Yall, Im Getting Pretty Excited About Agoras Diverse Crime Fiction

Yall, Im Getting Pretty Excited About Agoras Diverse Crime Fiction Agora, the imprint from Polis books focused on publishing crime fiction from diverse authors, has been one of the best things to happen to indie lit in quite some time. As we have written about here at Book Riot, Polis founder Jason Pinter and Agora editor Chantelle Aimée Osman are dedicated to more than just broadening opportunities for writers to share their own stories in their own voices. Agoras early lineup is proving that they are giving the crime fiction world some of its best content. Fall 2019 September First out of the gate for Agora will be John Verchers  Three-Fifths. Ive read this one personally, and…damn, yall. David Joy (author of The Line That Held Us) called it Feverishly entertaining. Resoundingly important. A book treading this kind of ground should not be able to move this fast. THREE-FIFTHS is an honest, fearless page-burner. And Im not sure I can word it any better than that. Three-Fifths centers a biracial man passing as white, who is confronting the lies of his past. His world gets turned upside down when a friend gets released from prison. And involves him in a hate crime. If a book can be both difficult to read and impossible to put down, its this book. You should read books that challenge you. This is such a book. It hits your shelves on September 10. October On the heels of Verchers debut, Agora will give us Remember  from Patricia Smith. Smith is wildly fascinating as both an author and an advocate. She runs  www.tell-patricia.tumblr.com where people can submit their troubles and secrets without judgement. Having survived depression and addiction, Smith has chosen to give herself over to writing in order to use words to save lives. And we should all be grateful. Remember is a psychological thriller about Portia Willows, who must confront suppressed memories of a horrific crime. Smith brings forward a courageous voice that crime fiction desperately needs. Look for  Remember on October 8th. November And then on November 5th, Agora will give us Tori Eldridges The Ninja Daughter. Described as  an action-packed thriller about a Chinese-Norwegian modern day ninja with Joy Luck Club family issues who fights the Los Angeles Ukrainian mob, sex traffickers, and her own family to save two desperate women and an innocent child. Yeah. Buckle up, bitches. Rachel Howzell Hall (They All Fall Down) says that Tori Eldridge has created a heroine to love…and to fear! Lilys quest to protect the women of L.A. left me breathless, and Eldridges snappy, down-to-earth prose kept me flipping pages. Youll notice that this flipping of pages is becoming a theme at Agora. 2020 But what has really led to this boiling over of excitement…what has led me to the brink of dropping f-bombs on the Book Riot…is whats to come. Agora is lining up a 2020 Spring and Summer to rival their auspicious beginning. January On January 14, Agora will release Matthew Henson and the Ice Temple of Harlem  from acclaimed crime author Gary Phillips. The book is the first in an exciting new retro rollicking adventure series. Set at the end of the roaring 20s, the pulp novel will follow the first black man to reach the North Pole as he attempts to recover a kidnapped girl. Gary Phillips is best known for his Anthony Award winning work as editor of The Obama Inheritance and mystery and graphic novels like The Bebop Barbarians, Violent Spring, and the novelization of The Killing Joke. Hes also the former president of the Private Eye Writers of America, so…you know…respect. February And for a final  scheduled release, Agora landed Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination, Moreno-Garcia won a Copper Cylinder Award for her debut novel, Signal to Noise. And her second novel, Certain Dark Things, was one of NPRs best books of 2016. For Agora, she brings  Untamed Shore  on February 11th. The book will be a gritty coming-of-age story set in 1970s Mexico featuring the death of a glamorous tourist and sharks.  Sounds like Moreno-Garcias first thriller will be sort of bad ass. How about a little mother f***ing border noir? Agora is currently collecting stories of La frontera. They have signed up Bram Stoker nominee Gabino Iglesias to edit a collection called BOTH SIDES. Iglesias says about the collection: La frontera is full of stories. Real stories, not those Trump makes up. The border is a powerful place where countries collide. It’s a weird space of dreams, struggles, promises, lies, fear, and redemption. It’s a multicultural and bilingual space where people know that hustling to protect your loved ones or offer them a better life is a drive strong enough to blur ethical codes. Sadly, the border is also a place where drugs make people a lot of money, corruption stains everything, and violence fills the landscape with danger and ghosts. Now I want some of the most talented authors to visit this space from their perspective. I want them to show the world what they see on both sides. It’s time to give border noir the attention it deserves. Just scan over those names and tell me you arent doing the grabby hands right now. Burying the Lede And now, in an exclusive to Book Riot, we get to announce two new Agora books for their Spring/Summer 2020 line. Books from two authors who, as editor Chantelle  Aimée Osman puts it, add  an even more diverse perspective to crime fiction. Shadows Deep Sung J. Woo’s short stories and essays have appeared in  The New York Times, PEN/Guernica,  and  Vox.  He has written two novels,  Love Love  (2015) and  Everything Asian  (2009), which  won the 2010 Asian Pacific American Librarians Association  Literature Award (Youth category). In Shadows Deep,  Woo tells the story of Korean adoptee Siobhan O’Brien, who has spent much of her life explaining her name and her family to strangers, but her more pressing problem is whether to carry on the PI agency that her dead boss unexpectedly left to her.  As Siobhan delves deeper into locating a missing girl, she encounters vegan cooking that just might kill her, possibly deadly yoga poses, and politely dangerous billionaires. This first in a new series introduces an endearing PI heroine in the tradition of female detectives like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, but similar in voice with gentle wit as Carl Hiaasen readers aren’t going to want to put down Undocumented Johnny Shaw  was born and raised on the Calexico/Mexicali border in the stifling heat of the California desert. He is the author of six novels including the Jimmy Veeder Fiasco border novels:  Dove Season,  Plaster  City, and  Imperial Valley.  Johnny has been nominated for the Anthony Award three times, winning for Best Paperback Original in 2013 for the comedic adventure novel  Big Maria. Undocumented  follows three unauthorized Mexican immigrants living in Los Angeles whose lives intersect through terrifying circumstance  that  clarify and contrast the horrors of existence. Undocumented is a crime story, but more than that, it’s a story of America and the dangers that migrants face when being forced to live in the shadows. Strong and evocative, it’s a page turner that will change how you look at the world, and the  people in it. So, as you can see Im pretty fing excited over here. Agora is definitely one to move to the top of your pub watch list. Between their fall lineup and their recent signings, Agora is proving they are much more than just that diverse crime fiction imprint. They are at the top of all the crime fiction publishers…indies, big labels, diverse, not diverse enough…all of them. And theyre planting a big flag in your TBR pile. Sign up to Unusual Suspects to receive news and recommendations for mystery/thriller readers.

Managing Diversity Between Ethiopia And The United States...

Managing diversity in the workplace while working with people that belong to Ethiopian Culture Summary: Working with the same nationals is fairly easy, but, challenges occur when one works with employees that belong to different geographic locations or countries. In this report, the major focus is to analyze Ethiopia’s culture in terms of managing the workplace diversity while having the professional ties with the Ethiopian citizens. This report will highlight how the workplace diversity is managed by working with the natives of Ethiopia. Ethiopia and the United States (US) have very diverse demographics, so this report will analyze how the workplace diversity is better managed by minimizing the differences. Explanation: Ethiopia is an African state that has a culture that is very different from that of the United States. The reason is, the United States and Ethiopia are very different in terms of their geographic locations, their cultures, and their interests. Additionally, the United States is a developed country, while Ethiopia is an under-developed state. Any state, that is under-developed, the citizens of that particular country face certain challenges in their country, i.e. a struggle for better life standards, for a better education, and for the better future. This fact is observed by the report of Royal Oak Interactive Inc (2016), where it is mentioned that people living in Ethiopia receive a very less spending on health care, they earn less money, life expectancyShow MoreRelatedCultural Influence on Organizational Practice5439 Words   |  22 PagesINFULENCE OF NATIONAL CULTURE ON ORGANIZATION CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP. Geert Hofstede’s concept of national culture (Hofstede , 2001) made a great breakthrough in understanding the relationship between organizational behaviour and cultural factors. According to Alion (2008), Hofstede examined differences between national cultures through four dimensions: Power distance, Individualism, Masculinity vs. Femininity and Uncertainty Avoidance. Power Distance is a crucial dimension of national culture thatRead MoreUnited Nations Role in Conflict Management in Africa: a Case Study of Darfur11729 Words   |  47 Pagesand energy consuming, it can be a positive force for change and bring an otherwise stagnant relationship out of dormancy into a new life and vitality. Conflict is therefore an outcome of human interaction as a result of disagreement between individuals, parties or states. A conflict situation is characterized by the inability of those concerned to iron out their differences.2 Human wants are unlimited but the means to satisfy these wants are scarce. There is therefore, an inherent struggle in manRead MoreEssay on Demographic Factors Research3697 Words   |  15 PagesRunning head: DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS RESEARCH Demographic Factors Research University of Phoenix MMPBL 560 Managing in a Cross-Cultural Environment October 19, 2009 Organizations around the world are experiencing the effects of cultural and global diversity. Kellogg, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Arbor are four companies introduced in this paper. They have been researched in order to identify how each company is affected by demographic factors, how these factors are managed, and what systemsRead MoreAfrican Leaders Established The Organisation Of African Africa8602 Words   |  35 PagesCentury, the African continent leaders wanted to establish a more united continent. It is for this reason that the African leaders established the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, with the purpose of eradicating colonialism in Africa, and harmonize and deepen collaboration efforts of member states to achieve a better life for its people. A number of problems emerged such as the 1975 Angolan civil war and the Somalia invasion of Ethiopia 1978, besides most African economies were on the decline, theseRead MoreAn Investigation Into Regional Integrat ion : A Case Study Of The Sudan Conflict4424 Words   |  18 PagesCentury, the African continent leaders wanted to establish a more united continent. It is for this reason that the African leaders established the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, with the purpose of eradicating colonialism in Africa, and harmonize and deepen collaboration efforts of member states to achieve a better life for its people. A number of problems emerged such as the 1975 Angolan civil war and the Somalia invasion of Ethiopia 1978, besides most African economies were on the decline, theseRead MoreEpidemiology of Hiv14908 Words   |  60 PagesARVs for HIV positive pregnant women is 33% [4] and there is poor coverage in countries with the greatest number of pregnant women living with HIV such as South Africa (50% coverage, [5]Nigeria (3% coverage[5] and Tanzania (15% coverage)[5]. In Ethiopia According to calibrated single point estimates (2007), the national adult HIV prevalence is reported to be 2.1% (7.7% in urban and 0.9% in rural areas). 977,394 Ethiopians are living with HIV/AIDS (41% males, 59% females); an estimated 75,420 HIV-positiveRead MoreEssay on Biodiversity7414 Words   |  30 PagesBiodiversity INTRODUCTION Franck and Brownstone define biological diversity as the variety and variability of living organisms and the biological communities in which they live (36). Decades of progress in both the scientific and political arenas have advanced environmental legislation to protect biodiversity at not only the ecosystem level, but for specific species and genetic material as well. Research has shown the importance of every organism and their role in the global ecosystemRead MoreManaging the Unexpected6224 Words   |  25 Pagesorganizations. KEY WORDS: The Unexpected, Organization Foundation, Mindful Management. CONCEPT MAP INTRODUCTION I have a dream, were Martin Luther King Jr. famous words. He was a religious leader who had a dream to make a change in the United States as regards the civil rights for the black Americans. Many leaders too have had dreams; take for example Anita Roddick, founder of the famous cosmetic shop, The Body Shop. She had a dream to make social and environmental changes through her cosmeticRead MoreTony Fernandes6380 Words   |  26 Pagesplatforms at the regional and global level to highlight and advance leading models of sustainable social innovation. It identifies a select community of social entrepreneurs and engages it in shaping global, regional and industry agendas that improve the state of the world in close collaboration with the other stakeholders of the World Economic Forum. Social entrepreneurship is about applying practical, innovative and sustainable approaches to benefit society in general, with an emphasis on those who areRead MoreFleet Management in Dtc9334 Words   |  38 Pagescompletely handling their fleet vehicle management needs for them. All acquisition, disposition, maintenance, fuel, and management reports will be handled by FMS through our network of vendors. Currently Fleet Management Services operates in 13 states, but our network is set up nationwide. We have the leverage needed to negotiate the best deals for our clients, and pass these savings directly to them, without taking rewards or incentives from the vendors we negotiate.\ FLEET MANAGEMENT *

Advanced Database - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1325 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2018/12/14 Category IT Essay Type Descriptive essay Level High school Tags: Computer Essay Did you like this example? Introduction An advanced database is involved in gathering of data that is planned so that it can be easily retrieved, accomplished and reorganised as well. The advanced technology has greatly evolved from peer to peer, peer to server and from server to cloud base system. However the advanced database system has different pros and cons within. Some of the advantages of this database system include reduced costs, saves on time consumption, and allows easier retrieval of data. Some of the most important configurations used in advanced database include the Network topology and the backbone system. Peer-to-Peer was established for substantial courtesy starting from both invention and academic world as a form of circulated computation lying between the traditionally distributed systems and the web. Peer to server this has greatly changed from two peers (computers which were used which were used to generate their resources in a decentralized manner thus, opting to bring difficulties. Therefore the peer was transformed to a server which operated in a centralised manner which enabled the server to serve many clients. Also the advanced database system has evolved to cloud based system which relay on sharing of computing resources other than having personal resources or devices as well. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Advanced Database" essay for you Create order A physical topology refers to the physical design of networks, the cabling system design used to link devices. This mentions to the design of? electrics, the sites of nodules, and the acquaintances in the midst of the nodules and the wiring (Shi, Lo, Qian, etal. 2016). The corporal topology of a system is unwavering by the competences of the net entree devices and mass media, the glassy of resistor or culpability acceptance is anticipated, plus the charge allied with wiring or satellites paths. This topology relationship aids in database storage and maintenance of the available nodes and the links in the networks and characteristics. Examples include Mesh, Star, Bus, Ring and Star topologies. Mesh topology This is one of the networks system in which the networks are linked with many terminated interconnections between net nodes. There is joining of nodes in this systems through use of a circuit. Mesh Topology is therefore divide into the full mesh and partial mesh topologies. Full mesh topology mainly arises when all cables within this network system has a path linked to nodules within it. This network topology therefore lavish to contrivance but in this scenario it ends up cropping the utmost volume of compensation. On the other hand, a partial mesh topology is less expensive for implementation and crops fewer termination as compared to full mesh topology. In this topology, specific lumps are structured in a full mesh system while others are linked to one or two nodes within the system. Star Topology It is a star-like network, in which the hub (main computer) links the devices. The nodes interconnect from lump to the other by paving data through the hub.one major merit for this topology is that, one faulty of the node within its network system does not interfere with the rest of the system. Its core demerit is that if the hub fails, the entire system does not function. Bus Topology A bus topology is a centralized cable with a main wire that is used to link all the devices on a Local area Network. The bus topology can also be referred as the backbone of the network. This network is fairly cheap and easier to connect in minor systems. As compared to star topology, the bus topology requires less cables thus making it easier to connect a device. However the bus topology has got its own demerit which occurs when a wire break down therefore no transmission data will occur and sometimes the problem cannot be easily retrieved thus causing 7the network to shut down. Ring Topology This topology is also a Local area network. However, all its nodes are connected in a close loop. This therefore indicates that messages travels around the ring network with which every node within the topology reads each messages that has being addressed. The ring topology has got one main merit which is it can span large distances compared to any other network topology since each of its nodes regenerates message as they pass through them. Tree Topology A tree topology is also referred as the hybrid topology which involves a combination of both bus and star topologies. In this topology a group of star network are linked along the bus prop cable. This system is best suited for huge processor networks since the topology rifts the entire net into small parts which can be effortlessly managed. The topology has several demerits one of the major being that the interconnection mainly relies on the hub that is on the middle and whenever this hub fails it leads to corruption of the entire network system. Constraints A constraints is said to be an enforcement of the data type which is involved in updating, insertion and deletion from the table. The general purpose for these constraints is to maintain the required data integrity during data updates, deletion and insertion into a given table. Constraints are further used to constrain data and also used to enforce a referential integrity and ensure security of data within the advanced database system. They also prevent incomplete data storage within the database system. There several types of constraints which include: Primary key: this is a constraints that is mainly used to uniquely identify each records within the database. Foreign key: it is a constraints through which values from the specified columns must referenced from the existing record in another table Not null: in this constraints where each value within the specified column must be NULL. Unique constraints: values in specific columns must be unique for each row in the table. Check: in this constraints a mien is itemised and it must evaluate the truth for a constraints for a constraint to be specified. A script programme to create a database table In database a table is derived as a set of values and it consist of vertical columns and the horizontal rows having the cell being a unit in which the column and the row conjoins. A table tends to have a specified no of columns and any given number of rows. Below is a script program to create a database table: Backbone System A backbone is a computer based network that comprises the number of connectivity amongst its devices such as the hubs, circuits and the connectors. This network aims at providing a way for interchange of information between various local area networks. This system aids in easy access of stored information from the database thus reducing time wastage when one needs to retrieve any given information from the database system .With the advanced technology backbone system has made a great contribution in improvement of database. Conclusion A database system enables one to store, organise and manage a huge expanse of information within the developed software. Making use of the database system helps in rising the effectiveness of business acts and declines the overall costs. They are also important to the organizations and businesses since they provide an efficient technique for managing numerous types of data. Examples of data that can be easily managed in the database include: employee records, student records, payroll, accounting, project management, and catalogue and library records. The database system also saves on time consumption since data is computerized thus little time is consumed when retrieving data from the data base as compared to the manual way of retrieving data. References Shi, Y., Lo, D., Qian, K. (2016, June). Teaching Secure Cloud Computing Concepts with Open Source CloudSim Environment. In? Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), 2016 IEEE 40th Annual? (Vol. 2, pp. 247-252). IEEE. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/NetworkTopology-Mesh.svg https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/startopo.htm https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/bustopol.htm https://cherlyndeluna.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/ring-topology https://fcit.usf.edu/network/chap5/chap5.html

The Blindness of King Lear Free Essays

In the classic Vincent Price horror film, THEATER OF BLOOD a demented Shakespearean actor murders critics who have savaged him in the past with a series of gruesome traps based on death scenes from Shakespeare’s work. At the film’s conclusion, a critic faces permanent blindness as punishment for being blind to the actor’s greatness in the same way King Lear was blind to his own folly and ego. When one reads the TRAGEDY OF KING LEAR, one can see that the curse of Lear is that he was blind to the full spectrum of the consequences of his actions. We will write a custom essay sample on The Blindness of King Lear or any similar topic only for you Order Now Lear had a single minded approach to how he defined his outlook of the world and such blindness lead to the deaths of his friends and family as well as the creation of a needless war with France. At the beginning of the play, Lear wishes to divide his throne amongst his three daughters. Lear opts to tie the division of his throne into the performance of his daughters in a speech delivery contest and this raises the ire of Cordelia, as she refuses to take part in such a contest. This results in Lear disowning her and that set into motion a chain of events where Cordelia marries the leader of France which provides France with the justification to invade Lear’s country to seize territory; these events would never had been possible without Lear’s narrow-minded paranoia governing his psyche and his actions. From this, it is evident that Lear’s â€Å"blindness† to his daughter’s feeling lead to the â€Å"blindness† in being able to see the consequences of his actions. Lear conducted himself in a manner that was impetuous and ego driven. His inability to understand that he was not being insulted or rejected by Cordelia, but rather Cordelia ( a character who is clearly  defined as having a strong moral core) was rejecting the notion that she should compete with her sisters for her father’s rewards. The irony to this is that because King Lear saw an enemy where an enemy did not exist, he fed the real enemy (France) with the justification it was loosely looking for in order to take an action against Lear. FOOL No, he’s a yeoman that has a gentleman to his son; for he’s a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before him. The character of the Fool often represents Lear’s subconscious, as it is the character of the fool that impresses upon Lear the importance of paying attention to what actually â€Å"is† and what truly exists in the world, as opposed to paying too much attention to what is merely his own personal perception of reality; a perception that is tailored by Lear’s desire for what he wishes to be true. That is, what exists and what one wishes to exist are two separate creatures. Conversely, this is not to infer that Lear is merely paranoid. There is great need to be wary of foreign invaders and influence. History has shown that the world has suffered my imperial expansions into sovereign territories and it would not be outside of Lear’s proper reason to worry that a foreign power would wish to threaten the stability of his kingdom. It had not been without precedent that members of royalty’s own family conspired against them, so Lear’s response was not without merit. Lear’s problem, however, derived from the fact that he saw enemies where enemies did not exist (as was  the case with his daughter), took the advice of those who ultimately were not helpful to him (his close associates) and, essentially opted to ignore the advice of the person who had his best interests at heart: the Fool. FOOL He’s mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse’s health, a boy’s love, or a whore’s oath. With that statement, The Fool provides a cohesive logical center to the character of Lear, who has gone blindly adrift amidst his own conspiracy theory passions. It is ironic that the Fool truly is the wisest person in the cast of characters, yet is outwardly dubbed a fool, while those who should know better are in decisive or outright wrong. At certain points, Lear does at least initially make an attempt to take the advice of the Fool or at least give the Fool’s advice serious contemplation as evidenced in the following response to the Fool’s commentary: KING LEAR It shall be done; I will arraign them straight. Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer; Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now, you she-foxes! At this point, it appears that Lear is leaving some of his blindness behind and has finally seen the truth. The Fool has made a wise-man of the king, as the king appears to finally understand the concept that a clear understanding of a real threat vs. a perceived threat is reached. Lear’s problem, however, is that he is always seeking third party  validation of his beliefs. He will prescribe to the Fool’s advice for a short time, but then will waiver and side with his associates who are more willing to tell him what he wants to hear. This allows the Fool to become symbolic of a moral conscious. When the Fool appears and reappears throughout the play, it symbolizes Lear’s central, endemic problem: reason, logic and clarity of thought are inconsistent with Lear. As a leader, is judgment is not sound and prone to radical faltering. A great deal of the irony of the play derives from the fact that while Cordelia appears to be the instigator of the loss of Lear’s throne, it is actually she who is the one who seeks to restore Lear. Lear’s other daughters, Goneril and Regan, ultimately prove that their loyalties lie with the material aspects of the throne and their true natures surface when they start to squabble amongst themselves over the affections of Edmund. All of this provides a scenario that is more damaging to Lear’s self-preservation than he initially perceived. In other words, he never should have directed his venom towards Cordelia, but did so because of his perpetual blindness towards what actually is vs. what he perceives reality to be. In reality, the threats lie with the â€Å"good† daughters such as Goneril, as evidenced in the following dialogue where it is clear she shares little regard for the value of Lear’s life. GONERIL By day and night he wrongs me; every hour He flashes into one gross crime or other, That sets us all at odds: I’ll not endure it: His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us On every trifle. When he returns from hunting, I will not speak with him; say I am sick: If you come slack of former services, You shall do well; the fault of it I’ll answer In the following passage, a clearly unhinged King Lear tries to make sense of the disastrous situation that he finds himself in, all the result of the foolish wedge he drove between himself and his daughter(s) when he conceived of the ill-advised and ill-fated speech contest: KING LEAR No, no, no, no! Come, let’s away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i’ the cage: When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness: so we’ll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues Talk of court news; and we’ll talk with them too, Who loses and who wins; who’s in, who’s out; And take upon’s the mystery of things, As if we were God’s spies: and we’ll wear out, In a wall’d prison, packs and sects of great ones, That ebb and flow by the moon. Unfortunately, as much as he wishes it were possible, Lear can not correct the past. It has been said that all human beings develop their core, central beliefs revolving around the fact that their life experiences create their perception of the world.   In Lear’s situation, as a King and leader of a nation, he was never used to hearing the word â€Å"no† as those looking to remain in the favor of the king and avoid his wrath would simply not take up a position that the King would perceive as threatening. Hence, King Lear developed a predictable and thoroughly unhealthy cause and effect response to the word â€Å"no† to where any negative sentiment would result in retaliation to the (perceived) threat. Ultimately, Lear realizes his error when he loses his thrown, sees his family fall apart and then has to contend with internal soul searching in order to find some sort of moral lesson that could at least rationalize the entire experience within his own heart as having ultimately been worth a greater good. That greater good is, essentially, Lear realizing the error of his ways, but his realization does nothing to reverse the damage. In fact, the final result of all the conflict in the play yields the death of Cordelia, the only daughter who truly loved him. As such, Lear eventually must give up his blindness to what his emotions have created and see the world for what it truly is. Unfortunately for King Lear, these realizations come very late in the equation and his lessons are learned at a point that is far beyond where a benevolent conclusion could have been reached. This is why the story of King Lear is called a tragedy. How to cite The Blindness of King Lear, Essay examples

Influence of Visual Media free essay sample

There are so many forms of entertainment nowadays that it has cause many of us including our children to forget what is more important. For example we now use the Internet to rely on so many things, like information. When at one point in time we would use books or news papers. Video games, Internet, cell phones and things like this have taken away from our values of taking time out to enjoy a book. The children of today won’t even take time out to play outside they are more concerned with playing their video games. There was a time where children played outside everyday and that was a form of exercise but now all they want to do is watch television, play games and be on the Internet and their cell phones. The social influences of the visual entertainment media have been more negative than positive. For example YouTube has millions of video up where most of them depict something of negativity or something of no substance. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Visual Media or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are so many videos of people fighting than there are of someone speaking out to promote non violence. There are also sexually explicit videos where you see a person has millions of hits, but what you don’t see is anyone encouraging young girls not to post something of that nature for it will come back to haunt them. Also movies have become so much more violent these days that young people are easily influenced by them. I think it is up to us as parents to make sure we monitor what our children do, but the reality is that we cannot watch them 24/7. In conclusion visual media influence social behavior and attitudes when we began to do what we see online, television, or movies. We have to get back to the basics like reading more books, watching the news, and not focus so much on the Internet, video games, movies, and cell phones. Not all forms of visual media are bad, but the bad does outweigh the good.

Analysis of Mississippi Burning essays

Analysis of Mississippi Burning essays In 1964 the nation was faced with the civil rights movement. It captured the attention of Americans and showed signs of hope and progress. Mississippi Burning illustrates the civil rights battle that the nation was facing at this time. The film follows the story of Anderson and Ward, 2 FBI agents that are sent to Jessup County, Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of 3 civil rights workers. The movie portrays the pain and suffering of the blacks and the hatred and rage felt by the whites. The movie is a good depiction of the civil rights events in 1964 and gives a powerful depiction to its audience. Mississippi Burning is the story of the investigation of the disappearance of 3 civil rights workers, 2 white and 1 black. Anderson and Ward are the 2 FBI agents that are sent to Jessup County to investigate. Ward represents the best and the brightest of the Kennedy administration while Anderson represents the opposite. He is a Mississippi native that wants to use unconventional methods to crack the case. For a while, the agents have little progress in the case because the blacks are afraid to speak up as are the whites because of the fear of the Ku Klux Klan. Their presence causes a chain of violence and cruelty towards the blacks, and in the end Mrs. Pell helps them unravel the truth to the disappearance of the three civil rights workers. The illustration of the civil rights movement in Mississippi in 1964 that is depicted in Mississippi Burning is a very accurate telling of the situation. Ward is a good example of the idealistic government officials in the Kennedy administration at the time. He shows hope in the cause and he is not willing to give up until the case is solved, and he is going to do this by using the book method. Also, the white Mississippian is very accurately portrayed in the film. The movie causes you to hate the mayor, sheriff, and deputy because of the depiction. It causes you ...

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review Example The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review Example All people perceive the external reality from their subjective perspective, as the impact of culture, worldview, and traditions are always implicitly present. It is especially applicable to the representatives of the dominant Western culture. People tend to assume that their worldview is necessarily correct if they enjoy high standards of living and are â€Å"civilized† according to some widespread criteria. This position becomes clear when the interaction and cooperation of Western people with the members of the minority ethnic groups is examined. This paper is a book review of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1997) by Anne Fadiman. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1997) by Anne Fadiman This book is unique as it integrates a large number of social and cultural issues while examining the story of a girl with epilepsy. It demonstrates how the same events and processes are evaluated differently by the representatives of different cultures. The author does not impose her views on the readers and allows them to make their conclusions and interpretations. The review will concentrate on several levels of analysis: The first one refers to the story of Lia Lee presented in the book. The second one is the underlying assumptions present in American and Hmong cultures. The third one is a possibility of mutually beneficial cooperation of two different cultures and the principles that should be followed to enable it. The book seems to provide a coherent philosophical system that can be extended and applied to a large number of social issues. Author’s Credentials The author of the discussed book is Anne Fadiman, a freelance journalist and the editor of The American Scholar (Konner, 1997). Fadiman is a well-recognized expert in her field. She specializes on the multi-cultural studies and the most urgent problems of the society. Therefore, the author provides reliable analysis of the situation and related issues as well as clarifies the scope of complementary problems that should be addressed in the near future, both by individuals and nations in general. Summary of the Book It is reasonable to present briefly the major episodes and characteristics of the book under analysis. It centers on the life of Lia Lee (Fadiman, 2012). The problem comes from the fact that she is diagnosed with the strong form of epilepsy. However, the traditional Hmong culture perceives this issue differently in comparison with American one. As a result, the conflicts of cultures occur, and Lia Lee’s health tends to deteriorate. Lia’s family members consider that her illness makes her special, and she could even become a â€Å"shaman†. When they realize that her state of health is very problematic, they begin using the methods that are widespread among Hmong culture. They try to call back her soul and optimize her internal mental state in this way. However, these methods are inefficient as they do not address the essence of epilepsy symptoms. Lia’s doctors who advocate the Western lifestyle and worldview adopt a pure rationalist position (Fadiman, 2012). They neglect the traditional views of Hmong culture as they consider them as being irrational and irrelevant. Although the doctors are motivated to provide the high-quality care, their neglect to cultural issues leads to new problems. In particular, the diagnosis is not formulated precisely and correctly from the very beginning due to the absence of interpreters. However, even when the diagnosis is specified, the doctors are unable to enforce the needed treatment as Lia’s family members do not share doctors’ principles and are unable to follow all the requirements. They are mostly concerned with the negative side effects and do not believe that doctors’ interventions could be efficient and lead to the desired results. All these factors have contributed to the situation when her mental state starts to deteriorate. Jeanine Hilt, a social worker, proposes the way to organize the medication process which will allow her family to be reunited. However, the situation has not changed radically, and her brain dies. The doctors suggest that she will probably die in the near future. Her family take her home, and she is able to survive for the next twenty-six years. Although her mental state is very difficult and problematic, the care and attention of her family contribute to the positive results. Moreover, the Western doctors consider such impressive results to be impossible. The Hmong follow their rituals, and they help to improve the mental state of Lia even though it is difficult to explain from the perspective of the traditional medicine. Author’s Thesis Fadiman states that all cultures have their strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, every country can generate better outcomes for some categories of people. Therefore, it is important to respect all cultures and select the treatment strategy in accordance with the patient’s cultural beliefs and worldview (Fadiman, 2012). If the high level of cultural competence is achieved, the positive results may follow. It is also incorrect to evaluate the essence and implications of other cultures from the perspective of one’s culture. Criticisms In general, the author presents the story persuasively and provides a number of explicit and implicit arguments in favor of her thesis. Fadiman realizes that the conflicts of cultures and corresponding implications are very widespread nowadays. For this reason, she presents her story not as a unique case from the life of Hmong girl but as an illustration of one of the most serious social problems and concerns of the 20th and 21st centuries. Fadiman presents her story quite objectively as it shows how the same events are interpreted differently by different parties. It seems that both Hmong people and doctors realize that Lia has serious problems. At the same time, their interpretation of her mental state is different. Doctors realize that epilepsy is a very dangerous disorder that should be treated immediately. However, Hmong people do not consider epilepsy to be an exclusively negative event. Many such special people were chosen to be â€Å"shamans,† as their qualities were d ifferent in comparison with others. Fadiman states, â€Å"although the Hmong believe that illness can be caused by a variety of sources †¦ the most common cause of human illness is soul loss† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 10). For this reason, the Hmong orient to the person’s internal world and beliefs rather than any physical symptoms. The author presents these different interpretations without imposing her views on readers and allowing them to make their suggestions about the future course of events. The differences between both cultures become even more severe when they try to deal with the symptoms of epilepsy. It seems that the following two characteristics are evident in this context: First, every culture believes that its approach is effective and can improve the situation. Second, every culture neglects the prescriptions and suggestions of other cultures completely. People even do not try to comprehend the justification and arguments delivered by the representatives of other cultures. Neither doctors nor Hmong people make any steps in the direction of understanding the underlying causes and motivations by the representatives of other cultures. This issue may demonstrate the existing problems in the U.S. healthcare industry. As American doctors are â€Å"civilized† and follow the most developed and reliable practices, they are supposed to act according to cultural competence considerations. However, the positions of other cultures are considered as being irrational, and doctors do not pay any attention to Hmong’s attitude towards their prescriptions. It seems that the author deliberately demonstrates the attitudes of American doctors in all details to stress that the fact of being â€Å"civilized† does not mean that the desired results will be achieved automatically. As any treatment process necessarily presupposes the active collaboration of different individuals including patients, positive results may be achieved only if the proper coordination between all parties is established. If all parties try to impose their understanding on others, the treatment process is negatively affected. Although Fadiman presents the story objectively, it is evident that she evaluates the traditional Hmong culture positively. She has comprehended that it is also meaningful, and it should not be rejected from the very beginning. The author demonstrates that even Chinese people perceived the Hmong highly negatively. She states that â€Å"the Chinese called the Hmong the Miao or Meo which means †¦ â€Å"barabarians†, â€Å"bumpkins†, etc.† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 14). However, it seems that the author does not agree with such an attitude as she writes that â€Å"it was an insult† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 14). In the U.S., this attitude has become even more widespread. All Hmong rituals are considered as being irrational, and both the doctors and the public in general do not desire to comprehend the hidden meaning of Hmong actions. It seems that the author implicitly stresses the differences between the underlying assumptions regarding American and Hmong cultures. The American culture is mostly individually-oriented. Each social member is responsible for his/her life and choices. It has a number of implications for the treatment process: First, it is assumed that everyone is motivated to improve one’s health. Therefore, American doctors appear to be absolutely unprepared to Lia’s hesitations and the absence of any support from her family. Second, the American doctors believe that medicine will have a specific and predetermined influence on individuals. As they deal with the patients who share Western principles, they understand the patterns of this influence and consider it to be equally applicable to all social members without any exception. The author shows that the Hmong culture adopts a very different perspective on examining the external world. This culture is more collectively-oriented, but it is still very different from other collectivist cultures such as the Chinese one. The Hmong suggest that they should help each other especially when the soul of one of their members is in danger. They have developed a set of rituals that can lead to the desired results, i.e. may improve the mental state of a given person. It seems that the positive effect is achieved due to the combination of several factors: First, all Hmong people share this belief and they are absolutely certain that it will help a person in need. Second, all their rituals are implemented in the atmosphere of love and support. This psychological climate is highly important for all individuals especially those who experience serious mental problems. The author explains that without additional efforts, both cultures will evaluate the situation from their perspectives without taking into consideration the positions of each other. It leads to even further misunderstanding and a higher possibility of social conflicts. Moreover, all parties are mostly oriented to addressing the opposite views of each other rather than assisting the person in need. The author shows that under the conditions of such a mutual misunderstanding the methods adopted by the culture that is closer to a given patient prove to be more effective. It is important to make a patient an active participant of the treatment process. Only in this way the results can be positive. If the interests of the medical personnel and a patient are antagonistic, even the most reliable medicine cannot generate the improvement of the patient’s physical and mental state. The neglect of American doctors to Lia’s beliefs and Hmong traditions has contributed to the situat ion when her mental and physical state has become critical. Despite the existing problems, it seems that the author admits the possibility of a mutually beneficial cooperation between the representatives of different cultures in the future. Although the underlying assumptions of cultures and their orientation to individualist or collectivist principles cannot be changed by any external force, it is possible to promote tolerance among people and respect to the culture and traditions of others. Fadiman reports the thoughts of the anthropologist Eric Crystal who states, â€Å"How extraordinary it was to hear the Hmong language spoken †¦ on J Street,† although previously it was impossible (Fadiman, 2012, p. 228). Thus, the author appreciates the diversity of languages and cultures and considers it to be highly important for the development of the modern civilization in general. It seems that the attentive readers can come to similar conclusions. The reason is that when people face different alternatives, it is more likely that they will make the correct choice. Moreover, even if the majority of cultures are not highly open to transformations, they still experience the influence of other positions and worldviews. All cultures affect one another, and people also represent the mixture of cultures rather than the only one. It seems that the author encourages the readers to become more responsible and orient not only to their narrow interests but to those of other social members and the society in general. The overall principles of justice seem to be simple: First, people should respect the views of others as other people can also be correct in some issues. Second, in case of disagreement, only persuasion can be used, while any forms of aggression (both physical and mental) are inadmissible. The author presents her views very effectively as she concentrates on the objective facts related to Lia’s life. Fadiman demonstrates how various measures taken by American doctors do not lead to the expected results. At the same time, the non-scientific approach adopted by Hmong people appears to be more successful and effective in the long run. Although the readers can make their own conclusions, the objective facts show that positive results can be achieved only if the interests of a given patient are considered. Even the dominant culture should not adopt its world perception of specific individuals as it is both unethical and incorrect. One of the necessary prerequisites of the tolerant attitude to the representatives of other cultures is adopting an honest and objective perception of reality. For example, the author states, â€Å"the most frequent accusation I heard was that the Hmong were terrible drivers† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 241). It is evident that Americans had a negative perception of Hmong people due to the existing cultural differences. However, they do not explain their reasoning fairly and tend to create some irrelevant claims to support their already formulated position towards Hmong people. In such cases, it is evident that the problem is not in other social members but in the people who are unwilling to accept the diversity of cultures and the contrasting opinions. In the modern democratic world, people tend to believe that that their position is correct if they belong to the majority group. However, the fact of belonging to the majority does not mean that one’s position is correct. Fadiman concentrates on people’s individual responsibility and implicitly advises to evaluate all cases objectively and be ready to accept the highest level of responsibility regarding the future development of the society. It may be concluded that Fadiman’s book provides a unique foundation for considering the major inter-cultural problems and challenges of the 20th and 21st century. On the one hand, the ideas of mutual tolerance are cultivated actively, and a large number of people claim to support them. On the other hand, at the stage of the actual implementation of these ideas, numerous problems emerge. People do not tend to accept other cultures or consider them to be a priori inferior in comparison with theirs. It creates numerous hidden problems and may lead to the social isolation of several individuals. The case of Lia Lee shows that health-related issues are also highly sensitive to cultural perceptions. Thus, the narrow implication of the book is a need for becoming more culturally competent by modern doctors and practitioners. However, the broader implication refers to all social members without any exception. All people should realize that they are the members of the global society. Thus, the needs and concerns of other people are also their personal responsibility. However, the mere positive intentions are insufficient in this context as it is important to be aware of the major cultural characteristics of other people and make the decisions that correspond to their cultural perceptions. Only in this way the desired changes and the social progress can be achieved. The reviewer recommends the book by Anne Fadiman as the major work for understanding the existing cultural challenges and the ways for overcoming them. This book may be reread several times in order to comprehend all h idden messages and meanings. In any case, it is highly relevant nowadays for the members of all social groups and citizens of the global community.