In Praise of Jared Diamonds Guns, Germs, and Steel Essay -- Wealth En

In Praise of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond's bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel (GG&S) is an attempt to explain why some parts of the world are currently powerful and prosperous while others are poor. Diamond is both a physiologist and a linguist who spends a good deal of his time living with hunter gathers in Papua New Guinea. As a researcher and as a human being, he is convinced that all people have the same potential. Hunter gatherers are just as intelligent, resourceful, and diligent as anybody else. Yet material "success" isn't equally distributed across the globe. Civilization sprung up in relatively few places and spread in a defined pattern. I should emphasize that Diamond doesn't equate material prosperity with well-being or virtue. He's just curious about the global distribution of bling bling. Diamond's hypothesis is that geography gave certain groups big initial advantages. Specifically, some places are more conducive to domestication of plants and animals. Most people think that domestication is just a matter of capturing animals and breeding them in captivity. This is a misconception. Domesticated species of plants and animals have undergone major genetic changes through years of selective breeding. Compared to their wild ancestors, the major cereal crops are more nutritious, quicker to germinate, and easier to sow and harvest. Domestic animals are more docile, easier to train, and generally more suited to life in captivity. Diamond's key point is that not every wild species is equally susceptible to domestication and that domesticable species are not evenly distributed across the globe. Wild horses and camels had the "right" stuff, reindeer not so much. As modern attempts to domesticat... ...ccupied with gathering and child rearing. In other societies, some people can devote their time to science, technology, philosophy, politics, finance and the other cultural roles that define state societies. There's nothing in Diamond's book to suggest that he is anything but a friend of the Enlightenment. He's a practicing scientist who attempts to analyze historical trends in scientific terms. He is also a sympathetic interpreter who respects and admires human diversity. He believes in progress, but he doesn't assume that technologically advanced people are superior or even uniformly better off. Finally, he affirms the values of the Enlightenment by suggesting how we can use history and science to build more prosperous, stable, and just societies. Source Cited Diamond, Jared M. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies. New York: Norton, 1997.

Household Behavior and Consumer Choice Essay

Issues of household behavior and consumer choices, lie in the field of microeconomics. Microeconomics, sometimes called the price theory is a branch of economics that concerns itself with the study of how households, individuals, and firms make their own private decisions on how to allocate scarce resources. In this research paper, I will seek to apply economic theories and mostly the consumer theory to analyze these decisions and their effects on consumption, interests and wages. ANALYSIS: DEFINITIONS: HOUSEHOLD BEHAVIOR: Household behavior is principally viewed and analyzed as the theory of consumer demand of various commodities or generally household consumption. In addition to this household behavior also concerns itself with production of commodities or services and the supply of labor by households. Consumer demand on the other hand concerns itself with how demand functions for various commodities are derived. This derivation is done considering the rational choice model based on utility maximization. In this analysis, economic constraints like budgets, income and commodity prices are considered for specific households. The consumer theory studies the issue of household likes and preferences applying indifference curves as well as budget constraints and relates these preferences to consumes demand curves. There are many economic variables that are used in the analysis of these preferences. Among the major variables, include the price per unit of a certain good and the money incomes of the specific consumers. A change in the price of a good usually has two major effects. Firstly, there is the substitution effect and secondly there is the income effect. The substitution effect usually arises from the relative change in prices of consumer goods. On the other hand, the income effect arises from changes in the purchasing power of the available money wage or income. The diagram below depicts the relationship between consumer demand and prices through indifference curves given budget constraints. When the price of good Y increases, the budget line will shift from BC2 to BC1. This is because when the price of good y increases households will buy less of the good but they will still buy the same quantity of good X as long as they wish. In order to maximize his or her utility the consumer will have to move from indifference curve I2 to I1. By doing this the consumer will be able to enjoy his/her preferences as normal. Incase the price of commodity Y decreases the budget line or the budget constraint will move from BC1 to BC2. This is because the consumer will now be able to purchase more of commodity y while at the same time enjoying the same amount of good X. in the same case, the consumer in order to maximize his/her utility will move from indifference curve I1 to I2. The same scenario will be applicable for price changes of good X. The income effect: The income effect is depicted in the diagram below. An increase or decrease of the consumer’s disposable income will cause a parallel shift of the consumer’s budget constraint. An increase in the disposable income will cause the budget constraint to shift to the right while a decrease in the income will cause the budget constraint to shift to the left. This applies for normal goods since the indifference curves will react differently for inferior goods and Giffen goods (goods with a snob appeal). For inferior goods as the income increases, less of the commodity will be consumed. This is because the increased income will cause the consumers to seek higher or better goods. For Giffen goods as the income, increases the amount of goods purchased may either increase or remain the same. Generally, the effects can be summed up to the substitution effect and the income effect. The substitution effect usually is a price change that affects the slope of the budget line (constraint), but leaves the consumer on the same equilibrium indifference curve. In cases where the good in question is a normal good then the price effect will outweigh the substitution effect, but in cases where the good is an inferior good then the substitution effect will outweigh the price effect. Leisure-labor tradeoff: The time that any consumer has to allocate for different purposes is called time endowment. The price of leisure is analyzed using the consumer theory, with some slight adjustments. In this case, leisure is assumed to be a good and consumption is considered to be another good. Since consumers have scarce and finite time then they will have to choose between leisure, which earns no money, and consumption of labor that earns an income. Regardless of this trade off the change in the unit price of leisure will have a huge effect on the working time since a reduction or an increase in the price of labor will lead to less work and more work respectively. Wage and interest rates: Wages can be analyzed both as a cause and as effect of consumer behavior. They are a cause in the sense that as wages increase so does the consumption of households increase. On the other hand, wages can be viewed as an effect of consumption behavior since they are indirectly determined by the consumer price index. Both real and nominal interest rates are affected by consumer behaviors. Depending on the liquidity within the economy, the consumption behavior of households can cause an increase or decrease in the level of interest rates. Conclusion: Many variables that are dealt with in microeconomics usually have an indirect effect in the field of macroeconomics. The determination of the national income do consider the value that households contribute either in the form of consumption or services that they render. In addition to this, the level of inflation is also slightly affected by the consumption and expenditure behaviors of the households. Consumer theory plays a very important role in explaining household behaviors. However, the field of macroeconomics also needs to be keenly looked at since it deals with economic aggregates. References: Mankiw, N. G. (2004), Principles of economics (3rd Ed. ), Chicago, ILLIOIS: Thomson South-Western McWilliams Gary. Analyzing Customers†¦ the wall street journal,Monday, November 8, 2004. Available at:http://online. wsj. com/article/SB109986994931767086. html Philip Hardwick (1982), an Introduction to Modern Economics, Longman, U. K

European Financial Aspects

Forplay, Inc. , is about to become a reality on the European market. Our company will base its distribution on strategic alliances with local mail order companies, while starting a global ad campaign targeted to an audience age 18 to 45. While we don†t expect too many difficulties in converting and repatriating our funds, the financial aspects of this operation will still have to face the upcoming European monetary integration. The new currency — the euro – could significantly impact the way international business is conducted. In January 1996, Andersen Consulting surveyed 169 companies throughout the European Union, finding that â€Å"nearly three quarters felt that deeper integration in the form of European monetary union (EMU) would enhance the single market and bring further benefits — such as a more stable currency, lower inflation, lower interest rates, cost savings, efficiency improvements, a more competitive European Union (EU), and increased foreign investment. † There are benefits for companies outside the EU too. Business with Europe will be easier, and investment choices simplified through increased visibility and comparability of prices. Medium- and small-sized companies like Forplay, Inc. , will have less trouble opening a bridgehead into an enlarged unified market, with fewer financial risks. However, there are also many uncertainties. For example, which countries will join? Member states must meet criteria for economic convergence, and it is not certain how strictly these criteria will be enforced. Sluggish economic performance is giving finance ministers little room to maneuver. In some countries, notably the United Kingdom, a significant portion of the political establishment is hostile to the whole process, while in other countries, notably Germany, there is a reluctance to relinquish a strong national currency. Adjustments for the new currency must be made between the start of 1999 and the start of 2002. As a business, we must begin planning now to minimize the cost of changing our information systems and administrative operations and address the legal issues. All software implementations will have to be consistent with the changeover needs, so decisions made in the IT field will be of paramount importance. The migration to the euro will be of concern to risk managers in the world's major banks. Long term, there are many inherent advantages to EMU for controlling financial risk, although there is a chance of â€Å"backing the wrong horse† by adopting a technical solution that is rapidly made obsolete by the market, technological advances, or unexpected legislation. In the short term, uncertainty and market volatility mean increased risk. According to Bengt Bengtsson, SAS Institute European product manager for risk management solutions, â€Å"Companies should take this opportunity to review and update their treasury operations, foreign exchange, and interest rate management. Flexibility in risk controlling systems and adequate hedging mechanisms will be vital. Liquidity risk will also come high on the agenda as new products and funding possibilities (bonds, for example) become available in the euro. One of the keys to success will be the separation of risk controlling functions from day-to-day trading activities through a risk warehouse strategy. † For a while at least, Forplay, Inc. will have to operate some form of dual accounting, with consequent additional burdens on our corporate chief financial officers (CFOs). In the meantime, CFOs will need maximum flexibility within their ledger accounting systems and their financial consolidation and reporting systems, so they should take advantage of the introduction of the euro to review both. Two types of organizations face challenges,† says Richard King, SAS Institute European product marketing coordinator. â€Å"The first is those with more than one type of transactional ledger system. They will need to consolidate and report in two currencies, based on data from several incompatible sources. Consequently they will need a solution that allows them to look at all relevant dimensions from any perspective, instantly. â€Å"The second is any organization that has standardized on a single type of transactional ledger system but nevertheless lacks flexibility when it comes to financial reporting,† adds King. CFO Vision from SAS Institute, which supports all ledger systems, gives full flexibility in reporting (including multiple currencies concurrently) while protecting existing investments. For us as marketers, the transition to the Euro also raises awkward issues that may seem insoluble to anyone exporting to the EU. For example, should prices be expressed in euros, national currencies, or both? In addition, even though our prices are extremely competitive, for many products there is a marked difference in pricing policies within different EU countries. With the introduction of the euro, prices will be more transparent and such differences more difficult to maintain. Forplay, Inc. should therefore be investing in market research and database marketing to formulate pricing and marketing strategies now to avoid loss of market share and secure the benefits of operating in a single market. Preparation will mean everything as further developments in the deployment of the euro unfold. A keen understanding of current systems, a strong business plan, and flexible technology will mean continued business success — in any language.

Television Violence essays

Television Violence essays With the recent outbreak of school shootings, there has been renewed public concern over how violence is depicted in the media, particularly on television. Studies have shown that a child has witnessed 8,000 murders on television before finishing elementary school. With this statistic in mind, I am going to define television violence, state some facts on how violence causes aggressive behavior in children and give some suggestions on how parents can decrease the amount of media violence in their home. Television violence usually refers to all the violence appearing on TV screens. It includes material broadcast over the air, distributed by cable and satellite systems, and available on videocassettes and disks. A common understanding or definition of what constitutes television violence could be useful in helping to examine and regulate the problem (Alter, pars. 4-5). Extensive viewing of television violences by children causes greater aggressiveness. Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the childs behavior or may surface years later , and young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence. This does not mean that violence on television is the only source for aggressive or violent behavior, but it is a significant contributor (Smith, par. 4). The overall pattern of research findings indicates a positive association between television violence and aggressive behavior. A Washington Post article , states that the evidence from more than 3,000 research studies over two decades shows that the violence portrayed on television influences the attitudes and behavior...

Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With Letters U and V

Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With Letters U and V Chemistry abbreviations and acronyms are common in all fields of science. This collection offers common abbreviations and acronyms beginning with the letters U and V used in chemistry and chemical engineering. Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With U U - Internal EnergyU - UndetectableU - UraniumUAFM - Uranyl Acetate Fluorescence MethodUCK - Universal Chemical KeyUHF - Ultra High FrequencyUG - Undisturbed Gas UHC - Unburned HydroCarbonsUHMW - Ultra High Molecular WeightUHP - Ultra High PressureUHP - Ultra High PurityUHT - Ultra High TemperatureUHV - Ultra High VacuumULG - Universal Liquid GasULO - Ultra Low OxygenULOQ - Upper Limit Of QuantitationULS - Ultra Low SulfurULT - Ultra Low TemperatureUNK - UNKnownUPW - Ultra Pure WaterUQY - Ultimate Quality and YieldUUD - UnUnDuium (Element 112, now Cn)UUH - UnUnHexium (Element 116)UUP - UnUnPentium (Element 115)UUQ - UnUnQuadium (Element 114)UUS - UnUnSeptium (Element 117)UUO - UnUnOctium (Element 118)UUU - UnUnUnium (Element 111, now Rg)UV - UltraVioletUVA - UltraViolet band AUV-A - UltravViolet band AUVB - UltraViolet band BUV-B - UltraViolet band BUVF - UtraViolet FilterUVL - UltraViolet LampUVR - UltraViolet ReactiveUXS - Glucuronic Acid DeCarboxylaseUYQ - Uranium Yield Quantity Chemistry Abbreviations Starting With V V - VacuumV - VanadiumV - VoltVA - Volume AnalyzerVA - Nitrogen groupVAC - VacuumVAC - Vacuum Assisted ClosureVB - Vacuum BreakVB - Valence BandVBJ - Vacuum Bell JarVBT - Valence Bond TheoryVC - Viscous CoupledVC - Vapor CloudVCE - Vapor Cloud ExplosionVC - Vinyl ChlorideVCM - Vinyl Chloride MonomerVd - Volume distributionVDB - VanDyke Brown testVDF - Van der Waals forceVDW - Van der Waals radiusVEQ - EQuilibrium VolumeVEQ - EQuivalence point VolumeVFn - Vertical Face number (n is a number)VH - Vapor HazardVHH - Volatile Halogenated HydrocarbonVHI - Vapor Hazard IndexVHN - Vickers Hardness NumberVHP - Vaporized Hydrogen PeroxideVHP - Very High PressureVHT - Very High TemperatureVHY - Very High YieldVI - Viscosity IndexVLD - Vacuum Leak DetectorVLE - Vapor Liquid EquilibriumVMD - Visual Molecular DynamicsVO - Vacuum OvenVOA - Volatile Organic AnalysisVOC - Volatile Organic CompoundVOL - VolumeVP - Vapor PointVP - Vapor PressureVPE - Virtual Potential EnergyVR - Very RapidVS - Very Sat uratedVS - Volatile SolidVSC - Volatile Sulfur CompoundVSS - Volatile Suspended SolidVTC - Variable Temperature CutoffVTP - Volume, Temperature, PressureVU - Volume UnitsVV - Vacuum VesselVV - Valence-ValenceVW - Varies Widely

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Law - Essay Example Throughout, the law treated the threat of physical injury as assault while battery was considered the complete contact to cause harm. This version of the distinction is no longer valid as compared to the physical contact hence null and void. For Hilder to be taken to the hospital after being hit by the husband with a chair leg by the husband Billy is a clear example of Assault or battery to mention. The act is worsened when Billy further exposes their violent acts to the public through putting a slap on the face of the nurse, which prompts the calling of the police to arrest Hilder’s husband. The arrest of Billy for assault is much in pace and if prosecuted would be liable because there is the medical evidence of physical injury and as well the two children aged five and eight also could act as witnesses to the aggravated violence case. This is because assault or battery are an example of the widely known criminal offenses given that their occurrence vividly brings to the mind s of the victims scenes of fight or violence in line of the aggravated acts (Brannigan 2012). Legally the two terms or concepts are quite distinct and hence their punishments are quite different with the determination of battery attracting vast penalty as compared to whether it is simply an assault. In their determination and proof against or for the parties concerned in the argument, have to clearly breakdown the concepts into their respective elements. In handling of this case we will look at the case clearly while even defining all the defenses available for the accuse persons and the look at the penalties to be faced in the cases of the sentences by the respective offenders (Gore 2007). The act by Billy on the wife Hilder will amount to assault due to the mere fact that the definition of assault and battery is nowadays not factually differentiated. Otherwise, the factual definition of assault as it remains in the other states is that the conviction for assault will still need th e existence of the criminal act since an assault will require a direct act to put another individual to a reasonable fear. This therefore dispels the notion of spoken words alone being considered assault not until the offender backs them up with relevant actions that make the recipient in a position of foreseeing imminent danger (Reddington & Kreisel 2005). For a person to be considered to have committed an assault the individual only needs to have shown the general intents, Billy though has gone further to hit both his wife and the nurse intensely injuring the wife after he pretends to be going to see the wife in the hospital which is the most unlikely case they would witness. It means that someone can hardly assault another person accidentally but they have to act in a manner likely to amount to a cause of terror to the offenders. Therefore, if an individual acts in a way that's considered dangerous to other people that can be enough to support assault charges, even if they didn't intend a particular harm to a particular individual which will be in the intention to scare or frighten the

Leadrship, Process and Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadrship, Process and Organisations - Essay Example Women in the world of business are lagging behind in leading organizations because of some hidden barriers. Small and medium enterprises only have a ratio of 15% women leaders. In the current society women are trying to make up for their position and increasingly setting up these SMES. However it is seen that men still are dominant in the field of business. This is not the case with small businesses only but this can also be witnessed in the corporate sector where women are lagging behind. In order to find out the reasons behind such a difference several researches have been conducted. A research carried out by Centre for High Performance Development (CHPD) clearly shows that women are dominant than men when it comes to the qualities of leadership. The research showed that women were effectively able to think, develop and achieve which are the required attributes of a leader. This clearly showed that women proved to be a better leader than men when it came to taking decisions and org anizing the team. The chief executive of CHPD put this difference in these words â€Å"If you ask the right question, namely what is it you need to do to be effective in a very fast-moving, complex and competitive environment, and you get good ways of measuring that, you find that women are more capable than men† (Thomas, 2005). ... A research by the firm Catalyst in 2001 showed that women do not get opportunities to express themselves as do men in real life. Men at several instances can make up for their promotion by having the right contacts while women engross themselves within their field of job to get a promotion. Similarly self confidence also counts for the less participation of women leaders in the organization. It has been found that the morale of men is higher as compared to their counterparts (Smyth 1989, p. 102). An organization named Renew conducted a research on this to find out that 18% of the girls considered themselves to be leaders whereas 48% of the boys considered themselves to be leaders. This gives a general image of the girls who grow up to be a part of a minority in the business world (Thomas, 2005). Many researchers have been struggling to define and explain the leadership traits, theories, challenges and related affairs. The importance that has been given to this area of research is the importance of leadership on employees, performance and overall success of the organizations. There have been a lot of facts and myths associated with the concept of leadership. Technological changes also require certain new traits in the people dealing with them. The technology-intensive businesses may be taken as an example where leadership requires higher flexibility, technical knowledge, adapting skills to change, higher commitment and collaborative approach to work. Grace Hopper worked as a leader in U.S Naval Reserve and is known for her devotion and contribution in the development of programming languages. Her skills and knowledge about technical programming and innovative ideas like foreseeing artificial