MENTAL HEALTH..... SOCIAL WORK DEGREE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MENTAL HEALTH..... SOCIAL WORK DEGREE - Essay Example These measures will help autonomy in psychiatry, as stated by Richardson (2007: p.71). The AMHP who could be from any discipline in the health care field, would be required to coordinate the ‘preliminary examination’ of a person liable to be treated under a compulsory order, and to provide a non-medical assessment alongside the assessment of two medical practitioners (Hannigan & Hannigan, 2003: p.38). Details About Patient Being Brought to A & E: Keith Burrows was brought to the Melchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust’s A & E Department by the police at 4:20 am on a Section 136. He had banged on his neighbours’ door at about 2 am, demanding to see his mother. The elderly couple, both in their 70s, had called the police due to the disturbance caused by Keith. When he became aggressive towards the police, they used Section 136 on him, and brought him for assessment and evaluation to the A & E department. 2Section 136 enables a police officer to remove someone from a public place and take them to a Place of Safety for a duration of up to 72 hours. Section 136 states clearly that the purpose of being taken to the Place of Safety is to enable the person to be examined by a doctor and interviewed by an Approved Social Worker, and for the making of any necessary arrangements for treatment or care. Past History of Illness: Social work records show that Keith Burrows was admitted on a section in 2003. A Section 2 assessment had been done, as indicated in the social circumstances report prepared at that time. The social circumstances report indicates that Mr. Burrows was living alone in a housing association property. His sister Rosa Burrows had contacted the General Practitioner since she was concerned about his health and welfare. Their mother had died three months previously, after which Keith Burrows had become

English class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English class - Essay Example Schools can play an important role in educating children about violent crimes prevention. The violent crimes prevention programs gave to be offered to all level of schools. Some programs can be designed in such a way to influence particular age group children, while some can be included in the texts books to archive certain set of goals. Before the implementation of the violent crimes prevention programs, it should be important to justify the quality of the execution, how the programs are executed, what methods are involved in the execution of the crime prevention programs, what effects are expected from the programs, for how long the programs will remain valid, are the programs are focused to achieve short lived goals and how the programs impact the normal lives of the students. The programs are categorized according to the age groups of the student. The general programs are designed for the students with ages from 6 to 17. 3- I think that the increase juvenile crime rate cannot be associated with the schools only. The environment at home also influences the children to indulge in such activities that may harm the personality and behavior of the child. Schools do have a role in training and education children but the initial years the child spends at home may influence him to be violent or behave harshly. Schools are important in determining the needs of the students and impose the violent crime prevention methods according to the behavior of the majority of the students. However, educating the students at very early stage about behaviors will be a better method for the prevention of violent crimes. 4- The source very well explants the research conducted at various stages. The implementation of the programs will lessen the violent juvenile crime rates; however, environment may influence a juvenile to commit a violent crime but it is not such

Apoptosis - Short Essay Essay Example for Free

Apoptosis Short Essay Essay Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie first used the term apoptosis in a paper in 1972 to describe a morphologically distinct form of cell death, although certain components of the apoptosis concept had been described years previously. Our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the process of apoptosis in mammalian cells transpired from the investigation of programmed cell death that occurs during the development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (Horvitz, 1999). In this organism 1090 somatic cells are generated in the formation of the adult worm, of which 131 of these cells undergo apoptosis or â€Å"programmed cell death. † These 131 cells die at particular points during the development process, which is invariant between worms, demonstrating the accuracy and control in this system. Apoptosis has been recognized and accepted as an important mode of â€Å"programmed† cell death, which involves the genetically determined elimination of cells. However, there is other forms of programmed cell death have been described and other forms of programmed cell death may yet be discovered Apoptosis occurs normally during development and aging and as a homeostatic mechanism to maintain cell populations in tissues. Apoptosis also occurs as a defense mechanism such as in immune reactions or when disease or noxious agents damage cells. Although there are a wide variety of stimuli and conditions, both physiological and pathological, that can trigger apoptosis, not all cells will necessarily die in response to the same stimulus. Irradiation or drugs used for cancer chemotherapy results in DNA damage in some cells, which can lead to apoptotic death through a p53-dependent pathway. Some hormones, may lead to apoptotic death in some cells although other cells are unaffected or even stimulated. Some cells express Fas or TNF receptors that can lead to apoptosis via ligand binding and protein cross-linking. Other cells have a default death pathway that must be blocked by a survival factor such as a hormone or growth factor. There is also the issue of distinguishing apoptosis from necrosis, two processes that can occur independently, sequentially, as well as simultaneously (Zeiss, 2003). In some cases it’s the type of stimuli and/or the degree of stimuli that determines if cells die by apoptosis or necrosis. At low doses, a variety of injurious stimuli such as heat, radiation,  hypoxia and cytotoxic anticancer drugs can induce apoptosis but these same stimuli can result in necrosis at higher doses. Finally, apoptosis is a coordinated and often energy-dependent process that involves the activation of a group of cysteine proteases called â€Å"caspases† and a complex cascade of events that link the initiating stimuli to the final demise of the cell Loss of contro l of apoptosis may result in disease. Excessive apoptosis is implicated in AIDS and Alzheimers disease and insufficient apoptosis may lead to cancer. Morphology of Apoptosis Light and electron microscopy have identified the various morphological changes that occur during apoptosis. During the early process of apoptosis, cell shrinkage and pyknosis are visible by light microscopy. With cell shrinkage, the cells are smaller in size, the cytoplasm is dense and the organelles are more tightly packed. Pyknosis is the result of chromatin condensation. On examination with hematoxylin and eosin stain, apoptosis involves single cells or small clusters of cells. The apoptotic cell appears as a round/oval mass. Plasma membrane blebbing occurs followed by karyorrhexis and separation of cell fragments into apoptotic bodies during a process called â€Å"budding.† Apoptotic bodies consist of cytoplasm with tightly packed organelles with or without a nuclear fragment. The organelle integrity is maintained and all of this is enclosed within an intact plasma membrane. These bodies are subsequently phagocytosed by macrophages, or neoplastic cells and degraded within phagolysosomes. Macrophages that engulf and digest apoptotic cells are called â€Å"tingible body macrophages† and are found within the germinal centers of lymphoid follicles or within the thymic cortex. There is no inflammatory reaction with the process of apoptosis nor with the removal of apoptotic cells because: (1) apoptotic cells do not release their cellular constituents into the surrounding interstitial tissue; (2) they are quickly phagocytosed by surrounding cells thus likely preventing secondary necrosis; and, (3) the engulfing cells do not produce anti-inflammatory cytokines. Distinguishing Apoptosis from Necrosis The alternative to apoptotic cell death is necrosis, which is considered to be a toxic process where the cell is a passive victim and follows an energy independent mode of death. Oncosis is used to describe a process that leads to necrosis with karyolysis and cell swelling whereas apoptosis leads to cell death with cell shrinkage, pyknosis, and karyorrhexis. Although the mechanisms and morphologies of apoptosis and necrosis differ, there is overlap between these two processes. Necrosis and apoptosis represent morphologic expressions of a shared biochemical network described as the â€Å"apoptosis-necrosis continuum† .For example, two factors that will convert an ongoing apoptotic process into a necrotic process include a decrease in the availability of caspases and intracellular ATP Whether a cell dies by necrosis or apoptosis depends in part on the nature of the cell death signal, the tissue type, the developmental stage of the tissue and the physiologic milieu (Zeiss, 2003). It is not always easy to distinguish apoptosis from necrosis, they can occur simultaneously depending on factors such as the intensity and duration of there stimulus, the extent of ATP depletion and the availability of caspases (Zeiss, 2003). Necrosis is an uncontrolled and passive process that usually affects large fields of cells whereas apoptosis is controlled and energy-dependent and can affect individual or clusters of cells. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma that result unregulated digestion of cell components Some of the major morphological changes that occur with necrosis include cell swelling; formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles; distended endoplasmic reticulum; formation of cytoplasmic blebs; condensed, swollen or ruptured mitochondria; disaggregation and detachment of ribosomes; disrupted organelle membranes; swollen and ruptured lysosomes; and eventually disruption of the cell membrane. This loss of cell membrane results in the release of the cytoplasmic contents into the surrounding tissue, sending chemotatic signals with eventual recruitment of inflammatory cells. Because apoptotic cells do not release their cellular constituents into the  surrounding tissue and are quickly phagocytosed by macrophages or normal cells, there is essentially no inflammatory reaction. It is also important to note that pyknosis and karyorrhexis are not exclusive to apoptosis (Kurosaka et al., 2003). Mechanisms of Apoptosis The mechanisms of apoptosis are highly complex involving an energy dependent cascade of molecular events. Research indicates that there are two main apoptotic pathways: the extrinsic or death receptor pathway and the intrinsic or mitochondrial pathway. However, there is now evidence that the two pathways are linked and that molecules in one pathway can influence the other. There is an additional pathway that involves T-cell mediated cytotoxicity and perforin-granzyme dependent killing of the cell. The perforin/granzyme pathway can induce apoptosis via either granzyme B or granzyme A. The extrinsic, intrinsic, and granzyme B pathways converge on the same execution pathway. This pathway is initiated by the cleavage of caspase-3 and results in DNA fragmentation, degradation of cytoskeletal and nuclear proteins, crosslinking of proteins, formation of apoptotic bodies, expression of ligands for phagocytic cell receptors and finally uptake by phagocytic cells. Caspases have proteolytic activity and are able to cleave proteins at aspartic acid residues, although different caspases have different specificities involving recognition of neighboring amino acids. Once caspases are initially activated, there seems to be an irreversible commitment towards cell death. To date, ten major caspases have been identified and broadly categorized into initiators (caspase-2,-8,-9,-10), effectors or executioners (caspase-3,-6,-7) and inflammatory caspases (caspase-1,-4,-5). Caspase-11, which is reported to regulate apoptosis and cytokine maturation during septic shock, caspase-14, which is highly expressed in embryonic tissues but not in adult tissues . Extensive protein cross-linking is another characteristic of apoptotic cells and is achieved through the expression and activation of tissue transglutaminase. Another feature is the expression of cell surface markers that result in the early phagocytic recognition of apoptotic cells by adjacent cells, permitting  quick phagocytosis with minimal compromise to the surrounding tissue. This is achieved by the movement of the normal inward-facing phosphatidylserine of the cell’s lipid bilayer to expression on the outer layers of the plasma membrane. Externalization of phosphatidylserine is a well-known recognition ligand for phagocytes on the surface of the apoptotic cell. PATHWAYS Extrinsic Pathway—The extrinsic signaling pathways that initiate apoptosis involve transmembrane receptor-mediated interactions. These involve death receptors that are members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor gene superfamily. Members of the TNF receptor family share similar cyteine-rich extracellular domains and have a cytoplasmic domain of about 80 amino acids called the â€Å"death domain†. This death domain plays a critical role in transmitting the death signal from the cell surface to the intracellular signaling pathways.The sequence of events that define the extrinsic phase of apoptosis are best characterized with the FasL/FasR and TNF-ÃŽ ±/TNFR1 models. In these models, there is clustering of receptors and binding with the homologous trimeric ligand. Upon ligand binding, cytoplasmic adapter proteins are recruited which exhibit corresponding death domains that bind with the receptors. The binding of Fas ligand to Fas receptor results in the binding of the adapter protein FADD and the binding of TNF ligand to TNF receptor results in the binding of the adapter protein TRADD with recruitment of FADD and RIP. FADD then associates with procaspase-8 via dimerization of the death effector domain. At this point, a death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) is formed, resulting in the auto-catalytic activation of procaspase-8 . Once caspase-8 is activated, the execution phase of apoptosis is triggered. Death receptor mediated apoptosis can be inhibited by a protein called c-FLIP which will bind to FADD and caspase-8, rendering them ineffective. Another point of potential apoptosis regulation involves a protein called Toso, which shows to block Fas-induced apoptosis in T cells via inhibition of caspase-8 processing . Intrinsic Pathway—The intrinsic signaling pathways that initiate apoptosis involve a diverse array of non-receptor-mediated stimuli that produce  intracellular signals that act directly on targets within the cell and are mitochondrial-initiated events. The stimuli that initiate the intrinsic pathway produce intracellular signals that may act in either a positive or negative fashion. Negative signals involve the absence of certain growth factors, hormones and cytokines that can lead to failure of suppression of death programs, thereby triggering apoptosis. In other words, there is the withdrawal of factors, loss of apoptotic suppression, and subsequent activation of apoptosis. Other stimuli that act in a positive fashion include, but are not limited to, radiation, toxins, hypoxia, hyperthermia, viral infections, and free radicals. All of these stimuli cause changes in the inner mitochondrial membrane that results in an opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, loss of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and release of two main groups of normally sequestered pro-apoptotic proteins from the intermembrane space into the cytosol. The first group consists of cytochrome c, Smac/DIABLO, and the serine protease HtrA2/Omi. These proteins activate the caspase dependent mitochondrial pathway. Cytochrome c binds and activates Apaf-1 as well as procaspase-9, forming an â€Å"apoptosome† The clustering of procaspase-9 leads to caspase-9 activation. Smac/DIABLO and HtrA2/Omi are reported to promote apoptosis by inhibiting IAP activity. Additional mitochondrial proteins interact with and suppress the action of IAP The second group of pro-apoptotic proteins, AIF, endonuclease G and CAD, are released from the mitochondria during apoptosis, but this is a late event that occurs after the cell has committed to die. AIF translocate to the nucleus and causes DNA fragmentation and condensation of peripheral nuclear chromatin. This early form of nuclear condensation is referred to as â€Å"stage I† condensation. Endonuclease G also translocates to the nucleus where it cleaves nuclear chromatin to produce oligonucleosomal DNA fragments. AIF and endonuclease G both function in a caspase-independent manner. CAD is released from the mitochondria and translocates to the nucleus where, after cleavage by caspase-3, it leads to oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation and a more pronounced and advanced chromatin condensation. This later and more  pronounced chromatin condensation is referred to as â€Å"stage II†condensation The control and regulation of these apoptotic mitochondrial events occurs through members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins .The tumor suppressor protein p53 has a critical role in regulation of the Bcl-2 family of proteins.The Bcl-2 family of proteins governs mitochondrial membrane permeability and can be either pro-apoptotic or antiapoptotic. 25 genes have been identified in the Bcl-2 family. Some of the anti-apoptotic proteins include Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bcl-XL, Bcl-XS and some of the pro-apoptotic proteins include Bcl-10, Bax, Bad, Bim, and Blk. These proteins can determine if the cell commits to apoptosis or aborts the process. It is thought that the main mechanism of action of the Bcl-2 family of proteins is the regulation of cytochrome c release from the mitochondria. Mitochondrial damage in the Fas pathway of apoptosis is mediated by the caspase-8 cleavage of Bid. This is one example of the â€Å"cross-talk† between the death-receptor (extrinsic) pathway and the mitochondrial (intrinsic) pathway. Serine phosphorylation of Bad is associated with 14-3-3, a member of a family of multifunctional phosphoserine binding molecules. When Bad is phosphorylated, it is trapped by 14-3-3 and sequestered in the cytosol but once Bad is unphosphorylated, it will translocate to the mitochondria to release cytochrome C. Bad can also heterodimerize with Bcl-Xl or Bcl-2, neutralizing their protective effect and promoting cell death When not sequestered by Bad, both Bcl-2 and BclXl inhibit the release of cytochrome C from the mitochondria. Reports indicate that Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL inhibit apoptotic death primarily by controlling the activation of caspase proteases. An additional protein designated â€Å"Aven† appears to bind both Bcl-Xl and Apaf-1, thereby preventing activation of procaspase-9. Puma and Noxa are two members of the Bcl2 family that are also involved in pro-apoptosis. Puma plays an important role in p53-mediated apoptosis. It was shown that, in vitro, overexpression of Puma is accompanied by increased BAX expression, BAX conformational change, translocation to the  mitochondria, cytochrome c release and reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential. Noxa is also a mediator of p53-induced apoptosis. Studies show that this protein can localize to the mitochondria and interact with anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, resulting in the activation of caspase-9. Caspase-3 is the most important of the executioner caspases and is activated by any of the initiator caspases (caspase-8, caspase-9, or caspase-10). Caspase-3 specifically activates the endonuclease CAD. In proliferating cells CAD is complexed with its inhibitor, ICAD. In apoptotic cells, activated caspase-3 cleaves ICAD to release CAD. CAD then degrades chromosomal DNA within the nuclei and causes chromatin condensation. Caspase-3 also induces cytoskeletal reorganization and disintegration of the cell into apoptotic bodies. Gelsolin, an actin binding protein, has been identified as one of the key substrates of activated caspase-3. Caspase-3 will cleave gelsolin and the cleaved fragments of gelsolin, in turn, cleave actin filaments in a calcium independent manner. This results in disruption of the cytoskeleton, intracellular transport, cell division, and signal transduction. Phagocytic uptake of apoptotic cells is the last component of apoptosis. Phospholipid asymmetry and externalization of phosphatidylserine on the surface of apoptotic cells and their fragments is the hallmark of this phase. The mechanism of phosphatidylserine translocation to the outer leaflet of the cell during apoptosis has been associated with loss of aminophospholipid translocase activity and nonspecific flip-flop of phospholipids of various classes. Research indicates that Fas, caspase-8, and caspase-3 are involved in the regulation of phosphatidylserine externalization on oxidatively stressed erythrocytes however caspase-independent phosphatidylserine exposure occurs during apoptosis of primary T lymphocytes. The appearance of phosphotidylserine on the outer leaflet of apoptotic cells then facilitates noninflammatory phagocytic recognition, allowing for their early uptake and disposal.This process of early and efficient uptake with no  release of cellular constituents, results in no inflammatory response. (Fadok et al., 2001). The process for apoptosis, is generally characterized by distinct morphological characteristics and energy-dependent biochemical mechanisms. Apoptosis is considered a vital component of various processes including normal cell turnover, proper development and functioning of the immune system, hormone-dependent atrophy, embryonic development and chemical-induced cell death. Inappropriate apoptosis (either too little or too much) is a factor in many human conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, ischemic damage, autoimmune disorders and many types of cancer. Excessive apoptosis results in diseases such as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease. Cancer is an example where the normal mechanisms of cell cycle regulation are dysfunctional, with either an over proliferation of cells and/or decreased removal of cells. Tumor cells can acquire resistance to apoptosis by the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 or by the down-regulation or mutation of pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bax. The expression of both Bcl-2 and Bax is regulated by the p53 tumor suppressor gene Alterations of various cell signaling pathways can result in dysregulation of apoptosis and lead to cancer. The p53 tumor suppressor gene is a transcription factor that regulates the cell cycle and is the most widely mutated gene in human tumorigenesis. The critical role of p53 is evident by the fact that it is mutated in over 50% of all human cancers. p53 can activate DNA repair proteins when DNA has sustained damage, can hold the cell cycle at the G1/S regulation point on DNA damage recognition, and can initiate apoptosis if the DNA damage proves to be irreparable. Tumorigenesis can occur if this system goes awry. If the p53 gene is damaged, then tumor suppression is severely reduced. The p53 gene can be damaged by radiation, various chemicals, and viruses.

Strategic Marketing Plan For The French Fashion House Marketing Essay

Strategic Marketing Plan For The French Fashion House Marketing Essay In the ninetys the brand took a new direction: diversification and internationalization. From now, the company offered a wide range of product so women can dress from head to foot in Caroll. Also, the French company aimed bigger: shops, affiliations, and franchises locations in department stores appeared worldwide. Thanks to its strong two figures growth for the past few years, China became the favorite new destination for companies. Shalendra Sharma, associate professor of political science, University of San Francisco says that with an estimated 300 million Chinese consumers with much disposable income, it is an opportunity that should not be missed  [2]  , even if the current economic environment requires caution. According to the CCI and Cotton Incorporated Global Lifestyle Monitorà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Survey, apparel tops the list of items Chinese consumers prefer to shop for (31%), Notice that women are largely more interested than men (39% versus 22%). Figure 1: Lifestyle Monitorà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ SurveyDefinitely, China represents a great opportunity for clothes retailer. The country made its name and growth by assuring the role of world supplier, especially for clothes. Since the economy became better, Chinese want to enjoy more western lifestyle. That is why Caroll developed a growing interest for Chinese market. However, Chinese are specific needs, expectations and behavior that Caroll must understands and faces. The aim of the following analysis is to try to define how Caroll could tackle into the middle market in China, using internal and external analysis, outlining issues and opportunities for the brand. Situation Analysis An academic report written by several professors, Heiko Gebauer, Thomas Fischer and Elgar Fleisch, name Entering the Chinese mid-market segment: key to long-term success? pointed out major mistakes when entering the Chinese market: Misunderstood of the Chinese consumers, their needs and expectations. Companies overestimate their image value. Managers miss opportunities in focus on few cities only such as Beijing or Shanghai In order to handle those issues for Caroll, I will design a strategic marketing plan consisting in an analysis to match market opportunities to the resources and capabilities of the company. In this case, I will follow different steps to establish a SMP for Caroll: Environmental Analysis (PESTEL) Identifying Customers Competitor The company in its environment (Porters Five Forces and SWOT analysis) The company Marketing Mix: The 4 Ps and 3 Vs Value Creation (Value Chain, Boston Box and Ansoff matrices) The analysis is based on information found on Internet and on my personal experiences as women clothes consumer and Asian person and knowledge since I studied how to do business in China during five month at the SEM Tongji University in Shanghai in 2011. PESTEL analysis focuses in following area; political system and stability, economic stability, socio-cultural practices, technological advancements, environmental efforts and legal and judicial systems. It gives a global view, the big picture, of the environment in which the brand is interested to. It provides a strong framework of opportunities and risks.   P for Political Political advantages Political disadvantages Not Relevant Government stability Labor law Political stability Regulation/Deregulation Social/Employment Legislation Tariffs Tax Policy Trade Restrictions Bureaucracy Corruption Freedom of the press Environmental law Government type China is based on communism political system with on unique party, the Chinese Communist Party. Because of the unique party China is not seen as a real democratic country by foreigners. However the country enjoys political and government stability thanks to strong control and obedience. Indeed, no substantial political opposition groups exist (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). So, even if some issues exist like ethnic unrest in Tibet, they do not represent threats to its political stability. Since Mao Zedong, former president of China, the country uses capitalist economy in order to make China the first economic power. The path is still followed and the government decisions are design to ensure continuous economic growth. The country shows goodwill, regulations, tariff and tax policies are favorable to business and especially for foreign companies; reduction in taxation to foreign companies, creating designated free trade zones such as Shanghai and Shenzhen, investing in public amenities and facilities to attract foreign investors, and continuously liberalizing their trade regulations to create attractive and impactful investment centre. Nevertheless, corruption is strongly embedded in China government. It is called the East Asian paradox: countries displaying exceptional growth records despite having thriving corruption cultures (China economic review, 2012). E for Economic Economic advantages Economic disadvantages Not relevant Consumers Disposable Income Economic Growth GDP/GNP growth Globalization Labor cost and supply Exchange rate Interest rates Inflation rate Business Cycle Stage Likely Economic Change Unemployment Rate As I said earlier, China adopted for open market concept. Chinas continuous and gradual reforms started with phasing out agriculture activity; followed by liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, open banking and financial system, creation of share market, large amount of private sector investment, and large foreign direct investment (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). Thanks to its efforts, in 2010, China became the number two world economy in term of size. China benefits from a solid two figures growth even with the crisis. However, the country faces inflation and increasing local government debt which could represent a threat regarding government gifts for company and reduce the buying power of consumers. One of the main China economic challenges is to encourage local demand that is why the governments 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011, focuses on the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent on exports in the future (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). S for Socio-Cultural Social advantages Social disadvantages Not relevant Age distribution Career attitude Educational structure Attitude to work Social mobility Cultural taboos Health Consciousness Population Growth Rate Perception of safety Employment patterns China has 1,344,130,000 people and reached a 7.298 trillion USD GDP in 2011 (World Bank, 2011). In 2012 73,5% of the people is aged from 15 to 64 years old, 51,4% male and 48,6% female and the median age is about 36 years old (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). In 2010, 47% of the population lives in urban areas and China tends to become more and more urban. Indeed, people move to cities looking for job and life improvement. Official language is mandarin; however, there are more than 100 dialects in China. Students and executive employees are encouraged to learn English. When I was in China, I notice that the language was really important for Chinese. For example, you will get a different price when negotiating if you speak English, Chinese or the local language. The Chinese culture is influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. I think the most famous Chinese word is Guan Xi, meaning relationship; business practices in China focuses on building relationship. Also, as for many Asian cultures, the image is very important in China. They have a strong sense of shame and pride. Related to the importance of the image, Chinese, especially the upper and middle class society, have developed a sense of materialism where owning (luxury) goods and designer items give them status in the society. Deng Xiaoping, one of the important figures in the opening of the market  said  «Ã‚  to get rich is glorious  Ã‚ ». Contrary to western people, Chinese freely discuss about money, how much they earn, what they have à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ T for Technology Technology advantages Technology disadvantages Not relevant Impact of Internet (reduce communication costs) Rate of technological changes RD activities Technology incentives Technology transfer Degree of automation Emerging technologies To be honest, technological advancement is lower than in developed country. However, China does not ignore the importance of technology and has invested and still invests a lot in engineering, telecommunications, and manufacturing and information systems. China took advantage that many high end technology companies as Apple or Huawai are established in China to acquire new technologies. Indeed, when a company wants to settle in China, the law requires that half of the managers must be Chinese and part of employees too. Moreover, the government is trying to attract brains in China in order to not only copy others technologies but to develop their own. As for many areas, China wants to be the first and the best. E for Environmental Environmental advantages Environmental disadvantages Not relevant Environmental consciousness Weather Climate changes There is more than one documentary on pollution in China; the country suffers from its rapid growth and the activities linked. Even if the Chinese government thinks that environment is a serious issue that must be handling. However corruption and wish of development made environmental control difficult. It could either be on opportunity (cost) and a threat (image). L for Legal. Legal advantages Legal disadvantages Not relevant Employment law Antitrust law Consumer law General framework Health and Safety laws Discrimination law Chinas legislature is mainly derived from the soviet and continental civil code of principles. China has set up international trade and economic arbitration in order to attract foreign company and develop international business. However, Chinese prefers the use of arbitrator; it represents a saving time (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). According to me, the legal point represents the biggest threat for doing business in China. When I study in Shanghai, I had the chance to have a class about Chinese laws and I can affirm that the law and its application are designed to advantage Chinese part, always. For example, only a Chinese lawyer that is to say a lawyer who was graduated in a Chinese Law School is competent. Also, several cases show that it is usual that foreign court decisions are not enforce by Chinese courts. The PESTEL analysis of China point out that it represents a great opportunity for Caroll to tap into the Chinese market; huge potential, increasing buying power and middle class, sense of materialism, development of infrastructures, goodwill of the government Several other fashion clothes brands already entered the Chinese market and has registered high sales and profitability. Nevertheless, threats are as big as opportunities. As I just said, it is not good to have issues in China. I remember a story that my Chinese friend told me; in China, cars have the priority over pedestrians. He told me to be careful, because in the case a car hit me, even if the driver past the red light, as I am a foreigner I am wrong and all Chinese will defend the driver (strong collectivism value). I think that this point totally highlights that the Chinese culture is way different from the French culture and this represents the second threat: Caroll does not know the market and consumers. Exhibit 2: Growing mid-market households in China in millions. Boston Consulting Group The exhibit above shows that middle class are emerging, the study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (2010) estimates that in 2020 about 69 million people will be considered as middle class, more than the French population! Furthermore, it has been forecasted that by 2025, this segment will increase to 590 million with a whopping US$ 1.3 trillion spending power. Helen Wang, author of The Chinese Dream: The Rise of the Worlds Largest Middle Class and What It Means to You said that to be middle-class in China the person would earn between $10,000 and $60,000 a year. Considering the cost of Chinese life and living standards, much lower than in western countries, a middle class can afford pretty huge apartment, longer and better education and spends in entertainments and apparels. These citizens are mostly urban, engaged in services and have a modern world view; this new middle class represents China as a consumer society. As we saw earlier, the image is an important value for Chinese that is why they spend in good quality products or non-essential consumption in order to show their success (status). Families tend to buy more discretionary and small luxury items and the share of the household budget that goes food, clothes and other necessities shrinks (The McKinsey Quarterly, 2006). Mostly, middle class consumers are looking for famous product which showed they are part of the community and meanwhile tailored product; they need to keep their personality. With increasing product knowledge and surging purchasing power, mainland consumers in China are developing higher demands for quality and comfort in clothing. They usually prefer apparel made of natural fabrics (International Trade Centre, p.50, 2011). According to the China Textile Development Report in 2010, Chinese consumers ranked comfort at the top priority. Even if they are able to afford more expansive product, middle class consumers still but cheap product. They consider cheap and expansive products strongly different and pay attention to details (distribution channel, store, servicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). It will be a huge mistake to think that they are not price consciousness. J. Roy says  [3]  , Most people only buy clothes online when they are looking for something cheap, not when they are looking for style. It would be a mistake for an American retailer like J. Crew or Gap to emphasize e-commerce over their in-store shopping experience, customer experience is highly appreciate by Asian consumers. According to the Global Monitor, web sites are used to read customer reviews and compare prices (59%) and browse the latest styles (58%), followed by buy clothes (55%). Also, customers tend to be more loyal to a brand. It is important for Caroll to create a good relation with consumers even if the maximal potential is not reached yet, Guan Xi. Chinese consumers develop a strong environment conscience, an important factor to consider if Caroll want to create a long term relationship. Understanding and adaptation are key words, for example Levis had launch a specific line designed specifically for Asian physiques and tastes, with different cuts and tighter fits. It common knowledge than Asian people are smaller but it another thing to redesign clothes to fit to their size. I think that is difficult to understand the Chinese middle class needs and expectation only based on studies. I had the chance to study with Chinese student in marketing that help me to better answer to this part but the analysis is not enough deep. Y. Chen  [4]  says that given the competitiveness of the market, it is only advisable (for retailers) to enter China if they are serious about it and also put required investments behind it. The domestic clothing market in China is dominated by brands of European origin and other imported products, such as Giorgio Armani, Cerruti 1881, Hugo Boss, Dunhill, Chanel, Dior, Ermenegildo Zegna and Salvatore Ferragamo. The middle and low end of the market has a product mix of foreign and domestic brands, with most of the goods being manufactured in China and least developed countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and Viet Nam) such as Nike, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, CA and HM. However, we can notice a growing competition from Chinese brand as Bosideng, White Collar, Kaiser, Lily, Girdear, JNBY, Peacebird, Sierli and Gloria (International Trade Centre, p.35, 2011). In 2001, the China accessed to the World Trade Organization and after a short period, foreign brands started to target Chine; 2007 for HM, 2008 for Zara and Marks and Spencer, 2009 for Tommy Hilfiger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Competitors to Caroll are already established in the Chinese market and so get a great advantage since Chinese consumers are more loyal and focus on long term relationship. Figure 3: Main foreign Apparel brands in the Chinese market (source ITC, 2011) Figure 4: Main domestic Apparel brands in the Chinese market (source ITC, 2011) SWOT Matrix Strengths Weaknesses International experience, in particular in Japan, first contact with Asian culture Trendy clothes Works with world famous fashion clothes designers Comfortable products Good quality product Prices policy, price of Caroll clothes are a little bit too high for middle class but far too low to be consider as luxury clothes Many unhappy opinion on the quality of service (customer reception, information ) Fails to create a sense of belonging to a community despite different attempts Opportunities Threats Increase of the middle class, the target Increase of purchasing power Low labor and estate cost Growing interest for clothes shopping Open market, government policies to attract foreigner (taxation, tariff à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Strong established competition Open market = upcoming competition Legal system and corruption Inflation = raise of cost Unknown in China I will not spend more time on opportunities and threats since we already spend times on it with the environment and competitors analysis; I will only repeat that opportunities are as great as threats are big. The SWOT analysis tends to demonstrate that Caroll has several strengths in order to fit with the Chinese demand. However, the company has to work hard on consumer experience and price that represent key drivers for change. Once again, adaptation is a key solution. In another field, we can take the example of Best Buy, an electronic retailer pretty successful who failed to tap into the Chinese market. Indeed, bargaining is a strong value of Chinese culture and the company didnt give the possibility to bargain in Best Buy Store. Within two years, the brand closed all its stores in China since it was unable to satisfy Chinese consumers. Porters five forces model Threat of new entrants High threat Low entry barriers with encouraging government policies, economy of scale and other costs advantages and really attractive market. Switching cost almost inexistent. In balance, significant capital requirement and well established huge players. Sustainable industry growth rate. Supplier bargaining power Moderate High supplier concentration (in 2008, China represented half of textile and clothes supplier). Low suppliers differentiation. Low switching cost. In balance, notable threat of buyers integration (growing Chinese competition). Low dependence with buyers. Industry Rivalry Highly competitive market Highly concentrated market with numerous and diversified competitors including some huge in size (like Zara or Mango). High fixed cost (physical store). Almost no switching cost. In balance, high industry growth rate in a product differentiation model with significant customer loyalty. Low exit barriers Customers bargaining power Moderate Consumers highly sensitive to consumers experiences and differentiation. Demanding market. Low switching cost. In balance, significant customer loyalty. Low buyers volume. High number of buyers relative to sellers. Threat of substitutes Low / Moderate threat Enormous choice of substitute at lower price and quality. Switching cost almost inexistent. In balance, substitutes are considered in a total different way with a total different consumers behavior and habits. The Porters Five Forces analysis totally complies with the environment, competitors, market and consumers analyses. The biggest threats are represented by the highly competitive market with existing and future competitors. Concerning customers and suppliers buying power, I will say that one word, Guan Xi. Everything is based on relationship; understanding and answering. Chinese are more willing to show loyalty than Western people, so the threat can be handle by creating good relationship. And last, the substitute threat is not really significant as customers are able to make a clear distinction between products. The marketing mix Product Price Variety product: several line casual working clothes evening clothes Quality: high quality product with noble and still comfortable fabrics Design: use of famous worldwide clothes designer = design + value for customers Brand name: Caroll is a well-established French company in Europe and can offer a certain image (elegance, wealthy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) to the customer. Service: attempt to reach the most complete and valuable consumers experience. Price: right match with the quality of the product and service and the image. Currently, I think that for the Chinese market, the price of Caroll is not justified. Promotion Place Advertising: China is a giant advertising place. Marketing and advertising are everywhere. This is an opportunity for Caroll to build solid brand awareness by using diversify communication event billposting commercial Internet Public relation: be present, involved is really important. Public relation is a key factor for success. Distribution channel: as we saw in order to tap into the middle market, Caroll must open physical store better than only online selling. Location: when I was in Shanghai, I was impressed by the number of mall, there are malls everywhere. Availability and good location will be an help to develop the brand into the Chinese market. The target is the middle Chinese class. The intended position is to represent a high valued brand representing the elegance, offering high quality product at reasonable price. Strategic Segments Align 3 Vs Valued Customers middle class working women living in urban area Value Proposition high valued and high quality fashioned clothes and accessories Value Network physical store enjoying satisfying customers experience. Value Value The Value Chain Firm infrastructure 400 stores, 274 in France, 123 worldwide Support activities Human resource management About 1200 employees Technology development Design Procurement Elegant and noble fabrics Operations Specific line product Outbound logistics Warehousing Services Customer support Online store Marketing and sales Advertising and promotion like fashion shows. Inbound logistics Inventory control Storing Chinese and least develop country for supply Primary activities Service The Boston Box matrix The following Boston Box matrix is based on personal perception of the market since no information was found. Evening clothes (dress for party for example) Casual clothes Working clothes Accessories shoes Ansoff matrix Market Development Diversification Chinese middle class represent a new market for Caroll, new customers needs and expectations so new business model and strategy. Target different geographical markets at home or abroad. There is no need to diversify more the brand. Caroll is already offering a wide range of products (clothes and accessories). Market Penetration Product Development Going to the Chinese market is one thing but stay strong in the European market is another. Even if the Chinese market offers great opportunities, this is a major issue to reinforce our position in existing market. Caroll has to work harder on: Introduce a loyalty scheme = community Increase and improved sales force activities. It is important to design specific line to fit with Chinese demand Design specific line for Chinese (taste, size à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Improve customer service or quality.

Picasso - Cultural Expression :: essays research papers

Picasso was arguably the most influential artist of the twentieth century. He had some degree of influence in all styles of painting which were used during his time, and was known and respected by almost every art enthusiast on the face of the planet. Pablo Picasso, born Pablo Ruiz y Blasco, came into the world on the 25th of October 1881 in the southern Spanish town of Malaga. Pablo was an artist from early in his life – he was a child prodigy. He began his career as a classical painter. He painted things such as portraits and landscapes. But this style didn’t satisfy Picasso, he was a free man and wanted to express himself and ultimately leave a lasting mark on art as we know it. Picasso turned his attention to cubes. He invented Cubism – a radical art form which used harsh lines and corners to display a picture instead of the usual soft curves (see enclosed picture no. 1). Picasso won a lot of fame for his Cubist paintings, but was criticized for it also. He designed and painted the drop curtain and some giant cubist figures for a ballet in 1917. When the audience saw the huge distorted images on stage, they were angry, they thought the ballet was a joke at their expense. Cubism lived on despite this. Other artists mimicked Picasso’s Cubism, and it took hold. Picasso had only just begun his one-man art revolution. In the late 1920s, Picasso fixed himself upon an even more revolutionary art form – Surrealism. Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in creative activity. Surrealists aimed at creating art from dream, visions, and irrational impulses. Their paintings shocked the world – particularly Picasso’s – it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. Picasso saw his newly found art form as a kind of â€Å"painted literature† or sign language. He took advantage of this fact and also the fact that he was extremely famous, to make a few political statements, statements that would go down in history. 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist revolutionaries, led by Francisco Franco took hold of Spain and imposed a fascist dictatorship upon the country. Due to poor economic control and disregard for the people on the part of the Fascists, the country went through hell. The unemployment rate was phenomenal. The majority of the population were peasants and lived in appalling conditions.

The American Civil War Essay -- US History North South Civil War

The American Civil War was from 1861 to 1865 it was a civil war between the United States of America and the Southern slave states of the newly-formed Confederate States of America under Jefferson Davis. The Union included all of the free states and the five slaveholding border states and was led by Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party. Republicans opposed the expansion of slavery into territories owned by the United States, and their victory in the presidential election of 1860 resulted in seven Southern states declaring their secession from the Union even before Lincoln took office. The Union rejected secession, regarding it as rebellion. Hostilities began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a U.S. military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Lincoln responded by calling for a large volunteer army, then four more Southern states declared their secession. In the war's first year, the Union assumed control of the border states and established a naval bl ockade as both sides massed armies and resources. In 1862, battles such as Shiloh and Antietam caused massive casualties unprecedented in U.S. military history. In September 1862, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery in the South a war goal, which complicated the Confederacy's manpower shortages. In the East, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee won a series of victories over Union armies, but Lee's reverse at Gettysburg in early July, 1863 proved the turning point. The capture of Vicksburg and Port Hudson by Ulysses S. Grant completed Union control of the Mississippi River. Grant fought bloody battles of attrition with Lee in 1864, forcing Lee to defend the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. Union general William Sherman ... ...s Plaza in Cadman Plaza and the Korean War Veterans Parkway, which was known as the Richmond Parkway until it was renamed in April 1997 by the New York State Legislature. The Vietnam War Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial recognizes and honors the men and women who served in one of America's most divisive wars. The memorial was conceived and designed to make no political statement whatsoever about the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a place where everyone, regardless of opinion, can come together and remember and honor those who served. By doing so, the memorial has paved the way towards reconciliation and healing, a process that continues today. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial accomplishes these goals through the three components that comprise the memorial: the Wall of names, the Three Servicemen Statue and Flagpole, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.

Steve Jobs : Book Review

STEVE JOBS BY WALTER ISAACSON Dear all dignitaries and peers present here, Welcome to this hall, where we are all presented with the rarest opportunity on hearing about various respected and popular members of this world. On given an opportunity, I wondered what should be the theme of my speech. Should I go for the Nobel laureates or the most popular figurines or people who changed this world? Nobel laureates are historic, and popular people as noted are already quite popular. So, let’s hear about a person who changed the way we look at technology now. The way he drove a multibillion dollar company, the way he became a symbol of youth GOD!Yes, I’m here to talk about the authorised biography, the i-bio of the master, STEVE JOBS by Walter Isaacson. ‘Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography' was one of the most eagerly awaited books of the year 2011. The book is a journey into the life of a legend who revolutionized the way people saw technology. Walter Issacson brings to life, the innovator, the dreamer and the devil within Steve Jobs. An absolutely must read! In my mind the sole purpose of reading non-fiction is to learn, and if you learn something, by definition you will be changed. So, what did I learn from this book? 1.I have a better understanding of Apple products and understand why they enjoy premium pricing. 2. Jobs ability to focus on only 2-3 things at once with absolute intensity. I, like many, have too many interests and hobbies and could benefit from a tighter focus on just a few. 3. Jobs was able to get the most from his employees, but sometimes with tactics that I wouldn’t be comfortable using, including intimidation and tearing down of others. 4. His goal was to surround himself with  Grade A minds. Surrounding yourself with the best is not a bad motto. 5. Life is short-treat time with your family as if you are aware of your short time on earth.So, How does the author portray the genius Was he unbiased? Well, to the authorà ¢â‚¬â„¢s credit, Walter Issacson  is a biographer and a writer. He is also the director of Aspen Institute and has been the Managing Editor of TIME. Issacson has previously written the biographies of Henry Kissinger and Albert Einstein. As a  biographer of Albert Einstein  and Benjamin Franklin, Mr. Isaacson knows how to explicate and celebrate genius: revered, long-dead genius. But he wrote â€Å"Steve Jobs† as its subject was mortally ill, and that is a more painful and delicate challenge. He had access to members of the Jobs family at a difficult time.Mr. Isaacson treats â€Å"Steve Jobs† as the biography of record, which means that it is a strange book to read so soon after its subject’s death. Some of it is an essential Silicon Valley chronicle, compiling stories well known to tech aficionados but interesting to a broad audience. Some of it is already quaint. Mr. Jobs’s first job was at Atari, and it involved the game Pong. (â€Å"If youâ€⠄¢re under 30, ask your parents,† Mr. Isaacson writes. ) Some, like an account of the release of the  iPad  2, is so recent that it is hard to appreciate yet, even if Mr. Isaacson says the device comes to life â€Å"like the face of a tickled baby.    And some is definitely intended for future generations. â€Å"Indeed,† Mr. Isaacson writes, â€Å"its success came not just from the beauty of the hardware but from the applications, known as apps, that allowed you to indulge in all sorts of delightful activities. † One that he mentions, which will be as quaint as Pong some day, features the use of a slingshot to launch angry birds to destroy pigs and their fortresses. So â€Å"Steve Jobs,† an account of its subject’s 56 years (he died on Oct. 5), must reach across time in more ways than one. And it does, in a well-ordered, if not streamlined, fashion.It begins with a portrait of the young Mr. Jobs, rebellious toward the parents who raised him a nd scornful of the ones who gave him up for adoption. (â€Å"They were my sperm and egg bank,† he says. ) Although Mr. Isaacson is not analytical about his subject’s volatile personality (the word â€Å"obnoxious† figures in the book frequently), he raises the question of whether feelings of abandonment in childhood made him fanatically controlling and manipulative as an adult. Fortunately, that glib question stays unanswered. As far as the making of the book, that in itself is a wondrous story.During the summer of 2009, Walter Isaacson got a phone call from Steve Jobs. It so turned out that Jobs wanted Isaacson to write a biography of him. After  Steve Jobs  anointed  Walter Isaacson  as his authorized biographer in 2009, he took Mr. Isaacson to see the Mountain View, California, house in which he had lived as a boy. He pointed out its â€Å"clean design† and â€Å"awesome little features. † He praised the developer, Joseph Eichler, who bu ilt more than 11,000 homes in California subdivisions, for making an affordable product on a mass-market scale. And he showed Mr.Isaacson the stockade fence built 50 years earlier by his father, Paul Jobs. â€Å"He loved doing things right,† Mr. Jobs said. â€Å"He even cared about the look of the parts you couldn’t see. † Mr. Jobs, the brilliant and protean creator whose inventions so utterly transformed the allure of technology, turned those childhood lessons into an all-purpose theory of intelligent design. He gave Mr. Isaacson a chance to play by the same rules. His story calls for a book that is clear, elegant and concise enough to qualify as an iBio. Mr. Isaacson’s â€Å"Steve Jobs† does its solid best to hit that target.Mr. Jobs promised not to look over Mr. Isaacson’s shoulder, and not to meddle with anything but the book’s cover. (Boy, does it look great. ) Steve Jobs asked for no right to read it before it was published and had no control over what was being written before it was published. He also encouraged people to speak honestly. In the book Jobs sometimes speaks brutally and candidly about the people he worked along with and also his competitors. And he expressed approval that the book would not be entirely flattering. But his legacy was at stake. And there were awkward questions to be asked.At the end of the volume, Mr. Jobs answers the question â€Å"What drove me? † by discussing himself in the past tense. His friends, colleagues and foes offer an unparalleled view of the perfectionism, passion, artistry, obsessions, compulsions and devilry that shaped his approach to the innovative products and business that resulted. Within hours of Steve Jobs's death in October, impromptu shrines began to appear outside Apple Stores – flowers, half-eaten apples and iPhones and iPads with images of flickering candles. The man whose company had always attracted a cult following was fast becoming a saint.But, no more than a day later, the backlash began. Jobs was not a saint or even a genius, just, in the words of AN Wilson, ‘a clever backroom boy who got lucky'. What Walter Isaacson's masterful biography reveals is that both the true believers and the cynics got Jobs wrong. In a warts-and-all portrait that continually had this reader recoiling in disgust at the petulant pioneer's behaviour, he shows that Apple's co-founder was very far from being a saint. As a teenager, he browbeats his kindly parents into sending him to a college they cannot afford – then drops out after a year. After teaming up with the rilliant but naive engineer Steve Wozniak he cheats him out of his share of a bonus they get for designing a game. ‘Ethics matter to me,' the always tolerant Wozniak tells the author, ‘but, you know, people are different. ‘ And as a tyrannical leader, he is either screaming at Apple staff about their appalling inadequacies or stealing their ideas and taking the credit for them before an adoring public. Throughout, we see the cranky food habits, the misguided belief that a fruit diet means you only need to shower once a week and an almost wilful disregard for the feelings of others, including those of his family.But, hey, Henry Ford was not the world's nicest man and Thomas Edison was apparently a ruthless egomaniac. Those who aspire to change the world are almost always difficult people, and Isaacson, while obeying the instructions of Jobs's wife not to whitewash his life, presents a compelling case for his genius. Yes, he was a magpie, snatching the idea for the graphical user interface from Xerox Parc, the iPod concept from other MP3 players, the iPad from Microsoft's tablet computer. But, as he said: ‘Picasso had a saying – â€Å"good artists copy, great artists steal† – and we've always been shameless about stealing great ideas. It was what he did with those ideas that proved his genius f or spotting where technology might head next and shaping it to his will. The perfectionism meant driving his executives to distraction with constant demands for tiny adjustments – a different font, a paler shade of green – before anything could be shipped. Jobs was not a quarter the engineer that Wozniak was or as gifted artistically as Jony Ive, the designer whose close but somewhat tortured relationship with his boss is an interesting subplot in the latter half of the book.But his creative imagination changed a series of industries – computers, mobile phones, music and, with Pixar, the movie business. His greatest creation, though, was Apple itself, a company that always wanted to be about more than technology. ‘It is in Apple's DNA that technology alone is not enough,' he said at the unveiling of the iPad 2. ‘We believe that it's technology married with the humanities that makes our hearts sing. ‘ Cynics would say that it has been not the hu manities or the arts but a ruthless attention to marketing and margins that has enabled Apple to put more than $70bn in the bank.But the Jobs strategy of management remained pretty constant throughout his career, and it was always centred on product not profit. At its core was complete control over hardware and software and of every stage of the product's life cycle, from conception through to the retailer. We see that strategy triumph as early Apple products define home computing, then fail as Microsoft's rival philosophy of licensing its software prevails. Then in 1996, with Apple on the ropes, its co-founder returns.This amazing book takes you on a rollercoaster ride into the ferociously intense personality of a passionate and creative entrepreneur whose powerful drive and vision revolutionized six industries: music, personal computers, phones, animated movies, digital publishing and tablet computing. Steve Jobs also re-imagined and tried to revamp retail stores, but it did not t urn out to be as revolutionary. Instead, he paved the way for an entirely new market for app based digital content. This is a book that's mainly about innovation.Steve Jobs stands tall as the sole icon of imagination, sustained innovation and inventiveness. His vision was very clear; if you want to create value in the industry, connect technology with creativity. A company called Apple was built on this vision, which changed the entire face of technology with its imagination blended with remarkable feats of engineering. Often driven by his demons, Jobs could make those around him lurch in despair and fury. His products and personality were interrelated and his life was cautionary and instructive at the same time.Apple's rise to that position has been characterised by a management style that is now right out of fashion – the egomaniac CEO, the obsessive secrecy, the total disregard for market research, the suspicion of collaborative ventures. Walter Isaacson has written an ent hralling history of the birth of our modern digital world and the company that may have done more than any other to shape it. And, in his obnoxious, smelly, ranting, impatient, intuitive, creative and inspirational Steve Jobs, he has presented us with the greatest business genius of the past 30 years. Mr.Jobs, who founded  Apple  with Stephen Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976, began his career as a seemingly contradictory blend of hippie truth seeker and tech-savvy hothead. â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† Mr. Isaacson says. â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed,† he also writes. But Mr. Jobs valued simplicity, utility and beauty in ways that would shape his creative imagination. And the book maintains that those goals would not have been achievable in the great parade of Apple creations without that mean streak.Mr. Isaacson takes his reade rs back to the time when laptops, desktops and windows were metaphors, not everyday realities. His book ticks off how each of the Apple innovations that we now take for granted first occurred to Mr. Jobs or his creative team. â€Å"Steve Jobs† means to be the authoritative book about those achievements, and it also follows Mr. Jobs into the wilderness (and to NeXT and Pixar) after his first stint at Apple, which ended in 1985. With an avid interest in corporate intrigue, it skewers Mr. Jobs’s rivals, like John Sculley, who was recruited in 1983 to be Apple’s chief executive and fell for Mr.Jobs’s deceptive show of friendship. â€Å"They professed their fondness so effusively and often that they sounded like high school sweethearts at a Hallmark card display,† Mr. Isaacson writes. Of course the book also tracks Mr. Jobs’s long and combative rivalry with Bill Gates. The section devoted to Mr. Jobs’s illness, which suggests that his canc er might have been more treatable  had he not resisted early surgery,  describes the relative tenderness of their last meeting. â€Å"Steve Jobs† greatly admires its subject. But its most adulatory passages are not about people. Offering a combination of tech criticism and promotional hype, Mr.Isaacson describes the arrival of each new product right down to Mr. Jobs’s theatrical introductions and the advertising campaigns. But if the individual bits of hoopla seem excessive, their cumulative effect is staggering. Here is an encyclopedic survey of all that Mr. Jobs accomplished, replete with the passion and excitement that it deserves. Mr. Jobs’s virtual reinvention of the music business with iTunes and the  iPod, for instance, is made to seem all the more miraculous (â€Å"He’s got a turn-key solution,† the music executive Jimmy Iovine said. ) Mr. Isaacson’s long view basically puts Mr.Jobs up there with Franklin and Einstein, even if a tiny MP3 player is not quite the theory of relativity. The book emphasizes how deceptively effortless Mr. Jobs’s ideas now seem because of their extreme intuitiveness and foresight. When Mr. Jobs, who personally persuaded musician after musician to accept the iTunes model, approached Wynton Marsalis, Mr. Marsalis was rightly more impressed with Mr. Jobs than with the device he was being shown. Mr. Jobs’s love of music plays a big role in â€Å"Steve Jobs,† like his extreme obsession with Bob Dylan. (Like Mr. Dylan, he had a romance with Joan Baez.Her version of Mr. Dylan’s â€Å"Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word† was on Mr. Jobs’s own iPod. ) So does his extraordinary way of perceiving ordinary things, like well-made knives and kitchen appliances. That he admired the Cuisinart food processor he saw at Macy’s may sound trivial, but his subsequent idea that a molded plastic covering might work well on a computer does not. Years from now , the research trip to a jelly bean factory to study potential colors for the  iMac  case will not seem as silly as it might now. Skeptic after skeptic made the mistake of underrating Steve Jobs, and Mr.Isaacson records the howlers who misjudged an unrivaled career. â€Å"Sorry Steve, Here’s Why Apple Stores Won’t Work,† Business Week wrote in a 2001 headline. â€Å"The iPod will likely become a niche product,† a Harvard Business School professor said. â€Å"High tech could not be designed and sold as a consumer product,† Mr. Sculley said in 1987. Mr. Jobs got the last laugh every time. â€Å"Steve Jobs† makes it all the sadder that his last laugh is over. Perhaps the funniest passage in Walter Isaacson's monumental book about  Steve Jobs  comes three quarters of the way through.It is 2009 and Jobs is recovering from a liver transplant and pneumonia. At one point the pulmonologist tries to put a mask over his face when he is deeply s edated. Jobs rips it off and mumbles that he hates the design and refuses to wear it. Though barely able to speak, he orders them to bring five different options for the mask so that he can pick a design he likes. Even in the depths of his hallucinations, Jobs was a control-freak and a rude sod to boot. Imagine what he was like in the pink of health. As it happens, you don't need to: every discoverable fact about how Jobs, ahem, coaxed excellence from his co-workers is here.As Isaacson makes clear, Jobs wasn't a visionary or even a particularly talented electronic engineer. But he was a businessman of astonishing flair and focus, a marketing genius, and – when he was getting it right, which wasn't always – had an intuitive sense of what the customer would want before the customer had any idea. He was obsessed with the products, rather than with the money: happily, as he discovered, if you get the products right, the money will come. Isaacson's book is studded with mome nts that make you go â€Å"wow†. There's the  Apple  flotation, which made the 25-year-old Jobs $256m in the days when that was a lot of money.There's his turnaround of the company after he returned as CEO in 1997: in the previous fiscal year the company lost $1. 04bn, but he returned it to profit in his first quarter. There's the  launch of the iTunes store: expected to sell a million songs in six months, it sold a million songs in six days. When  Jobs died, iShrines popped up all over the place, personal tributes filled Facebook and his quotable wisdom – management-consultant banalities, for the most part – was passed from inbox to inbox. Thisbiography  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ commissioned by Jobs and informed by hours and hours of interviews with him – is designed to serve the cult.That's by no means to say that it's a snow-job: Isaacson is all over Jobs's personal shortcomings and occasional business bungles, and Jobs sought no copy approval (though, typic ally, he got worked up over the cover design). But its sheer bulk bespeaks a sort of reverence, and it's clear from the way it's put together that there's not much Jobs did that Isaacson doesn't regard as vital to the historical record. We get a whole chapter on one cheesy ad (â€Å"Think Different†). We get half a page on how Jobs went about choosing a washing machine – itself lifted from an interview Jobs, bizarrely, gave on the subject to  Wired.Want to know the patent number for the box an iPod Nano comes in? It's right there on page 347. Similarly, the empty vocabulary of corporate PR sometimes seeps into Isaacson's prose, as exemplified by the recurrence of the word â€Å"passion†. There's a lot of passion in this book. Steve's â€Å"passion for perfection†, â€Å"passion for industrial design†, â€Å"passion for awesome products† and so on. If I'd been reading this on an  iPad, the temptation to search-and-replace â€Å"passionâ €  to â€Å"turnip† or â€Å"erection† would have been overwhelming.Isaacson writes dutiful, lumbering American news-mag journalese and suffers – as did Jobs himself – from a lack of sense of proportion. Chapter headings evoke Icarus and Prometheus. The one on the Apple II is subtitled â€Å"Dawn of a New Age†, the one on Jobs's return to Apple is called â€Å"The Second Coming†, and when writing about the origins of Apple's graphical user interface (Jobs pinched the idea from Xerox), Isaacson writes with splendid bathos: â€Å"There falls a [sic] shadow, as TS Eliot noted, between the conception and the creation. † But get past all that pomp and there's much to enjoy.Did you know that the Apple Macintosh was nearly called the Apple Bicycle? Or that so obsessed was Jobs with designing swanky-looking factories (white walls, brightly coloured machines) that he kept breaking the machines by painting them – for example bright bl ue? As well as being a sort-of-genius, Jobs was a truly weird man. As a young man, he was once put on the night-shift so co-workers wouldn't have to endure his BO. Jobs was convinced his vegan diet meant he didn't need to wear deodorant or shower more than once a week. His on-off veganism was allied to cranky theories about health.When he rebuked the chairman of Lotus Software for spreading butter on his toast â€Å"Have you ever heard of serum cholesterol? â€Å", the man responded: â€Å"I'll make you a deal. You stay away from commenting on my dietary habits, and I will stay away from the subject of your personality. † That personality. An ex-girlfriend – and one, it should be said, who was very fond of him – told Isaacson that she thought Jobs suffered from narcissistic personality disorder. Jobs's personal life is sketchily covered, but what details there are don't charm.When he got an on/off girlfriend pregnant in his early 20s, he cut her off and aggres sively denied paternity – though he later, uncharacteristically, admitted regretting his behaviour and sought to build a relationship with his daughter. Jobs himself was adopted, and seems to have had what Americans call â€Å"issues around abandonment†. He cheated his friends out of money. He cut old colleagues out of stock options. He fired people with peremptoriness. He bullied waiters, insulted business contacts and humiliated interviewees for jobs.He lied his pants off whenever it suited him – â€Å"reality distortion field† is Isaacson's preferred phrase. Like many bullies, he was also a cry-baby. Whenever he was thwarted – not being made â€Å"Man of the Year† by Time magazine when he was 27, for instance – he burst into tears. Nowadays we are taught that being nice is the way to get on. Steve Jobs is  a  fine counter-example. In 2008, when  Fortune magazine  was on the point of running a damaging article about him, Job s summoned their managing editor to Cupertino to demand he spike the piece: â€Å"He leaned into Serwer's face and asked, ‘So, you've uncovered the fact that I'm bad.Why is that news? ‘† Well.. that’s the story. Sorry if I had given out a few spoilers on the book.. but they were essential to bring out the nature of an awesome personality! The book is well written and an easy read. To tell the story of Jobs’ complete life, the cast of characters is large. Mr Isaacson identifies the importance of those he included and what influence they had on Jobs. So, in a nut shell, this book, to use a few words from Job’s dictionary, is a ‘Must read! ’