeo-Christian belief. Indeed it was Darwin who emphasized instincts for survival and reproduction, formulated in Freuds theory as basic drives.   Freuds  ideas  can  be  seen in the same context as Darwins. Freud, too, challenged philosophical and religious thinking by suggesting that human beings were rather less in control of their own thoughts and actions than previously believed. His contention that unconscious thoughts and actions had to arise from within the self rather than from God conflicted with the contemporary notion of soul. From Freuds time on, the disciplines of philosophy and psychology developed separately. Freud  was  particularly interested in the association school of psychology, which included Johann Friedrich Herbart and Wilhelm Max Wundt, the former of whom may have contributed to free association as a therapeutic technique. Psychodynamic theory-the model of conflicting forces influencing the subconscious-also has its origins in the physical concepts of opposing forces and vector analysis. Freuds theory that unresolved conflicts can be converted into physical symptoms reflects the principle of conservation of energy held by the first law of thermodynamics. Yet  Freuds  ideas  were new and radical, and it is easy to see why Freud came into conflict so readily with the society and establishment of his time. He relied on the support of friends such as Breuer. By 1906, however, a small number of pupils and followers had gathered around Freud, including Austrians William Stekel, Alfred Adler, and Otto Rank; American Abraham Brill; and Eugen Bleuler and Carl Jung from Switzerland. Other notable associates, who joined the circle in 1908, were Hungarian Sà ¡ndor Ferenczi and Briton Ernest Jones. Pakistan: Deep inside the World’s Most Frightening State Pakistan: Deep inside the World’s Most Frightening State BOOK REVIEW â€Å"PAKISTAN DEEP INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST FRIGHTENING STATE† Author: Mary Anne Weaver Mary Anne Weaver, the writer of â€Å"Pakistan Deep inside the World’s Most Frightening State† has been a long time foreign correspondent for the New Yorker magazine. She is an expert in South Asian and Middle Eastern affairs and political and militant Islam. She has also written on the rise of militant Islam. She has reported from over thirty countries of the world, and currently resides in New York. She has won many writing awards including Citation, the Cornelious Ryan Award for the best non-fiction book on international affairs. Moreover, she has worked for The Sunday Times of London, London Times, Washington Post, and some other groups. She is Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Journalism from Pennsylvania State University and Master of Arts in Arab Affairs from the American University in Cairo. The other important book that she has written is A Portrait of Egypt: A Journey Through the world of Militant Islam. She has written article on the consequences of S audi and American funding and Egyptian support of Islamic militants fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. She has also written â€Å"India’s Bandit Queen†. The author’s political and philosophical viewpoint is based on years of experience as a journalist and personal vignettes overseas. She is quite critical on the rise of Militant Islam and the dire need of Pakistan to the United States. General Summary: The book is basically about a country which is surrounded by such challenging and complex circumstances that we can find no parallel of. The country is one and only Pakistan. The author has given a classical account of the situation the country has passed through. A nuclear armed state sandwiched between Afghanistan and India, having militant influence inside has been elaborated by her as the most dangerous place on Earth. The country’s integration is an utmost requirement for the world peace. The book gives an account of the most important factors, i.e. Militancy, Nuclear Arsenal, Neighbors, Role in the War on Terror and the shifting policies in different Dictatorial tenures. Moreover, the role of United States and Saudi Arabia has been discussed and the Baloch Tribal Culture and Kashmir, that has been the main bone of contention between Pakistan and India has been utmost importance in the book. Author’s Thesis or Conclusion: The author during the journey of writing this book met many important figures of the time, such as General Pervez Musharraf, the then President and Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army, Benazir Bhutto, G.M.Syed, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, and some more. The author has given an account of the circumstances in which General Musharraf took over. There was an overall policy shift after he came into the chair, as his takeover was followed by the 9/11. According to her, there was a huge difference in Zia and Musharraf policies. She elaborates the role of Saudi Arabia and Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan in Afghanistan and explains how both contradict their interference. The event of 9/11 led Pakistan into circumstances that it had to become an ally of the United States in the War on Terror. The point of concern for her was that if they counter the Taliban, how they will manage the Jihadis then. Initially, Pakistan benefitted from the United States, as sanctions were removed and aid pac kages were received. She also highlights the role of nationalists like G.M.Syed. She tells that Osama bin Laden had popular support in Pakistan. People were ready to come out on streets for him. He received help from many tribal elders of Balochistan. The tribal elders of Balochistan were against the education and development in their province, as they see reduction in their influence. Further, she talks about the role of Mullahs in the society and most importantly the politics of Pakistan. Arabs are very close to Pakistan. They mostly come there for hunting purposes with the approval of the authorities. Then she talks about Benazir. She tells that at that time Benazir Bhutto seemed a serious threat to Musharraf, as intelligence agencies at that time had the view that she was the most popular leader of the country. She gives an account of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s death and Benazir and family’s condition at that time. She gives a comparison of Musharraf’s liberal an d Zia-ul-Haq’s conservative tenures. She also talks about the role of military in politics. The tussle between India and Pakistan has also been discussed. India blames Pakistan for any incident happening inside its territory and so does Pakistan. India claims that organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, etc. are being operated from Pakistan. The objective of United States was to carry out attacks and limit the members of Al-Qaeda, whereas she gives some indication of Pakistani reluctance also. Regarding Kashmir, the major bone of contention between Pakistan and India, she tells the views of both sides. Pakistan forces for a plebiscite as decided by the United Nations, whereas India has a stance that it is a bilateral issue after the Simla Agreement. There is a major deadlock between both the nations, and none of them can afford to lose Kashmir. For this reason, both sides remain on maximum military alert. She highlights a very important aspect that the organizations which were once formed and trained by the intelligence agencies of Pakistan, like Jaish-e-Muhammad, twice tried to assassinate General Musharraf. This is a point of high concern. Pakistan is hence elaborated as one of the most difficult and tough countries of the world. My Reaction to Author’s Views: I agree with the author’s views in most of the aspects she has given. She is absolutely correct about the difference in the approaches, i.e. liberal and fundamentalist of Musharraf and Zia ul Haq. She correctly tells about the support and sympathies Osama bin Laden had in the country. The Baloch tribal elders themselves do not want economic and educational empowerment in their province, in order to keep in order their influence. The aspect of Arabs which she has discussed is in my point of view correct and having a line in order with Arabs is a basic compulsion on Pakistan, for financial, economic and political reasons. The role of military in politics is a truth, and still politics is not free of their influence. Moreover, the most important aspect in my point of view is that of the organizations that were formed under the influence of our security agencies and now they are our own enemies. This has been clearly witnessed by the whole world. So, her view of Pakistan, one of t he most difficult states in the world is correct, as the complexity of problems that can be witnessed here, are not that common in the world. Summary and General Recommendations: The book is well written, and covers many of the problems and, complexities of the problems, that Pakistan is facing today. The author has herself met many bigwigs and then mentioned the experiences on the basis of those meetings and travels that she had in the country. The book includes index, map, but lacks pictures. As far as referring the book is concerned, yes, I will refer the book to others, for the reason that it contains a whole analysis along with the background of the problems that the country is surrounded by today. This book is a good read for the general reader.