Themes Of The Book Eaters Of The Dead Essays - Eaters Of The Dead

Themes Of The Book Eaters Of The Dead My book is titled ?Eaters of the Dead? by Michael Crichton. There are two major themes to this book. First is man versus man and the second is man versus nature. The nature that man is going up against in this book were the supernatural monsters that terrorized the town. Through most of the second half of this book the northmen are fighting the monsters or preparing to. This is the main struggle of the book. These monsters are the ?eaters of the dead.? The second struggle of this book is man versus man. This man versus man struggle is an internal struggle between the tribe. It is a struggle for power within the tribe. This occurs at the beginning of the book. Two men of the tribe are struggling for power after the leader has died. Those were the two main themes of the book. The main conflict in this book is the men fighting the monsters. Throughout most of the novel the men are fighting these monsters. The monsters had killed many people in the village and kept returning to kill some more. These monsters were the main problem within the town and the villagers had to kill them. This conflict was finally resolved when the men killed off the rest of the monsters. The main character in this book was Ibn Fadlan. He is the only character in this book that you really get to learn a lot about. At first he seems like he he is a stuck up Arab rich man. He criticizes the northmen and doesn't go along with their rituals. He basically doesn't give them any respect at all. Then he starts to change though. After being with the northmen for awhile he starts to become like them. He acts like them, and he takes part in some of their rituals. A symbol in this book was the huge sword that the leader of the tribe uses. It was a huge sword and it symbolized strength and leadership. It was a huge sword so it would take a very strong person to use it. It showed you who the leader of the tribe was. This contributes to my man versus man theme. It can show you that he was stronger than the rest, so he deserved to be the leader. An American issue that relates to this is the struggle for power in American companies. Many companies are having a struggle for power within. This was just like how there was a struggle for leadership of the tribe. The two northmen were struggling for power of the tribe. This can be closely associated with the struggle for leadership today in America. I enjoyed this book a lot. It had lots of action and adventure. It had very many exciting points. It was a book that I actually like to read. I think that it should be on the list of new and improved books. I'm sure that many kids would like it. Book Reports

Global politics of the environment essays

Global politics of the environment essays Lorainne Elliot begins his article by saying that an exact definition of global environmental governance cannot be grasped but he depicts it as a useful shorthand to describe changes in contemporary international political practice; as a metaphor for world collective life; and as a Trojan horse for neoliberalism and green corporatism. From his opening statement, we can already see that Elliot views global environmental governance with a suspicious eye. Elliot goes on to state that global environmental governance reflects, constitutes and masks global relations of power and powerlessness. It is neither normatively neutral or benign Elliot looks beyond the surface and digs deeper into the structure of the problem, claiming that global environmental governance normalizes neoliberal policies, as embodied by the WTO and World Bank. Further, our group believes that since the US contributes a large sum to the funding of the WB and WTO, and since most of the employees of the said institutions are trained under neoliberal principles, these institutions reflect the interests and the voice of the US. This is an embodiment of the realists hegemonic stability theory. Going back to the article, Elliot further argues that local voices are marginalized. The author states that environmental issues are gaining importance because environmental degradation is happening at an alarming rate. Because of this, there is a pressing need for global environmental governance. Elliot also sees the state as incapable of addressing the transnational environmental issues. Furthermore, Elliot asserts that environmental issues are eroding state sovereignty because of its transnational nature. Elliot argues that the key to global environmental governance is democracy. Democracy will ensure justice and equity. More often that not, the voices of Third World countries and the poor are not heard and they are the ...

Exploring the Senses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exploring the Senses - Essay Example These neurotransmitters produce action potentials thus converting the chemical response into electrical signals to be interpreted by the brain and producing the sensation of a salty taste. Since the structure of the taste buds is the same no matter where they are located on the tongue and all taste buds provide differentiation between the varying tastes, the tip of the tongue can detect all tastes. The degree of sensitivity may vary across the tongue but the tip is still able to pick up the different tastes. A super-taster is a person who has an increased sensitivity to different tastes than an average person. One explanation can be that they might have a higher than average number of taste buds and thus cell receptors. Since it is the taste buds that take the chemical stimuli and convert them into electrical signals via cranial nerves to be interpreted into the different tastes by the brain; the presence of more taste buds could increase a super-taster’s sensitivity and intensify their taste

Diversity Website Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diversity Website - Essay Example However, learning institutions no longer solely rely on the website for information on diversity owing to the online gush of diversity information on other diversity websites. The resources available at the website are fundamental for young persons to gain crucial knowledge about diversity and learnt to co-exist with one another. By linking diversity in education to general societal contexts, it helps individuals to develop deeper insight into the importance of diversity both in learning institutions and the society in general. Despite being an important agent for diversity, the website needs improvement. In as much as it provides crucial information about impacts of diversity in higher learning institutions, the website is more of unidirectional media. There is need to integrate an active interactive tab that allows users to post their views, comments and even post questions that they perceive to be most challenging and receive instant answers to the questions. Nonetheless, Diversityweb.org still provides substantial information about diversity in learning environments through its quarterly publication, Diversity & Democracy. The quarterly publication, available in the website provides critical information for higher education and also supports leaders in developing and implementing diversity initiatives aimed at preparing students to be socially accountable individuals of the

Strike Against War Essay Example for Free

Strike Against War Essay Not all the editors I have met can do that. Quite a number of them have to take their French and German second hand. No, I will not disparage the editors. They are an overworked, misunderstood class. Let them remember, though, that if I cannot see the fire at the end of their cigarettes, neither can they thread a needle in the dark. All I ask, gentlemen, is a fair field and no favor. I have entered the fight against preparedness and against the economic system under which we live. It is to be a fight to the finish, and I ask no quarter. The future of the world rests in the hands of America. The future of America rests on the backs of 80,000,000 workingmen and women and their children. We are facing a grave crisis in our national life. The few who profit from the labor of the masses want to organize the workers into an army which will protect the interests of the capitalists. You are urged to add to the heavy burdens you already bear the burden of a larger army and many additional warships. It is in your power to refuse to carry the artillery and the dread-noughts and to shake off some of the burdens, too, such aslimousines, steam yachts and country estates. You do not neet to make a great noise about it. With the silence and dignity of creators you can end wars and the system of selfishness and exploitation that causes wars. All you need to do to bring about this stupendous revolution is to straighten up and fold your arms. We are not preparing to defend our country. Even if we were as helpless as Congressman Gardner says we are, we have no enemies foolhardy enough to attempt to invade the United States. The talk about attack from Germany and Japan is absurd. Germany has its hands full and will be busy with its own affairs for some generations after the European war is over. With full control of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the allies failed to land enough men to defeat the Turks at Gallipoli; and then they failed again to land an army at Salonica in time to check the Bulgarian invasion of Serbia. The conquest of America by water is a nightmare confined exclusively to ignorant persons and members of the Navy League. Yet, everywhere, we hear fear advanced as argument for armament. It reminds me of a fable I read. A certain man found a horseshoe. His neighbor began to weep and wail because, as he justly pointed out, the man who found the horseshoe might someday find a horse. Having found the shoe, he might shoe him. The neighbors child might some day go so near the horses hells as to be kicked, and die. Undoubtedly the two families would quarrel and fight, and several valuable lives would be lost through the finding of the horseshoe. You know the last war we had we quite accidentally picked up some islands in the Pacific Ocean which may some day be the cause of a quarrel between ourselves and Japan. Id rather drop those islands right now and foret about them than go to war to keep them. Wouldnt you? Congress is not preparing to defend the people of the United States. It is planning to protect the capital of American speculators and investors in Mexico, South America, China, and teh Philippine Islands. Incidentally this preparation will benefit the manufacturers of munitions and war machines. Until recently there were uses in the United States for the money taken from the workers. But American labor is exploited almost to the limit now, and our national resources have all been appropriated. Still the profits keep piling up new capital. Our flourishing industry in implements of murder is filling the vaults of New Yorks banks with gold. And a dollar that is not being used to make a slave of some human being is not fulfilling its purpose in the capitalistic scheme. That dollar must be invested in South America, Mexico, China, or the Philippines. It was no accident that the Navy League came into prominence at the same time that the National City Bank of New York established a branch in Buenos Aires. It is not a mere coincidence that six business associates of J. P. Morgan are officials of defense leagues. And chance did not dictate that Mayor Mitchel chould appoint to his Committee of Safety a thousand men that represent a fifth of the wealth of the United States. These men want their foreign investments protected. Every modern war has had its root in exploitation. The Civil War was fought to decide whether to slaveholders of the South or the capitalists of the North should exploit the West. The Spanish-American War decided that the United States should exploit Cuba and the Philippines. The South African War decided that the British should exploit the diamond mines. The Russo-Japanese War decided that Japan should exploit Korea. The present war is to decide who shall exploit the Balkans, Turkey, Persia, Egypt, India, China, Africa. And we are whetting our sword to scare the victors into sharing the spoils with us. Now, the workers are not interested in the spoils; they will not get any of them anyway. The preparedness propagandists have still another object, and a very important one. They want to give the people something to think about besides their won unhappy condition. They know the cost of living is high, wages are low, employment is uncertain and will be much more so when the European call for munitions stops. No matter how hard and incessantly the people work, they often cannot afford the comforts of life; many cannot obtain the necessities. Every few days we are given a new war scare to lend realism to their propaganda. They have had us on the verge of war over the Lusitania, the Gulflight, the Ancona, and now they want the workingmen to become excited over the sinking of the Persia. The workingman has no interest in any of these ships. The Germans might sink every vessel on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and kill Americans with every onethe American workingman would still have no reason to go to war. All the machinery of the system has been set in motion. Above the complaint and din of the protest from the workers is heard the voice of authority. Friends, it says, fellow workmen, patriots; your country is in danger! There are foes on all sides of us. There is nothing between us and our enemies except the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Look at what has happened to Belgium. Consider the fate of Serbia. Will you murmur about low wages when your country, your very liberties, are in jeopardy? What are the miseries you endure compared to the humiliation of having a victorious German army sail up the East River? Quit your whining, get busy and prepare to defend your firesides and your flag. Get an army, get a navy; be ready to meet the invaders like the loyal-hearted freemen you are. Will the workers walk into this trap? Will they be fooled again? I am afraid so. The people have always been amenable to oratory of this sort. The workers know they have no enemies except their masters. They know that their citizenship papers are no warrant for the safety of themselves or their wives and children. They know that honest sweat, persistent toil and years of struggle bring them nothing worth holding on to, worth fighting for. Yet, deep down in their foolish hearts they believe they have a country. Oh blind vanity of slaves! The clever ones, up in the high places know how childish and silly the workers are. They know that if the government dresses them up in khaki and gives them a rifle and starts them off with a brass band and waving banners, they will go forth to fight valiantly for their own enemies. They are taught that brave men die for their countrys honor. What a price to pay for an abstractionthe lives of millions of young men; other millions crippled and blinded for life; existence made hideous for still more millions of human being; the achievement and inheritance of generations swept away in a momentand nobody better off for all the misery! This terrible sacrifice would be comprehensible if the thing you die for and call country fed, clothed, housed and warmed you, educated and cherished your children. I thinkthe workers are the most unselfish of the children of men; they toil and live and die for other peoples country, other peoples sentiments, ther peoples liberties and other peoples happiness! The workers have no liberties of their own; they are not free when they are compelled to work twelve or ten or eight hours a day. they are not free when they are ill paid for their exhausting toil. They are not free when their children must labor in mines, mills and factories or starve, and when their women may be driven by poverty to live s of shame. They are not free when they are clubbed and imprisoned because they go on strike for a raise of wages and for the elemental justice that is their right as human beings. We are not free unless the men who frame and execute the laws represent the interests of the lives of the people and no other interest. The ballot does not make a free man out of a wage slave. there has never existed a truly free and democratic nation in the world. From time immemorial men have followed with blind loyalty the strong men who had the power of money and of armies. Even while battlefields were piled high with their own dead they have tilled the lands of the rulers and have been robbed of the fruits of their labor. They have built palaces and pyramids, temples and cathedrals that held no real shrine of liberty. As civilization has grown more complex the workers have become more and more enslaved, until today they are little more than parts of the machines they operate. Daily they face the dangers of railroad, bridge, skyscraper, frieght train, stokehold, stockyard, lumber raft and min. Panting and training at the docks, on the railroads and underground and on the seas, they move the traffic and pass from land to land the precious commodities that make it possible for us to live. And what is their reward? A scanty wage, often poverty, rents, taxes, tributes and war indemnities. The kind of preparedness the workers want is reorganization and reconstruction of their whole life, such as has never been attempted by statesmen or governments. The Germans found out years ago that they could not raise good soldiers in the slums so they abolished the slums. They saw to it that all the people had at least a few of the essentials of civilizationdecent lodging, clean streets, wholesome if scanty food, proper medical care and proper safeguards for the workers in their ocupations. That is only a small part of what should be done, but what wonders that one step toward the right sort of preparedness has wrought for Germany! For eighteen months it has kept itself free from invasion while carrying on an extended war of conquest, and its armies are still pressing on with unabated vigor. It is your business to force these reforms on the Administration. Let there be no more talk about what a government can or cannot do. All these theings have been done by all the belligerent nations in the hurly-burly of war. Every fundamental industry has been managed better by the governments than by private corporations. It is your duty to insist upon still more radical measure. It is your business to see that no child is employed in an industrial establishment or mine or store, and that no worker in needlessly exposed to accident or disease. It is your business to make them give you clean cities, free from smoke, dirt and congestion. It is your business to make them pay you a living wage. It is your business to see that this kind of preparedness is carried into every department on the nation, until everyone has a chance to be well born, well nourished, rightly educated, intelligent and serviceable to the country at all times. Strike against all ordinances and laws and institutions that continue the slaughter of peace and the butcheries of war. Srike against war, for without you no battles can be fought. Strike against manufacturing scrapnel and gas bombs and all other tools of murder. Strike against preparedness that means death and misery to millions of human being. Be not dumb, obedient slaves in an army of destruction. Be heroes in an army of construction.

Negative Aspects of Cosmetic Surgery Essay -- essays research papers

Cosmetic Surgery - Worth the Risk? In today's society the picture of beauty is a thin super model with the body of a goddess posted on billboards all around the world. Children grow up playing with Barbie dolls with the body measurements of would be 90,60,90. Because of these pictures and other figures of beauties projected all over, a person is convinced to believe that to be beautiful and happy, one must look like these images. To most, the easiest way to achieve this is my having cosmetic surgery performed. With the change of times, has also come the advancement of medical procedures, yet how safe can a person be who is having cosmetic surgery performed on their body. No matter how good the technological advancements, there is always the risk of not only the surgery resulting being unwanted but in some cases even death. Society today has brain washed not only today's women, but also the men to believe that in order for a person to look beautiful they must look like the images seen on television, in movies and on the cover of magazines. These images portray grotesquely thin women and muscular men with the famous six-pack abs. The Hollywood figures that are so famous for their looks and bodies also encourage the belief that thin is beautiful. These images are plastered all over billboards, television shows and commercials and magazine advertisements. With all these visions of beauty seen everywhere in a person's every day life, a person feels compelled to look just like those images. Busy lifestyles of many people keep most of exercising daily in order to receive the fit and trim bodies to look beautiful. This then leads many to resort to cosmetic surgery. However, this can be a dangerous choice. Many fatalities have been... ...ons of tomorrow will also be more likely to have more problems as a result of low self-esteem and poor body image. We should not only cut back on the use of cosmetic surgery for safety reasons but also because it is destroying the simple beauty of a person being who they are. The American society will change its view of people in the years to come. Generations to come will grow up feeling that they are being judged on not who they are as a person, but how they look. If they don't look like the super model they have come to believe as perfect beauty, then they will not believe in themselves, causing psychological problems. People considering plastic surgery should be informed of all the risks. They should not be concerned with trying to live up to society's standards and by the price of the operations. They should most be concerned with the real price, their lives.

The Contemporary International System

The Contemporary International System The structure of the contemporary international system involves many different factors that influence how the world operates today. The international system is defined as the study of the interactions among the various actors that participate in international politics, including states, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, sub-national entities, and individuals. The study of international relations aims to evaluate how countries interact within the political and social international system.Factors such as, technological change, shifts of national power and various changes in the environment influence today’s system and how we live on a day-to-day basis. History is another factor that must be recognized in the shaping of the world system. Events that occurred in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have a great impact today, as we are able to make future projections based on historical trends. The operation and stru cture of the international system involves various social and political factors that shape the world we live in today.The shaping of the contemporary system was achieved through the concept of globalization. This idea is often referred to as the â€Å"shrinkage of the world† and has been made possible through the advancement in modern technology. Globalization is the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through an international network of political ideas. Today, a nation’s technological capability is the main indicator of its power. Technology directly affects a nation’s economic growth though innovation.This growth then allows that country to produce military weapons for protection and could potentially throw off the balance of power between states. Technology and innovation can also determine a nation’s trade capacity, which can limit the amount a country can import and export. A nation with great trade cap abilities will experience international financial flows into their country, thus stimulating economic growth. Technology provides a framework for both the relative and absolute power between states and greatly impacts the structure of the international system.For example, if we evaluate the correlation of power and technology throughout history, we see that the United States and Germany experienced dramatic changes in their global position following the second industrial revolution, just as Great Britain had following the first industrial revolution. These powers have since failed to maintain their place at the forefront of technological innovation, and have faded from the international scene. Countries like Japan have been very technologically advanced for the last 50 years and have moved to the forefront of the international scene.The global scene that was once dominated by the United States, may have a new power due to Japan’s vast technological and innovative capabilities . Businesses have also globalized, as they are now able to interact with companies overseas with the click of a button. Since travel has become â€Å"easy† businesses are now able to meet face to face with their international partners on a regular basis. There are proper customs that people must follow when engaging in foreign business practices. For example, the exchange of business cards is a formal practice in countries like China and Japan.Foreign business associates may see it as a sign of disrespect if one is not educated on the proper customs of that country. The structure and operation of the international system is also influenced by the behaviors of the actors within that system. For centuries, the idea of the â€Å"state† was centered upon the idea of inclusion and exclusion. This idea became the centerpiece of national politics for centuries and is a major reason for conflicts within the system. After the French Revolution these states were formed on the th ree ideologies of realism, liberalism, and idealism.Karen Mingst and Jack Snyder define these ideologies and explain the assumptions behind the weaknesses that lead to misguided policies. Realism instills an appreciation of the role of power but warns that states will suffer if they overreach. The cooperation among states is a way to maximize each individual state’s security and often calls for â€Å"backing† during times of conflict. World War II resembles a realist idea as each state was drawn to fight to maximize its own security. Liberalism identifies the potential for democracies, but also notes that democracies can lead to tyrannies and the threat of a violent collapse.This arose after World War I in response to the inability to control and limit war within the international system. Lastly, Idealism stresses that a state’s values must reinforce any stable political order but recognizes that there is also a potential for conflict. Together these three persp ectives form the core of the contemporary international system. In order to fully understand the contemporary international system, we must first understand the historical trends in the state and international system.International Relations can be traced back to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 where the modern state system was developed. This instituted the concept of sovereignty, which is defined as absolute and perpetual power invested in a commonwealth. This power does not exist in an individual, but in a state. In this, the leaders are limited by divine law and are â€Å"subject to the laws of God and nature. † This belief is still held today and believers attribute the legitimacy of the state to the consent of the people. After all, the â€Å"people† are the fundamental the source of all political power.In conclusion, the contemporary international system was shaped on the basis of globalization, the behaviors of the actors within the international system, and the evaluation of historical patterns. The world is constantly changing and evolving toward a more connected population. The widespread use of social media and continued advances in technology allow the population to connect with each other as if they were sitting in the same room. As we move toward this new era, we must identify these historical patterns in order to further improve our future international relations.