Managing capability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Managing capability - Essay Example The organizational capabilities are the typical analysis and assessment of the skills, potentials and the effort exhibited by the employees in the firm. The capabilities have the complete evaluation of the employees and the resources for the assurance of profitability and productivity. The organizational capabilities depend on the achievement of the organizational goals effectively and efficiently. The organizations play a vital role in routing these capabilities and they are the result of the interlinked routings. The analysis of the task is at ease in comparison with the creation of capability. The analysis starts with the questions related to the functioning, activities performed and the current performance. â€Å"The field of strategic management deals with understanding the ways how firms achieve competitive advantage and how they create superior value.† (Arndt, 2008). In this study the main aim is to identify the capability and how it is related to the competitive advant age, different tools and the frame work. The organization that is analyzed is Toyota, where the task is to identify the different capability and the contribution to the competitive advantage, and analyzing the different functional areas of them. â€Å"Toyota believe the potential for growth in our industry is extremely promising.† (Psabilla, 2007). The competitive advantage of the firm is the dependency of the firm on the revenue and the profitability of the firm. A firm is said to own competitive advantage when profit of the firm is greater than the average revenue. The aim of any business unit is to have a sustained competitive advantage. This is shown in fig-1 According to Michael porter, competitive advantages are of two types; they are the cost advantages and the differentiation advantages. The cost advantages are those when the firm is capable of marketing and selling the products with the same

Exit Exams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exit Exams - Essay Example A description of those affected most by the exit exams will be given, and a look at what some districts are doing to improve test scores will be worthwhile. Exits exams have many aliases, including proficiency tests, graduation exams, minimum competency exams (MCEs) and mandatory exit exams (MEEs). The bottom line to all of them is that even if a student finished the 12th grade with the minimum required grade point average, and the mandatory amount of credits, no diploma will be issued until the student passes the exit exam required by the state. As of June 2008, students in 23 states will have to pass exit exams to receive high school diplomas (Rosenthal, 2008). Some states don't require it yet, but soon will. Students in Maryland, for example, won't have to begin passing the exam until 2009 (Rosenthal, 2008). Other school districts, though, are begging out of the exam. Two years ago, "Utah pulled back from making exit exams mandatory" (No New States, 2006). In California, lawsuits were filed when students didn't receive diplomas, based solely on the inability to pass a proficiency exam, but the California Supreme Court upheld the stat e's decision to withhold diplomas when students failed to prove minimum competency using the exam. Decisions like that have sparked debate all over the United States. Proponents believe it is a good idea for various reasons. Opponents have an even longer list of reasons why the exit exams are unfair. Teachers claim to be tired of juggl[ing] two accountability standards (Cromer, 2007), one from the state and one from the No Child Left Behind act, and others feel that teachers have no right to complain since many of them do, or will receive "some form of incentive pay" (Cromer, 2007) when their students pass their exam. With all of this going on, it is not difficult to see why the states are in such a state of flux about the issue. Proponents Those who are for the examine take much criticism, but have valid points. Proponents claim that the exam will "encourage students to achieve basic competency in core subjects and to make the high school diploma more meaningful" (Rosenthal, 2008). There is little definition about what a meaningful diploma is, but the arguments don't stop there. They claim that dropout rates haven't declined because of the exam (Greene & Winters, 2004), as evidence that students take more pride in their high school experience. It is said, "Most students who are serious about graduating high school should be able to pass such an exam if given enough tries" (Greene & Winters, 2004). Although this opinion is biased in the opinion of some, the fact is that every state gives the students multiple chances to pass the exam. Some students even begin taking the test in Spring of the 8th grade year. Ironically, some of the biggest supporters of the exam are students who have received their diplomas by passing it. One news report reads, "They want the exams, as well, because it validates the formula that they worked so hard to achieve" (O'Reilly, n.d.). The meaning is that once students have felt the threat of not graduating if they can't pass the exam, and then they do pass it, they are more likely to feel like everyone else who works hard should pass the exam, too. The fact that people want students in high school to begin taking

Presentation of women in Antigone

Presentation of women in Antigone Sophocles play Antigone presents us with three different types of women: Antigone, the strong-willed protagonist; Ismene, the weak sister of Antigone; and Eurydice, wife of Creon. Each of these characters personalities, lifestyles, and choices directly affects the characters mortality. The women characters in Antigone show great contrast, the most prominent being life and death. By analyzing the female characters, it can be seen that those who die, Antigone and Eurydice, share certain aspects that the survivor, Ismene does not; they are opposites of each other in nearly every way. The first opposite found, strong versus weak, plays a prominent role in this play. Antigones role within the play is much stronger than Ismenes or Eurydices on various occasions. Antigone never fears Creon and his laws, and openly defies them, twice. Upon being caught in the act, Antigone does not hide from what shes done, she confesses to it, Yes, I confess; I will not deny my deed, (Greene 487 pp 198). Antigone has a stronger familial bond with her brother, whom she believes deserves a proper burial, than her sister, Ismene, who refuses all participation in the unlawful act. After Creon has caught Antigone, he calls on Ismene, falsely assuming her participation in the illegal burial, and asks if she did it, Ismene replies I did it, yes-if she will say I did it, (Greene 590 pp 202). Only when Ismene fears her sister has told on her, does she show that she has the potential to be a strong character, like Antigone. Eurydice, who is not as prominent in the play as many other characters, is also portrayed as weaker than Antigone. Eurydice, being Creons wife stands behind him in all that he does. She supports him in his decisions, until his actions lead to the suicide of their son, Haemon. This puts Eurydice over the edge, at which point she kills herself. Both Antigone and Eurydice share the mental and physical strength to kill themselves for their loved ones. Similar to strength, but just as important in this play, is bravery. Antigones show of bravery throughout this play defies gender roles of her time, and makes her death meaningful. Other characters in this play kill themselves because someone they love dies, but Antigones death, though by her own hand, was caused by Creon and his misguided laws. The Chorus in the play praises her choices by saying, Yes, you go to the place where the dead are hidden, but you go with distinction and praiseit was your own choice and alone among mankind you will descend, alive, to that world of death, (Greene 878-884 pp 213). Antigones choices show her strong will, and continuous love for those she has lost. Antigone willingly gives her life to ensure her brother gets to the underworld safely, and once she does that she kills herself to be with her family in the after life. The character of Ismene shows no sign of this bravery, and this conformity to Creons way of thinking preserves her life. She continuously takes on the common subordinate role women usually are portrayed in, saying such things as You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men (Greene 70-71 pp 183) and bury him in secret; I will be silent, too, (Greene 98 pp 184). Ismene does all she can to try to convince her sister to change her mind. The women in this play share a commonality in their love for their family, but Antigone is the only one who is not afraid to prove it. Family is, not only the leading cause of death of women within this play, but the basis for this entire play. It is Antigones lineage that began all of this chaos in the first place, as stated by Ismene, Consider sister how our father diedhow he himself struck out the sight of his two eyesThen, mother and wifedid shame violently on her lifeThird, our two brothersEach killed the other, (Greene 56-65 pp 183). Antigone proves her undying love to the dead members of her family by taking her own life, and in a way disowning Ismene for not doing the same. Ismene fears the punishment associated with burying her brother, and therefore refuses to do anything which would endanger her life. After Ismenes confession, Antigone refuses to let Ismene have any false glory, Justice will not allow you what you refused and I will have none of your partnership (Greene 592 pp 202). Similar to Antigone, Eurydice gives up her life for a loved one. The bond between mother and son is much stronger than that of husband and wife, and its this bond that leads Eurydice to take her own life once she hears that her son has taken his own life. A character known as Second Messenger recounts her death, The queen is dead. She was indeed true mother of the dead son. She died, poor lady, by recent violence upon herself, (Greene 1358-1360 pp 229). With whom these women align themselves seems to be a deciding factor in their life or death within the play. There are the women who, in the end, align themselves behind Creon and his rule, and those who believe in other forces. Antigone goes against Creons laws, believing that since Creon will eventually die, his proclamation (concerning her brothers burial) holds no power. She thinks only the Gods have enough power to declare who should be buried and who shouldnt saying, it was not Zeus that made the proclamation; nor did Justice, which lives with those below, enact such laws as that, for mankind, (Greene 494-496 pp 198). This belief eventually leads to the actions which cause Antigones death in the play. Her sister, however, believes Creon is right and shouldnt be defied, saying we are ruled, by those who are stronger, (Greene, 72 pp 183). By being obedient to the King of Thebes, Ismene preserves her life, but at what cost, if everyone she loves dies in the process? The exception to this is Eurydice, whose character isnt explored deep enough to discover her true feelings, but she did align herself with her son by the end of the play, killing herself to be with him. The two female characters who did not believe faithfully in Creon died, while the subordinate female survived. Being a woman in and of itself plays a big part in the morality of these female characters. According to the website Ancient Greek Civilizations: the Women of Athens, marriage is a right of passage for girls to become women, (The Women of Athens). Eurydice is the only married women within the play, leaving us to believe Antigone and Ismene are still girls. However, in death, Antigone says herself that her husband is to be the Lord of Death, (Greene, 877 pp 213). Jana Shopkorn, who created a website entitled Til Death Do Us Part: Marriage and Funeral Rites in Classical Athens, says that Death before marriage signifies a marriage with the underworld, (Shopkorn). Following this line of thinking, the only woman who survives was in fact a girl, and being married was a curse, of sorts, for Eurydice and Antigone. Through the analysis of the only 3 females in Sophocles play Antigone, we discover a wide array of contrasting characteristics. The dynamics between these characters provides insight into their mortality within the play. The two female characters that die in this play, Antigone and Eurydice, share many similarities that Ismene, the sole female survivor does not possess. Their opposing personalities, lifestyles, and choices throughout the play can be directly correlated to their death or survival in this play. Works Cited Greene, David Lattimore, Richmond (Ed.). (1991). Greek Tragedies. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Shopkorn, Jana. Til Death Do Us Part: Marriage and Funeral Rites in Classical Athens. 6 Oct 2008 < http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/classes/JSp.html>. The Women of Athens. Ancient Greek Civilizations. 8 Oct 2008 .

John Steinbecks East of Eden - A Biblical Allegory Essay -- East Eden

East of Eden: A Biblical Allegory  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In East of Eden (1952) John Steinbeck creates a powerful novel using biblical allegories. By doing this, he can deliver a clear message by describing something unfamiliar to his audience and comparing it to something more familiar. Set in modern times, East of Eden retells the famous story of the downfall of Adam and Eve, and the jealous rivalry between Cain and Able. Steinbeck also creates many other characters throug his novel, that capture a biblical sense and help portray an image of the vast confusion of life. One character that resembles a biblical character is Cathy Ames. Throughout the entirety of the novel, her character portrays that of a monstrous almost inhuman creature. "... just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or malformed egg can produce malformed soul? To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous" (72). These abilities Cathy possessed allowed her to manipulate and control nearly everyone. Her inborn talent enabled her to repress normal emotions of love and thus posses many devil like characteristics. One being the manipulation of sex. In the second half of the story Cathy has married and unintentionally bears the lives of her two unborn sons. Before arriving in their destination of King City, Cathy deviously attempts to abort the lives within her. "He [Dr. Tilson] looked around the room . He stepped to the bureau and picked up a knitting needle. He shook it in her face. 'The old offender - the old criminal. You're a fool. You've nearly killed yourself and you haven't lost y... ...ch children can spend a lifetime trying to decipher the expressions of their love. Sometime later Adam becomes deathly ill. While on his death bed Lee pleads with Adam to forgive Caleb and bless him. "'Don't crush him with your rejection. Give him your blessing! ... That's all a man has over the beasts. Free him! Bless him!" (602). Slowly and with much effort Adam raises his right hand, displaying his act of blessing on Caleb. Like all strong allegories, East of Eden draws one into a world of fictious characters that seem to take on a life of familiarity. The bible, which Steinbeck has chosen to build his novel on, is a book that interests itself not in causes, but in actions and their consequences. By creating biblical allegories, Steinbeck gives a new meaning to an old chapter. Works Cited: Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. Penguin Books USA Inc. (1992).   

Opposing Viewpoints Essay Essay

Everyone has their own opinion. The person sitting next to you can have an entirely different outlook on something you do. Having different opinions is what makes for interesting arguments. Especially an author and a critic†¦ like Steven Johnson and Dana Stevens. In the article â€Å"Watching TV Makes You Smarter†, Steven Johnson believes that TV does make you smarter, while in her article â€Å"Thinking Outside the Idiot Box† Dana Stevens completely disagrees and critiques his article. The two have opposing views on the topic. Both these writers use different examples of ethos, pathos, and logos in their articles to back up their opinion and make for an interesting argument. In my opinion, Dana Stevens overall did a better job at using ethos, pathos, and logos to back up her argument. â€Å"From the vantage point of someone who watches a hell of a lot of TV (but still far less than the average American), the medium seems neither like a brain-liquefying poison nor a salutary tonic† (Stevens, 2012, p. 298). This quote is what Steven really tries to prove the whole article and back up with her arguments. Ethos has to do with credibility and trustworthiness. It is usually conveyed through the tone, and the writer’s reputation. This technique is used to make people seem credible and someone whom we respect. Dana Stevens uses ethos very well when trying to make her argument in â€Å"Thinking outside the idiot box.† Stevens starts off with informing the audience that she has a Ph.D in comparative literature from the University of California at Berkeley. If the author has earned her a Ph.D in comparative literature that gives her credibility because she has had to go through a lot of years of schooling and she has a lot of writing experience by now after getting a job in the field. â€Å"Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic and has also written for the New York Times, Bookforum, and the Atlantic† (Stevens, 2012, p. 295) is just another example of how experienced  Dana Stevens has a lot of experience with her work and knows what she is talking about. Steven Johnson used ethos the best in his argument. In the beginning he is introduced as: â€Å"Steven Johnson is the author of seven books, among them Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter (2005) and Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation (2010). Johnson is also a contributing editor for Wired, writers a monthly column for Discover, and teachers journalism at New York University.† (Johnson, 2012, p. 277) He is the author of seven other books and list them all. It then goes on to say Johnson is a contributing editor for Wired, he writers a monthly column for Discover, and teachers journalism at New York University. All of these things about Johnson give him a lot of credibility to begin with. Pathos has to do with appealing to your audiences emotion. Using imaginative impact, and stories can convince your audience of your argument by creating an emotional response. Tone is also a huge part of pathos, the way you state your argument can have a impact on their opinion. Dana Stevens wants to expose Steven Johnsons article and she does so by using pathos to get to the audiences emotions. At some points Stevens even makes fun of Johnson when she says â€Å" Johnson’s claim for television as a tool for brain enhancement seems deeply, hilariously bogus.† (Stevens, 2012, p. 297) This statement impacts the audiences emotions by making the reader feel kind of dumb if they actually agreed with Johnson that television makes you smarter, dumb enough that it would be hilarious if they were to actually believe that. She also makes a point when she says â€Å"he breezily dismisses recent controversies about the program’s representation of Muslim terrorists or it implicit endorsement of torture, preferring to concentrate on how the show’s formal structure teaches us to â€Å"pay attention, make inferences, track shifting social relationships.† (296) The mention of endorsement of torture usually makes people feel very disgusted and upset because of their morals. In the beginning Stevens (2012) basically says to the audience that anyone who agrees with Johnsons argument that TV makes you smarter are like â€Å"rats in a behaviorists maze.† (Stevens, 2012, 295) This creates a negative  emotion towards Johnsons argument, no one wants to be thought of as rat in an experiment being fooled. Steven Johnson uses pathos to get in touch with the audiences feelings by using TV shows that go against any normal persons morals. He used shows that brought up a lot of public controversies. â€Å"Over the preceding weeks, a number of public controversies had erupted around 24, mostly focused on its portrait of Muslim terrorists and its penchant for torture scenes. The episode that was shown on the twenty-fourth only fanned the flames higher: in one scene, a terrorist enlists a hit man to kill his child for not fully supporting the jihadist cause; in another scene, the secretary of defense authorizes the torture of his son to uncover evidence of a terrorist plot.† (Stevens, 2012, p. 278) Of course a statement like this will get peoples attention firstly. It will also really get people into their emotions too. The one sentence about the scene when a terrorist enlists a hit man to kill his child for no fully supporting jihadist cause will catch anyone’s attention even if you don’t really pay any mind to the subject. Something that is out of the norm like that will also get into peoples emotions. The other scene brought up about the secretary of defense authorizing the torture of his son to uncover evidence of a terrorist plot would take anyone by surprise and most likely feel disgusted. As a parent you should always want to protect your child†¦ not torture them, so imagine how an audience would feel especially parents after reading about this. It would most definitely catch their attention and get in touch with their feelings. Logos has to do with logic, reasoning, argumentation. Using facts, figures, and case studies to prove the point. If people know someone is using facts to prove their argument they assume it has to be true, facts don’t lie. Dana Stevens doesn’t exactly use facts and information the whole time, but she just wants the audience to understand that they are able to control their own choices about how much television they should watch. She bases a lot of her article off of this idea. Stevens also says at a point â€Å"just turn the set off†¦ and see if you get any dumber.†(Stevens, 2012, p. 298) Turning off the TV for a few days will not make you become dumber. If you turn off  the TV and pick up a book instead you’re more likely to gain more knowledge from that. The point Stevens is really trying to make is Johnson’s argument just doesn’t make any sense. How can TV make you smarter if you’re perfectly fine not watching it for a couple days and can actually gain more knowledge from doing something more educational like taking a trip to the library. This is just proving the point that watching TV does not make you any smarter, and not watching TV does not make you any dumber. Steven Johnson uses logos when he starts stating facts about TV shows and lets the audience know full details about it. Johnson goes on to talk about Television shows, when doing so he gives the audience a lot of facts about them to show they are legitimate. â€Å" During its 44-minutes- a real-time hour, minus 16 minutes for commercials- the episode connects the lives of 21 distinct characters, each with a clearly defined â€Å"story arc,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (Johnson, 2012, p. 278) He states the exact commercial times, the network, the date, exactly how long it was, what the show was about, etc. Johnson always states the exact full detail about every show he uses to prove his argument correct. When Johnson does so he gives the audience a sense that he knows what he is talking about. He always backs up his argument with facts†¦ this can let the audience know he has done his research, he has gone through the trouble to figure out everything there is know about the show including small things like the airing time, etc., and basically he just has all the facts there to prove his point if anyone disagrees with him. In conclusion, both writers use a lot of ethos, pathos, and logos to prove their argument. At some points one author may have used them better to prove their argument. Steven Johnson had a very strong ethos, pretty good pathos and also an average logos. Dana Stevens just used an overall strong use of all three ethos, pathos, and logos to prove her argument that TV does not make you smarter. The whole point of her article â€Å"Thinking Outside the Idiot Box† was to show the invalidity in Johnsons article. She gave facts, appealed to the audiences emotions, gave the audience a sense of credibility and trustworthiness. Both writers are very talented and experienced but Dana Stevens won the audience over with all these techniques backing up her argument.

Lost In Translation Vietnam A Combat Advisor’s Story

Lost In Translation: Vietnam: A Combat Advisor's Story is a very well-known book, which was penned down by Martin J. Dockery. The author of the book has presented a very well-documented account of the experiences of a young officer’s which he encountered during the early years of America’s Vietnam War. This is a description of the time when President Kennedy had sent hundreds and thousands of advisors to Vietnam in order to teach the South Vietnamese Army the ways to fight their war. The author has basically presented the history of American military. The book is fairly enjoyable and informative at the same time. The author of the book, that is, Martin J. Dockery was one of the advisors that were sent by President Kennedy to Saigon. Initially he was a very strong-minded, idealistic first lieutenant of the Army of the United States of America. When he arrived at Saigon, Dockery was certain of America’s coming up victory in Vietnam. A vast number of in-country military advisors of the United States of America filled basic support positions in Saigon and other major cities of Vietnam, Dockery was one of the few advisors who had been assigned Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) combat units. Dockery lived with and fought with an ARVN infantry battalion in the Mekong Delta for nearly eight months during which they carried out missions and operations that usually lasted for a number of days. Dockery here was the single American soldier in the entire unit and most of their time was spent traipsing all the way through the sweltering jungle which was infested by leeches, hiking across canals, or getting involved in unexpected firefights. This stay with the ARVN right in the beginning of the American participation in Southeast Asia provided Dockery with a chance to understand Vietnam far more better than any of the other Americans.   Through this book, the author has gained attention towards the chiefly disregarded part of American combat advisors in the war. By the use of sounds, smells and the view of the country as well as its people, Dockery has put forward the image of an army that was not properly trained, was ineffectual, and reluctant to fight for a government, which was perhaps as corrupt as the French colonial empire which it had replaced. But, for Dockery, his seclusion, threat and annoyance were nothing as compared to his emergent certainty that the advisory program was prone to turn out as a disaster. He believed that even though the advisors would work to their best and that too under the most difficult situation, they would not be able to succeed in the war. Basically, through this book the author has tried to tell us about the reasons which were the cause of the American failure in Vietnam. These causes range from the arrogance of the American views of people and culture to the complete misapprehension of the Americans regarding the influence of the dead on a culture. Through this book, the author has depicted the transformation of his preliminary zest and optimism into discontent with the responsibility that was laid down upon him by his government. The experiences of the author are extremely absorbing, but the most insightful experiences are those which he encountered during his encounters with the hosts of Vietnam regarding the cultural differences. His expression of the social values and the traditions of the Vietnamese people are extremely emotional and touching. Book Report As mentioned above, Lost In Translation: Vietnam: A Combat Advisor’s Story by Martin J. Dockery is a very well-known which was written by the author in order to raise awareness regarding the causes of the loss suffered by the Americans in the Vietnam war. Right in the beginning of the book the author writes, â€Å"This book is not a scholarly work or a comprehensive history. There are no footnotes. It is a memoir based primarily on my recollection of events that occurred when I was a combat advisor in Vietnam in 1962-63. It is only my story† (Dockery, Acknowledgements). Clearly this book is just his memoir, but it has raised much awareness and has unfolded the mistakes of the American government and the military. Further on he says, â€Å"next to the birth of my sons, Vietnam has been the defining experience of my life; it has impacted me profoundly. Not a day goes by when I do not think about Vietnam and my experiences there. Even now I recollect with clarity the sounds, smells and vistas of that place and its people. My tour of duty in Vietnam was marked by isolation, frustration and danger. Nevertheless Vietnam transported me. This is primarily an account of my assignment as a combat advisor to a South Vietnamese infantry battalion. It is an old tale from an old war, but I think it is relevant and instructive today† (Dockery, Preface). This opening statement basically clears out the fact that the book was written in order to inform us of the wrong doings of the American military and government, but when we look closely as the statement it shows how much the author, or in that case all the combat advisors had suffered during those trying times. The book begins by the author describing his history. He begins by telling us of his family background. The memoir guides the reader through the life of the author in a very interesting yet morbid manner. Starting by his birth and his family’s background, his education, he moves on to tell us about his military training and then eventually guides the reader to his experience in Vietnam, which include not only his views over the war but also a number of interesting stories and encounters with the people and information about the land itself. Perhaps through this book the author wishes to share the grief and frustration suffered by him as a completely isolated man. This can be seen in a number of places where he constantly mentions his loneliness. In the words of the author, â€Å"I lived and fought with a South Vietnamese infantry unit. Much of the time, I was isolated from the other Americans and was usually the only American soldier with these Vietnamese soldiers. Most field advisors in 1963   Ã‚   had experiences similar to mine. The thousands of U.S. combat troops who came after me had different experiences and faced perhaps greater dangers. They have their own stories, unlike mine† (Dockery, Preface). But, the author also moves on to say that these experiences have had a profound effect on his personality. He believes that he was rather immature when he arrived in South Vietnam, but these experiences, the hardships he faced; even the loneliness helped him build his character and perhaps become a much stronger man. According to the author, â€Å"the cumulative effect of these events was to turn an immature and insecure person into someone capable, confident and caring. That is how I see myself today. We all grow up; the Vietnam War was the period during which I matured. Although my character was tested, I was fortunate and came home a stronger person† (Dockery, Preface). The book has been written by the author in a rather very interesting way, beginning as mentioned earlier from his childhood to his military services and then eventually to his return to USA and then back to Vietnam. The chapters have been given names which give us hints as to what to expect in the chapter. The names of the chapters are: Early Lessons, A volunteer, The participants, In the field, The cement plant, Delta Life, Back to the USA, Reflections, Return to Vietnam. The book has succeeded in presenting the abrupt and invalid of superfluities. The author portrays his aggravation with moral compass to eventually realize self actualization as persistent warrior turn civilian. This book is highly recommendable for anyone interested in policy planning, volunteerism and also for students of Asian American studies. The contents of the book are particularly persuasive for those obligated in the meandering rational, that basic disagreement founds a respected democratic value system. The reader here is given a loose end to think as to why unshakable dishonest civil war settings over and over again prompt this â€Å"Christo-American† reaction. After going through this book, it is hard to believe that anyone actually believed that experienced Vietnamese commanders, a vast number of whom had a very different schema, would take suggestions from a few newly appointed, rather inexperienced Americans. The author has criticized the ways of the Americans in a rather clear and concise manner without any care for anything. In very clear words, the author’s has presented a testimony which provides unavoidable confirmation that the outcomes of the Vietnam war were extremely clear since perhaps the start of 1962, when the troops had arrived there. The result of the war was evident but it went ignored by the higher authorities. The author has put forward the fact that perhaps the U.S. leaders would learn in a decade what the young officer’s at Vietnam learnt in perhaps a year only. The book and its realities are extremely important to go through and should especially be ready by the authorities that send soldiers off to war. The author in the book has openly claimed that for most part of his life, he was not a very caring person. He was never sensitive and could never understand the feelings of others, not even his mother, sisters or family. But after all that he saw in the Vietnam war, his heart started realizing and feeling these things. In the words of the author, â€Å"the letters I wrote to my parents from Vietnam were devoid of hardship, danger and combat. They touched on politics, weather, food, geography and religion. I was learning to be sensitive, incrementally. Still am† (Dockery, p.6). The book has a morbid outlook all the way through, for it is the tale of a man who has suffered a lot. It should be read by those who wish to join the military services for they have the right to know just what they might face during war. The realities and truths within these pages are to be read by all. Especially those who believe in the righteousness of the American military to know just how wrong their actions were. Every combat advisor at war has his own distinctive incidents and Martin Dockery provides us with something very readable and worth turning pages for. He explains that when they arrived at Saigon, both of the troops (the American and the South Vietnamese) were completely different from each other. They had difference cultures, religions, philosophies, educational backgrounds, traditions etc. What was worst was the difference between their languages which was the basic cause of an umber of misunderstandings and conflicts, which basically shows why he named the book ‘Lost in Translation’. As he was completely isolated, his qualities started being brought up in him. His service ended when he had ended up with malaria, hepatitis, dysentery, skin fungus and worms. The books takes us from his birth in White Plains, NY, to his education, the Vietnam experience as well as his service in the American army’s â€Å"Old Guard†. It is full of interesting stories from which we derive much morals and realize just how wrong the American military was during the Vietnam war. Conclusion In the light of the above discussion, we can hereby culminate that Lost In Translation Vietnam A Combat Advisor's Story, is a very well-known book which has been written by Martin J. Dockery. Martin J. Dockery was one of the vast numbers of combat advisors that were sent by President Kennedy to South Vietnam in order to teach them how to fight. The book is basically the author’s personal tale and he has written this in order to show just where the American military went wrong and faced disaster at Vietnam. He believes that most of the wrong doings were the attitudes of the Americans towards others, their arrogance etc. The book is a must read for all and it presents us with information about the sufferings of the combat advisors who had long before predicted that the American would face disaster but the higher authorities had ignored their warnings. Anyone who believes that the military is out to work for our best or that they would win the hearts of many must read this book to see what the military made these innocent people go   through. The outlook of the book is very morbid but that is because of the baseline of the book. It begins form his childhood and then guides the reader through his entire life including his education, military training, the Vietnam experience, then coming back to USA and then going back to Vietnam. The book is full of interesting stories and can be read by all especially the students of history. Works Cited Dockery, Martin. Lost In Translation: Vietnam: A Combat Advisor's Story. United States of America. Presidio Press. ISBN-10: 0891418512   

Hallucinogens essays

Hallucinogens essays They possessed another method of intoxication, which sharpened their cruelty, for if they used certain small toadstools . . . they would see a thousand visions and especially snakes . . . They called these mushrooms in their language teunamacatlth which means Gods flesh, or the Devil whom they worshipped, and in this wise with that bitter victual by their cruel God were they houseled. (Schultes and Hofmann, 54) Being how the church described the mushroom cults of Mexico during the era of Spanish exploration and conquest in the region. For centuries a complex relationship between humans and hallucinogenic drugs has existed, but only in the last few decades has their usage become recreational. Despite this, there remains a great deal of mystery surrounding these substances. What do they do? How do they work? Can we, as a society, benefit from their existence, or are they just to be bundled up with all of the other drugs plaguing the youth? They require revisiting from the scien tific community, due to their extreme potency and therefore potential as treatment for various medical or spiritual conditions. Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been employed in religious practices in Mesoamerica for at least 2,000 years. The first non-native to fully participate in the mushroom ceremony wrote this about his experience: "Here let me say a word about the nature of the psychic disturbance that the eating of the mushroom causes. This disturbance is wholly different from the effect of alcohol, as different as night from day. We are entering upon a discussion in which the vocabulary of the English language, of ally European language, is seriously deficient. (Schultes and Hofmann, 67) The actual ceremony is extremely complex. A virgin girl collects mushrooms from the forest at the time of the new moon. She then brings them to the shaman were they remain briefly on an altar. Interestingly, mushrooms are...