Stages and Spheres of Discipleship Research Paper

Stages and Spheres of Discipleship - Research Paper Example The spiritually dead do not consider Christ. They do not consider Christ as their lord and savior. They are the unsaved and not born again people in the society. The spiritually dead do not believe in god. To them, the bible is just a bunch of myths. Christians are intolerant and homophobic people to God and they need to develop patience. Religion is a crutch for the weak individuals and such take chances in god.1 They do not differentiate between the right and wrong and they consider what might be right for one person to be right for another person. For them, the truth is just relevant for the one who perceives it. The spiritually dead do not consider the existence of hell and consider many ways a person can get to God. They consider themselves good individuals, and when they die, everything will be okay. Ephesians two 1-5 â€Å"God due to his great love for us and his rich mercy make us alive makes us alive with Christ even when we are dead in transgression."2 These individuals just know the Christ as their lord and savior. They are in the stage to learn the way God taught his disciples. They are described as infant babies filled with many questions and with many curiosities. The spiritual infants consider it necessary to go to church regularly to learn more about Christ. The spiritual infants need to pray and read the bible regularly. They consider it not necessary to need anyone else in their lives apart from themselves and Jesus. However, the infants are faced with dilemmas; they consider Jesus to be the solution of their problem. They will tell you that they were saved recently, but they still have problems in their lives. Peter 2:2-3 peter a servant and apostle of God says, â€Å"To those who have received Gods righteous and Jesus Christ as their savior, Grace and peace be abundant upon them through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and God. The divine power of God will give them everything they need.†3 The spiritual children

Holistic Living Guidelines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Holistic Living Guidelines - Research Paper Example Examining the concept of holistic living as well as how it is attributed to the way in which one responds to conditions while maintaining health can also create a deeper understanding of how to moderate one’s lifestyle for better responses and conditions. The results which are obtained consist of new and positive effects which an individual can experience for balance within their lives. Introduction The concept of holistic living is now becoming more acceptable in medicine and in the assistance of individuals living a balanced life. Holistic living is defined by combining the mind, body and spiritual needs that one has for a well rounded and healthier lifestyle. This is combined with the concept of self – care and preventative medicine. An individual that carries lifestyle habits for complete health through the mind and body while living a specific lifestyle then it offers a holistic living style. This consists first of the basic needs of a human, which is inclusive of physical health as well as peace of mind and comfort and safety (Eliopoulos, 2009). Doctors are now finding that this approach to healthy living is also one which can assist with medicine and works to balance out the needs of an individual and to change the way in which they live. When preventative care is given with physical and mental needs, it also is able to help with prevention of diseases. If one is suffering from a physical ailment, then combining the lifestyle needs and changes with medicine ensures a better response (Eliopoulos, 2009). Examining the importance of holistic living as well as how it can be used with changing physical and mental needs also points toward better health of an individual. A Health Promoting Diet The first step to living holistically is to begin to eat differently and to promote a health diet. The dietary recommendations now have moved outside of the ideology of eating a balanced diet of the five food groups. Instead, it has been found that a larger quantity of fruits and vegetables and the initiation of a rainbow diet of plant type foods are known to assist more with the healthy eating. This is combined with cutting back on meat and animal foods to balance out the diet. If meat is eaten, then it should consist of lighter meats, such as fish or eggs. The change in consumption lowers the amount of trans fats while balancing out saturated fats, which are known to be healthier for consumption. This diet is also high in dietary fiber and has fatty acids which are needed for balance. The fruits and vegetables eaten should also be high in antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals while having carotene rich compounds, most which are found in fruits and flowers. It is known that this type of diet decreases intestinal transit time, delays gastric emptying, decreases caloric intake, increases digestive enzymes and benefits the intestinal microflora while increasing the production of short – chain fatty acids and decreasing serum l ipid levels (Lock et al, 2010). The change in the health is one which is now being noted because of the several problems which are arising in society. The diet which many have is leading to metabolic problems, obesity, kidney stones and diabetes. There are also cardiovascular and colonic difficulties arising, most which are based on the low amount of fiber that individuals are eating. When altering this, there is also an increase in antioxidants, carotenes, coumarin and isoflavoids. Immune functions begin to increase while other receptors

How the Characters React Towards the Shooting of Candys Og Essay Example for Free

How the Characters React Towards the Shooting of Candys Og Essay The way the characters react towards the shooting of Candy’s dog reveals a lot abut the characters that we might not have expected. Carlson offers to shoot the old dog, complaining many times of the smell. The shooting of Candys dog shows the callousness of Carlson and the reality of old age and infirmity. Carlson typifies the men George describes as â€Å"the loneliest guys in the world†. He is outwardly friendly, but essentially selfish. He finds the smell of an old dog offensive so the dog must be shot. He shows very little regard to the dog’s owner, Candy. He relentlessly pursues the dog’s death, more for his own comfort than to put the dog out of its misery. However, Steinbeck does show some sympathy in Carlson, when he suggests â€Å"he won’t even feel it†, referring to Candy’s dogs death. This is contrasted to Candy’s procrastination to put this event off when he says â€Å"maybe tomorra, Le’s wait till tomorra† Steinbeck displays that Candy is trying to delay the put down of his dog and his reluctance to end his dogs life shows how much he loves the animal. â€Å"Carlson had refused to be drawn in† this suggest that Carlson is determined and not to be put off. When Carlson brutally keeps after candy, candy’s reaction is described in the adverbs Steinbeck has used: â€Å"uneasily,† â€Å"hopefully,† â€Å"hopelessly,† and the way candy reacts: â€Å"Candy looked for help from face to face.† When he reaches out to Slim for help, even Slim says it would be better to put the dog down. Slim is portrayed as serene and a good listener/observer in this novel, and when Steinbeck suggests â€Å"the skinner had been studying the old dog with his calm eyes† – referring to Slim, it suggests that he had been very thoughtful about the whole incident and even showed his understanding and considerateness when he reminded Carlson to take a shovel, so Candy will be spared the glimpse of the corpse. â€Å"I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I get an’ a cripple† are the words Slim uses that Candy later echoes when he considers his own future. This perceptibly puts Candy in deep thought, it shows Candy’s realisation of his own mortality when Slim states this. The dog, in this case tells us something of the owner. When Steinbeck shows the dog nearing the end of its days it could show that candy was too. Also Steinbeck employs irony by saying that he wanted someone to ‘shoot’ him when he got ‘old’ and ‘crippled’ which he almost is. Slim also reassures Candy when he says â€Å"you can have a pup if you want to†. When Candy finally gives in and allows Carlson to shoot his dog, it shows the reader that candy wants to be over and done with and wants his dog a swift and painless death. There is some empathy shown when Carlson says â€Å"come on boy† to soften the blow for the dog and more so Candy. Once Carlson has taken the dog to shoot, Steinbeck builds the tension within the characters just before the dog is killed. â€Å"George followed to the door and shut the door† – this proposes George’s kind nature and sympathy towards Candy and his dog- this could be one reason as to why George did not give an opinion on whether Candy’s dog should be shot. When George offers â€Å"anybody like to play a little euchre† it is evidently shown that George is trying to change the topic and he doesn’t want to worry Candy about the dog, this makes the reader see George taking people’s emotions into account before his own, we also saw this earlier in the book when George stands up for Lennie. We see this again when George â€Å"ripple the edge of the deck nervously† this shows that he is also concerned about the whole situation. It is evident that whit also showed concern indirectly when he says â€Å"what the hell is taking him so long†. When Steinbeck repeats â€Å"a minute passed, and another minute† he purposely extends the sentence which is a reflection as it prolongs the moment. And then when Steinbeck says â€Å"the silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.† Steinbeck employs short length sentences which make the moment seem longer and intensify the significance of that specific time. After â€Å"the shot sound in the distance† we are told that Candy â€Å"slowly rolled over and faced the wall and lay silent†, this reaction suggests that candy tried to bravely take in what just happened by turning his back to it and attempting to keep unruffled. The use of short sentence shows us that initially after the shot, there were no comments by anyone which implied that it left them in shock and the realisation of what just happened was slowly sinking in everyone’s head. Steinbeck’s employment of repetition of conjunctions with ‘and’ lengthens the sentence at the end, expanding the climax of the scene, as the audience wants to know what happened to Candy, after his most beloved companion has gone. Carlson even cleans his gun in front of Candy after the deed is done, this reinforces his brutal character. While it may be true that killing the dog put it out of its misery, little concern is shown for Candys feelings after a lifetime of caring for the dog. Now Candy is like the rest of them — alone.

Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay

Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay Introduction In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, technology surrounds us all. This essay identifies and evaluates the use of technology in the HR department in general and in the recruitment selection process in particular. Technology, E-Human Resources and E-HR systems will de be defined first. Then, the recruitment and selection process will be described along with the different recruitment tools. The different methods of online recruitment will be evaluated along with e-selection methods. The pros and cons of the uses of technology in the recruitment selection processes will be discussed in depth. Finally, a conclusion will be made. Human Resources Technology Technology according to ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANICA (2010) is  the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment. The past decade has seen the introduction, application, and merging of technology in the workforce or as some may label it the information revolution. The information revolution has changed the whole work environment. Most of the tasks are computerized and companies rely heavily on their computer systems. The Human resource department was not immune to such a revolution, the adaptation of technology in HR lead to the birth of E-Human Resources. E- Human Resources ENTREPRENEUR (2010) defines Human Resources as The department or support systems responsible for personnel sourcing and hiring, applicant tracking, skills development and tracking, benefits administration and compliance with associated government regulations. The Human Resources department is the hub of the company. It acts like an advocate for both the company and the employees and is responsible for the employees well-being, benefits, payroll, hiring, team building, coaching, recruitment and selectionetc. E-Human Resources on the other hand refers to the application of technology like the internet in the transactions of the human resources department. (Lengnick-Hall and Moritz, 2003). E-HR aims at running the operations of the HR department smoothly and efficiently, by keeping all necessary information readily available to all managers and employees when needed. E- Human Resources Systems The mixture of the vast growing information technology and the need for continual improvement of work efficiency was among the major drivers for the development of the E-Human Resources systems. (Stanton and Coovert, 2004; Fletcher, 2005). In other words E-HR systems are a merger between HR activities and information technology. Human Resources systems are created by vendors like Oracle and Ascentis, they usually include four modules: Payroll module, Time and Labor Management module, Benefits Administration module, and finally the HR management module. The Payroll module manages and controls all employees salaries and payrolls, while the Time and Labor management modules control attendance, absences issues. Benefit Administration model deals with employees benefits and entitlements. While the HR management module helps in the selection and recruitment process, more on this module will be explained later. Moreover, E-HR systems also include enterprise resource planning system (ERP), HR service centres, interactive voice response, manager and employee portals and web applications. (Panayotopoulou,Vakola and Galanaki 2007). Enterprise resource planning system is used to manage financial, materials and human resources both internally and externally. Overall, HR systems cater for the different needs of the HR department and helps automate many aspects of human resourcing. Recruitment and Selection Every business, enterprise and organization goes through the recruitment and selection process. It is the most important aspect of the human resource management department, as it provides the organization with the essential resources needed for its operations the human capital (Barber, 1998). Recruitment is defined as the activities an organization undertakes in order to identify and attract potential employees (Breaugh and Starke, 2000). Selection is what comes after recruitment of choosing the best candidate for the job out of all the applicants. The recruitment and selection process Getting the recruitment and selection process wrong is not an option for recruiters, the wrong person for the job will not only affect the companys productivity but it will also result in business losses (book reference). That is why most companies follow a somewhat standardized recruitment and selection process, shown in the figure below. Recruitment Organizations mold their recruitment processes or strategies according to the job they want to occupy. In order to attract the right candidates, HR professionals advertise in a certain way, seek professionals or graduates, contact agencies or use the Internet. Recruitment tools In a study by Bernthal and Development Dimensions International, data was collected from members of the Electronic Recruiting Exchange. Among the survey questions was a question about the recruitment strategy and its effectiveness. The findings of the study show that the internet is the most popular and most effective recruitment method while employee referrals came second. This shows that although the internet is new and more effective, it did not replace the traditional recruitment methods. Figure showing Berthals results: Taken from Recruitment Selection paper by Barthal and Development Dimensions International Online Recruitment The internet was not acknowledged as a recruitment tool until the mid 1990s. With the benefits it brought to recruiters, the media described it as the driver behind a recruiting revolution (Boydell, 2002). Many companies now have a new position in the HR department; Online recruiter. Online recruitment is growing rapidly; both recruiters and job seekers around the world use it. It can be defined as the use of the internet to match job seekers with appropriate jobs. In other terms, using the internet to attract potential employees. Studies were carried out to understand and quantify how much recruitment exactly is done online. These studies include: a study by total jobs 2004 that shows that two thirds of the organizations in the UK use job boards. While HR focus (2001) indicated that more than 75% of HR professionals use job boards in addition to the traditional recruitment methods. In the USA, Cober and Brown (2006) found out that 50% of the recruitments were carried online and this figure is expected to increase. Moreover, a study by Capelli (2001) stated that 90% of the Fortune 500 use online recruiting. A poll carried out by The Recruiters Network (website) showed that 45% of the companies filled 20% or more of their positions through online recruitment (Charles 2000). The most effective and popular online recruitment methods are: Talent Management Systems The HR management module mentioned previously pursues talent management. Talent management is the process of attracting and hiring skilled employees, or retaining current employees while helping them work on their own talents. Talent Management systems perform the following tasks: analyze the use of personnel within the company, post job vacancies online, review applicants credentials, track demographic data of candidates, store information, automatically communicate and provide information to applicants and many more, depending on the company. Thus talent management systems are used in the recruitment process. Advertising on the companys site The first, cheapest step a company can take to recruit people is to advertise about the job offer on its on website. In a study by Bartam (2000) figures showed 88% of companies recruiting 50 or more graduates per year advertise on their own website. Advertising on the companys website slashes advertisement costs in newspapers, magazines, and recruitment agenciesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. the internet is global medium, thus making it very much easier to spread the word, while being much more cost effective. The company can also use Google ads as a way to advertise for job vacancies within the organization. Job Boards Job boards are recruitment websites that match recruiters with the most appropriate applicants (also called job hunters) through advertisements and job postings. There are plenty of job boards on the world wide web; the most popular include Monster, CareerBuilder and HotJobs.com. Since these websites are similar and offer the same service, monster.com will be used as an example in order to evaluate and understand job boards. Monster.com Monster.com is a global online recruitment website. Its network consists of 22 local content and language sites. The traffic on the website is estimated to be over 25 million job seeking users and over 100,000 member companies. Its rà ©sumà © database contains more than 17 million rà ©sumà ©s. Two separate studies by Gutmacher (2000) and Leonard (2000) both confirmed that the emergence of monster.com and rà ©sumà © as frequent search words indicates the influence of job boards (monster.com) on web job searching or in other words online recruitment. According to monster.coms employment index, the month of September 2010 showed a 131 employment index the highest so far. More interestingly, Wales showed the highest employment in the UK region. From the figures and information above, it is safe to conclude that job boards are doing well and play a vital role in online recruitment. However, a significant number of job seekers continue to search in general search engines (reference) while other studies highlighted the role of social media websites play in job recruitment. Social media websites The past decade has seen the rise of social media websites. It is now not enough to post your resume on a job board. Social recruitment is now beginning to over shadow the use of job boards and other traditional recruitment methods at some companies (Levinson 2010). Moreover, recruiters are spammed with hundreds of applications of unqualified personnel when posting on big job boards which forces them to look for qualified applicants elsewhere. Findings from a survey conducted by Jobvite (a recruitment software maker) showed that 73.3% of the companies use social networks for recruitment, while 9.3% are planning to begin next year. Another finding shows that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular social media networks used by companies for recruitment. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a professional network, which includes contacts and relationships developed over the years.. LinkedIn provides its users with the means of establishing an authoritative resource on their experience and capabilities, thus making users more attractive to recruiters. Currently LinkedIn consists of more than 80 million members from over 200 countries. LinkedIn from recruiters perspective is a place that provides access to different kinds of reliable qualified talents. The main reason that companies are using LinkedIn is to find passive job candidates. Another reason why companies are using LinkedIn, is because referrals from their employees are highly valued because they typically have a higher success rate (hence the popular employee referral bonuses). LinkedIn helps companies leverage the networks of their employees. Kay Luo, Director of corporate communication at LinkedIn. Hundred of companies use LinkedIn and LinkedIn corporate solutions to post jobs and source candidates for recruitment. The question is: How does LinkedIn work? For example, person x creates a profile, uploads a picture and writes down his skills, capabilities and experiences. A company searching for an employee or a recruitment agency working for that company searches the databases available at LinkedIn, finds person x who has the skills required for the job. The company then looks at his information and if person x is the right person for the job, they contact him. LinkedIn is growing rapidly to the extent to which it is almost unprofessional not to have a LinkedIn profile. Considering that executives and employees from the all the fortune 500 companies have LinkedIn profiles. Facebook Facebook is ranked 2nd among social media sites used for recruitment purposes. It is a social networking site that connects people with their friends, co-workers, family members, and others. Chris Russel, founder of jobsinpods.com thinks that: Facebook is a talent goldmine. Its filled with millions of passive candidates that employers covet. Looking at Facebooks demographics, it has more than 200 million active users. Success recruitment stories, like the Ernest Young Facebook group means: if Facebook is utilized correctly, recruiters can access and select from a wide spread of talented candidates. They key to Facebook recruitment is to create relationships with potential employees in order to make yourself their employer of choice (Facebook Recruitment Tips, 2008) The figure below illustrates how facebook can be used: Selection The selection process is not easy. An executive interviewed by Forrester explained the selection process: We have to sift through lots of resumes, like kissing frogs before you find the prince (Lawrence 1999) Hundreds of applicants apply for the job, companies then have to filter out the suitable ones and filter them even more to find the right person for the job. Technology has made the selection process easier, nowadays there are numerous methods used by companies in order to test applicants. Some of these methods are: Applications Database Applications Database also known as resume database are computer softwares used to keep track of applications. Applications are sent to the database where they are stored, a query containing any keyword the company desires is run to find applicants with the required specifications. This helps in narrowing down the applicants to the most suitable ones. These programs also enable companies to send template emails and set up interviews without the need to manually do it, thus proving to be cost and time efficient. Online testing and assessment Psychometric tests are used to measure the applicants capabilities. It gives the employer an insight into whether the applicant can work well with a group and his ability to handle stress and meet intellectual demands of the job. These tests are usually divided into: Aptitude tests There are several types of aptitude tests as shown in the figure below. The type of test the applicant has to sit through depends on the job he/she is applying for. Taken from psychometric-success.com Aptitude tests measure the abilities of applicants in the area the job requires the most. Personality tests Personality tests include questions about behavior, feelings and thoughts. They are used to analyze the applicants characteristics in order to find out if the applicant has the right characteristics to help him fit into the organization, whether its motivation, discipline, enthusiasmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. Psychometrics tests are usually presented in multiple-choice formats. The applicant answers directly into the computer or an electronic device. The results are calculated straight away and compared with the results of a control group. Internet Interviews Interviews are an essential part of the selection process. It gives both the employer and the employee a chance to get to know each other and have a face to face conversation. Based on the interview the employer can decide whether the applicant is suitable or not. There are different types of interviews: screening, selection, group, stress, panel, and most recently internet or online interviews. Online interviews are conducted over the internet using video conferencing, it is like a normal interview, except the interviewee is not in the same place as the interviewer geographically. Online interviews give the employer the chance of conducting the interview without baring the cost of the applicants transportation and the time spent traveling; this is very effective in interviewing people from overseas. Reference checks When selecting a potential employee, companies check the employees background for criminal, medical, credit records and job references (subjected to the presence of the search and access permission). Reference checks are commonly done over the telephone and by email. There are also websites offering to conduct employment reference checks for employment like credit-check-services.co.uk. It claims to verify the employees identity; address; criminal record history; employment history; qualifications and more. Automated reference checks make accessing background information quick and easy. The problem with reference checks is permission and privacy issue; applicants must allow the company to do these checks. Assessment centers With the help of computers and the internet, it is possible to create multi user exercises like business simulations. The users of this exercise dont need to be in the same place to take part. The exercise can be customized in order to include the tasks the employer wants to evaluate the applicants in. The exercise is closely monitored and from it the employer can tell which user is doing a better job and who is having a tough time coping. It is to be noted, that one selection method doesnt replace the other. Different methods have to be applied in order to filter the hundred of applicants to the suitable one. Advantage Disadvantages of E- Recruitment Selection There are two sides to everything. The introduction of technology to recruitment selection might be the best thing that happened to HR, but it also has its setbacks. On one hand, the introduction of technology: Enabled companies to identify a virtually unlimited number of job seekers. Reached people at a global level while traditional methods can only grasp the local job market. (Chaskelson, 2000), (Ganalaki, 2002) Reduced Advertising costs, posting a job vacancy on a companys website or a job board costs less than posting it on newspapers. Reduced the time taken in recruitment; it reduced the time taken to post the job vacancy and resumes can be received on the same day. Technology also speeded up the recruitment process by automating some HR tasks. Provided a wider talent market for companies to choose from. iLogos research 1998 shows that the Internet provides better quality applicants as they tend to be better-educated and more computer literate than non-users. Provides 24/7 access to resumes and applicants can send their resumes at any time. Facilitated the use of databases, internet testing, assessment centers which help in the selection process. On the other hand, the advantages of technology are also its dangers. Due to the ease of looking for job posts and applying online, millions of rà ©sumà ©s are sent which makes the screening process hard and time consuming. The presence of internet testing makes it easy for anyone to create a test and post. Loss of human interaction. A study by Arkin and Crabb (1999) shows that executive job applicants still prefer personal contact to internet contact. It cant replace the traditional recruitment and selection methods. Seminerio (2001) stated many companies might still continue to use traditional recruitment services for hiring executive staff employees. The use of internet could discriminate against non internet users or those who are not good with computers. There are also some legal issues with e-recruitment and selection. For example, manipulation could occur in the use of internet tests the person applying may be different from the person taking the test. Overall, the advantages of e-recruitment outweigh its disadvantages. Conclusion To sum it all up, this essay has discussed and evaluated the use of technology in recruitment selection. Online recruitment has been identified as the most efficient recruitment method, it branches into: Talent Management Systems, Advertising on the companys website, job boards and social media network. There are some privacy and discrimination issues with online recruitment, but it does more good than harm. The use of technology in selection helped automate and make easy the different selection methods. It also introduced new ways of doing the methods like: online interviews, keeping an application database, online assessment centers and internet tests. I will end this essay by stating E-recruitment selection is here to stay and evolve the world into a much more advanced place of recruiting, which can potentially curb down global unemployment rates.

Environmentally Safe Ethanol :: Environment, natural resources, fossil fuels

Environmentally Safe Ethanol In order to fund conservation of the natural environment, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by one dollar per gallon. How does this statement make you feel? Does it make you want to argue about how unfair this is, especially when gas prices are climbing to higher and higher rates? Would you say that this is an unfair claim because it is unclear where your tax money would go? I agree. This plan seems to have a good general idea, but there are details left out. I think the first priority should be to sort out where these extra resources would be used. It seems too vague to fund conservation of the natural environment. There are so many ways that this tax could benefit natural resources. When I was trying to decide on how to narrow this claim to more specific terms, I started to think about what kind of environmental problems affect me the most. The first word that came to mind was pollution. There are many parameters for a suitable environment for life. These include temperature, pressure, salinity, acidity, water and good oxygen content. Any type of air pollution could dissolve these parameters. It seemed that air pollution is such a large environmental problem that I knew my search should be narrowed. I chose to discuss pollution caused by cars because raising the gas tax and prices are part of my claim. I went to the Internet and ran a search for "car pollution," and found a large amount of information. It became even clearer to me that car pollution is a major problem for our environment. According to The Environmed Research Inc, driving a car is the most polluting act an average citizen commits (2001). Vehicle engines emit many types of pollutants into the air, including nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulates, sulfur dioxide and lead. All of these can pose environmental risks and health risks. Most of these pollutants rise from the engine. These emissions are related to the fuel type and the temperature of the fuel combustion. At low speeds, and when engines are at idle, the products of incomplete combustion dominate. When the speeds are heightened, however, impurities like nitrogen are oxidized to nitrogen dioxide, which creates pollution. All of the pollutants mentioned above are known as trace gases. Some of these trace gases can even release completely new gases into the atmosphere (Environmental Effects, 2001).

Book Report & Stephen R. Essay

Stephen R. Covey is a well-known writer of many self-help books. He is one of the leading writers in this genre of writing. His book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,’ was published over twenty years ago. Its fifteenth anniversary edition was released in the year 2004 to mark its amazing success. Apart from being a writer, Stephen R. Covey is also a humanist, an academician and a renowned speaker. His clarity of thought and his ability to convey the same to his readers is seen in this book too. This ability if his has also made him a highly influential guru in the field of business management. He has a flair for writing in a style that helps the readers not only understand the intensity and gravity of his ideologies and thought processes, but also helps them apply the same principles and logic to their own lives, sooner or later. This goal of truly helping people attain what they want and need is perfectly achieved in Stephen R. Covey’s books. Stephen R. Covey’s book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ begins with a quote by David Starr Jordan’ There is no real excellence in all this world which can be separated from right living. ’ One of the main reasons the world has loved this book all these years is that Stephen R. Covey has written about the key elements like integrity, honesty and self-management in a very simple, clear and precise manner. A few key points that will remain memorable forever include the fifth habit of highly effective people where he writes the need for people to first develop the ability to understand others before wanting to be understood. According to Covey (1989), â€Å"You don’t have much confidence in someone who doesn’t diagnose before he or she prescribes. But how often do we diagnose before we prescribe in communication? † (p. 120). Stephen R. Covey touches a different chord with the readers because in this book he also gives a lot of examples from his own life, be it the problems with his son that he was concerned about and the methodology he sought to adopt to help his son out as a devoted father or the fact that his marriage has reached a dead end. Not because his wife and he had fights or difference of opinion. But, due to the reason that they couldn’t love each other anymore and they felt they would never be able t rekindle that same kind of love and affection they felt for each other earlier. When an author of his stature chooses to tell the readers stories of his life to use it effectively as point of reference to better their own, it translates itself into a genuine self-help book. Before introducing the readers to the seven habits, he prepares them mentally by helping them understand that the bottom line is we need to understand our own â€Å"paradigms† and how to make a â€Å"A Paradigm Shift TM. † According to Covey (1998),† A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step. † (p. 18). Stephen R. Covey has seamlessly integrated all the seven habits as highly essential and necessary elements. Not a single word seems repetitive or out of place as Stephen C. Covey has given this book a very practical and pragmatic outlook. The book is a beautiful amalgamation of the basic instincts and reaction patterns humans have to every situation in their life and what needs to be done in order to receive the most suitable results either at home or at the workplace. A few principles that I have been able to introduce successfully into my life are Stephen R. Covey’s very first habit of being proactive, the third habit that clearly lists how to prioritize objectives in a given time frame and the sixth habit that refers to synergy. My ability to be more proactive has helped me at my work place and has also allowed better and more optimal utilization of my hours at work. I’ve understood the best way to prioritize my meeting at works and my tasks at home, so I never feel stressed out and at the same time I get a lot more time with my family, friends, my loved ones and myself. Stephen R. Covey’s concept of synergy aids the process of developing and establishing better human rapport and interaction. When you think about a particular situation from another person’s or party’s point of view, you in turn, gain a lot insight to turn it into a win-win situation. Stephen R. Covey’s fourth habit is tough as he asks us to think like a winner to ultimately be a winner. He clearly explains the six paradigms of human interaction and stresses on the importance of integrity, honesty, maturity and special term coined by him called ‘Abundance Mentality. ’ According to Stephen R. Covey (1989)† It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity. † (p. 110). References Covey, R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster

Candy’s Dog being shot dead Essay

I believe that Candy’s dog being shot dead is one of the most important parts of the novel and should definitely be included in a film version. In this scene Carlson starts moaning about how much Candy’s old dog smells. He then suggests that Candy should shoot him and even offers to do it himself. But it is the things that Carlson says in order to justify himself that are important for the readers because it helps us to see why George decided to do what he did at the end of the book. For example, when Carlson says, â€Å"This old dog, just suffers hisself all the time,† and â€Å"you aint been kind to him, keeping him alive,† when he is trying to convince Candy that it is almost cruel to make him live life any longer. Carlson also describes how Candy could kill the dog in a quick, humane way. He says, â€Å"shoot him right in the back of the head – he’d never know what hit him. † This is particularly important because George kills Lennie in this exact way. It is where he got the idea that ‘mercy killing’ was even an option. Slim is then asked to give his opinion and he agrees with Carlson saying, â€Å"That dog aint no good to himself. † As Slim is the only person on the ranch to have natural authority, and his â€Å"opinions were law. † Candy reluctantly agrees to let Carlson shoot his dog. If this scene was left out we would not understand why George would even consider killing Lennie and we would get the impression that George carried it out in cold blood and did not care. The scene should be set in a dimly lit, dark setting. The darkness would help to emphasize the end of life. Carlson should be talking abruptly and quickly showing that he is not thinking about Candy’s feelings and is unaware of how much the dog means to Candy. Slim in contrast should be taking is time over his speech, showing that he wants this to be as painless as it can be for Candy. He shows that he cares when he instructs Carlson to â€Å"take a shovel,† so that he can bury the dog so Candy wont have to see his dog in the morning. The Fight Scene Another important scene is the fight between Curley and Lennie. In this scene Curley has just accused Slim of being with his wife and in return Slim shouts back at him. Carlson and Candy take advantage of the situation by insulting Curley. Curley feels degraded and wants to take it out on someone. Lennie is there and is the perfect person because Curley being small always feels as though he has something to prove and a ‘real chip on his shoulder’ towards bigger guys. Lennie is smiling at the thought of the dream of living ‘off the fat of the land’ and Curley uses it as an opportunity to pick a fight. He says, â€Å"What the hell you laughin’ at? † and punches Lennies face making his nose bleed. Lennie is described as being ‘too frightened to defend himself. † But under the instruction of George, Lennie grabs Curley’s hand and cannot let go, even with George slapping him round the face telling him to. Lennie feels guilty afterwards and he shows it when he says, â€Å"I didn’t wanta hurt him,† and â€Å"I didn’t mean no harm. † It is this scene that enables us to see the extent of Lennie’s strength and how dangerous it can be when combined with such a simple mind. The scene gives us a clue towards the main plot. Without this scene we would not realise what a true accident Curley’s wife’s death was and the reader would not feel as sorry for Lennie as they do. It would make the ending much less effective.