The Physics of Bridges Essay - 541 Words

Physics of Bridges The physics behind bridges is more complex than first meets the eye. To assure that a bridge is well-supported many concepts must be understood and used in the correct manner. What is a bridge? A bridge is a complex structure allowing passage across an obstacle: a structure that is built above and across a river, road, or other obstacle to allow people or vehicles to cross it. Bridge forms There are four major forms of bridges: beam, truss, arch, and suspension. A beam bridge, also known as a girder bridge, contains a horizontal beam supported by 2 piers at each end. The beam pushes down on the piers, which weakens the overall bridge. These simplistic bridges are the shortest of all types due to the lack of†¦show more content†¦Above the bridge, a structure of the same pattern is placed to support the bridge from above. At the ends of each bridge, there are two similar trusses. This ensures that the bridge stays together, even when large amounts of weights cross it. By allowing more weight to cross, these bridges can be longer than beam bridges (they can be up to 500 meters). Forces are the focus of these bridges; each bar exerts a pushing or pulling force without bending. These forces allows the lightweight bridge to stay sturdy without collapsing as each steel bar pushes or pulls in the correct direction. Due to this stability, these bridges are often found over places with unstable ground. Anything from cars to trains are able to cross over these types of bridges without issues. There are 4 major concepts in building a bridge that builders must pay attention to; span type, material of the bridge, the placement of the travel surface in relation to the structure, and the form of the bridge. When considering all of these concepts, builders can effectively construct a safe and sturdy bridge. Newton’s 3rd Law One of the most vital concepts in bridge construction is Newton’s 3rd Law. This law states: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/bridge/basics.html#beam http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/china/meetbeam.htmlShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Physics of Bridges3539 Words   |  15 PagesThe Physics of Bridges The design of the bridge superstructure is based on a set of loading conditions which the component or element must withstand. A bridge engineer must take into account a wide variety of loads which may vary based on the duration of the load (permanent or temporary), the direction of the load (vertical, longitudinal, etc.), and the effect of the load (shear, bending, torsion, etc.). In order to form a consistent basis for design, organizations like AASHTO, American Read MoreEssay on The Physics of a Truss Bridge985 Words   |  4 PagesTruss Bridge Physics 141 Robin Hoffmeister There is many reason that we need bridges in every day of our life, from sufficient means to pass over a roadway, waterway, railway, or other structure. You don’t even think about them because it takes no effort to get over them and they are just there for your use. So if you don’t think of them for everyday use I highly doubt that you would think of the physics that is involved in putting one together or the kind of force the bridge can actuallyRead MorePhysics-Bridge Project Essay2226 Words   |  9 Pagesthe people, places, and things that we desire. Although the concept of bridges is as simple as a tree falling across a creek, bridge design and construction requires very serious ingenuity. Artists, engineers, and architects pour vast resources into bridge construction so that they can reshape our daily environment for the better. When building bridges you’ll need help from BATS which are the key structural components of bridge construction such as beams, a rches , trusses, and suspensions. VariousRead MorePhysics Experiment On Diodes And Bridge Rectifiers Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratory Experiment Report #2,3, 4 Experiment # 2 - Semiconductor Diodes Experiment # 3 - Diodes and Bridge Rectifiers Experiment # 4 – Zener Diode Voltage Regulator; Diode Clippers and Clampers Author: Joshua Lewis Date: October 18th, 2016 This report was submitted in compliance with UNCC POLICY 407 THE CODE OF STUDENT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, Revised November 6, 2014 (http://legal.uncc.edu/policies/up-407)Read MoreHow Does the Young’s Modulus of a Sweet Lace Compare to the Young’s Modulus of the Cables Supporting the Millennium Bridge ? How Does the Young’s Modulus of a Sweet Lace Compare to the Young’s Modulus of the Cables883 Words   |  4 PagesMillennium Bridge ? Visit: The Millennium Bridge For our physics practical, we visited The Millennium Bridge a pedestrian footbridge located at the heart of London that crosses the River Thames. It links the City and St Paul’s Cathedral to the north with the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern on Bankside. Construction of this infrastructure began in the late 1998 by the engineering company Arup and it was launched on the 10 June 2000. Structure of Bridge: Structurally, the bridge is a compositionRead More Wormholes Essay1744 Words   |  7 Pagestime-travel. The thought of actually being able to travel to another time or universe has long since enthralled, enveloped, and overwhelmed some of the greatest minds in the history of physics. No one person can actually prove any of their theories, but a few actually make sense. Meaning that they do not violate the laws of physics. One of the main theories suggested, are wormholes. Wormholes are considered to connect two regions of flat space-time, two universes, or two parts of the same universe. ThereRead MoreThe Education and Skills Needed to Become a Physicist Essay920 Words   |  4 Pagescuriosity to be devoted to their pathway, which can be obtained as a imaginative child. From there, Dr. Michio Kaku states the physical learning begins. In high school, he thinks the best opportunities lie in physics books and science fair projects. (1) These practices introduce the basis of physics. If needed, an interview with a physicist can help devote the passion to the job. A basic math knowledge is required so Calculus and other math classes will aid the journey. Also, good grades throughout theRead MoreReflection Of The Rainbow Bridge994 Words   |  4 PagesThis documentary is about a group of engineering experts who attempted to recreate the famous Rainbow Bridge depicted in the Quingming Scroll, created in the time of the Song Dynasty. A multinational team, compromised of Professor Tang, multiple engineering experts and native Chinese workers come together to decipher how the Rainbow Bridge was actually made, because the bridge itself and any blueprints for it have long since been lost to time. The entirety of the documentary focuses on completingRead MoreThe Physics of Acoustic Guitar800 Words   |  4 Pages The Physics of Acoustic Guitar Everything in the universe involves some type of physics. Even the universe itself does, but have you ever wondered about the physics of simpler items? Physics is vital for all musical instruments, if it wasn’t; they probably wouldn’t produce the beautiful sounds that they do. One of these instruments is acoustic guitar. By looking at the instrument, it doesn’t look very complicated, but if you delve deeper into its composition, you’ll find that it’s very complicatedRead More Physics of Electric Guitars Essay1309 Words   |  6 PagesThis proved successful and the electric guitar as we know it was born. The first commercially available model, the Frying Pan, was spearheaded by George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker in 1932. Physics Behind Electric Guitars: Introductory Ideas: Before delving into the core physics of electric guitars, some basic information must be understood. These ideas will be discussed more thoroughly later on in this section. * Sound from an electric guitar is produced by electromagnetic

Use of Symbols in Yeatss Work, A Vision Essay - 3300 Words

Use of Symbols in Yeatss Work, A Vision In his 1901 essay Magic, Yeats writes, I cannot now think symbols less than the greatest of all powers whether they are used consciously by the masters of magic, or half unconsciously by their successors, the poet, the musician and the artist (p. 28). Later, in his introduction to A Vision, he explains, I put the Tower and the Winding Stair together into evidence to show that my poetry has gained in self possession and power. I owe this change to an incredible experience (Vision p.8). The experience he goes on to relate is the preliminary stage of the composition of the work itself. In A Vision, however, Yeats exhibits his poetic power as well, along with his knowledge of†¦show more content†¦He then adds numbers to the symbol, corresponding to the phases of the moon, and is able to use them to designate every possible action of thought or life. He places these in a circular shape. The whole system, Yeats writes is founded upon the belief that the ultimate reality, sy mbolized by the sphere, falls in human consciousness... into a series of antinomies (Vision p. 187). The Byzantium poems are a prime example of the antinomies at work in the individual mind of man. In many of his poems, Yeats idealizes Byzantium, as a symbol of unity in spiritual and everyday life. He writes I think that in early Byzantium, maybe never before or since in recorded history, religious, aesthetic and practical life were one, that architect and artificers... spoke to the few and the multitude alike. The painter and the mosaic worker, the worker in gold and silver, the illuminator or sacred books, were almost impersonal, almost perhaps without the consciousness of individual design, absorbed in their subject-matter and that the vision of a whole people (Vision p. 279). Sailing to Byzantium expresses Yeats longing to become a part of Byzantine art, to return to life as a golden bird, who transcends the temporality of the natural world. However, he isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis on To Ireland in the Coming Times1608 Words   |  7 Pagesintroduced him to automatic writin g and from there he was able to write â€Å"A Vision† (1925). In 1922 Yeats received an honorary degree from Trinity College in Dublin, at this time the Irish civil war had started. That same year he was given a seat in the Irish senate, where he remained for 6 years before resigning due to failing health. The following year in December of 1923 Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for his literary works. In 1939 on January 28th at the age of seventy-three Yeats died. Yeats legacyRead More The Feminine in William Butler Yeats Poetry Essay1716 Words   |  7 Pagesmany different and multi-layered levels. 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The anxieties about his ancestral line and preservation of high culture that plagued Yeats in his later years are best illustrated in the poemRead More W.B. Yeats and History Essay1729 Words   |  7 Pages(his love for the woman, Maude Gonne, and his desire to advance the Irish Cultural Nationalist movement) provide Yeats with the foundation upon which he identifies his own limitations. In his love poetry, he not only expresses his love for Gonne, he uses his verse to influence her feelings, attempting to gain her love and understanding. In regard to the Nationalists, he incorporates traditional Irish characters, such as Fergus and the Druids, to create an Irish mythology and thereby foster a nationalRead MoreWho Goes with Fergus11452 Words   |  46 Pageslater poem Yeats says the tower is â€Å"half dead at the top.† If we see the tower as an individual, as a source of knowledge, this would seem to imply that there is no more original thought there. If, on the other hand , we see the tower as a phallic symbol, it has become impotent. posted by:Kurdish guy, B.A.M From college of language(Hawler)2010. As Yeats matures in life, the focus goes from what the wotld is doing and what he can do. In other words, he focuses on the meaning of his life, this is shownRead More Comparing T S Eliots The Wasteland and William Butler Yeats The Second Coming2980 Words   |  12 PagesS. Eliots The Wasteland and William Butler Yeats The Second Coming       World War One fundamentally changed Europeans perspective on man. Before the war they believed that man was innately good, after it people were disenchanted with this vision of man. Both Thomas Sterns Eliot and William Butler Yeats keenly felt this disenchantment, and evinced it in their poetry. In addition to the war, Eliot and Yeats also saw the continuing turmoil in Europe, such as the Russian Revolution and the IrishRead MoreYeatss Interest in Rhythm2333 Words   |  9 Pagesand asleep, which is the one moment of creation, by hushing us with an alluring monotony, while it holds us waking by variety, to keep us in that state of perhaps real trance, in which the mind liberated from the pressure of the will is unfolded in symbols. (W.B. Yeats) What light does this comment of Yeats’ shed on his poetry? Feel free in your answer to concentrate on poetic devices other than rhythm if you prefer. Yeats’ interest in rhythm was deeply tied to the notion of the sound of the earthRead MoreEssay about An Analysis of Yeats The Second Coming1825 Words   |  8 Pagesreading of the poem, combined with some simple genetic work, shows that Yeats saw the new order as a reign of terror haunted by war. The Second Coming, in its entirety, is an astounding encapsulation of Yeats idea of the gyre and his fears about the future of mankind; it is expertly woven with threads of prophetic literary reference and impressive poetic techniques. To begin, the gyre, a spiral or repeated circling motion, is a symbol and a concept that Yeats used repeatedly in his poetry andRead MorePoems with Theme with Life and Death and Their Analysis8446 Words   |  34 Pagesnoteworthy are studied and analysed in terms of themes. Different opinions of different poets on life and death found in their poems are also presented and contrasted in this paper. This paper will be of use and help to the learners of English. Introduction: To many, Death creates uncertainty and fear. It seems we shall never meet again. But the poets remind us of the essential truths of life, death and immortality. In herRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesâ€Å"A Vision:† The Arab Mansions of the Moon On Ritual and Talismans Picatrix Astrological Magic Aphorisms Extracts on Planetary Ritual Clothing Twenty Two Benefic Astrological Talismans Astrology, Magical Talismans and the Mansions of the Moon Ritual of Jupiter An Astrological Election of Mercury in the First Face of Virgo for Wealth and Growth XIV. Invocation of Mercury On the Decans and Tarot XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. A Brief History of Tarot The Decans in Astrology Overview of Recent Tarot Works That

Female Employees in Top Leadership Position

Question: Discuss about the Female Employees in Top Leadership Position. Answer: Introduction According to Hoobler, Lemmon, and Wayne (2011), the lack of women in the top positions of leadership has been an issue of debate among specialists in the corporate governance industry. The women have suffered widespread discrimination in the place of work as compared to their male counterparts. A number of research studies have been carried out on the lack of female gender in the senior leadership and top management positions in multi-national business firms. The studies reveal several significant positive changes regarding the number of female employees in the workplace; the researchers have recorded a steady rise in the population of women in the management position. Despite this, the statistics of female employees who play the role of chief executive officers (CEOs) and organizational presidents has remained at the very low across the globe (Hoobler, Lemmon, Wayne 2011). There is significant desegregation of employment based on individuals backgrounds; however, despite this, a ph enomenon referred to as glass ceiling has prevented female employees from getting the top management. Females are segregated during the hiring processes and in remuneration. This forms of discrimination have been duplicated in top management positions in leading organization. Therefore, there is scarcity in the number of female employees all levels of organizational management (Richardson West 2010). Short introduction about the company The article talks about ASX Limited. ASX Limited is considered the worlds top financial market exchange that provides full suit services, for example, trading, clearing and settlements, and listings (ASX Limited, 2017). ASX Limited is the global leader in raising capital. It has a total of $1.5 trillion market capitalization, and hence, it is a home for global technological and finance companies. ASX Limited network and center for data are interconnected to top financial hubs. Its success as a company depends on the diverse nature of its users. It also meets the global regulatory requirements and its clearing house ensures a high level of security for it users, and this contributes to the stability of the financial markets in Australia. ASX Limited has more than 150 years of experience in the industry, and it has over 530 employees. The company prioritizes its clients who own up to 6.7 million shares (ASX Limited, 2017). It has an estimated 180 participants as well as 2200 listed iss uers and companies. A summary of the major points that the author makes in the selected article There are only nine female chief executive officers in ASX 200: The author of the article argues that there is a large gap in the number of male and female CESs in the leading corporate organizations. The article states that there is less than one female CEO in twenty leading corporates (Ong 2017). The female CEOs compose only 4.5% of all the CEOs, and there is a 40% percent chance that an ASX CEO will be a man and not a woman. The majority of ASX executives are Europeans: According to the article, there are only 3.9% of ASX CEOs who do not have a European background (Ong 2017). Workplace diversity: the article mentions that there is a problem of workplace diversity in most of the leading organizations because they do not recruit female employees. During the hiring process, these organizations focus on the roles played by male employees (Ong 2017). The article states that the largest gap exists in the top management of the Australian companies; however, the gender gap reduces downward to the lower management. According to the article, it requires 12 years to achieve equality in gender roles at the workplace. Male chief executive officers earn $1 million more than their female counterparts: The author of the article states that there is a huge gap in the remuneration scale used to award male CEOs and female CEOs. According to the article, the accumulated gap with regards in the earnings of the male and female CEOs amounts to one million dollars on an annual basis (Ong 2017). It requires women three decades to attain equality in management with their male counterparts: This article touches on the gender inequality in the management at the workplace. Achieving gender equality in the workplace has been a sensitive issue in past decades, and according to the article, it requires more than 27 years for gender equality to be achieved at the workplace (Ong 2017). Discussion of the major corporate issue and points raised by the author within the readings context of class readings Executive remuneration practices Executive remuneration practices in the leading corporate organizations are one of the major corporate governance issues that emerge in the article. According Penner and Harold (2010), the pay inequality based on gender refers to the huge gap that exists in the remunerations employees based on their gender. According to the article, there exists a huge gap in the remuneration scale used to award male CEOs and female CEOs. According to the article, the total gap in the earnings of the men and women CEOs amounts to one million dollars on an annual basis (Ong 2017). There are several factors that contribute to the gender pay gap that is experienced in local and multinational companies in Australia as discussed below: According to Penner and Harold (2010), there is a huge pay gap between men and women employees in Australia because men and women work in different industries. Industrial segregation leads to occupational segregation. Industries that are dominated by men attract higher pays while the industries that are female dominated attract low pay, and hence, a difference in the remuneration (Dezs? Ross 2012). Just as highlighted in the chosen article, Western Australia relies on mining activities (Ong 2017). The mining industry, which attracts high remuneration, is a male dominated by men; therefore, there are more male than female employees in the region. As a result, there is a huge pay gap, for instance, the amount of compensation given to men in the West Australian mining industry increased by more than 287 times than that of the female workers. Another factor that leads to the difference in remuneration practices is the difference in education levels among the male and female gender. According to Huffman, Philip, and Jessica (2010), the majority of men have attained a higher education level than women. Therefore, men are able to secure highly rewarding job position than women and hence the difference in earnings. Men are also more aggressive at the workplace, and they play a more active role within the organizational setting. Therefore, they are considered to make more contributions to the organizational performance, and therefore, they are compensated with a higher salary than their female counterparts. Board diversity is another important corporate governance issue discussed in this article. According to the article, there are few women employees in the positions of top leadership or management. As stated by Juhn, Gergely, and Carolina (2014), female employees are less represented in the top positions of leadership in top business companies. This has brought about significant undesired effects on multinational business firms. This unbecoming practice has caused female workers working in major business companies to develop the attitude that gradually climbing to these top management levels in such business firms is a tall order to attain, and it is because of this that many of the female employee have lacked the required motivation in the place of work. There are numerous, economic, social, political and cultural factors that bar female employees from ascending to the topmost position of leadership in business companies, for instance, the widespread discrimination of female employees (Kmec Sheryl 2014). In this regard, leading business firms have not enjoyed the numerous benefits which are introduced by female employees who play active roles in the managerial positions in such business firms. In line with these aspects, it is therefore, critical to take an in-depth look at these factors, to have a clear understanding of the underlying factors that lead to the limited number of female employees in the big business organizations (Okafor et al. 2011). Employee discrimination Another important corporate governance issue in this article is the discrimination of employment based on gender. The Australian Human Rights Commission Act of 1986 bars organizations from discriminating against potential employees based on their gender, racial, cultural or religious background (Islam Mohammad 2014.). However, discrimination of employees based on their gender and racial background is rampant in the Australian top corporate organizations. According to the article, there are only 3.9% of ASX CEOs who do not have a European background (Ong 2017). This shows that the top organizations listed in the ASX Limited are biased in their hiring process as they are selective and favor individuals from Europe in their top leadership positions, a practice that amounts to racial discrimination (Wang Elisabeth 2013). Gender discrimination during the hiring process is also rampant in the Australian leading organization. The author states that the leading Australian organization do n ot seek to hire female workers to perform women roles in the management. Why are these arguments being made in the media? The media is a very powerful communication tool across the globe, and therefore, critical communication regarding corporate governance are normally communicated over the media because of the following reasons. These arguments are being made in the media because the media carries out the function of informing and educating the public. Presenting these arguments over the media ensures that the practitioners of human resource are informed and educated regarding these issues. Making these arguments over the media enables the individuals responsible for hiring employees to acquire important lessons regarding corporate governance. The media also has the ability to reach a wide and heterogeneous audience. Therefore, they information in the media enables the information to reach as many audience as possible to educate them on these important corporate governance issues. These arguments are shared over the media because the media creates is an excellent platform for issue advocacy campaigns. Therefore, making these arguments over the media in order to create awareness of these issues among the HR officials and employees. This helps in improving corporate governance by helping to fight against inequ ality in the workplace, discrimination in the hiring process, and reducing the pay gap witnessed in many countries across the globe. Conclusion and my opinion regarding the major points that the author raises in the selected article In summary, I am of the opinion that the female leaders in management positions as well as all the other female employees should be given equal remuneration to their male counterparts. This is because the women are also equally educated as men. The women also perform equal tasks to them in the same job category. In addition to this, the women are also exposed to the same risks that the men are exposed to at work, and hence, they deserve equal pay (Rowley 2013). I also believe that more women should be included in the top management level in the leading global organizations. This is because of the presence of many benefits which come a long with the practice of placing more female employees in the top positions of leadership, for instance, business firms that adhere to the rules and regulation regarding the equality of gender in the topmost positions of leadership positions have experienced increased output and productivity (Terjesen, Sealy, Singh 2009). The increase in performance i s recorded in such scenarios because a business firms performance is not completely reliant on the product line of the company also on the image that the company paints to its external and internal stakeholders. I am of the opinion that all organizations should ensure gender diversity in the workplace. Diversity in leadership brings about to increased productivity among workers within an organization. The aim of this particular topic is aim at bringing in-depth understanding of the causal factors as well as the challenges that cause the absence of omen workers at the high managerial positions in the multi-national business companies. On this basis, it is the goal of this study to bring about a multiplication in the number of women employees in leadership in order to raise the performance of business firms across the globe (Hallward-Driemeier, Tazeen, Anca 2013). I am also of the opinion that women are more creative that their male counterparts. Therefore, more women should be recruited in all levels of management, and particularly in the top management level in order to improve productivity. HR officials who are responsible for the hiring of employees should avoid the discrimination of employees based on their gender or racial background as discussed in the article. I believe that the inclusion of more women in these positions will ensure the implementation of critical thinking that is critical in problem solving within organizational setting (Zhang Bartol 2010). Women employees are also excellent team members, and therefore, the population of female employees in the top position of management. Their presence in the management team of any other line of management in the organization will enhance teamwork which is vital for organizational success (Cook Christy 2013). In the current century where globalization has taken over, all organization should recruit individuals from across the globe. The inclusion of individuals from different cultural backgrounds has positive impacts on organizational performance. Bibliography list ASX Limitted, 2017, Corporate overview, [Online] 2017. Available at: https://www.asx.com.au/about/corporate-overview.htm Cook, A. Christy, G. 2013, Women and Top Leadership Positions: Towards an Institutional Analysis, Gender, Work Organization, vol. 21, 1, pp.91-103. Dezs?, C. L. Ross, D. G. 2012, Does Female Representation in Top Management Improve Firm Performance? A Panel Data Investigation, Strategic management journal vol. 3, 9, pp. 1072-1089. Hallward-Driemeier, M., Tazeen, H., Anca, B. R. 2013, Womens Legal Rights over 50 Years: What Is the Impact of Reform?, Working Paper No. 6617, World Bank, USA. Hoobler, J. M., Lemmon, G., Wayne, S. J., 2011, Womens underrepresentation in upper management: New insights on a persistent problem, Organizational Dynamics, vol. 40, pp. 151156. Huffman, M. L., Philip, N. C., Jessica, P. 2010, Engendering Change: Organizational Dynamics and Workplace Gender Desegregation 1975-2005, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 55, pp. 255277. Islam, A. Mohammad, A. 2014, Are There More Female Managers in the Retail Sector? Evidence from Survey Data in Developing Countries, Journal of Applied Economics, vol. 17, 2, pp. 213-228. Juhn, C., Gergely, U., Carolina, V. 2014, Men, Women, and Machines: How Trade Impacts Gender Inequality, Journal of Development Economics, vol. 106, 179-193. Kmec, J. A. Sheryl, S. 2014, The State of Equal Employment Opportunity Law and Managerial Gender Diversity, Social Problems, vol. 61, 4, pp. 530558. Okafor, E. E. et al., 2011, Barriers to women leadership and managerial aspirations in Lagos, Nigeria: An empirical analysis, African Journal of Business Management Vol. 5, 16, pp. 6717-6726. Ong, T. 2017, March 8. Women failing to reach chief executive, those who do paid $1m less than men. [Online] 2017. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-08/workforce- women-day-gender-equality/ Penner, A. M., Harold J. T. 2010, Women In Power and Gender Wage Inequality: The Case of Small Businesses, in Christine L. Williams, Kirsten Dellinger (ed.) Gender and Sexuality in the Workplace, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp. 83 105. Richardson, J. West, M.A. 2010, Engaged work teams in Albrecht, S.L. (Ed.), in Handbook of Employee Engagement: Perspectives, Issues, Research and Practice, Edward Elgar Publishers, Cheltenham, pp. 323-340. Rowley, C. 2013, What Might Influence Female Manager Careers Success?, Working Paper, Cass Business School, City University London. Terjesen, S., Sealy, R., Singh, V. 2009, Women Directors on Corporate Boards: A Review and Research Agenda, Corporate Governance: An International Review vol. 17, 3, pp. 320-337. Wang, M. Elisabeth K., 2013, The Gender Quota and Female Leadership: Effects of the Norwegian Gender Quota on Board Chairs and CEOs, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 117, 3, pp.449-466. Zhang, X., Bartol, K. M. 2010, Linking Empowering Leadership and Employee Creativity: The Influence of Psychological Empowerment, Intrinsic Motivation, and Creative Process Management, Academy of Management Journal

Politics of globalization in Taiwan

Table of Contents Taiwan’s political system Patterns of globalization Global cities and competitive advantage of Nations Taiwan and non-polarity Economy of Taiwan Taiwan’s geopolitics of energy Works Cited Taiwan’s political system According to Chen (np), Taiwan has developed by using mercantilism which proposes the economy is inferior to politics. Economics is looked at as a way of escalating state power therefore national interest takes priority over the market place. Wealth and power are corresponding contending objectives and economic dependence on other states should be completely evaded. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Politics of globalization in Taiwan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mercantilism believes that economic action is and should be subsidiary to the major goal which is to build a strong state. Economics is a political tool whereby ones state’s loss is another s tate’s gain. Recent mercantilist way of thinking has led to the successful development of East Asia states not excluding Taiwan. Patterns of globalization Arguably, Taiwan has adopted a transformationist pattern of globalization. From the 1970’s Taiwan in its efforts to escape from the colonial divisions of labor and forge economic development, it majorly emulated Japan. It adopted an export-oriented industrializing approach, carving out markets for itself in the world economy. Furthermore, Taiwan’s nation state has been evolving, especially political democratization, with the state been a catalyzer. The winners and losers in Taiwan can be represented through the NIE perspective. Taiwan contends that globalization is the vital driving force following main economic, cultural, social political changes in the population of the world today. The new world order â€Å"architecture† is advancing looking at the general outcome of directly intertwined activities l eading to change in various fields for example, technology, governance, communication just to mention but a few (Castles 24). Global cities and competitive advantage of Nations According to Kwok (163), Taipei, the capital city and the largest city in Taiwan has become one of the global cities through the production of high technology and its components. In reference to China Economic News Service, Taiwan is now one of the creditors of economy, which holds one of the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves. The GDP per capita in Taipei is US$48,400 making it the second highest in Asia following Tokyo and 13th among world cities. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taipei holds the industrial area of Taiwan, which holds both secondary and tertiary sectors. This shows that not only is Taiwan a developed nation but its capital city is one of the global cities in the world today showing that Taiwan is not only developed as country but also its cities are developed as well (Castles (24). Taiwan products can not enjoy monopoly rent although they have a huge market share this is because competition ion Taiwan itself is quite stiff and the fact that there are other cheaper goods flooding the markets from foreign countries makes the situation worse. Most Taiwan industries belong to individual families and efficiently thoroughly supervised, hence there is no motivation as both the owner and manager are like minded and their thoughts and goals are the same. This most certainly why, Taiwan firms and industries have been enabled to act in response and fine tune fast to the ever changing competitive advantage (Fitzgerald 104). Taiwan and non-polarity According to Chen, Taiwan’s liberal foreign policy is an effort by the country to fine tune itself to the age of non-polarity. Taiwan’s cessation from China and its overdependence on the United Stat es of America had a huge negative impact on it. This largely affected its GDP dropping form 5.7% in 1999 to -2.17%in 2001; with the help of the United States of America crisis in 2007 Taiwan’s GDP was at 4.13%. Taiwan needs to make sociable relations with other countries so as it can continue to grow economically. At the moment, Taiwan is pushing for â€Å"bilateral free trade agreements (FTA) with particular nations that make up the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Economy of Taiwan The relations between the state and the corporations in the country can be described as collective capitalism, which was first developed in Japan after the Second World War. Looking at the Taiwanese economy, real process of the capitalist socialization of production is evident though in an unclear means because it does not take into consideration the seminal reality that the rights to the means of production are privatized are held by the capitalist companies, unlike in market-or iented capitalism where it belongs to individual capitalists. The economy embraces free competition and monopolistic private enterprise. There is collective labor of many employees in large companies and the correlation of various stages and sector of production. The Taiwanese economy is driven by â€Å"relational markets,† which put much emphasis on the cooperative long-term engagements. For instance, in the intertwined share rights, where majority of the organizations hold rights in other firms; as seen this has resulted in a lot of collaboration between the concerned firms, since each is concerned of the other’s activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Politics of globalization in Taiwan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taiwan’s geopolitics of energy The country has considerable natural resource, for instance coal, petroleum and natural gas deposits. Taiwan’s energy generation is approximately 55 percent coal-based, 18 percent nuclear power, 17 percent natural gas, 5 percent oil, and 5 percent from renewable energy resources. However, due of the extensive exploitation all through from Taiwan’s pre-modern to its modern time, its natural resources have been almost depleted. â€Å"Nearly all oil and gas for transportation and power needs must be imported, making Taiwan particularly sensitive to fluctuations in energy prices† (Munck 45). Due to this, Taiwanese Executive Yuan intends to increase power generated from renewable sources to 10 percent by 2010, doubling it from the current 5 percent. Through encouraging renewable energy, â€Å"Taiwanese hope to also aid the nascent renewable energy manufacturing industry, and develop it into an export market. Taiwan is rich in wind energy resources, with Wind farms both onshore and offshore, though limited land area favors offshore wind resources. Solar energy is also a potential resource to some extent† (Munck 47). This energy situation in Taiwan has attracted American and German corporations, which have constructed numerous wind farms. Furthermore, much of its forest resources, were greatly exploited during Japan’s regime rule for the building of temples, though efforts have been made to recover then. Nowadays, forests do not contribute significantly to timber production largely due to production and environmental concerns. Many industries have been subsequently shut down due to depletion of the scarce natural resources and also due to the down fall of international market demands. Taiwan’s domestic politics believe that outsourcing is a key pillar towards its financial recovery and to take advantage of its strategic positioning in global production. It has continuously supported outsourcing though incentives, such as taxation, and marketing its outsourcing industry. Notably, the country has been able to solve the puzzle of economic development conside ring its emerging economy and its global standing.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Castles, Stephen. â€Å"Development, Social transformation and globalization.† Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies workshop 23-25 June 1999. 1999. Web. Chen, Jin. â€Å"Taiwan Pursuing Free Trade Pacts with ASEAN states.† Taiwan News. 14 Oct 2008. Web. Fitzgerald, Scott. The competitive Advantages of Far Eastern Business. New York: Routledge, 1994. Print. Kwok, Yin-Wang. Globalizing Taipei: the political economy of spatial development. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print. Munck, Ronaldo. Globalization and social exclusion: a transformationalist perspective. Bloomfield CT: Kumarian Press, 2005. Print. This essay on Politics of globalization in Taiwan was written and submitted by user Brynn Wilcox to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Life Of LOUIS PASTEUR Essays - Food Preservation, Food Science

The Life Of LOUIS PASTEUR Essays - Food Preservation, Food Science The Life of LOUIS PASTEUR Louis Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822, in D?le, a small town in France. He grew in a humble family and his father was a tanner. He graduated in 1840 from the College of Arts at Besancon and entered the prestigious Ecole Namale Supervieure, Paris, to work for his doctorate degree. He chose for his studies the then obscure science of crystallography, which was to have a great influence on his career. Pasteur entered the scientific world as a professor of physics at the Lycee of Tournon and started his research on the optical properties of crystals of tartaric acid salts. He found the two forms of this acid which could rotate the plane of polarization of light, one to the right and the other to the left. This was his first important discovery in crystallography, the phenomenon of optical isomers. Paradoxically it incited him to abandon the field. But it won the acclaim of the French Academy and Britain's Royal Society. Thus Pasteur became famous at the age of 26. Pasteur soon began researching the complexities of bacteriology. The prevalent theory of life at the time was spontaneous generation which states that certain forms of life such as flies, worms, and mice can develop from non-living matter such as mud and decaying fish. Pasteur disproved this theory with a simple experiment. He showed that microorganisms would grow in sterilized broth only if the broth was first exposed to air containing spores, or reproductive cells. His findings led to the development of the cell theory of the origin of living matter which states that all life originates from preexisting living material. In 1849, Pasteur became professor of chemistry at the University of Strasbourg, where he began studying fermentation, a type of chemical breakdown of substances by microbes. He served the rest of his career as Dean of Sciences at the University of Lille. Soon after his arrival at Lille, Pasteur was asked to solve the problems of the local industries, vinegar and silk manufacture. A producer of vinegar from beet juice wanted to know why the product was sometimes spoilt. On examining the juice microscopically, Pasteur observed that the contaminant, amyl alcohol, was optically active. This gave clear evidence that it was produced by a living organism. Pasteur then proposed a biological interpretation of the process of fermentation. He demonstrated that when no contamination by living contagion took place, the process of fermentation or putrefaction did not take place. Thus the celebrated techniques of Pasteurization, came into being, it could not only preserve wine and milk but drastically cut inflation in the surgeon's operating table. Today pasteurization follows closely the early techniques of Louis Pasteur. In the case of milk pasteurization, the milk is heated to 161?F for 15 seconds followed by a rapid cooling to 50?F or lower. This process removes any unwanted bacteria, but also kills any beneficial bac! teria and reduces some of the nutritive property of milk. The Franco-Prussian War opened an avenue to press his microbial theory of infection, he got the grudging agreement of the military medical corps to sterilize instruments and steam bandages. As a result, thousands of lives were saved. In 1873, Pasteur was elected to the French Academy of Medicine, a spectacular achievement for a person without a medical degree. Pasteur was now ready to move from the simpler forms of life in the microbial world to the diseases of the higher animals. The opportunity came through a devastating outbreak of anthrax, a killer plague of sheep in 1876. Pasteur tried to produce pure cultures, his objective was to fight the disease and not just to describe it. Pasteur had accidentally forgotten in a corner of the laboratory a culture of fowl cholera and noticed that it had lost some of its virulence. Then he vaccinated some chicken which resisted the disease. The same technique, after improvement, was applied against bacillus anthracis: sheep inoculated with the vaccine survived and the non-vaccinated ones died. A scourge that had crippling economic effects was brought under control. Simultaneously, the principle of immunization or the protection of the body through vaccines was discovered. In 1865, the silk industry of France faced an economic ruin by an epidemic among silkworms.

Censorship and Banned Books in Schools

Censorship and Banned Books in Schools While reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in school, teachers often spend full class periods discussing a very important issue: Mark Twains use of the n word throughout the book. Its important to not only explain that the book must be looked at through the context of the time period but also what Twain was trying to do with his story. He was trying to reveal the plight of the slave and he was doing so with the vernacular of the time. Students may make wisecracks, but its important to address their humor with information. Students need to understand the words meaning and Twains reasons for using it. These conversations are difficult to have because they are controversial and many people are very uncomfortable with the n word- for good reason. Due to its origins in slavery and racism, it is often the topic of disgruntled phone calls from parents. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the 4th most banned book  in schools according to Banned in the U.S.A. by Herbert N. Foerstal. In 1998 three new attacks arose to challenge its inclusion in education. Reasons for Banned Books Is censorship in schools good? Is it necessary to ban books? Each person answers these questions differently. This is the core of the problem for educators. Books can be found offensive for many reasons. Here are just some reasons taken from Rethinking Schools Online: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Reason: Rape scene, anti-white.Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Reason: Profanity.Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. Reason: Drug use, sexual situations, profanity.A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck. Reason: Depiction of pigs mating and being slaughtered. More recent books that were challenged according to the American Library Association include the Twilight saga due to its religious viewpoint and violence and The Hunger Games because it was unsuited to the age group, sexually explicit and too violent. Many ways exist to ban books. Our county has a group which reads the questionable book and determines whether its educational value exceeds the weight of the objections against it. However, schools can ban books without this lengthy procedure. They just choose not to order the books in the first place. This is the situation in Hillsborough County, Florida. As reported in the St. Petersburg Times, one elementary school will not stock two of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling because of the witchcraft themes. As the Principal explained it, the school knew they would get complaints about the books so they did not buy them. Many people, including the American Library Association, has spoken out against this. There is an article by Judy Blume on the website for the National Coalition Against Censorship to be very interesting. Its title: Is Harry Potter Evil? The question that faces us in the future is when do we stop? Do we remove mythology and Arthurian legends because of its references to magic? Do we strip the shelves of medieval literature because it presupposes the existence of saints? Do we remove Macbeth because of the murders and witches? Most would say there is a point where we must stop. But who gets to pick the point? Proactive Measures an Educator Can Take Education is not something to be feared. There are enough hurdles in teaching with which we must deal. So how can we stop the above situation from occurring in our classrooms? Here are just a few suggestions: Choose the books you use wisely. Make sure that they fit nicely into your curriculum. You should have evidence which you can present that the books you are using are necessary for the student.If you are using a book that you know has caused concerns in the past, try to come up with alternative novels that students can read.Make yourself available to answer questions about the books you have chosen. In the very beginning of the school year, introduce yourself to parents at  an open house  and tell them to call you if they have any concerns. If a parent calls you there will probably be less of a problem then if they call administration.Discuss the controversial issues in the book with the students. Explain to them the reasons those parts were necessary for the authors work.Have an outside speaker come to class to discuss concerns. For example, if you are reading  Huckleberry Finn, get a Civil Rights Activist to give a presentation to students about racism. Final Word Ray Bradbury  describes a situation in the  coda to  Fahrenheit 451. It is about a future where all books are burned because the people have decided that knowledge brings pain. It is far better to be ignorant than knowledgeable. Bradburys coda discusses the censorship that hes faced. He had a play that he sent to a university to be produced. They sent it back because it had no women in it. This is the height of irony. Nothing was said about the content of the play or the fact that there was a reason it featured only men. They did not want to offend a certain group at the school: women. Is there is  a place for censorship  and banning of books? Its hard to say that children should read certain books in certain grades, but education is not to be feared.

Team work development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team work development - Essay Example Teamwork building and development training take a series of the learning and training approaches. Burn notes the first learning approach as the cognitive approach whereby a person uses his or her personal instinct to learn the good morals and behaviors in a manner which is in line with the success of the group. The reinforcement approach is applied at the mature stage as the group develops into a more focus driven and task oriented team. Considering that most task performance related groups are made up of adult persons, the management and leadership in such teams should realize the need to incorporate adult ideas and views in the development process, what Brooks refers to as andragogy (Brooks, 2005). Hanwit views teamwork building and training process in a series of four stages stipulated below: Forming (awareness) stage This stage as Lewis argues is very crucial in the life cycle of any group and that any group. The forming process is the initial stage and involves the identificatio n of one's self within the group and the ability to work with the team members. At this stage, the group members show less regard in their work and to each other as long as they keep their courses clear (Lewis et al, 2008). The forming stage as the name suggests is the stage at which the group is being formed and is compared to a toddler who is learning how to walk. Lippincott notes that at this stage, feelings, weaknesses and mistakes done by beach member is covered up by him or herself or by the close friends within the group, in addition he adds that there is a lack of shared understanding of what needs to be done (Lippincott, 1994). This usually happens as the group members... This stage as Lewis argues is very crucial in the life cycle of any group and that any group. The forming process is the initial stage and involves the identification of one's self within the group and the ability to work with the team members. At this stage, the group members show less regard for their work and to each other as long as they keep their courses clear (Lewis et al, 2008). The forming stage as the name suggests is the stage at which the group is being formed and is compared to a toddler who is learning how to walk. Lippincott notes that at this stage, feelings, weaknesses and mistakes are done by each member is covered up by him or herself or by the close friends within the group, in addition, he adds that there is a lack of shared understanding of what needs to be done (Lippincott, 1994). This usually happens as the group members get acquainted with each other and the various members get to identify the abilities, talents and skills possessed by each member of the grou p. Any group which passes this is then able to move on to the next stage.This is the most unstable stage in the entire process of teamwork development. At this stage, the personal identification is revealed as people get to know each. The weaknesses and strengths of each individual are exposed as the group members interact and discover each others potentials and weaknesses. As opposed to the forming stage, at the storming stage, these character traits are not hidden anymore and clearly expose themselves.

Operating Systems and Networking Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Operating Systems and Networking - Coursework Example This led to an unprecedented increase in student population from 900 to 1,500, in 2 years. Clearly, the student population and the number of staff members had outgrown the physical infrastructure at the college. In this regard, the college management, in 2004, decided to open a constituent college or campus in East London, to cater for the gradually increasing student and staff population. With the aim of meeting diverse labour requirements of the society, the college introduced, yet again, two more course, Finance studies and Computer Engineering. As a result, the student population increased to about 2,000, as did the staff members. This led to the opening of a third campus in 2008 in North London. Additionally, the college launched Distance and Open Learning program that targeted students both within and outside London. This move led to an increase in student population from 2,000 to 3,000. The London College of Law and IT, as at today, has three constituent colleges or campuses w ithin the greater, including, the School of Law, School of IT and the School of Finance and Accountancy. In addition, the college also has 10 open-learning study centres outside London and has more than 3, 000 students in total and more than 100 staff members (both part-time and fulltime academic staff). All the three campuses are independent in terms of administration and have staff offices, student lecture halls, student’s halls of residence, computer laboratory, and a library. Each of the 10 study centres have an administrative office, a library that doubles up as a computer laboratory, three study/reading rooms-1 for law student, 1 for IT students, and 1 for Finance and Accounting students-which also doubles up as examination centres. In all the three campuses and the 10-study centre, there several designated Wi-Fi hotspots that serve students with laptops and tablets. London College of Law and IT faces stiff competition from various colleges in London that offer Law, IT, financial studies, or both. Notable competition includes the Imperial College London, King’s College London, London College of Law, University College of London, and London College of Legal Studies, among others. b. Requirement Analysis: Computer networks link a collection of computers, hardware and software through specialized software, cabling systems and other devices, thus enabling their users to work together by sharing files and other resources, for example, printers and scanners (N. Olifer & V. Olifer, 2006). Today, computer networks are very important; they shape the way we live, study, work or play. They enable us to communicate, interact, learn, and collaborate in ways that we could not do before. For higher institutions of learning such as universities and colleges, digital communication with voice, video and data is critical to achieving todays educational and learning objectives. Therefore, a well and properly thought of and designed network is an essential re quirement for meeting day-to-day institutional functions or for doing business (White, 2012). Improving computer networks enable us to enjoy better and reliable data speeds, and new exciting services and applications such as video conferencing, IP telephony, education, ecommerce and more. Designing a new network would benefit the London

Causes of Civil War Essay Example for Free

Causes of Civil War Essay You hear the word civil in such terms as civil rights, civilian, civilization and civil liberty. All are related to the concept of a common citizen and a member of society. So, a civil war is a war between citizens representing different groups or sections of the same country. That is how the Civil War in the United States between 1850-1860 started. The distinction of ideas about slavery between the South and the North was pretty much the main cause of the war. However if we look at the details carefully, the economic forces in the South combined with the cotton plantations and the reactions to abolitionism in the South were the main factors that caused the Civil War. Economics was an important cause of the Civil War. Economic reasons affected and still affect almost everyone around the world. The economy, simply money gives people a lot of power, which causes a lot of problems between people, and makes everything more complicated. That’s pretty much why it was a big deal with the starting of the Civil War. It started around early 1800s with the harvesting of cotton in the South (Holland, â€Å"The North-South Divide†). Harvesting of cotton required the labor of many people with the invention of cotton gin. So, the way of making a lot of money out of cotton was to find enough laborers to work with. That’s how slavery became essential for the South’s economic future because it was a great source of laborers. In this way slave and cotton plantation owners were making a lot of money and expanding their plantations and of course the number of slaves they owned, which made slavery expand in the South pretty quickly. Also, people who owned slaves and the cotton plantations were mostly the men of social and political power, and of course they didn’t want to lose their power. They were getting richer and richer every day with the expanding plantations with the invention of the cotton gin. For example, Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee were some of the most powerful slave owners of that time. Davis had a great political career, and Lee was an important commander and general in the army. They and the other slave owners got their power from slavery and didn’t want to lose that power. While slavery kept expanding in the South, the North didn’t like that. The North was against the expansion of slavery, an opposition captured by Free Soil Ideology. Their main purpose was opposing the expansion of slavery into the western territories, because they saw it as a corrupt economic system. This made the South see the Free Soil movement as a threat of making slavery totally disappear. The South was threatened because they thought this ideology in the North would keep expanding and finally free all the slaves they owned, and ruining the Southern economy (Brinkley). While this happened in the South, the idea of abolitionism kept spreading through the North. Another cause of divisions between the North and the South was the abolitionist movement. The South saw this movement as a threat from the North, and becoming suspicious of them. John Brown was clearly the most significant radical abolitionist at that time. He fought slavery for years but his most significant action took place at Harper Ferry, Virginia. Brown seized federal arsenal, and he hoped the slaves would come to Harpers Ferry and march through the South, fighting slavery. This way he scared the South, because a slave rebellion had always been the region’s main fear, and therefore the South formed militias. Most Southerners were convinced Brown had done what a lot of Northerners wanted to do, which threatened them (John Brown Farm, North Elba, New York New York History Net†). In other wards, Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry 1859 fed fear of slave uprising. Southerners basically thought the Republican Party supported John Brown’s Raid and what he had done (Holland, â€Å"Abolitionism†). This was a big issue for them, because the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was elected the next year and he was a member of the Republican Party. The South thought that being a member of the Republican Party meant being an abolitionist. This worried them, because abolitionists wanted to make slavery disappear, and they thought that’s exactly what the new president of the whole country, Lincoln wanted to do. So, the South saw the election of Abraham Lincoln as a threat. On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln was not an abolitionist, and he didn’t think what John Brown did was good and ethical. He didn’t want to make the South be against him. He was just supporting the Free Soil Ideology. So Lincoln just didn’t want slavery to expand. However the South didn’t see this distinction. Even before Lincoln was inaugurated, Southern states began to secede from the Union (â€Å"Abraham Lincoln†). So that was pretty much how the conflict first started, and caused the Civil War to begin. The Civil War ended in 1865 and slavery was finally abolished. Slavery had been the main reason for its start, because of the economic divisions it sparked along with abolitionism. The harvesting of cotton was a big source of money at that time, especially after the invention of the cotton gin and needed a great source of slaves as laborers. The abolitionist movement added more to this conflict with the misunderstandings about Lincoln’s political views in the South. At the end, the price for the war was pretty high. Lincoln, a visionary president, was assassinated, and it was the bloodiest and the saddest war in American history. It has a valuable part in American history and worth remembering a clear example of what’s right and what’s wrong.

Sound the Jubilee :: Essays Papers

Sound the Jubilee Slaves lived terrible lives; always being told what to do and how to live, what to eat and who to converse with. But what if all that could change? What if slaves could be free to live their own lives? That’s what Sandra Forrester writes about, in the book Sound the Jubilee. The main characters in the book are Maddie, a young slave girl, and her family, Titus, Ella, Angeline, and Pride. Titus is a sweet, strong, loving father; Ella is a kind, firm, loving mother; Angeline is Maddie’s older sister, who always does everything perfectly; and Pride is Maddie’s unhealthy baby brother. The setting is during the Civil War, from 1861-1865 at River Bend Plantation, Nags Head, and Roanoke Island. Maddie and her family are house slaves on a North Carolina plantation; their problem is how to get to freedom. The solution? When she and her family are sent with their mistress to Roanoke Island because of invading Yankees, they run for freedom. Once the Yankees take over the island, the government gives aid to all the runaway slaves and provides them with jobs and the resources to start new lives. I think the author shows how the season changes very clearly throughout the book. For example, when summer came to Roanoke Island it was stated clearly at the beginning of the chapter, (pg 92, paragraph 1). Or when autumn came to Roanoke Island, the author describes it clearly as crisp, cool, and early, (pg. 110, paragraph 3). Summer was also described again clearly as especially hot and miserable, (pg. 132, paragraph 2). The S.C.I. point that relates most to this book is The Nature of Life is to Grow. In many of the chapters at least one of the characters grows in some way.

Books Were an Important Part of Life in the Late 18th Century Essay

Learning is one of important processes in human being life. It is self-evident that human development cannot stand without a proper learning. Since Learning provides unlimited Benefits, people should learn and experience it. The Reading is being reimagined over the time period. I’ll discuss about it later in this section. There are several ways that promotes Learning such as Books, electronic books, Movies, Periodicals such as Magazine, journals or Newspapers and Audio/Visual clips. Nowadays Libraries plays a critical role on keeping the Books alive due to the invention Mass media communications. I’ll talk further about this later in this section. Let’s take a closer look about Books. The book is one of the valuable sources of knowledge that provided numerous benefits, such benefits are it takes us into different worlds and cultures and it helps to learn other languages as well. So, we can tell that a book can be a truthful friend which helps to learn how to behave in practical life. Books cover different genres such as Comedy, Drama, Romance, Adventure, fiction etc. Director General of UNESCO addressed 1972 as the â€Å"International Book Year† and taking â€Å"Booking for all† as their Motto. UNESCO organizes a yearly event called â€Å"World Book day or International Day of the book† on 23th April every year worldwide to promote Reading, Publishing and Copyright. So we can understand How Important it is Reading in a life of Mankind. It was first celebrated on 23th April 1995. Writing believed to be developed between the 7th millennium BC and 4th millennium BC in china. Ancient people used to write using stones but wood was the first medium to write in the actual form of Book. From time to Time, the new technology inventions played vital part in the World. The Cambridge University Press was founded in 1534 and the first book was printed in 1583. Also the first press was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts one of the North American British colonies in the year of Year 1639. Then first North American Public library was founded in Boston in the year of 1653. Eighteenth Century Americans were mainly interested in reading books about practical arts, religious and the politics as well. American does have a long tradition on reading habits since long back. Thus they are proved to be improved in vocal, public expressions both towards and against throughout reading skills. Novels are the entertaining seldom read by Americans in the 18th century. The nation’s first novel was published in the late 18th century. The first two novels to be published were Digges’ â€Å"Adventure of Alonso† and Brown’s â€Å"The power of Sympathy†. Women were also contributed to the success of Novels, Such writers were Susuana Rowson for her novel â€Å"Charlotte: A tale of truth†. This navel was re-issued under the title of Charlotte Temple, which sold more than million and half copies. The growth of novel reading grew rapidly towards the end of the year 1750. The main reason for the growth of novel readers was the rapid growth of the source of book materials such as book seller, public library and lending library. An average person was able to obtain their reading materials from booksellers, public libraries as well through lending libraries which were a cheaper option since they were able to rent the books for a small fee. Due to the vast number of readers between the year 1773 and 1798 the number of book trading companies as well as the number of public libraries grew rapidly at faster rate than the increasing population. While the population doubled in the period of 1790’s, the numbers of the circulating libraries were tripled. So in the late 18th century, the circulation libraries played a huge influence placing reading interest among the American public. Social libraries were able to expand their firms by joining the book selling companies and they were able to purchase and loan the books for a lower rate. By the year of 1790, books were the main source of entertainment, information and literature for an average person. According to the catalogues of the sellers, the percentage of fiction readers increased by nine percent between 1754 to 1765 and increased to thirteen percent between 1791 to 1800. Circulating Library catalogues contained fifty-eight percent fiction by the year of 1800 which was higher compared (twenty-eight percent) to the early 18th century. Though the books were little expensive at that period, the people were able to join in the circulating libraries for lower rate which is another proof that people were encouraged to read during this century. During the late 18th century, the book sellers showed interest requesting novels from their suppliers. As an example Robert Ben Winans (1975) states that â€Å"In 1801, a bookseller in North Carolina wrote to his supplier requesting that â€Å"Mr. Carey will be so obliging as to send as many of the Novels as he procure; it will be mutually our interest to keep a good collection, as the good folks her love light reading†. This letter accompanied an order called a -typical order of the period about 1800, which listed sixty-three books every one of them a novel†. (â€Å"The Growth of a Novel-Reading Public in Late-Eighteenth-Century America. Early American Literature. Vol. 9. No. 3 (Winter, 1975): 267-275. Print). This is a proof that tells the novels were read by rapidly growing people in the late 18th century. This period is described as Novel reading age. I strongly believe that books today have been replaced by other forms of mass communication such as Media, newspape r and magazine, Web. Though there were so many significant political, economic developments redesigned the new world, the dramatic and unprecedented centralization of the countries and their expansion, regulations and professionalization of the state forces are still appreciable. Every time a new invention strikes in mass communications, obviously the books had to compete with that invention. The first American newspaper called â€Å"Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick† published in early 18th century. During the early 18th century, the weekly Newspapers acted as the means of carrying of intercolonial news and also the newspapers carried war news at that period . So people were interested in reading newspapers than Books at that period. Then the industrial era started from the nineteenth century initially with the telegraph applications. The first African-American newspaper was published in 1827 called the Freedom’s Journal. Also this has been followed by the inventions such as magazines, telegraph, printers, phonograph, postal discounted rates, photographic films and radio were in particular. So the century that belongs to the industrial revolution start for the mass media that affected the books and readers. Since the radio, television and movie inventions in the early 1900s, the information had started passing through voice than text form. People started feeling that listening to audio is more comfortable than reading. In 1980, first online newspaper was published on web . From time moves on, the physical form of book transformed in intangible form of text due the new inventions in this world. During the late 1980s, Information has transformed to digitalized manner and the revolution of Computer started striking the world. People believed that physically storing information was not safe, so they started storing information in digital code. In 1985, Voyagar Company stored books in CD-ROM which was the first step to the era of eBook. From then onwards, the learning has come to digital manner. Then the biggest bang to the book sales was the invention of the World Wide Web in the year of 1991. Then the first online blog was published in the year of 1997. Due to high volume of readers, authors showed an interest in writing online blogs. Convergence of Media (Video and Audio) introduced in the later 1990s. For example:-We can see presidential debates live on YouTube. So the information can be stored as Video or audio forms as well than the text form. Google has announced the Google Library Project which is digitalization of books in 2005. Nowadays libraries are playing an important role in preserving the books for the next generation. It is self-evident that physically books can’t long last because of the material and size. It is good in a way that if we store information in digital code it can long last than physically storing in a book. This generation people show interest in reading/learning, just the sales of the eBooks readers, pdf readers are the proofs. If we look into Amazon. com, we can see tons of EBooks and they also sell books as well. If we want, we can download the eBook instantly or else we have to wait till they ship it. Though the form of text (book) has changed due to new inventions, but the rate of readers has increased in the world. Earlier we had only text form but now we do have text, audio and video form as well. Nowadays people look for a better ways. I would say storing an eBook is far more convenient than carrying a book (physical book). Though the new innovation impacted the sales of the books (physical form), it’s good for the next generation to preserve the valuable information.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 16

After that, things happened very fast, and at the same time with a dreamy slowness. Mary-Lynnette felt her arms grabbed from behind. Something was pulling her hands together-somethingstrong. Then she felt the bite of cord on her wrists, and she realized what was happening. Tied up-I'm going to be helpless-I've got todosomething fast†¦. She fought, trying to wrench herself away, trying to kick. But it was already too late. Her hands were secure behind her back-and some part of her mind noted distantly that no wonder people on cop shows yell when they're handcuffed. Ithurt. Her shoulders gave a shriek of agony as she was dragged backward up against a tree. â€Å"Stop fighting,† a voice snarled. A thick, distorted voice she didn't recognize. She tried to see who it was, but the tree was in the way. â€Å"If you relax itwon't hurt.† . Mary-Lynnette kept fighting, but it didn't make any difference. She could feel the deeply furrowedbark of the tree against her hands and back-and now she couldn't move. Oh, God, oh, God-1 can't get away. Iwas alreadyweak from what Ash and I did-and now I can't move at all. Then stop panicking andthink, her inner voice said fiercely. Use your brain instead of getting hysterical. Mary-Lynnette stopped struggling. She stood panting and tried to get control of her terror. â€Å"I told you. It only hurts when you fight. A lot of things are like that,† the voice said. Mary-Lynnette twisted her head and saw who it was. Her heart gave a sick lurch. She shouldn't havebeen surprised, but she was-surprised and infi nitely disappointed. â€Å"Oh, Jeremy,† she whispered. Except that it was a different Jeremy than the one she knew. His face was the same, his hair, his clothes-but there was something weird about him, something powerful and scary and †¦unknowable. His eyes were as inhuman and flat as a shark's. â€Å"I don't want to hurt you,† he said in that distorted stranger's voice. â€Å"I only tied you up because I didn't want you to interfere.† Mary-Lynnette's mind was registering different things in different layers. One part said, MyGod, he's trying to be friendly, and another part said, Tointerferewith what? and a third part just kept saying Ash. She looked at Ash. He was lyingverystill, andMary-Lynnette's wonderful new eyes that could seecolors in moonlight saw that his blond hair was slowly soaking with blood. On the ground beside himwas a club made of yew – made of the hard yellow sapwood. No wonder he was unconscious. But if he's bleeding he's not dead-oh, God, please,he can'tbe dead-Rowan said that only staking and burning kill vampires†¦. â€Å"I have to take dare of him,† Jeremy said. â€Å"And then I'll let you go, I promise. Once I explain everything, you'll understand.† Mary-Lynnette looked up from Ash to the strangerwith Jeremy's face. With a shock, she realized what he meant by â€Å"take care of.† Three words that were just part of life to a hunterto a werewolf. So now I know about werewolves. They're killers and I was right all along. I was right and Rowan was wrong. â€Å"It'll only take a minute,† Jeremy said-and hislips drew back. Mary-Lynnette's heart seemed to slam violently inside her chest. Because his lips went farther up than any human's lips could. She could see his gums, whitish-pink. And she could see why his voice didn't sound like Jeremy's-it was his teeth. White teeth in the moonlight. The teeth from herdream. Vampire teeth were nothing compared to this. The incisors at the front were made for cutting fleshfrom prey, the canines were two inches long, the teeth behind them looked designed for slicing and shearing. Mary-Lynnette suddenly remembered-somethingVic Kimble's father had said three years ago. He'd said that a wolf could snap off the tail of a full-grown cow clean as pruning shears. He'd been complaining that somebody had let a wolf-dog crossbreed looseand it was going after his cattle†¦. Except that of course it wasn't a crossbreed, Mary-Lynnette thought. It was Jeremy. I saw him everyday at school-and then he must have gone hometo look like this. Tohunt. Just now, as he stood over Ash with his teeth all exposed and his chest heaving, Jeremy looked completely, quietly insane. â€Å"But why?† Mary-Lynnette burst out.†Whydo youwant to hurt him?† Jeremy looked up-and she got another shock. His eyes were different. Before she'd seen them flash white in the darkness. Now they had no whites at all. They were brown with large liquid pupils. Theeyes of an animal. So it doesn't need to be a full moon, she thought. He can change anytime. â€Å"Don't you know?† he said. â€Å"Doesn't anybody understand?This ismy territory.† Oh.Oh †¦ So it was as simple as that. After all their brainstorming and arguing and detective work. In the end it was something as basic as an animal protectingits range. â€Å"For a hunting range, it is small,† Rowan had said. â€Å"They were taking my game,† Jeremy said. â€Å"My deer, my squirrels. They didn't have any right to dothat. I tried to make them leave-but they wouldn't.They stayed and they kept killing†¦.† He stopped talking-but a new sound came fromhim. It started out almost below the range of MaryLynnette's hearing-but the deep rumbling of itstruck some primal chord of terror in her. It was asuncanny and inhuman as the danger-hum of an at tacking swarm of bees. Growling. He was growling. And it wasreal.The snarling growl a dog makes that tells you to turn and run. The sound it makes before it springs at yourthroat†¦. â€Å"Jeremy!† Mary-Lynnette screamed. She threwherself forward, ignoring the white blaze of pain in her shoulders. But the cord held. She was jerked back. And Jeremy fell on Ash, lunging down, head darting forward like a striking snake, like a biting dog, like every animal that kills with its teeth. Mary-Lynnette heard someone screaming â€Å"No!†and only later realized that it was her. She was fight ing with the cord, and she could feel stinging and wetness at her wrists. But she couldn't get free andshe couldn't stop seeing what was happening in frontof her. And all the time that eerie, vicious growling that reverberated in Mary-Lynnette's own head and chest. That was when things went cold and dear. Some part of Mary-Lynnette that was stronger than the panic took over. It stepped back and looked at the entire scene by the roadside: the car, which was still burning, sending clouds of choking white smokewhenever the wind blew the right way; the limpfigure of Ash on the pine needles; the blur of snarling motion that was Jeremy. â€Å"Jeremy!† she said, and her throat hurt, but hervoice was calm-and commanding. â€Å"Jeremy-before you do that-don't you want me tounderstand? You said that was what you wanted. Jeremy,help me understand.† For a long second she thought in dismay that it wasn't going to work. That he couldn't even hear her. But then his head lifted. She saw his face; she saw the blood on his chin. Don't scream, don't scream, Mary-Lynnette toldherself frantically. Don't show any shock. You have to keep him talking, keep him away from Ash. Behind her back her hands were working automatically, as if trying to get out of ropes was something they'd always known how to do. The slick wetness actually helped. She could feel the cords slide a little. â€Å"Please help me understand,† she said again, breathless, but trying to hold Jeremy's eyes. â€Å"I'm your friend-you know that. We go back a long way.† Jeremy's whitish gums were streaked with red. He still had human features, but there was nothing at all human about that face. Now, though-slowly-his lips came down tocover his gums. He looked more like a person andless like an animal. And when he spoke, his voicewas distorted, but she could recognize it as Jere my's voice. â€Å"We do go back,† he said. â€Å"I've watched you sincewe were kids-and I've seen you watching me.† Mary-Lynnette nodded.She couldn'tgetany words out. â€Å"I always figured that someday, when we wereolder-maybe we'd be together. I thought maybe I could make you understand. About me. About everything. I thought you were the one person who might not be afraid†¦.† â€Å"I'm not,† Mary-Lynnette said, and hoped hervoice wasn't shaking too badly. She was saying it to a figure in a blood-spattered shirt crouching over a torn body like a beast still ready to attack. MaryLynnette didn't dare look at Ash to see how badly hewas hurt. She kept her eyes locked on Jeremy's. â€Å"And I think I can understand. You killed Mrs. Burdock, didn't you? Because she was on your territory.† â€Å"Nother; † Jeremy said, and his voice was sharpwith impatience. â€Å"She was just an old lady-she didn't hunt. I didn't mind having her in my range. Ieven did things for her, like fixing her fence andporch for free†¦. And that's when she told methey were coming. Those girls.† Just the way she told me, Mary-Lynnette thought, with dazed revelation. And he was there fixing the fence-of course. The way he does odd jobs for everybody. â€Å"I told her it wouldn't work.† Mary-Lynnette couldhear it again-the beginnings of a snarling growl. Jeremy was tense and trembling, and she could feel her self start to tremble, too. â€Å"Three more hunters in thislittle place †¦ I told her, but she wouldn't listen. She couldn't see. So then I lost my temper.† Don't look at Ash, don't call attention to him, Mary-Lynnette thought desperately. Jeremy's lips were drawing back again as if he needed something to attack. At the same time the distant part of hermind said, So that's why he used a picket=Ash was right;it was an impulse of the moment. â€Å"Well, anybody can lose their temper,† she said, and even though her voice cracked and there were tears in her eyes, Jeremy seemed to calm a little. â€Å"Afterward, I thought maybe it was for the best,† he said, sounding tired. â€Å"I thought when the girls found her, they'd know they had to leave. I waited for them to do it. I'm good at waiting.† He was staring past her, into the woods. Heart pounding, Mary-Lynnette grabbed the opportunity todart a look at Ash. Oh, God, he's not moving at all. And there's so muchblood†¦.I've never seen so much blood†¦. She twisted her wrists back and forth, trying to find some give in the cords. â€Å"I watched, but they didn't go away,† Jeremy said.Mary-Lynnette's eyes jerked back to him. â€Å"Instead youcame. I heard Mark talking to Jade in the garden. She said she'd decided she was going to like it here. And then †¦ I got mad. I made a noise and they heard me.† His face was changing. The flesh was actually moving in front of Mary-Lynnette's eyes. His cheekbones were broadening, his nose and mouth jutting. Hairwas creeping between his eyebrows, turning them into a straight bar. She couldsee individual coarse hairs sprouting, dark against pale skin. I'm going to be sick†¦. â€Å"What's wrong, Mary-Lynnette?† He got up and she saw that his body was changing, too. It was stilla human body, but it was too thin-stretched out.As if it were just long bones and sinews. â€Å"Nothing's wrong,† Mary-Lynnette got out in a whisper. She twisted violently at her cords-and felt one hand slide. That's it. Now keep him distracted, keep him moving away from Ash†¦. â€Å"Go on,† she said breathlessly. â€Å"What happenedthen?† â€Å"I knew I had to send them a message. I cameback the next night for the goat-but you were there again. You ran away from me into the shed.† Hemoved closer again and the moonlight caught his eyes-and reflected. The pupils shone greenish-orange. Mary-Lynnette could only stare. That shadow in the clearing-those eyes I saw. Nota coyote.Him.He was following us everywhere. The very thought made her skin creep. But there was another thought that was worsethe picture of him killing the goat. Doing it carefully, methodically-as a message. That was why he didn't eat the heart and liver,Mary-Lynnette realized. He didn't kill it for foodit wasn't a normal werewolf killing. And he's not a normal werewolf. He wasn't at all like what Rowan had described-a noble animal that hunted to eat. Instead he was †¦ a mad dog. Of all people,Ash had it right. Him and his jokes about rabies †¦ â€Å"You're so beautiful, you know,† Jeremy said suddenly. â€Å"I've always thought that. I love your hair.† He was right in her face. She could see the individual pores in his skin with coarse hairs growing out of them. And she couldsmellhim-the feral smell ofa zoo. He reached out to touch her hair, and his handhad dark, thick fingernails. Mary-Lynnette could feelher eyes getting wider. Say something †¦say some thing †¦ don't show you're afraid. â€Å"You knew how Mrs. Burdock's husband was killed,† she got out. â€Å"She told me a long time ago,† Jeremy said almost absently, still moving his fingers in her hair. He'd changed so much that his voice was getting hard to understand. â€Å"I used little sticks from my models †¦you know I make models. And a black iris forhim.Ash.† Jeremy said the name with pure hatred. â€Å"I saw him that day with his stupid T-shirt. The Black IrisClub . . . my uncle belonged to that once. Theytreated him like he was second-class.† His eyes were inches from Mary-Lynnette's; she felt the brush of a fingernail on her ear. Suddenlyshe had the strength to give a violent wrench behind her back-and one hand came free. She froze, afraid that Jeremy would notice. â€Å"I threw the goat on the porch and ran,† Jeremysaid, almost crooning the words as he petted MaryLynnette. â€Å"I knew you were all in there. I was somad-I killed that horse and I kept running. I smashed the gas station window. I was going to bum it downbut then I decided to wait.† Yes,and yes, and yes, Mary-Lynnette thought, even as she carefully worked her other wrist free,even as she stared into Jeremy's crazy eyes andsmelled his animal breath. Yes, of course it was youwe heard running away-and you didn't fall into the hole in the porch because you knew it was there, because you were fixing it. And yes, you were the one who smashed the window-who else would hate the gas station but somebody who worked there? 0Her fingers eased the cord off her other wrist. She felt a surge of fierce triumph-but she controlled her expression and clenched her hands, trying to thinkof what to do. He was so strong and so quick †¦ if she just threw herself at him, she wouldn't have a chance. â€Å"And today you all came to town together,† Jeremy said, finishing the story quietly, through a mouth so inhuman it was hard to believe it could speak English. â€Å"I heard the wayhe was talking toyou. I knew he wanted you-and he wanted to change you into one of them. I had to protect you from that.† Mary-Lynnette said almost steadily, â€Å"I knew youwanted to protect me. I could tell, Jeremy.† She was feeling over the furrowed hemlock bark behind her.How could she attack him when she didn't even have a stick for a weapon? And even if shehad,wood was no good. He wasn't a vampire. Jeremy stepped back. Relief washed over Mary-Lynnette-for one second. Then she saw with horror that he was plucking at his shirt, pulling it off. And underneath †¦there was no skin. Instead there was hair. A pelt that twitched and shivered in the night air. â€Å"I followed you here and I fixed your car so you couldn't leave,† Jeremy said. â€Å"I heard you say youwanted to be a vampire.† â€Å"Jeremy-that was justtalk†¦.† He went on as if she hadn't spoken. â€Å"But that was a mistake. Werewolves are much better. You'll understand when I show you. The moon looks so beautiful when you're a wolf.† Oh,Godand so that was what he meant by pro tecting her, by making her understand. He meant changing her into something like him. I need a weapon. Rowan had said silver was harmful to werewolves,so the old silver-bullet legend must be true. But she didn't haveasilver bullet. Or even a silver dagger †¦ A silver dagger†¦ a silverknife †¦ Behind Jeremy the station wagon was almost invisible in the clouds of smoke. And by now the smoke had the red glow of uncontrolled fire. It's too dangerous, Mary-Lynnette thought. It'sabout to go. I'd never make it in and out†¦. Jeremy was still talking, his voice savage now.†You won't miss the Night World. All their stupid restrictions-no killing humans, no hunting too often. Nobody tells me how to hunt. My uncle tried,but I took care of him-â€Å" Suddenly the creature-it wasn't really a personanymore-broke off and turned sharply. Mary-Lynnette saw its lips go back again, saw its teeth parted and ready to bite. In the same instant she sawwhy-Ash was moving. Sitting up, even though his throat was cut. Lookingaround dazedly. He saw Mary-Lynnette, and his eyes seemed to focus. Then he looked at the thing Jeremy had become. â€Å"You-get away from herl† he shouted in a voiceMary-Lynnette had never heard before. A voice filledwith deadly fury. Mary-Lynnette could see himchange position in a swift, graceful motion, gathering his muscles under him to jump But the werewolf jumped first. Springing like ananimal-except that Jeremy still had arms, and onehand went for the yew club. The club smashed sideways into Ash's head and knocked him flat. And then it fell, bouncing away on the carpet of needles. The werewolf didn't need it-it was baring itsteeth. It was going to tear Ash's throat out, like the horse, like the hiker †¦ Mary-Lynnette was running. Not toward Ash. She couldn't help him barehanded. She ran toward the car, into the clouds of choking smoke. Oh, God, it's hot. Please let me just get there†¦. She could feel the heat on her cheeks, on her arms. She remembered something from an elementary school safety class and dropped to her knees, scrambling and crawling where the air was cooler. And then she heard the sound behind her. The most eerie sound there is-a wolf howling. It knows what I'm doing. It's seen that knife everytime I pry off my gas cap. It's going to stop me†¦. She threw herself blindly into the smoke and heat,and reached the car. Orange flames were shooting crazily from the engine, and the door handle burnedher hand when she touched it. She fumbled, wrenching at it. Open,open†¦ The door swung out. Hot air blasted around her. If she'd been completely human she wouldn't havebeen able to stand it. But she'd exchanged blood withfour vampires in two days, and she wasn't completely human anymore. She wasn't Mary-Lynnette any more †¦but was she capable of killing? Flames were licking up beneath the dashboard. Shegroped over smoking vinyl and shoved a hand under the driver's seat. Find it! Find it! Her fingers touched metal-the knife. The silverfruit knife with the Victorian scrolling that she'd borrowed from Mrs. Burdock. It was very hot. Her handdosed on it, and she pulled it from under the seatand turned †¦ just as something came flying at her from behind. The turning was instinctive-she had to face whatwas attacking her. But what she would always know afterward was that she could have turned withoutpointing theknife at what was attacking her. There was a moment in which she could have slanted it backward or toward the ground or toward herself. And if she'd been the Mary-Lynnette of the old days,she might have done that. She didn't. The knife faced outward. Toward the shape jumping at her. And when the thing landed on top of her she felt impact in her wrist and all theway up her arm. The distant part of her mind said, It went in cleanlybetween the ribs†¦. And then everything was very confused. Mary-Lynnette felt teeth in her hair, snapping for her neck. She felt claws scratching at her, leaving welts on her arms. The thing attacking her was hairy and heavy and it wasn't a person or even a half-person. It was a large, snarling wolf. She was still holding the knife, but it was hard to keep her grip on it. It jerked around, twisting her wrist in an impossible direction. It was buried in the wolf's chest. For just an instant, as the thing pulled away, she got a good look at it. A beautiful animal. Sleek and handsome, but withcrazy eyes. It was trying to kill her with its last panting breath. Oh, God, you hate me, don't you? I've chosen Ashover you; I've hurt you with silver. And now you're dying. You must feel so betrayed†¦. Mary-Lynnette began to shake violently. She couldn't do this anymore. She let go of the knife and pushed and kicked at the wolf with her arms andlegs. Half scrambling and half scooting on her back, she managed to get a few feet away. The wolf stood silhouetted against a background of fire. She couldsee it gather itself for one last spring at her There was a very soft, contained poof. The entirecar lurched like something in agony-and then the fireball was everywhere. Mary-Lynnette cringed against the ground, halfblinded, but she had to watch. So that's what it looks like. A car going up inflames. Not the kind of big explosion you hear in the movies. Justa poof. And then just the fire, going up and up. The heat drove her away, still crawling, but she couldn't stop looking. Orange flames. That was allher station wagon was now. Orange flames shooting every which way out of a metal skeleton on tires. The wolf didn't come out of the flames. Mary-Lynnette sat up. Smoke was in her throat,and when she tried to yell â€Å"Jeremyl† it came out as a hoarse croak. The wolf still didn't come out. And no wonder, with a silver knife in its chest and fire all around it. Mary-Lynnette sat, arms wrapped around herself,and watched the car bum. He would have killed me. Like any good hunter. I had to defend myself, I had to save Ash. And thegirls †¦ he would have killed all of them. And thenhe'd have killed more people like that hiker†¦. He was crazy and completelyevil, because he'd do anything to get what he wanted. And she'd seen it from the beginning. Somethingunder that â€Å"nice guy† exterior-she'd seen it over and over, but she'd kept letting herself get convinced it wasn't there. She should have trusted her feelingsin the first place. When she'd realized that she'dsolved the mystery of Jeremy Lovett and that it wasn't a happy ending. She was shaking but she couldn't cry. The fire roared on. Tiny sparks showered upward. I don't care if it was justified. It wasn't like killingin my dream. It wasn't easy and it wasn't naturaland I'll never forget the way he looked at me†¦. Then she thought,Ash. She'd been so paralyzed she'd almost forgotten him. Now she turned around, almost too frightened to look. She made herself crawl over to where he was still lying. So much blood†¦ how can he be all right? But if he's dead †¦ if it's all been for nothing †¦ But Ash was breathing. And when she touched hisface, trying to find a clean place in the blood, he moved. He stirred, then he tried to sit up. â€Å"Stay there.† Jeremy's shirt and jeans were on the ground. Mary-Lynnette picked up the shirt and dabbed at Ash's neck. â€Å"Ash, keep still†¦.† He tried to sit up again. â€Å"Don't worry. I'll protectyou.† â€Å"Lie down,† Mary-Lynnette said. When he didn't, she pushed at him. â€Å"There's nothing to do. He's dead.† He sank back, eyes shutting. â€Å"Did I kill him?† Mary-Lynnette made a choked sound that wasn't exactly a laugh. She was trembling with relief-Ash could breathe and talk, and he even sounded like hisnormal fatuous self. She'd had no idea how good thatcould sound. And underneath the swabbing shirt she could see that his neck was already healing. Whathad been gashes were becoming flat pink scars. Vampire flesh was incredible. Ash swallowed. â€Å"You didn't answer my question.† â€Å"No. You didn't kill him. I did.† His eyes opened. They just looked at each other for a moment. And in that moment Mary-Lynnette knew they were both realizing a lot of things. Then Ash said, â€Å"I'm sorry,† and his voice had never been less fatuous. He pushed the shirt awayand sat up. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† She didn't know who reached first, but they were holding each other. And Mary-Lynnette was thinking about hunters and danger and laughing at death. About all the things it meant to really belong to the night. And about how she would never look in the mirror and see the same person she used to see. â€Å"At least it's over now,† Ash said. She could feel his arms around her, his warmth and solidity, his support. â€Å"There won't be any more killings. It's over.† It was, and so were a lot of other things. The first sob was hard to get out. So hard thatshe'd have thought there would be a pause beforethe next-but, no. There was no pause between that one and the next, or the next or the next. She cried for a long time. And the fire burned itself out and the sparks flew upward and Ash held her all the while.