A Short History of Nearly Everything - 800 Words

In A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson undertakes the task of explaining every noteworthy event from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization or as he puts it â€Å"†¦how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also what happened in between and since.† Bryson explains his reasoning for writing the books was because he was discontented with the textbook version of science that failed to explain how everything came to be and why it was that way. He then devoted three years to research in order to write a book in which science can be described in a comprehensible way. This is a vast amount of information and to better organize it Bryson has split the†¦show more content†¦So again I state, I greatly enjoyed this book. I had come across an excerpt of the book and found it intriguing so I decided to give it a read and I am glad I did. This book was well written and Bryson used layman’s terms to describe some of sciences most confusing topics in a way that I could understand. I think that the intended audience for the book is normal people who would like to know the how’s and why’s behind science. Bryson relays factual information with a witty and humorous air that makes you pause in your reading and smile. The overall writing style is educational and professional without being vague or snooty. What I liked best about the book was the way it conveyed information and the fact that the information itself was very detailed without being boring. I also highly enjoyed the jokes that Bryson included for example, â€Å"Tune your television to any channel it doesn’t receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this ancient remnant of the Big Bang. The next time you complain that there is nothing on, remember you can always watch the birth of the universe. (pg 1 2)† Or maybe even, â€Å"By introducing extra dimensions, superstring theory enables physicists to pull together quantum laws and gravitational ones into one comparatively tidy package, but it also means that anything scientists say about the theory begins to sound worryingly like the sort of thoughts that wouldShow MoreRelatedA Short History of Nearly Everything6112 Words   |  25 PagesA Short History of Nearly Everything is a popular science book by American author Bill Bryson that explains some areas of science, using a style of language which aims to be more accessible to the general public than many other books dedicated to the subject. It was one of the bestselling popular science books of 2005 in the UK, selling over 300,000 copies.[1] instead describing general sciences such as chemistry, paleontology, astronomy, and particle physics. In it, he explores time from the BigRead MoreA Short History of Nearly Everything6112 Words   |  25 PagesA Short History of Nearly Everything is a popular science book by American author Bill Bryson that explains some areas of science, using a style of language which aims to be more accessible to the general public than many other books dedicated to the subject. It was one of the bestselling popular science books of 2005 in the UK, selling over 300,000 copies.[1] instead describing general sciences such as chemistry, paleontology, astronomy, and particle physics. In it, he explores time from theRead MoreAn Outline for a Book Report: A Short History of Nearly Everything927 Words   |  4 PagesBryson, Bill. A short history of nearly everything. New York: Broadway Books, 2003. II. Summary of the Main Ideas 1. Subject: Bill Bryson is writing about science and the discoveries we have made into knowing about the universe, and the earths existence. 2. Occasion; Bryson had written A Short History of Nearly Everything, because, Bryson had felt that â€Å"[The science book] wasn’t exciting at all† (5), therefore he hadnt liked science verymuch. Until, one day he had wondered how did theyRead MoreSimilarities Between Bill Brinson And Perks Of Being A Wallflower979 Words   |  4 PagesThe two texts, both Bill Brysons a short history of nearly everything, and Stephen Chboskys Perks of being a wallflower, explore responses emitted when beings are given emotional and intellectual stimuli. This can be seen through both Bill Brysons use of Narration throughout his book, and through the use of Narration in Perks of being a wallflower, through Charlie, where we can see everything he experiences through both his thoughts and voice. Especially during scenes that depict Charlie writingRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Emancipation Proclamation954 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to Abraham Lincoln people will accept anything as fa ctual, which is why all the myths of Lincoln have actually dominated history for so long. Many believe that the Emancipation Proclamation is solely about honest Abe being a just man and freeing all the slaves with his executive power as sitting president. Lincoln himself stated that it was actually a war tactic strategically planned to cripple the south. If Lincoln’s 1863 article is so dedicated to the freeing of slaves then why wereRead MoreThe Economic Impacts Of Gmo s And Large Agribusiness1328 Words   |  6 Pagesas a chemical company, has risen to hold a biotechnical science monopoly. While a monopoly is never a good thing, the issues with Monsanto are much larger than that. How exactly do Monsanto and its fellow biotechnology companies cause damage to everything they interfere with? From the death, destruction, and deformation of Vietnam to financial damage to local farmers, from the dangerous chemicals placed in their crops to the false advertising of their company, Monsanto and its cohorts may be theRead MoreHow Man Can Invent Life Changing Inventions Essay1688 Words   |  7 Pagesdid everything that we see, smell, feel, or hear come into existence? If there are answers to these questions then more questions arise such as: When did it begin? Where did it begin? Why did it begin? Every person that walked the Earth and lived their small, miniscule lives have looked to the oceans, skies, stars, and planets, and wondered what their purpose and plan was in the grand universe. Through research, studies, science and technology, man has been extremely powerful in such a short existenceRead More Humorous Wedding Speech – Two Best Men Essay791 Words   |  4 Pagesorganizing the stag weekend (bachelor’s party). We both had the responsibility of getting him to the church on time, smartly dressed and sober†¦ but neither of us could achieve that last part. And, regrettably, we have both been asked to give a short speech. So why does it take two of us to describe the bridegroom? Well, as the man in Moss Bros said, Theres a lot to fit in. But you can rest assured that I’ll be keeping my part brief†¦ as I know the other bloke (guy) can drone on for hours! Read MoreWhat Makes A Person American?1081 Words   |  5 PagesFrom our own eyes, we can see the changes America had gone through everyday. The history of America is a giant textbook; almost impossible to complete in a semester of history class. America had stood of her own ideologies since the day she became a country. Like every country in the world, people have controversial opinions on this land. Some felt America has the best value of all; while some felt like America didn’t lived up to her promises. America is a country that has grown more complicatedRead MoreJulius Caesar Power Of Speech921 Words   |  4 Pagesprofound writers in all of history, skillfully used the character of Mark Antony in his play, Julius Caesar, in order to verify true the theme that loyalty and respect are two of the most extremely convincing tactics. He demonstrates the power of speech as he is manipulating words in order to prove a certain point in the speaker’s favor, whoever that may be. Mark Antony was a man who enjoyed spending the majority of his time at extravagant parties and receiving everything he wanted at his sudden demand

The Making of a Great Place to Work †the Story of Marriott International Free Essays

The making of a Great Place to Work ® – the story of Marriott International A friend was narrating his story of an experience at the Ritz – Carlton hotel. He was suffering from a sore throat and decided to take his mother’s advice and called room service asking for a glass of hot milk mixed with a spoon of turmeric. Three years later after checking into the same hotel, he promptly receives a phone call from the room service, â€Å"Sir, would you like your favorite hot milk with turmeric! Much as he hated drinking hot milk with turmeric, my friend was impressed by the memory of the hotel’s staff. We will write a custom essay sample on The Making of a Great Place to Work – the Story of Marriott International or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Ritz-Carlton is one of the many brands of Marriott International. â€Å"Take care of the associates, and they’ll take good care of the guests, and the guests will come back. † This was what J Willard Marriott said many decades ago. The founder of Marriott has since been vindicated many times over. Today, Marriott International has nearly 2,900 lodging properties located in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Between now and the end of the year it will add another 100 properties to take the tally to 3000 properties. Marriott International, Inc. , is a leading lodging company. Its heritage can be traced to a root beer stand opened in Washington, D. C. , in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Today, the company manages and franchises hotels and resorts under the Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, and Fairfield Inn brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, The RitzCarlton Club, Grand Residences by Marriott, and Horizons brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; operates conference centers; and manages golf courses. Marriott consistently makes it to Fortune’s Best Employer’s List. And it is number 5 amongst the Top 25 Great Places to Work ® in India. Visit a Marriott property and you will sense the enthusiasm and energy of their Associates (They call their employees Associates). I decided to visit their Juhu property and talk to a few employees to find out what makes this hotel an employer of choice. Here’s what I found. 1. A strong Brand Marriott International does not own the hotels it operates. It owns the brands and runs the management. In this sense it is a true professional services firm. A lot of people can construct a world class property; it takes a Marriott management team to make it a world class hotel. â€Å"When I was working with a rival chain, I kept on wondering, if Marriott can do it, why can’t we,† confided a senior manager. â€Å"When I decided to shift from Delhi to Mumbai, I had a colleague who used to work in Marriott in Mumbai. She almost forced me to come for an interview at Marriott,† shared the current head of Training.  ©Great Place to work ® Institute,India 2. True Empowerment Empowerment is the cornerstone of â€Å"the Marriott way. Marriott has numerous examples of how their Associates feel empowered. Employees decide when to give a fruit basket or other complimentary items to guests. There is a high degree of pride in the unique relationships they form with their guests. One example quoted was how an Associate in a restaurant offered the most expensive bottle of champagne to an unhappy guest- as a complimentary gift! Such examples are applauded and recognised. In the employee website, as well as, the company website you will find a number of stories of exemplary behaviour of Associates. . Guarantee of fair treatment Marriott employees feel empowered because they know that fair treatment is a cornerstone of the Organisation’s philosophy. This is what J W Marriott, Jr, current Chairman and CEO has to say, â€Å"I want our Associates to know that there really is a guy named Marriott who cares about them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bill, as he is affectionately called, makes sure these are not empty words. Each manager has to give an undertaking of fair treatment. There is a process of escalation of employee grievances (Speak Out process), right up to him. Indeed, as the current HR Manager found out, getting a call from Bill’s office to enquire about an employee grievance is not surprising. Considering that Marriott employs over 150,000 employees globally, this is a strong example of the emphasis placed on fair treatment. And for employees too shy to write to Bill, there is always the option of anonymously calling up the Integrity hotline, a 24 by 7 toll free number. As one employee commented, â€Å"A very unique thing in this place is the work culture. I think all Associates are treated equally. At an individual level there are differences but no one turns their back when someone actually needs help. † 4. Communication If fairness ensures that employees are not penalised for doing the right thing, communication processes are what ensures that employees know what the right thing is. This is what Bill Marriott says in his blog (http://www. blogs. marriott. com), â€Å"Many years ago, Marriott did something revolutionary at the time for hotels. We not only began asking guests about their stays, what they liked and didn’t like, but we also took that information and created databases and tracking mechanisms so we knew how each hotel was doing. Marriott is the only hotel I know of which has a daily newspaper, called the Daily Packet. The Daily Packet is a communication tool which comprises of the Hospitality Basic of the Day, Events for the day, Daily Birthdays, Special guest recognition of associate efforts, HR eye opener for the day, Daily occupancy rate, etc.  © Great Place to work ® Institute,India So the chances are the Associate who offered the bottle of champagne to the customer, did it with the full knowledge of how well the business is doing, and whether she can afford to spend that much on service recovery. An important part of the communication process is the performance communication. Every quarter the GM addresses the associates and shares the Balance Score Card which comprises of the Revenue, Guest Satisfaction Survey results, Turnover rate, Audit Scores etc. The winners for departmental and individual recognitions schemes are awarded during this Quarterly Associates Meeting. This is followed by the department head along with the line manager conducting a quarterly performance review with the Associates. This is to give the Associate feedback and an overview of the last quarter and set his goals and action plan/development for the next quarter. 5. The Marriott way I cannot end an article on Marriott without emphasising their 12 rules of success. Like any other great Organisation (Remember JJ’s Credo), Marriott has defined its 12 rules of success as under: 1. Continually challenge your team to do better. 2. Take good care of your employees and they’ll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back. 3. Celebrate your people’s success, not your own. . Know what you’re good at and mine those competencies for all you’re worth. 5. Do it and do it now. Err on the side of taking action. 6. Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and competitors. 7. See and be seen. Get out of your office, walk around, make yourself visible and accessible. 8. Success is in the details. 9. It’s more important to hire people with the right qualities than with specific experience. 10. Customer needs may vary, but their bias for quality never does. 11. Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don’t just clean it up. 12. View every problem as an opportunity to grow. The above rules are supported by 20 Basics – basic behaviours that exemplify the above rules. Marriott’s brand beliefs can be summarised in one line as their spirit to serve- their Associates, Customers and Community. In line with the above Marriott have awards for Community Service and Diversity. Do not be surprised if you see hundreds of Marriott employees (joined by enthusiastic guests) descending on Juhu beach to clean it up. They did precisely that. Just as they took care of 26 school kids and many others during Mumbai floods. Great Place to work ® Institute,India I recall visiting a friend of mine in the HR department of a reputed five star hotel in the beginning of my career. The HR department was in the basement. My friend took me to the staff canteen, a dimly lit place where we were served some beaten rice (Poha) from an Aluminium Container, in a steel plate. I was amazed to see the difference between the basement and the other floors. Times have changed. The HR department in Marriott is at the same level as the Reception. And the basement is no less. For Marriott the â€Å"Heart of the Organisation† is as important as the â€Å"Front of the Organisation†. As you walk through the â€Å"Associate Corridor† which is designed to make you proud to be in Marriott, and enter the Associate canteen, you can’t help exclaiming,† Are all restaurants in this hotel as good as the Associate canteen?! † ____________________________________________________________ ____________ The author is CEO of The Great Place to Work ® Institute, India. He can be reached at pbhattacharya@greatplacetowork. in Views expressed are personal.  ©Great Place to work ® Institute,India How to cite The Making of a Great Place to Work – the Story of Marriott International, Papers

Claudius Essay Example For Students

Claudius Essay Claudius was found hiding behind some balcony curtains by soldiers in the palaceafter the murder of Caligula by the Praetorian Guard. Instead of seizing andkilling him, as Claudius was almost sure they would do, they raised him up ontheir shoulders and made him emperor! Many writers have depicted Claudius askind of a befuddled, harmless old man who had been made Emperor so that Romanswould have someone in high places to make fun of. In truth, he was an ableadministrator and ruled well, making many improvements in the government. Hegave orders for the conquest of Britain, which the famous Julius Caesar had onlyinvaded and left. The invasion was well planned and carried out. After some ofthe early battles had been won, he came to Britain to lead the troops in person.Most historians, including Tacitus agree that Claudius desperately needed a fewmilitary victories to boost his image amongst the Roman people, and the conquestof Britain made him quite popular in Rome. Much of what contemporary historianswrote about the Roman emperors and their families at that time showed them in anextremely bad light. The passages in Suetonois Lives of the Caesars read like amodern soap opera. Tacitus deliberately painted the worst picture he could ofthe imperial families. He longed for the values and government of the old RomanRepublic. His attitude was that the only thing good that could be said about theEmpire with its overly powerful and autocratic rulers was that it was betterthan the constant civil wars of the Republican era. Claudius was never verylucky in love. One woman he was to have married died on their wedding day. Hislast wife, the infamous Messalina, continuously cheated on him, even giving manyof their household treasures to her lovers. Claudius was very much in love withher and tried to ignore what was going on. Messalina finally exhausted evenClaudius patience when she married one of her lovers while still married toClaudius. Told by his advisors that this was a direct threat to him as emperor,he sadly signed the order for her execution so eagerly prepared by the men closeto him. According to Tacitus, a centurion found her distraught and begging forher life. He offered her a dagger so she could kill herself, a death consideredhonorable by the Roman aristocracy. When she attempted but could not bringherself to commit suicide, he ran her through with his short sword. Claudiusfinally ended up marrying Agrippina the Younger, mother of the future emperorNero. Claudius may have died from an illness but the historians of the periodhave charged Agrippina with his murder. She supposedly fed him a dish ofpoisoned mushrooms.

Opportunity and Challenge of Malaysian Beef Industry

The beef consumption patterns in Malaysia have demonstrated a significant growth over the last several decades (Johari Jasmi, 2009). The change has been facilitated by a number of factors such as the growth of the national GDP per capita and globalization that increased the demand for mean-based proteins the diet and various convenience foods (Johari Jasmi, 2009; Victoria University, n. d.).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Opportunity and Challenge of Malaysian Beef Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though the production of livestock is one of the biggest industries in Malaysia, the overall demand for beef of the country’s population is rather high and requires products imported from all around the world (Loh, n. d.; Mohamed, Hosseini, Kamarulzaman, 2013). The challenges and opportunities presented by the challenges faced by the Malaysian beef industry are worth studying as this ca n help the country develop its international trading relations and address the potential threats to Malaysia and its population. This paper discusses six studies exploring this subject starting with statistical data, outlining the threats and opportunities, and providing a comparison of the beef industry of Malaysia with those of the USA and Scotland. Some of the concepts and terms that are going to be used in this paper are GDP per capita, cattle, import, livestock, self-sufficiency, beef production. Literature Review The study by Johari and Jasmi (2009) called â€Å"Breeds and Breeding Program for Beef Production in Malaysia† explored the inadequacy between the demand and production of beef in Malaysia from the point of view of the weak development of the livestock industry in the country. The authors maintained that increasing the number of the quality breeding stock and improving the breeding system will help Malaysia gain more self-sufficiency in this area. Further, the study by Mohamed, Hosseini, Kamarulzaman (2013) titled â€Å"Analysis of Malaysian Beef Industry in Peninsular Malaysia under Different Importation Policies Scenarios and Rate Management Systems† addresses the lack of domestically produced beef in Malaysia from the perspective of low commercialization of the beef industry. The authors of this paper state that attracting more private sector investments into the beef production field will speed up its development and make it more efficient.  Next, the article by Loh (n. d.) called â€Å"Livestock production and the feed industry in Malaysia† emphasizes the important of the livestock subsectors for Malaysian economy. The author discusses the existing impact of the private sector participation and its positive outcomes such as steady growth in the production of poultry and pig while the cattle-breeding branch is in stagnation. The author’s proposed solution is the increase of beef subsector’s competitivene ss not only on domestic but also on the global arena.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The study by Victoria University (n. d.) titled â€Å"Imports of Beef into Malaysia Demand Analysis to Assist Australian Export Decisions† underlines the speeding up import patterns of Malaysian beef subsector that have been affected by the national GDP per capita growth. The information provided by this study can be synthesized with that in the article by Mintert, Schroeder, Brester and Feuz (n. d.) called â€Å"Beef Industry Challenges Opportunities† exploring the livestock production in the USA. The study demonstrates how the United States managed to stimulate their beef production through the attraction of the private sector into cattle-breeding and farming and to increase the beef production per cow through the focused breeding practices. The report of the Quali ty Meat Scotland (2012) emphasizes that some of the main contemporary challenges faces by meat producing industries are the changing norms of the environmental safety and the shortage of the available lands. Own Idea and Previous Research The attraction of private sector capitals is the best way to maximize the revenues and productivity of the beef industry in Malaysia. For that, a crafted promotion of the industry needs to be employed. Since the demand for beef is very high, the producers would be likely to gain huge income domestically. Besides, this would minimize the money the state spends buying mean from abroad and increase the GDP per capita even more improving the country’s economy. Gaps in Knowledge Farming industries are known to be some of the most active environment polluters. The level of the potential pollution of the soil, air, and water caused by the growing beef subsector in Malaysia is currently unexplored. Knowing how serious the global environment policies are these days, it would be wise to calculate the possible threats to the rapid development of farming in the country. Besides, one more factor worth studying is the lands available for farming in Malaysia, since cattle-breeding industries require large territories. Conclusion The studies focused on the geography of Malaysia, and the areas suitable for the future farm building are needed to fill in the gap in knowledge mentioned above. Moreover, the evaluation of the potential environmental impact by means of comparing those of the other countries is likely to provide information concerning the level of the potential pollution.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Opportunity and Challenge of Malaysian Beef Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The policies directed at the minimization of the pollution through the design of rules at the initial stages of beef industry development would help Malaysia gai n more self-sufficiency in this field without harming the environment and population. Reference List Johari, J. A. Jasmi, Y. (2009). Breeds and Breeding Program for Beef Production  in Malaysia. Web. Loh, T. C. (n. d.). Livestock production and the feed industry in Malaysia. Web. Mintert, J., Schroeder, T. C., Brester G. W., and Feuz, D. (n. d.). Beef Industry  Challenges Opportunities. Web. Mohamed, Z. Hosseini, A. Kamarulzaman, N. (2013). Analysis of Malaysian Beef  Industry in Peninsular Malaysia under Different Importation Policies Scenarios and Rate Management Systems. Pertanika Journals Social Sciences Humanities, 21(5), 1-16. Quality Meat Scotland. (2012). Challenges and opportunities facing the Scottish beef  industry. Web. Victoria University. (n. d.). Imports of Beef into Malaysia Demand Analysis to Assist  Australian Export Decisions. Web.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This research paper on Opportunity and Challenge of Malaysian Beef Industry was written and submitted by user Jasper Q. 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.