The Wonders of the Universe

Introduction The universe is a phenomenon that human beings want to understand. There are various explanation, some are religious others are scientific. The religious books explain the universe as accretion of a Supreme Being while science studies the universe by engaging in research and documenting the results.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Wonders of the Universe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The pioneering scientist like Newton and Einstein coined theories that have formed the basis for many theorists in today’s world. The theorist explained the origin of the universe and made important discoveries that influenced the world view. Other scientist have emerged and published as they continue to explore the existence of the universe (Diez 1). This research paper will compare The Exploding Suns: The Secrets of the Supernovas by Asimov and The Brief History of Time by Hawking. It will explor e the similarities and the differences. Moreover, it will discuss the advantages of each book over the other. This paper will also recommend different readers to each book while giving the reasons for the recommendation. At the end the paper will give an opinion of the favorite book and give the reasons. The Exploding Suns by Isaac Asimov The explanation of the existence of the universe is explained by the award winning scientist as having taken place billions of years ago. This happened when the â€Å"big bang† took place and molecules of helium together with molecules of hydrogen formed gigantic clouds. The author introduces the supernovas which takes the center stage in explaining the universe. The supernovas are enormous unsteady suns that are massive tremors and giant outbursts are phenomenal in the entire system. The results of the phenomenal are believed to perpetuate life and among other things the metals and rocks. In his book, Asimov puts in plain words the diverse types of stars that formed. While giving the explanations, he describes how a star becomes supernova from nova. Besides the stars he explicates the origin of life. He uses scientific knowledge to explain the existence of God without referring to any religious beliefs (Blake: 3). Asimov (13) explains the origin humans using science. In his explanations of human existence, he does not subscribe to any supernatural being or powers. To him billions of years have passed since the simple molecules that existed in the atmosphere combined to form the complex universe. The formation of the complex molecules left no trace that would imply life existed. To be able to establish the accuracy of this theory, technology which would enable more investigation in the space should be embraced.Advertising Looking for research paper on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, there is need to use biotechnology in the investigati ons to establish if there is any form of life that would be likened to what is on planet Earth. Further to clarify if the human beings living on the planet Earth have any beginnings in the space. After establishing the existence of human life in the space, then the evidence should be consistent with the makeup of human beings in the contemporary world. The Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking Hawking in his books covers several subjects in cosmology. He covers the big bang theory, the black holes as well as the light cones (Diez 1). what is more the author goes ahead to discuss mathematical concepts in the book. He however refrains from using including mathematical equation in the book. His presentation of the contents in the book is organized systematically. He starts by stating the beginning of the universes and using theory he explains how the existence of objects came to be and reveals the existence of the black holes. The book answers important questions that human beings h ave about the existence of entire universe. Hawking uses scientific approach to answer these questions. In his book he discusses the commencement of time and the end of the universe. He also displays the similarities and contrasts of the different types of the black hole. He discusses the density of the universe in relation to the impact of critical value to understand the expansion rate. In his book Hawking while reviewing the writings of the Newton as well as Einstein, he discusses the role of God in the creation of the universe. His main interest is to understand how God designed the quantum mechanics law and relativity theory only to abandon the progress of the concepts without leaving room for intercession. Similarities Both books can reader friendly for non scientist. Hawking’s The Brief History of Time has only one equation. This is contrary to the fact that scientist are prone to using equations.non scientist often find the equations unfriendly and discourage them fro m reading the book. Besides having only one equation, Hawking frequently gives illustrates in the book to enable the reader understand the arguments. Asimov in the book The Exploding Suns explains the scientific concepts in his text making it possible for the reader to understand. The reader therefore does not need to have prior knowledge of scientific concepts to be able to understand the text.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Wonders of the Universe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The two authors have made great contributions in science and particularly cosmology. Asimov has written and edited over 500 books and written enormous letters as well as articles concerning science. Hawking has also made great contributions and challenged what the pioneers in science documented. For instance, Hawking contributes to the theory of black holes by noting that the black hole adheres to the thermodynamic law. By doing so he also integrates the general relativity approach together with quantum mechanics to understand his discovery that challenges existing theory of black hole. In this case he ascertains that it possible that the black hole is not entirely black, this is because radiation can leak (Hawking 30). Both authors are keen to the nature of the constantly changing world and the enormous growth in knowledge. There is more scientist than before and therefore the audiences of sciences have increased. They try to explain the nature universe using science to meet the need for knowledge. This is an attempt to incorporate new research as the explanation of some phenomenon still remains unexplained. Although the books can be read by non scientist, it is necessary for the reader to have some form of basic education in science to be able to understand some concepts explained in the books. Having studied the introductory science classes in the initial stages in school, the reader’s cu riosity arises for more knowledge. This is the information found in both books, which is how the universe came into existence in details cause the readers to develop curiosity and want to read and read contents. Asimov and Hawking have subscribed to the theories that were propounded by scientist such as Einstein, Newton among others. They refer to theory of the big bang and the concept of black holes to explain the complex reality scientifically. Although the theories were crafted many years ago they are still used in both books as a basis of explaining the beginnings of the world. In their later editions of the versions of their books, they have included the developments in science that indicate changes in science. The new additional information captures the developments in theory and modifies the existing theories that have been explained in the book. This does not mean that the theories that are mentioned before are irrelevant; they are relevant as they form a basis for understan ding the new modified theory. Differences Hawking subscribes to the theories that were propounded by the pioneers of science Newton and Einstein. The concepts derived from gravitational force are compared with quantum mechanics together with relativity theory. The concepts form a basis for studying the nuclear forces (strong forces and weak forces), electromagnetic field, and the theory of superstring as well as quantum theory.Advertising Looking for research paper on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Combining the concepts is a challenge because of the diversity of the forces. However, God is believed to have used a plan that combined all the concepts. On the other hand, Asimov does rely on the existing theory but he avoids dwelling on the already published theories to explain his understanding of the universe. Hawking describes the entire universe using a vast range of theories to capture every detail of the world more than Asimov. The wide ranges of theories make his book more comprehensive than the fewer theories used by Asimov. Hawking therefore makes the theories more complex when he goes ahead to combine the principles in order to come up with one theory that captures the wide range. This is evident when he incorporates the theory of relativity with quantum mechanics and relates them to the four dimensions. On the other hand besides introducing the big bang theory, Asimov chooses to follow the explanation of the supernovas to concentrate on one course. Hawking gives detail s on the objects in the universe while Asimov includes the origin of life to his theory of the universe. Besides discussing the novas and supernovas, the black hole and the big bang, Asimov briefly explains how human life began. In his explanation of the origin of life, the reader is left to engage in thoughts that doubt the credibility of his story. This is because it may be difficult to comprehend if life and the rocks together with the heavy metals could have any connection. Hawking does welcome the idea of God being included in the creation of the universe. In contrast, Asimov ignores the fact that there is a possibility that God would have played a role in the universe. Hawking in trying to explain how the four forces are intertwined visits the subject of God being the creator of the universe. He refers to Gods role intervening in the nature he created whenever there raises challenges that may have implications referring to the forces of nature. Moreover, he seldom criticizes G od’s role in the universe. Asimov on the contrast is hesitant to include God in the picture. He explains the universe purely on the basis of science. Advantages of one book over the other Advantage of the exploding suns The most fascinating aspect of The Exploding Suns is the explanation of the existence of the entire world using the theory of the supernovas. What gives the book more advantage to The Brief History of Time is the inclusion of the explanation on the beginnings of human being. The fact that Asimov uses the novas and supernovas in his book makes it possible for a new student of the science to understand. Although he does introduce complex scientific theories in the text he keeps the explanation within the scope of the novas and supernovas. This makes it possible for a reader to comprehend and flow with the ideas. The advantage Asimov’s book is that it is much simpler to follow unlike The Brief History of Time which introduces a vast range of theories and t he comprehensive information is compacted to give a brief history. The study of the stars is a complex topic that requires efforts and devotion of time to be able to understand. Asimov uses uncomplicated language in his book to disseminate the complex information about the suns. Moreover, he takes us back to the well known theories of the big bang, black holes and other theories that have been formulated to explain the reality of the universe. The concepts that are used in The Exploding Suns are explained explicitly. This enables people without prior knowledge of physics or astrology to read and understand the text. For this reason, the readers can read without consulting with the dictionary or encyclopedia for the complex theories. Asimov makes it possible for non scientist to use the book comfortably irrespective of their level of education. Advantage of the brief history of time The Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking is a book that encourages one to be more imaginative. He deeply explains the existence of the universe and the great phenomenon with enthusiasm. This he does by using understandable language. The last edition of Hawking has an additional chapter that gives the book an advantage over The exploding suns. The book has been revised making modifications according to developments in physics. The chapter talks about time travel on top of wormholes. Consequently, Hawking book thorough investigations on the theories gives credit as he makes comparison to find weakness and strengths of each. In his findings he finds similarity in the different approaches in physics. The Brief History of Time is the book for one seeking to understand the origin of the universe, how the universe formed and gets to know more about astronomy. The determination of a reader to understand is a must. This is because Hawking refers to some complex processes that require a lot of attention especially for non scientist. Although he discusses the theory of black holes in detai ls, the relativity theory is not given equal attention and thus the reader must pay attention to capture the idea. Getting started with reading the theories that summarize the existence of the universe and time is possible. Non scientist can get several theories in one book that is The Brief History of Time. The books writer did not have in mind that he writing the text for the experts. Understandable language is used with limited equations hence friendly. However, the book does use scientific concepts that either explained in detail or at least briefly. This enables the non- experts to be able to understand. The concepts that are used do not make the entire literature incomprehensible but rather introduces the reader the theories that have been in existence in the past years as stipulated by scientist. The book is informative to both non-scientist and scientist. However the reader must have at least some education to form a basis for understanding science. What kind of readers woul d be recommended to one book and why Recommending a book to a reader can be daunting task. Readers have different motives of reading a book. Both books are knowledgeable and can help the reader to understand the makeup of the universe and influence their perception about the universe. Recommend the Exploding Suns For a reader whose aim is to understand the concept of supernovas, then The Exploding Suns would be the book to read. Asimov explains the way the supernovas are formed. The details of the suns are given in detail and the reader is left with no choice but to get the concept of the supernovas which is used throughout the book. Readers who have little knowledge in science may use Asimov’s book. The concepts are explained clearly. The reader need not have any knowledge in science since Asimov writes in a layman’s language. The reader will be able to understand the different principles of the suns and get insight to know more. Readers who do not believe in the exis tence of any Supreme Being and power (God) can subscribe to Asimov writings. He does not acknowledge whether God had any stake in the formation of the universe. To him science is responsible for the creation of life and the objects in space. Students without any basic knowledge on the physical sciences or astronomy can read the exploding suns. It introduces the subject of the astrology in a comprehensive yet understandable manner. Recommend the brief history of time The readers who want to explore knowledge about the big bang theory, the black holes as well as the light cones The Brief History of Time is the book to read. The reader focuses on the types of black holes and explains how they are formed and describes the scenario in detail. A reader interested in theories is physics need to read The Brief History of Time. It can be considered to be an introduction to theories in physic. This is because it calls for absolute attention while reading the text where the reader is provoked to think. Moreover, it recaptures what the existing literature about the theories talk about and adds to the discussions. A reader who wants to understand how God fits in the scientific explanation of how the universe came to be should read The Brief History of Tim. In his book, Hawking devoted a whole chapter to discuss the role of God in science. Hawking invokes God and does so tactfully. It is important to note that he avoids contradicting with God and approaches then subject with ease. The Brief History of Time arranged systematically such that a reader with little knowledge about astronomy can follow. The chapters are guiding since one chapter ushers in the next chapter. In the chapters that proceed, Hawking takes time to explain the concepts in depth. Later he keeps referring to what he explained to build in the knowledge. The most recent developments in theory are discussed in the end. For instance the last chapter on the string theory is presented last. The four dimensions o f the world are explained vividly in The Brief History of Time. The intent of relating and describing the dimensions is with an aim of approaching the subject of obtaining a theory that includes all the mentioned theories in the book. According to Hawking, science would reach its end if a unified theory that speaks about the universe would be coined. This aspect of discussing the dimensions makes the book even more interesting to read. The Brief History of Time is a book that total concentration to read. Although Hawking makes it easier to understand by arranging the chapters in a friendly way, the reader must pay attention not to skip any details. Hawking keeps referring to concepts already introduced in previous chapters to introduce other concepts in the following chapter. The four dimensions and the theories mentioned might not be easy for a non scientist to gasp. They must pay attention and meditate as they progress so as to deduce meanings that are implied within the theories. Besides the fact that some concepts in physics can be difficult to explain, I would recommend the book to a non scientist as well as emerging scientist to read the book. This is because Hawking simplified the explanation such that one can understand. If a reader wants a book that is wealthy in a lot of information, The Brief History of Time is the book to read. It is rich in information and every time the reader reads they encounter more and more information. This is to mean that the book is comprehensive in the subject of time and space, among other interesting scientific theories. The end result is that the reader broadens his knowledge in the subject. There is so much that remains unexplored in the existence of the universe. Hawking provokes other scientist who may be interested in the subject to explore so as to arrive at a unified theory. This is a call for more inventions in the subject. A scientist who would be interested in astrology may read the book to get insights from H awking. Moreover, the theory that was introduced in the last chapter, the string theory is an area that needs to be explored as it is an emerging theory. This book could be recommended to a scientist who wants to engage in research about the astronomy. As the name of the book suggests, Hawking wrapped up the entire story of time and space briefly. A reader with at least the knowledge of the physics can engage in the reading the publication. The details provided are best for someone with at least the some college education in science. This is because he does present a lot of details in physics are limits his exploration in giving an extensive definition of some concepts. However the reader despite losing the writer in some parts of the book can still catch up and get to understand as he often uses simple language, considering that physics can be complex and difficult to explain. College graduates who have completed their physics tutorials can use the book to broaden their understandi ng about the universe. The book covers several concepts that have been introduced during their training. Moreover, the book can be of great advantage to those who seek to advance in physics and astrological studies. This is because it provokes further thinking and broadens ones understanding of time and space. Although the latest edition of The Brief History of Time introduced the new developments of theory in physics, most of the content emanate from theories that were developed many years back. This book would not be the most appropriate for a reader searching for new theories in physics. Which book did I like more and why Both The Brief History of Time and The Exploding Suns give the details that a non scientist would read and understand. They have areas of similarities like the big bang theory and are presented differently. The major driving force that leads one to choose a book is to get information which is comprehensive like in The Brief History of Time. The Brief History of Time emerges s as the most comprehensive book because of the wide inclusion of many theories that explain the world phenomenon. Moreover, the theories are explained consistently and progressively. Hawking uses simple language understandable even to the non scientist. A lot of knowledge is compacted just like the title of the books calls it a brief history. For this reason one begins to gain interest and becomes more imaginative. The author further attempts to relate the complex forces of nature with the existing theories so as to come up with a unified approach on the nature of the world system. More importantly, the book is theoretical and avoids using equations. Conclusion The universe is a complex reality that can be hard to explain. The Brief History of Time and The Exploding Suns have tried to give an account of the existence of the entire universe. Among the questions answered is the beginning of the universe and how forces of nature resulted into the present world. They give an account of the objects that are found in the space and explain various concepts (Girl: 1). Both books in their latest editions have introduced a chapter on the development of theories and use the earlier theories to explain the emerging theories. Among the theories commonly used in both books is the theory of the big bang and black hole among others. It is a remarkable effort from both authors that they managed to simplify the complex science into understandable layman’s language. Moreover, both authors have referred to theories that were coined by the pioneering scientist. The content found in the books is different in approach. Hawking in The Brief History of Time discusses the relativity theory; quantum mechanics among others while Asimov in The Exploding Suns dwells on the theory of the novas and the supernovas. The other difference is that Hawking book may require the reader to have some foundation in physics to be able to capture all the ideas that are presented. On the other hand Asimov’s book is written in the simplest language for readers without prior knowledge on astrology. Asimov has included in his book explanation of how human life came to be. Besides using science to explain the nature of the universe, Hawking visits the role of God in the universe. Works Cited Asimov, Isaac. The Exploding Suns: The Secrets of the Supernovas. Oak Lawn Public Library, 1991. Blake, David.   A Brief History of Time, review, 2004. Web. Diez, David.  Great Overview of Stars + Brief Biology, 2006 Web. Gir, Alam. A brief History of time from the big bang to the black holes, 2011. Web. Hawking, Steven. The Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam, 1998. This research paper on The Wonders of the Universe was written and submitted by user Madeleine Horton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Conflict in Syria Opportunity for Future Democratisation

Conflict in Syria Opportunity for Future Democratisation Literature Review The literature review seeks to analyse democracy in a conceptual framework that explores the politics of the Arab world against that happening in the rest of the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict in Syria: Opportunity for Future Democratisation? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In so doing, it seeks to demonstrate the meaning of democracy, explore democracy in the Middle East, while tackling political science’s view on democracy, and the concept of faith as well as its influences in the Syrian politics to exploit the major issues in the Syrian democratic question. The meaning of democracy The word democracy emanates from two Greek terms ‘demos’ meaning the people while ‘Kratos’ refers to a form of Aristocracy denoting a leadership that is decided upon by the people (Sen 1999, p. 8). In the American context, Lagon (2011) opines that democracy refers to a people chosen government. This definition is shared by other civilised societies that recognise the sovereignty of the people in the concept of governance. However, the lack of universal meaning of democracy has made different societies pursue different approaches to democracy. The lack of universality of democracy could be traced back to the ancient civilisation in the Athens communities where democracy literally allowed only men above the age of 21 to partake active roles in civic activities such as voting and voicing of their opinions in public. The vast economy of the ancient Athena City State pigeonholed on slavery of women who as per the dictates of the systems had no amount of say in the affairs of state whatsoever, nor were they permissible to voice honest opinions in the public. Politics, debate, public utterances, and arguments of any kind were the preserve of men. However, democracy in much of the developing world can never be equated to that prevailing in the developed nations such as those in the west. The overwhelming civil strife in Syria and the raging debate over Assad’s administration intolerance to opposition groupings remains a complex domestic question to solve. Democracy in the Middle East In the years following the Second World War, the world turned its focus from the contest between democracy and totalitarianism to emerging threats such as the global balance of power (Hunter 2007, p. 1). The escalating war in most parts of the world provoked the vast continental Europe to endow their colonial holdings with independence.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In part, the succeeding up-thrust of the newly independent and susceptible nations greatly worried the United States, especially with regard to its positioning in world politics. In the culminating sequence of events, Berlatsky (2012, p. 145) observes that the United States sought to ascertain that the enormous human and massive monetary sacrifices it offered in conquering the Second World War were not in vain, and that the newly established nations would become its allies and further reinforce its eminence as the world power. According to Husseini (2012, p. 234), the power vacuum in the years following the post-war history greatly troubled the United States, especially in the oil opulent and war ravaged Middle East. Much of the Middle East was a deep concern to the West, and this was mainly because of its inclination to communist thinking. In totality, the civic authority was largely presumed in the West as either weak or lacking in form. Another factor that worried the West was the fact that several nations in the Middle East were deeply engrossed in the traditional systems of governance characterised by the Arab dynasties. However, the conquest of the nationalistic movements as well as the collapse of the Pan-Arabism after the overthr ow of Egyptian President Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser shocked several Middle East nations. According to Merrill (2006, p. 29), the 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine took course to extend the primacy of the Truman Doctrine, which essentially increased the US’s commitment and containment to the Middle East. Observers note that this was a move to contain Pan-Arabism nationalistic vendetta, and further sought to check on the proliferation of communism, which, at the time, was America’s greatest headache. America and Europe sought to nurture a democratic system of government in the Arab world to make their regimes accountable and all-inclusive of their people. How democracy differs from one country to another Democracy can never be complete without liberalism. Essentially, liberalism makes democracy to be different from one country to another (Lagon 2011). In an illiberal society, the people are limited in their ability to voice honest opinions. In other words, freedom of speech is curta iled.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict in Syria: Opportunity for Future Democratisation? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In such countries, certain individuals like the poor and women are disenfranchised from all forms of political activities. Most countries in Africa and much of the Muslim world are typical illiberal democracies. According to King (2009, p. 167), most counties in the Middle East, especially those that are currently struggling with shedding off the shreds of the Arab Spring such as Syria have only known the converse of democracy, which is dictatorship. Within the precipice of democracy, right thinking individuals in all corners of the world consider such countries failed states. The word democracy, according to King (2009, p. 168), denotes an all-inclusive political system that drives its power from the people. Therefore, in a democratic society, all eligible citizens have the endowment to participate in decisions that affect them in the concept of governance. Mature democracies such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Canada are governed by representative democracies. Different countries have different attitudes towards the idea of democracy. Many people in different countries have a feeling that promoting democracy should be the preserve of the state. However, in Syria and other Middle East nations, there is reluctance on the part of government to make democracy a central theme in its promotional stratagem (Lagon 2011). Citizens in these countries feel a moral obligation to explore the full meaning of democracy, and, most often, there is substantial rebuttal from the government. A modest minority rule in the Middle East favours promotion of limited democracy in these somewhat friendly authoritarian democracies, which often lead – in some cases – to unfriendly governments. Consequently, majority chose to put both diplomatic and publ ic pressure on the states to reconsider democratic rights of their citizens. The prevailing democracy in the United Arab Emirates, for example, is a substandard type of democracy whose parallelism cannot be argued on the same table with the American type of democracy (King 2009, p. 169).Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To a given degree, all these discrepancies in the concept of democratisation of global politic show openly the lack of universality in democracy. Viewing democracy as a western ideology Promoting democracy in countries that view it as a western ideology is often characterised by stiff objection from the governments whose authorities view it as a promotion of strategic policies of the West (Heydemann 2013, p. 60). Of late, there are concrete stakes for Syria, and, indeed, the Arab world in their quest for democratisation – namely, prosperity, pluralism, and greater peace in all parts of the world (Rahbek 2005, p. 245). Controversial pathways of achieving the full dimensions of democracy and the archetypical mismatches between words and deeds continue to cloud appreciation of democracy in Syria. Sharp and Blanchard (2012, p. 267) underscore that the quest for democracy in Syria exhibit conflicting priorities, and the Assad regime holds that promotion of democracy is not a panac ea for the Syrian problem whatsoever. Yet, among the tried, tested, and trusted findings in international community studies, reports hold that established democracies are never at war, especially with their people. Democracy by any means is the preserve of an equal opportunity society where everyone has a say in the concept and nature of governance. Democracy, as Morlino (2002, p. 23) notes, makes sovereignty meaningful; dictatorial regimes make sovereignty a mockery of the people. Other governments, such as Syria advocates sovereignty even when democracy of the people is trapped underfoot. The oligarchies in Syria have vested interests that have continued to deprive their people of meaningful human rights. However, what makes it hard to achieve the wholesomeness of democracy in Syria is the fact that international foreign policy is not cast on a stone. Many civilised societies continue to work with the Syrian government without considering its legitimacy (Henry and Springborg 2001, p. 45). If this trend were not the case, then mature democracies would only enter into any kind of dealing with countries that have attested to the willingness of exploring the full dimension of democracy. Notably, what most civilised democracies fail to figure out is that durable stability emanates from domestic politics founded on peaceful competition in elective politics, which in turn promotes the much-desired conduct by the governments. The premised pretext on elections as a model of democratic fallacy in Syria While periodic elections are important pointers to democracy in the concept of governance, elections on their own do not necessarily constitute a democracy (Shin 2013, p. 2). Liberalism, freedom, and civility matters most. The all-pervasive lack of free and fair elections in Syria shows how there are great discrepancies in the concept of democracy. In remote democracies such as in the Arab world and several African nations, Ehteshami (2008, p. 67) notes that elections a re predetermined, not contested, but awarded to the ruling dynasties, making a sharp mockery to election as a civic duty. In the United States, by comparison, elections are highly contested and candidates are elected based on their suitability to the hold a state office. Overall, it make sense to argue that democracy as a concept of governance, where the citizens freely and equally participate in the civic duties while elected individuals remain accountable to the people’s preferences is a far cry from being achieved in Syria, at least at the moment. Achieving democracy in Syria warrants the masses to unconditionally sanction and steer the essentials ideals of true democracy. This has not been the case not only in Syria but also in the Arab world, as well as in most parts of Africa. In much of the developing world, democracy is only a paper representation to some appealing political tune that thrives under authoritarian rule. Political science’s views on democracy Poli tics is a study that embroils both humanistic and scientific facets of socio-economic and political establishments. As a social science discipline, political science is concerned primarily with the studies of state, governance, politics, political parties, and policies that inform them (Lust-Okar 2006). Political science as a study deals exclusively in the theory and practicality of politics as well as the analysis of political parties and systems of governance such as democracy or authoritarianism. Most constitutions in democratic societies, according to Burnell (2004, p. 5), recognise the existence of political theories with pragmatic establishment of political institutions and practices. Political Science advocates for a highly scientific and fastidious attempt to explore human behaviour and events that have shaped political history and democratic processes. Moreover, political science as a study prepares individuals not just for employment, but also for survival given its effica cy in making informed citizenry that has the capacity to participate in the political processes within political parties and interest groups that nurture democracy (Freeman 2003). Political science further seeks to expand the scope of political advocacy. The discipline holds that democracy is a form of community organisation that explores service by the elected or appointed officials to the people. Therefore, democracy is the power behind the formation of political parties, and its efficacy is usually instrumental in revealing the underlying relationships between political events and the conditions that generate such parties (Jnos 2003). In essence, democracy seeks to construct the general principles for which societal politics works in line with the constitution and the policies under which a government operate. In practice, democracy intersects with political parties, theories of governance, and comparative politics. Political parties in a democracy The aim of every political part y is to position itself to form a government. Political science is more concerned with the allocation as well as the transfer and separation of power in decision-making. Political parties advocate for greater democratic space. In a way, they are effective channels to develop a politically moral society. Democracy guarantees what measures political parties can use to gauge the success or failure of a system within the rights and freedoms bestowed upon them by the constitution. Political science holds that under good administration, political parties are necessary for long-term political growth in emerging democracies. As Noel (2009, p. 2) notes, political parties have been instrumental in advocating for human rights and inclusivity in the concept of governance as a concrete system that seeks to extend the concept of democracy. Political scientists hold that democracy is the preserve of a meaningful civilised society. Without democracy in a society, governments may become a fetter to freedom, thus denying the parties the meaning for which they exist. Accordingly, political science holds that democracy can never be complete without liberalism. Essentially, this fact makes one political party to be different from another, and nations to be different in their approach to democracy (Lagon 2011). Consequently, different societies subscribe to different political positioning making democracy function differently in different societies. As such, democratic political parties recognise the eligibility of all their members, and the citizens have the endowment to participate in decisions that affect them as an entity. Autonomous political parties such as those found in the developed world are governed by representative democracies that recognise the power of the people. The fact that different political parties have different attitudes towards the idea of democracy makes parties to assume different approaches to governance, especially upon the commencement of state power. Promoting the concept of democracy Political science holds that promoting democracy in politics should be the preserve of all people in a society. Many parties would like to have a strong association with democracy, yet they usually fall short of the democratic standardisation measures. As Rahbek (2005, p. 229) observes, memberships in parties that do advocate for social equality usually feel a moral obligation to explore the full meaning of democracy without which, members usually quit. A modest majority rule in political parties favours the promotion of limited democracy in many liberal democracies. Whereas parties are inclined to dictatorial tendencies, the fear naturally is upon the assumption of power by such parties. Parties in power may turn to be more dictatorial, hence becoming undemocratic and consequently unpopular with the masses. In societies that are more inclined to undemocratic policies such as in Syria, the larger majority are usually left out hence yielding a feeli ng of marginalisation and consequently revolt. In such situations, the masses naturally regroup to put both diplomatic and public pressure on the states to reconsider the democratic rights of their citizens. Governance is a duty of every single individual in a society; as such, political parties in Syria must first seek to accommodate the aspirations of the Syrian people to have a wider appeal in the fight towards democratisation of the region (Saikal 2003, p. 293). Political parties that do not nurture democratic policies are substandard types of entities whose efficacy often demeans the concept of typical democracy that the people of Syria yearn for. To a given degree, all the discrepancies in the fight for democracy in the Syrian politics show open lack of a universal concept of democratisation. Political science holds that democracy is paramount in extending the hegemony of political parties; as such, political parties have an obligation to nurture democracy as a practice in all their endeavours. In dictatorial societies like Syria and Zimbabwe that view the West as a threat to their wellbeing, promoting democracy in political parties has always been an uphill task. In Syria, particularly, democracy is more of a western ideology, and often characterised by stiff objection from party stalwarts whose viewpoint mirror democracy as a promotion of strategic policies of the West (Heydemann 2013, p. 64). However, in mature democracies political parties view democracy as a concrete stake in extending the process of democratisation that gives rise to prosperity, pluralism, and greater peace in their regions. Political scientists often argue that without democracy in political parties, parties may end up being extremely radicalised, thus making them seek power through clandestine activities such as keeping private armies to overthrow the government. Controversial pathways of achieving the full dimensions of democracy and the archetypical mismatches between words and deeds continue to cloud appreciation of democracy in regions that does not nurture it in their political outfits. Political parties in Syria, as Sharp and Blanchard (2012, p. 275) note, exhibit conflicting priorities, and the Assad regime may not relent to give more space that is deemed democratic. If all political parties were democratic in Syria, then it would be easy to make elections free, fair, and transparent. Given that the realisation of democracy in the Syrian political parties is far from the truth, political activism within these parties is always imminent. Such activism often seeks to make the political parties more realistic to the desires of their membership. Moreover, political scientists hold that as parties become more democratic, their appeal progresses, thus making such parties secure greater membership. With minimal boundaries to membership, parties become more relevant to the masses, making them have greater positioning to take up the government in a free and f air election. Foreign policy naturally have the feeling of the masses and usually find it easy working with governments or political parties that cherish their ideals. Liberalism in the concept of governance is usually the interest of international community irrespective of which political parties are in power, and they habitually extend an olive branch to all elected governments. Recognising the mandate of political parties that are in government legally helps to preserve democratic appeal while making other less democratic parties to own up and nurture democratic practices (Lagon 2011). Most governments advocate sovereignty at the expense of democracy. Such practices deprive the political parties their meaningful roles in advocating for human rights and democracy in Syria. The popular opinion amongst civil society groups in Syria is that there is need to cut any link with political parties or governments that do not nurture democratic practices. Sheer interests by different bodies make it possible for parties to seek governance regardless of their approach to nurture democracy. The all-pervasive lack of free and fair elections in several parties in Syria show the great discrepancies in the realisation of this moral societal concept. In remote democracies such as Syria, party primaries are predetermined, not contested, but awarded to the ruling dynasties, or the money bugs, making party politic a big sham (Haldon 2010, p. 242). In civilised societies by comparison, party primaries are highly contested based on the suitability of individuals to the hold a public office. The idea of democracy in the developed world makes such governments robust and consistent in the delivery of their pre-election pledges. Overall, it makes sense to argue that democracy is the preserve of most, if not all, political parties. It explores the freedom where the citizens freely and equally participate in the civic duties while elected individuals remain accountable to the peopleâ₠¬â„¢s preferences. With democracy, political parties stand a formidable chance of appealing to the masses, thus making them accrue greater membership in readiness for state duty (Stepan and Linz 2013, p. 18). With greater democracy, political parties have the capacity to rule with the power of majority, which makes parties in power to govern smoothly with limited interference from the opposition. In many parties of the world today, democracy is the measure for which parties appeal for greater membership. As such, the political parties in Syria needs still have a lot to do in order to nurture democracy within their outfits before they face off with the undemocratic ruling regime. Without democracy, even the parties that stand a fair chance of winning elections may become intolerant, weak, and, finally, obsolete. This is so because many subscribers to an undemocratic party may opt out and seek allegiance in other parties that nurture democratic ideals. Democratic participation in Syri a The concept of participation in democratic process as a political or civic duty emphasises the link between the levels to which individuals within a society are informed. Observers of democratic participation reckon that institutional setup may not offer sufficient grounds to establish why some democracies flourish while others wallow in abject political limbo (Sharp and Blanchard 2012, p. 276). Of great importance in any democratic arena are the political orientations of individual citizens and the extent to which such individuals show congruency to the values of the institutions that make up a democratic system. Judging from the nature of political parties and their administration, this congruency is still a mirage. Political parties in Syria have shown a tendency towards militarisation and lack of consistency in the concept of democracy. While arguing the case for consistency with the political domains that characterise a people, active participation in the politics of extremis m is not necessarily the case. What has been the face of politics in Syria is not of active participation, but rather political extremism and ideological intolerance. There is a big disconnect with the knowledge for a greater common good that democracy pursues. Elements of a democratic stability, as Sharp and Blanchard (2012, p. 277) argue, consists of exclusively cognitive mobilisation. This in turn is propelled by an individual’s interest in public affairs as well as the possession of sufficient knowledge and the willingness to participate in a democratic process. Essentially these assumptions hold that individual citizens are doing the society the good whenever they take up their democratic roles in a political process. The logic of civic competence The logic of civic competence and the drive to have an impact in the concept of political life and shape the democratic process of a people delves essentially on the ability to grasp the political concepts that defines a people (Congress of Local and Regional Authorities 2011). Elements such as the logic of civic competence are essential ideals of democracy that the Syrian political landscape lacks in abundance. While this may be construed as true in the Syrian context, other schools of thought hold that active political participation and high levels of self-expression are essential for healthy democracy. In other words, these cliques of people insinuate that individual citizens are ill informed about political issues that characterise a people. The approach to democracy in Syria might be progressing on a lopsided scale considering their militarisation of politics. Whereas the Syrian leaders make little effort to shape the democratic process, the Syrian democratisation process, as Saikal (2003, p. 89) notes, could be under serious attack and great violation by the very people who should shape it, and give it a lifeline. Under these schemes of things, Shen and Liang (2014, p. 235) note that high levels of political consultation and participation are in great demand for a healthy democratisation process. Political scientists view mature democracy under the lenses of active participation in public life with an extremely well informed political background of the institutions of democracy that defines a people. The concept of faith in Syrian politics Faith is the basis of any religion; it is not just the conviction of the actuality of a given principle, rather it is the essentiality of the recognition of a principle as the basis for action. Faith is a complete trust in the Supreme Being, and it is a belief not necessarily based on proof whatsoever. The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) known precisely as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has its names and acronyms used interchangeably for the perfection of faith (A precarious balancing act Lebanon and the Syrian conflict 2012, p. 175). Accordingly, with faith, the believer finds the right path, seeks the truth, and s talks out the course of life in the concept of reality. On the other hand, the unbeliever surges towards one misconception after the other while groping into the dark. Faith reveals to the believers the promise of unconstrained progress with the resounding success in the land of the living, whereas ignominy and failure are essentially the category of those who refuse to profess their faith. In fact, the ISIS concept of faith is a revolutionary model. Amongst the ISIS, faith is a tremendously potent doctrine, which is the very foundation of Islam. However, the dissimilarity existing between unbelievers and believers is not the result of clinging to a particular faith. The prehistoric religious divide continues to fuel a resurgence of political hard-line in much of the Muslim world (Council on Foreign Relations 2012). Perpetual struggles between Shia and Sunni Arabs are nothing less than a region sharply divided on political positioning and religious rivalries that threaten to alter t he map of the Arab world. Between the Sunni and Shia Arabs, there is deep-rooted suspicion that spurs violence, creating tensed relationships in the Syrian politics (Council on Foreign Relations 2012). In addition, sectarian affiliation plays an impeccable role in the politics of the Sunni and Shia Arabs in Syria, making democracy hard to realise. While the political standoff between Sunni and Shia Arabs has deep roots in a history of treachery and sadism that runs through the centuries, the government in Syria has made no effort to stem this historic outrage. Shia identity is entrenched in victimhood culminating to the killing of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Husayn, during the last quarter of the seventh century. Moreover, the Shia has had a long history of marginalisation and domination by their Sunni counterparts (Council on Foreign Relations 2012). Islam’s dominant faction, the Sunni Arabs, who constitute the world Islamic largest population, view Shia Arabs with s uspicion, and the radical Sunni dissidents have portrayed Shias as traitors and heretics, hence the persistent conflicts in Syria. Conclusion It is no doubt that the mounting sectarian hard political positioning based on an approach to succession politics and differing opinions on Islamic religious conviction continue to spark the revitalisation of transnational jihadist networks that keep on scuttling the democratic process in Syria. Mass support for a democratic process is entirely a good idea for a healthy democracy, especially as far as it is passionately motivated. Concerted support for political militarisation as a process to achieve democracy could a trajectory that defines the path to a democratic meltdown. Self-expression, moral political values and high levels of political participation and consultation reflects a valuation of political tolerance capable of nurturing a mature democracy in Syria. In fact, such values do imply, to some extent, the inherent preferences for a kind of political institution that most efficiently guarantees human choice - knowledge. Since knowledge is the basis of independent thinking, citizens must be well versed with the institutions that guarantee the democratic process to shape the course of their public life. Clearly, high levels of self-expression values and political participation are essential for healthy democracy in Syria. References A precarious balancing act Lebanon and the Syrian conflict 2012, International Crisis Group, Beirut. Berlatsky, N 2012, The Arab-Israeli conflict, Greenhaven Press, Detroit. Burnell, P 2004, Westminster foundation for democracy: Building better democracies, wfd.org/upload/docs/wfdbbd5_noprice.pdf. Congress of Local and Regional Authorities 2011, Youth and democracy: The changing face of youth political engagement, https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1980145Site=COE/abstract. Council on Foreign Relations 2012, The Sunni-Shia Divide, cfr.org/peace-conflict-and-human-rights/sunni-shia-di vide/p33176#!/ Ehteshami, A 2008, Reform in the Middle East oil monarchies, Ithaca Press, Berkshire. Freeman, G 2003, Political Science, and Comparative Immigration Politics, tulane.edu/~dnelson/PEMigConf/Freeman.pdf. Haldon, J 2010, Money, power and politics in early Islamic Syria a review of current debates, Farnham Surrey, England. Henry, C Springborg, R 2001, Globalisation and the politics of development in the Middle East, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Heydemann, S 2013, ‘Tracking the Arab Spring: Syria and the Future of Authoritarianism’, Journal of Democracy, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 59-73. Hunter, B 2007, American commitment to Middle Eastern stability and containment, http://brookehollidayhunter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/American-Commitment-to-Middle-Eastern-Stability-and-Containment.pdf. Husseini, R 2012, Pax Syriana elite politics in postwar Lebanon, Syracuse University Press, New York. Jnos, S 2003, The change of function of political parties a t the turn of millennium, icps.cat/archivos/WorkingPapers/wp219.pdf. King, S 2009, The new authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa, Indiana University Press, Bloomington. Lagon, P 2011, Promoting democracy: The Whys and hows for the United States and the international community, cfr.org/democratisation/promoting-democracy-whys-hows-united-states-international-community/p24090. Lust-Okar, E 2006, Reform in Syria: Steering between the Chinese Model and Regime Change, http://carnegieendowment.org/files/CEIP_CP_69_final1.pdf. Merrill, D 2006, ‘The Truman Doctrine: Containing communism and modernity’, Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 27–37. Morlino, L 2002, What is a â€Å"good† democracy? Theory and empirical analysis, Institute for International Studies and Stanford University Press, Florence. Noel, H 2009, ‘Ten things political scientists know that you don’t’, The Forum, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 1-4. Rahbek, B 20 05, Democratisation in the Middle East dilemmas and perspectives, Aarhus University Press, Aarhus. Saikal, A 2003, Democratisation in the Middle East experiences, struggles, challenges, United Nations University Press, Tokyo. Sen, A 1999, ‘Democracy as a universal value’, Journal of Democracy, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 3-17. Sharp, J Blanchard, C 2012, Armed conflict in Syria U.S. and international response, Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C. Shen, F Liang H 2014, ‘Cultural difference, social values, or political systems? Predicting willingness to engage in online political discussion in 75 societies’, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 111-124. Shin, D 2013, Is democracy emerging as a universal value? A Contrarian perspective, https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/33029136/is-democracy-emerging-as-a-universal-value-asian-barometer. Stepan, A Linz, J 2013, ‘Islamists and the Arab Spring?’ Journal o f Democracy, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 15-30.

Marketing Planning - Domino's Pizza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Planning - Domino's Pizza - Essay Example Moreover, people are looking for innovation in the pizzas. Domino’s is offering a huge range of products apart from pizzas and are mainly focusing on customers with smaller pocket size. The SWOT analysis reveals that the organization has great deal of strengths and opportunities but is facing steep competition from its competitors like Pizza Hut and Pizza Express. After the situation analysis and studying the current market segment, target market and positioning strategies has been suggested. Introduction Domino’s pizza is a well known pizza delivery organization in this world. The passion and expertise shown by this organization and its employees in delivering fresh and hot pizzas has earned loyalty of numerous customers from all over the world and several awards for the organization (Domino’s Pizza UK & Ireland Limited, 2012). This report focuses on developing a marketing plan for Domino’s Pizza in UK. The pizza market of UK has recorded an increase of 2 1.5 percent in sales value between the year 2008 and 2013 and reached  £881 million (Mintel Group Ltd., 2012). This was primarily due to the thriving chilled sector and commodity inflation, which lead to higher self prices. The growth on the overall volume has increased by 7.3 percent over the period, which has acted as the accelerating factor in terms of both volume and values (Mintel Group Ltd., 2012). Chilled pizza has created a better and healthier image of quality amongst the consumers. On the other hand, frozen pizzas acts as a remedy for being processed. Reports also suggests that fifth of the users in UK are seen to show interest towards the British sourced meat. 23 percent of the parents are seen to show their concern regarding lack of pizzas for children (Mintel Group Ltd., 2012). ... Chilled pizza has created a better and healthier image of quality amongst the consumers. On the other hand, frozen pizzas acts as a remedy for being processed. Reports also suggests that fifth of the users in UK are seen to show interest towards the British sourced meat. 23 percent of the parents are seen to show their concern regarding lack of pizzas for children (Mintel Group Ltd., 2012). It has been observed that there is strong demand for microwaveable and gluten-free pizzas (Mintel Group Ltd., 2013). The demand for pizza has also increased among the demographic of 65 year old people. The pizza lovers of UK are also looking for change and innovation in their pizzas (Mintel Group Ltd., 2011). Product Range Domino’s Pizza mainly deals in pizzas ranging from chicken and prawn pizza, traditional pizzas, value plus pizza, value pizzas and â€Å"make your own† pizza. Apart from this, the organization also offers a wide range of side dishes, desserts and crusts. In side di shes they include breads, chicken, chips along with dipping sauce and drinks. In desserts, they include cakes, brownies, pancakes, dipping sauce and mousse (Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd., 2012). Hence, it can be concluded that they not only deals with pizzas but also offers a variety of other products. Customers The customers of Domino’s are generally the pizza loving people. They generally target the customers starting from college goers to people in their fifties. They not only target the lower-class people with their products but also the middle-class customers with bigger budgets. Children are not often seen to be the regular customers of Domino’s Pizza. They are

E-Commerce laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

E-Commerce laws - Essay Example The proper functioning of the Internal Market in electronic commerce is ensured by the Internal Market clause, which means that information society services are, in principle, subject to the law of the Member State in which the service provider is established. In turn, the Member State in which the information society service is received cannot restrict incoming services. Examples of services covered by the Directive include online information services (such as online newspapers), online selling of products and services (books, financial services and travel services), online advertising, professional services (lawyers, doctors, estate agents), entertainment services and basic intermediary services (access to the Internet and transmission and hosting of information). These services include also services provided free of charge to the recipient and funded, for example, by advertising or sponsorship. (Electronic commerce) The European Union is maintaining momentum in its efforts to regulate the Internet and electronic commerce, especially with respect to conflicts of law in cyberspace. A directive establishing a common legal framework for electronic commerce within the European Union1 E-commerce Directive) was adopted in early summer 2000, enshrining the "country of origin" principle in the on-line environment. Effectively, this principle means that an on-line retailer established in one of the European Union member states is allowed to offer e-commerce services on-line throughout the European Union as long as it meets the legal requirements of its country of domicile. However, the legal certainty established by the E-commerce Directive is already under threat. The European Commission intends to revive an idea from 1967 regarding the creation of a Council Regulation2often called Rome II Regulation. Another closely related instrument is the regulation on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (the Brussels

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Company Law - Essay Example Limited liability possessed by companies shield shareholders and directors from any costs related to the company’s failure. Genuine failure of business, which occurs even after a diligent management of a business, followed by a subsequent change of corporate entity, can be viewed as a legitimate utilization of the corporate form. Fraudulent phoenix activity, in its basic form, involves an entity carrying out its business via accumulation of debt with no intention of re-servicing the debt for wealth creation and giving a boost to the business’ cash flow (Hannigan, 2012). The corporate entity then liquidates in order to avoid being made to repay their debts. However, the business exists under a different name but is controlled by the same group of individuals. However, most fraudulent phoenix arrangements are more sophisticated than this. A typical arrangement of this nature is structured as follows: a closely held group is put up, consisting of various entities such as o ne, which plays the role of human resource management. The entity charged with hiring labor normally has one director who does not serve as the group’s ultimate controller. The entity has very few assets and minimal share capital. When the labor hire entity cannot fulfill its liabilities, it is put into liquidation or administration by the ATO. Another labor hire entity is put up, with the labor moved to work under the new entity, with the process being repeated with limited or no disruptions to daily operations. The financial benefits reaped from unpaid liabilities are then shared out among the whole group. An example of this involves a labor hire business with an annual turnover of thirty million dollars and negligible assets, which is made up of fragmented operations through fifty-three related companies. These companies lodged accurate BA statements but did not remit the amounts required under the PAYG system. The director of the single company then proceeded to liquidate all of the other companies in a matter of one week, moving his two thousand seven hundred strong work force into eight newly created entities and went on trading. The director then proceeded to flee the country with over eight million dollars in unpaid taxes. The labor hire firm continues its trade activities without complying with the set down obligations. Rule Australia’s regime of corporate law is based on the Corporations Act 2001, which provides for the separation of control and ownership and imposes specific duties on directors, aimed at ensuring that they stay loyal to the company (Macmillan, 2012). The duties that are expected from the director are, in addition to those they have, under general law. If a director gets involved in phoenix activities, then he or she breaches several director duties such as duties that concern proper information use, duty not to allow a company to keep accumulating debt during insolvency, and the duty of good faith. Fraudulent phoenix a ctivity could also involve contraventions of part 5.8A provisions of the corporations ACT that aim to protect the entitlement of employees, as well as voidable transactions. During these circumstances, civil recovery mechanisms, coupled with other general law features, which seek to protect company members and creditors against operators with unscrupulous intentions, may be started (Pennington, 2011). However, the Act required several amendments as

Development of Logistics Industry in China

Development of Logistics Industry in China Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background With the expansion of the globalization and the rapid development of the Information Technology (IT), the logistics industry has become one of the most important industries in the 21st century. The scope and role of logistics have changed dramatically over recent years. In the past, logistics played a supportive role to primary activities such as marketing and manufacturing. Now logistics has expanded from its traditional aspects: transportation and warehousing to purchasing, distribution, storage management, packaging, manufacturing and customer service. More importantly, the role of logistics has changed from cost absorbing to an important of competitive advantage for logistics companies. Modern theory of logistics in China was introduced in 1980s. Since its economic reformed and opened up in 1978, Chinas economy keeps booming, with a growth rate of nearly 10% in annual GDP which has become a global manufacturing centre. (Appendix 1) After China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, foreign companies were allowed to invest in China at the beginning but only in form of joint ventures that Chinese partner took up the majority. At the end of 2005, this restriction was completely phased out. At present, state-owned, private, and foreign logistics companies are all equally allowed to entry and compete in logistics industry in China. Chinas logistic industry has been experiencing fast growth because of sustainable economic growth. The logistics industry reported an annual growth rate of 31% in 1999, 35% in 2000, and 55% in 2001, and was expected to continue to expand rapidly in the future. (LI FUNG RESEARCH CENTRE, 2008) According to Exhibit 1, the average annual growth rate of the logistics industry in China was 22.2%, added value has reached to RMB 1.4 trillion in 2006 up 13.9% over 2005; and in 2007, the added value even reached to near 1.7 trillion up 20% over 2006. It is expected that Chinas logistics market value will continue to maintain an annual growth of 20% in 2010. Exhibit1: Total volume and growth of Chinas logistics industry 1.2 Total logistics market size The GDP of China was above RMB 10 trillion in 2002 that achieved a real growth of 8%. In the 10th Five-year Plan, China government is forecasting an average growth rate 7% per year from 2002-2007. According to the forecasts by State Development Planning Commission (SDPC), the GDP will be quadruple, about US$4.3 Trillion by 2020. In a detailed survey by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP), the total logistics market was estimated at RMB1, 788 billion, 20% of the GDP in 2000. In 2002, it was estimated that the total logistics market of China were about RMB 2 trillion. According to HK Trade Development Council, leading logistics companies in China such as UPS, FedEx and DHL-Sinotrans have all recorded annual growths in over 30% on operations in China and there are more outsourcing contributes to the growth of professional logistics companies. 1.3 Players in the China Logistics Market Chinas logistics market is fragmented. Government registration shows there are about 700,000 logistics companies in China and many of them are small, poorly managed with fundamental infrastructure and technology. (Alan Dixon, 2008) Those of the players are lack of nationwide competences and customer target is narrow which mainly focus on simple transportation and warehousing activities. Competition is intense, especially in the low-end market. Traditionally, Chinas logistics market is dominated by the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) which provide 90% of the logistics services in China. 1.3.1 State-Owned Players There are many state-owned players in China logistics market. Before China joined WTO, Chinas logistics industry was a monopoly industry which could only be managed by state-owned enterprises (SOEs), mostly for transpiration and warehousing. The characteristics of the SOEs are small-scale local enterprises, slow product renovation, poor management, production plans following from various government agencies. Because of government investment and monopolistic operation, these enterprises obtained large assets and became relatively large-scale business organizations. Relying on their sufficiency capital and existing market share, these enterprises became leaders in China logistics industry at that time. The following is a list of SOEs that ranked top 5 in 2008 in China logistics industry: China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO); China Railway Express Company Limited (CREC); China Post Logistics Company Limited (CPLC); China Railway Container Transport Company Limited (CRCTC). COSCO Logistics COSCO Logistics is a branch of China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) which was established in 2002. Because of the existing market share and advantaged infrastructure, it ranked number 1 in China logistics companies from 2002 to 2008. (Cen, 2005) COSCO Logistics has 300 logistics facilities, covering 90% of the China market and the competitive advantage is shipping transport. 1.3.2 Private Players Since the mid-1990s, Chinas private domestic logistics firms started to develop themselves such as St-Anda, PGL, China Overseas logistics and so on. The private logistics companies are in medium-size which keeps the rapid growth in the market because of achieving in efficiency and effectiveness and they are more focused on geographies, service and customers. But they are lack of sufficient financial supporting for market expansion and ineffective management to support high growth and profitability. (Fu. and Gwi, 2004) EAS International Transportation Ltd (Shanghai). This company was established in 1985. In the past twenty years, EAS has acquired tremendous achievement in building the unique operation platform to develop modern logistics business according to the demand of customers. 1.3.3 International Logistics Players (ILCs) Although the domestic companies dominate the general China logistics market, ILCs are also playing a very important role and their market shares are increasing rapidly. The most famous international logistics players in China are: DHL, TNT, UPS, FedEx and so on. DHL DHL entered China in 1981 and in 1986 it used joint venture with Sinotrans, one of the biggest SOEs in China logistics industry. DHL-Sinotrans has the biggest market shares in courier service. In the past twenty years, DHL has invested about $273 million in China. (Cen, 2005) Nowadays, many foreign logistics organizations have built good relationship with Chinese logistics companies by using joint ventures. Foreign companies have competitive advantage in technology and management, when they are integrated with experiences and existing service network of Chinese firms that they could be brought into full play. Therefore, Chinese logistics companies usually face Merge and acquisition (MA) risk. Many inland Chinese cities offer lots of commercial opportunities to foreign logistics companies but it need time for foreign companies to fully penetrate into the Chinese market. 1.3.4 Third Party Logistics companies (TPLs) Third Party Logistics companies (TPL) is a new concept for most of the Chinese companies. A TPL company normally provides process-base services rather than a function-base logistics service, which generally toward to the integration and fully control of a part or whole process of customers logistics network. (Fu. and Gwi, 2004) Because small or middle sized companies may not always achieve economics of scale in operating, which is even one of the advantages for third-party logistics companies. But due to the fundamental infrastructure of China logistics industry and developing technology, the TPLs are still need time to further improve the internal management in order to be expert in handling business. 1.4 Major modes of Transport in China After enter 21st century, the construction of transport infrastructure keeps rapidly increasing in China. 1.4.1 Ports Since China government opened ports to foreign investment companies in 2002, Chinese port facilities had taken huge steps that tremendous increased the capacity. In 2003, the total investment in Chinese port construction was US$2.2 billion, and in 2004, the Ministry of Communication has reported this figure was to reach nearly US$4.3 billion. Currently, Chinas coastal cities such as Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which dominant regional logistics centres are completed new berths building. (Exhibit 2) In Shanghai for example, in 2003 the container throughput are 11.28 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) that is expected to increase to 14.5million TEUs in 2004 and in 2005, the TEUs of capacity has expanded 2M more. (Richard Brubaker ¼Ã…’2005) Although such huge investment and abroad expansion, Chinese ports need to keep up with the increasing demand by use foreign terminal operators more. Exhibit 2: Logistics hubs in China. Source: Beijing Readies Logistics Stimulus, 2008 1.4.2 Road China government heavy invests on China transport infrastructure, so the road transport becomes the prior choice for inland distribution. During the Five-year Plan from 2001 to 2005, transport infrastructure has been built significantly including 250,000 kilometers of highways and 24,700 kilometers of expressways. (Fu. and Gwi., 2004) By the end of 2006, the total length Chinese highway has reached 3,457,000 kilometers and 77,000 kilometers of railways. 1.4.3 Rail Compare with China road and port infrastructure, Chinas railway infrastructure has received relatively low levels of investment. The Ministry of Railways plans to increase Chinas existing rail network from 72,000 km to 100,000 km by 2020. (Woosir, 2009) Use of the Chinese rail system increased 6% year on year from 2003 to 2004, the modest increase is because the weak demand of rail transportation. There are many problems cause the weak demand for logistics companies, such as poor handling practices, delays, unpredictable delivery times, theft and a general lack of infrastructure. However, despite these issues exist, the heavy subsidization still makes Chinas railway become the cheapest transportation compare with shippers. 1.4.4 Inland Waterways The most significant Infrastructure on inland waterways is the Yangtze River, which increased 8% from 2003 to 2004. (Richard Brubaker ¼Ã…’2005) Yangtze River can handle ships up to 6000 tonnes totally, however, the capacity of canals and low bridges are relative in low level because of the dry season in China. There are many waterway projects such as Gorges Dam which can serve to extent dry seasons and keep water levels low. 1.4.5 Air freight Chinas airfreight sector is developed rapidly which has become the second-large domestics airfreight market in the world. According to Boeings World Air Cargo Forecast, the market has grown at more than 20 percent annually since 1991. (Richard Brubaker ¼Ã…’2005) The airports are fast developed by three economic zones: the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), the Pearl River Delta (PRD), and the capital city of Beijing. Moreover, the agreement between China mainland and Hong Kong gives Hong Kong airlines greater opportunities that access to the mainland. But the China airfreight is limited by insufficient infrastructure. In the coastal cities, the airfreights are more developed than that in inland cities. 1.5 Statement of the Problems Since China jointed WTO, the logistics industry developed rapidly. But there are lots of problems during the development; here the researcher mainly focuses on cost, productivity and expansion of China logistics industry. 1.5.1 High Cost Since China became one of the members in WTO, China logistics industry developed rapidly which kept high growth among all the industries. But the most important factor that slow down the development of China logistics industry is the high logistics cost. Chinas logistics expenditures took up 20% of the GDP in 2000 whereas logistics spending accounted for 10.3% of United Statess GDP, 14% of Japans GDP, and 10% to 13% of European Unions GGP. (Exhibit 3) The annual growth rate of total logistics expenditures is 10.29% in 2002, 12.99% in 2003, 16.76% in 2004 and 12.86% in 2005. (Song H. and Wang L., 2004) Statistics published by China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing shows that Chinas total logistics expenses reached RMB3.8414 trillion in 2006, up 13.5% year on year at current price, a growth 0.6 percentage points higher than in 2005. The rate of total logistics expense of GDP was 18.3%, 0.2 percentage points lower than in 2005. In 2007, the total logistics cost increased by 18.2% to 4540.6 billion yuan compare with 2006. Exhibit 3: Cost of moving and storing goods (as share of GDP). The total logistics cost in China generally includes three cost components: transportation, inventory storage and management cost. In 2004, the total cost amounted to US$ 352 billion, grew by 16.6% compare with 2005. Of this total, transportation cost took up the largest portion which accounted US$ 200 billion and had the highest growth rate which was 56.9% of total. On the other hand, inventory storage and management cost were US$ 102 billion and US$ 49 billion, accounting for 29.1% and 14% of the total logistics cost respectively (Exhibit 4). Exhibit 4: Total logistics cost and its composition, 2003-2007. Source: CFLP, 2007 Adding the costs of packing, transport, storage and damage cost, the ratio of total logistics costs to total industry production ranges from 40% to 60% in China logistics industry, whereas in the United States this percentage is close to 20% (Zhang Z.Y. and Andres M.F., 2006). So general speaking, the transportation costs in China logistics industry are twice as expensive as in developed countries such as US. Japan and European countries. 1.5.2 Low in productivity The ratio of total logistics cost to GDP represents the efficiency of logistics operation in the economy which means the productivity of logistics industry. It is also used as an indicator to the level of development in logistics industry. In general, the higher the percentage, the less efficient is the logistics industry. Exhibit 5 shows the total logistics cost as a percentage of GDP in the 10th Five-year Plan period (2000-2005) in China. Although the total logistics cost as a percentage of GDP has a downward trend that decreased from 19.4% in 2000 to 18.57% in 2005 and the total cost savings in the 10th Five-year Plan period are 109 billion RMB; according to exhibit 3, the logistics cost are higher than that in US, Japan and developed countries which means China logistics industry is still in high inefficiency. As predicted by the CFLP, the ratio of total logistics cost in China to GDP will continue higher which resulting inefficiency of modern logistics industry. CFLP predicted t hat total logistics costs during the 11th Five-year Program period (2006-2010) will grow at 10% annually, 2% higher than that of the 10th Five-year Plan period. It also forecasted that the total logistics cost will reach 5,400 billion RMB in 2010, the ratio of total logistics cost to GDP at around 16.8% and cost savings yield during the period will be around 435 billion RMB. (Ling Feng research centre, 2006) Exhibit 5: Total logistics cost as a percentage of GDP, 2000-2005. 1.5.3 Slowly expansion/outsourcing One of the most significant drivers of growth in the global logistics industry is the trend of mergers and acquisitions. Although many big China logistics companies have established overseas offices from the 1980s and 1990s to support their international transportation, their businesses are heavily depend on agents which means the Chinas global logistics network is still weak. For example, Sinotrans has business in nearly 200 countries, but there are only 40 overseas offices and most of the international businesses are done by the agents. In this situation, the expansion for China logistics industry is very slow. So, the global market share of China logistics industry is still relative low. As Contrill claimed, â€Å"dont expect a wave of Chinese 3PLs to land on Western shores soon. The pace of change in China is slow by Western standards and there is much to do in the home market†. (Cen Xuepin, 2005) 1.6 Research objective The objective of this research is twofold. To understand the development of China logistics industry in the last decade. To investigate the factors affecting the development of China logistics industry and recommend the solutions to improve on the problems to further develop logistics industry in China. On meeting the two objectives, this paper will develop a framework to address the factors that affect the development of China logistics industry. 1.7 Research questions Three questions will be discussed in this article: 1: Review the development of logistics industry in China in last decade? 2: What are the factors that affect the development of China logistics industry? 3: How to solve the current problems to further improve logistics industry in China? 1.8 Significance of study In this article, the author introduces the development of China logistics industry in last decade. Also, this paper will contribute by indicating and analyzing some of the problems that affect development of China logistics industry according to questionnaires and interview by managers in logistics companies in China. The theoretical framework is based on an extensive review of the hypothesis in literature review (Chapter 2) to ensure the main factors that affect development of China logistics industry. After that, the searcher will give readers recommendations that solve the problems in China logistics industry. 1.9 Limitations of the research Because of time restriction (from September to November, 2009), this thesis will be finished within 3 months, the research will cover the detail of logistics management (Transportation, Warehousing and IT supporting) as specific as possible. Because of the location of sampling in Shanghai, China, the researcher has to come to China but only around 1month, so it is time limited to the questionnaire distributing and receiving which may cause low response rate. There are many problems that influence the development of logistics industry in China; in this paper, the author only focus the above 5 main problems. Because some logistics companies are not public listed companies, it is difficult to find the data from the current annual reports released by these companies, so the researcher may analyze data in these companies using the previous annual report. (Eg: Annual Report of company A in 2006 or 2007) Some of the questions in questionnaires are directly related to the internal strategy of company management, so managers may do not want to answer which will cause the low response rate also. 1.10 Chapter Outline Chapter one Introduction: This provides the readers with background information of the study which creates a pictorial flow of the main research, research objectives, background of study, problems and significance as well as the limitations faced by the researcher are clearly stated in this chapter. Chapter two Literature review: This chapter explores relevant literature; it basically dealt with pertinent literature on problems of current China logistics industry with discussions on related research variables such as government policy and regulations, transportation cost, warehousing and storage, IT supporting and infrastructure. Also, 3 indicators to development of China logistics industry are given to be as dependent variable when analyzing the correlation with independent variables. Chapter three Methodology and Data collection: This chapter describes the research design used to conduct this research. This chapter will further disclose the ways used in analyzing data collected, limitations of the methods used and how the data are collected. This section concludes with discussions of the data gathering techniques and the data analysis procedures that are used to answer the hypotheses and research questions to readers. Also, theoretical framework is given to show the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables. Chapter four Results and discussions: This chapter outlines results of data analysis, provides discussion of research findings and builds bridges between objectives, findings and relevant literature. The result section summarizes the analysis of the data and present findings of the study with respect to the hypothesis and research questions, while the discussion section reviews the findings of the study in the context of the theoretical framework of the study. Chapter five Conclusions and recommendations are provided in this chapter together with discussions on the future of the study. This chapter concludes the research and documents the implications of the study with recommendations for future research. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Definition of logistics â€Å"Logistic† is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the flow and storage of goods, services using related information from their point of origin to point of destination for the purpose of fulfilling customer requirements in efficient and effective way. (Raymond F. B. and Wm. B. M. Jr, pp: 45-55, 2004). Luo Wenping and Christopher Findlay (2002) said that the provision of logistics services requires inputs from a number of service providers; including the providers of transport and warehousing as well as other value-adding activities. Basically, logistic is business flow that connects packaging, distribution, storage and warehousing integrated Information Technology (IT) to transfer goods and service to the end users to satisfy their requirements. The concept of logistics has undergone many significant changes. Luo Wenping and Christopher Findlay, (2002) divided the development of logistics into three stages: Stage 1: Physical distribution or outbound logistics system (during 1960s and 1970s). Organizations attempted to systemically manage a set of interrelated activities including transportation, distribution, warehousing, finished goods, inventory levels, packaging, and materials handling to delivery finished goods to customers in efficient way. Stage 2: Integrated logistics management (during the 1970s and 1980s). Firms began to recognize the additional opportunities for savings by combining the inbound side (materials management) with the outbound side (physical distribution). Initially, this provided potential savings by having a single transportation manager who could coordinate inbound and outbound transportation. Companies also become aware of the opportunities to view the whole process, from raw materials to work-in-process inventory to finished goods, as well as managing the whole process from a systems perspective which could lead to more efficient operation. Stage 3: Supply Chain Management (from 1980s to 1990s). Logistics management is one of the parts of Supply Chain Management (SCM) that companies expanded their purpose on the logistics processes to include all the firms involved, making use of partnerships/alliances between manufacturing companies and their suppliers/vendors, customers (channels of distribution), and other related logistics parties such as transportation and public warehousing companies. 2.2 Third Party Logistics (TPLs) Third party logistics and related concepts are most often developed by researchers or consultants in collaboration with businesses demanding or offering third party services. Thus, the definitions reflect the phase of third party cooperation (Tage Skjoett-Larsen, 2000). Alessandra Marasco, (2008) used the following definition: â€Å"Third-party logistics involves the use of external companies to perform logistics functions that have traditionally been performed within an organization. The functions performed by the third party can encompass the entire logistics process or selected activities within that process†. According to this definition, third party logistics includes any form of externalization of logistics activities previously performed â€Å"in-house†. Through interviews with a number of North European third party service providers, Prabir K, B. and Helge V. (1996) have pointed out the following definition: â€Å"A logistics alliance indicates a close and long-term relationship between a customer and a provider encompassing the delivery of a wide array of logistics needs. In a logistics alliance, the parties ideally consider each other as partners. They collaborate in understanding and defining the customers logistics needs. Both partners participate in designing and developing logistics solutions and measuring performance. The goal of the relationship is to develop a win-win arrangement†. This definition emphasizes the strategic dimension of the concept and presupposes that several characteristics are fulfilled before the relationship between buyer and seller of logistics functions can be characterized as TPL. These characteristics include certain duration, joint efforts to develop further cooperation, a customerization of the solution, together with a fair sharing of benefits and risks. 2.3 Measurement the development of logistics industry Logistics has dramatically evolved from a supportive role characterized as passive and cost absorbing, to a primary role and critical factor in competitive advantage (Fu Chinchin and Gwi Ok Kim, 2004). Companies experiencing growing pressure to reduce costs and provide better service can improve their logistics by outsourcing to third-party logistics (3PL) firms, an option that can improve both efficiency and effectiveness, so logistics outsourcing has become a rapidly expanding source of competitive advantage and logistics cost savings. 2.3.1 Productivity Alan Stainer (1997) believe that, in measuring logistics performance, a comprehensive strategy of measurement is necessary for the successful planning, realization and control of the different activities which comprise the business logistics function. He also pointed out that, there should be a family of measures. This is a balanced collection of four to six performance measures, usually including productivity, quality and customer satisfaction, which together furnish an all-inclusive view of results but, individually, also provide a diagnostic value. Within this performance scenario, productivity can be seen as a measurement of resource utilization, including the time element. Alberto G. Canen and Ana Canen, (2002, number: 2.pp: 73-85) points out, the productivity philosophy and its improvement has been a high priority, in the first instance, in manufacturing, then in marketing, and later in physical distribution and materials management. Thus, the time is now ripe to focus on the whole logistics process. The term productivity is often ill-defined but, basically, its measurement is that of a prescribed output to the resources consumed. It can be divided into three main types: Partial measures being a ratio relating output to a single input, such as labour, materials or capital. Total factor or value-added productivity being based on sales less bought-in goods, materials and services. Total productivity measures being a ratio of total output to total input. There is a clear link between productivity and performance improvement, as purported by Lynch and Cross (1995, pp. 63-91). They show performance as a pyramid which is filtered down from the corporate vision, with market and financial measures as the main resultants, supported by customer satisfaction, flexibility and productivity as core business processes. Despite this emphasis on performance, previous research by the author (Stainer and Stainer, 1995), based on a survey of both manufacturing and service industries in the UK, France and Germany, suggests that the implementation of formal productivity programmes is still marginally behind that of the US a decade ago. Further analysis of the survey divulges the use of these three productivity measures for all respondents, as well as for those respondents employing productivity measures in the field of logistics. 2.3.2 Cost The total Logistics cost as a percentage of GDP has widely been used as an indicator of the development level of the Logistics industry in many developed countries. In general, the higher the percentage, the less efficient is the Logistics industry, which means the cost affect the development of logistics industry. The costs associated with logistics activities normally consist of the following components: transportation, warehousing, order processing/customer service, administration, and inventory holding (e.g. Lambert et al., 1998; Saccomano, 1999). Not surprisingly, total logistics costs often represent a large portion of total supply chain costs, especially when the supply chain is extended to the global market. As more organizations are outsourcing their products or services to global suppliers, it becomes increasingly critical to understand and evaluate the various logistics cost components in order to assure the profit margin. 2.3.3 Expansion /outsourcing Elliot Rabinovich, Robert Windle and Martin Dresner, (1999) said that: the outsourcing of logistics functions to partners, known as â€Å"third-party logistics providers†, has increasingly become a powerful alternative to the traditional, vertically-integrated firm in logistics industry. A growth in the number of outsourcing partnerships has contributed to the development of more flexible organizations, based on core competencies and mutually beneficial longer-term relationships. Overall, some 60 per cent of Fortune 500 companies report having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider. Such buyouts and mergers enable logistics players to build up their infrastructure and service scale, both of which are critical to remaining competitive. By merging their operations and collaborating on technology, complementary services partners can also scale up their logistics capability without having to invest heavily in infrastructure. The result is lower cycle-time, streamlined business processes and lower manpower costs, which in turn boosts companies productivity and profitability. The development of logistics outsourcing broadly defined in this paper as long and short-term contracts or alliances between manufacturing and service firms and third-party logistics providers has been largely based on the needs that companies have to obtain cost savings and to concentrate on their core competencies. They also indicated that, the market and firm characteristics influence the decision to contract multiple combinations of third-party logistics services. These services range from single transportation activities to integrated warehousing, distribution, and information management activities. Also several authors have indicated that across many industries logistics outsourcing has become a rapidly expanding source of competitive advantage and logistics cost savings in logistics industry. For example, Elliot Rabinovich, etl (1999) reported that some firms routinely have achieved up to 30 per cent to 40 per cent reductions in logistics costs and have been able to greatly streamline global logistics processes as a consequence of outsourcing. Other studies, however, have indicated that some logistics outsourcing arrangements are not successful. These

Lou Cannons Reagan :: essays research papers

Book Review – Reagan by Lou Cannon Preliminary Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is titled Reagan. Lou Cannon is the author. There are 464 pages in the book, and it was published in 1982. Subject Matter/Topic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is a biography of former president Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. The book discusses in detail all the events of his life, from his birth to his election to presidency. Point of View   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon writes in the third person, largely objective narrator. He is writing not from the point of view of a Reagan supporter or and employee of his administration, but from the perspective of an objective reporter. Cannon was the White House corespondent for The Washington Post. Most of the book Cannon merely tells the facts of Reagan’s life without throwing in any of his own thoughts. While Reagan mostly deals with the positive aspects of Reagan’s life, Cannon doesn’t shy away from talking about the negative parts of his life, such as his firing from his radio announcing job. Cannon also discusses Reagan’s many failures as an actor, while at the same time mentioning his successes too. Cannon writes about his political defeats, such as his failure to win nomination for president in 1976, while also writing about his many political victories, such as being elected governor of California, and President of the United States. Overall, Cann on writes with a detached, objective point of view. He balances all of the positives and negatives of Reagan’s life, giving equal time to each. Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is an in-depth biography of Ronald Reagan. This definitive biography explores every aspect of Reagan’s life, and all of his successes and failures. The overriding theme in the book is that of Reagan’s determination and never give up attitude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon begins the book by discussing Reagan’s humble beginnings. He was born in the front bedroom of a five-bedroom flat above the general store where his father worked, near Tampico, Illinois. He spent his childhood in a succession of small Indiana towns. His family was very poor, but not quite living in poverty. They came close to being crushed by the Depression. His father, Jack Reagan, was an Irish-Catholic, but only their first son, Ronald’s brother Neil, was baptized a Catholic. Jack was a hard-worker, but struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. His mother Nelle was a very moral and dignified woman. She encouraged her children to get a good education so they could have a better life. Lou Cannon's Reagan :: essays research papers Book Review – Reagan by Lou Cannon Preliminary Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is titled Reagan. Lou Cannon is the author. There are 464 pages in the book, and it was published in 1982. Subject Matter/Topic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is a biography of former president Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. The book discusses in detail all the events of his life, from his birth to his election to presidency. Point of View   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon writes in the third person, largely objective narrator. He is writing not from the point of view of a Reagan supporter or and employee of his administration, but from the perspective of an objective reporter. Cannon was the White House corespondent for The Washington Post. Most of the book Cannon merely tells the facts of Reagan’s life without throwing in any of his own thoughts. While Reagan mostly deals with the positive aspects of Reagan’s life, Cannon doesn’t shy away from talking about the negative parts of his life, such as his firing from his radio announcing job. Cannon also discusses Reagan’s many failures as an actor, while at the same time mentioning his successes too. Cannon writes about his political defeats, such as his failure to win nomination for president in 1976, while also writing about his many political victories, such as being elected governor of California, and President of the United States. Overall, Cann on writes with a detached, objective point of view. He balances all of the positives and negatives of Reagan’s life, giving equal time to each. Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is an in-depth biography of Ronald Reagan. This definitive biography explores every aspect of Reagan’s life, and all of his successes and failures. The overriding theme in the book is that of Reagan’s determination and never give up attitude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon begins the book by discussing Reagan’s humble beginnings. He was born in the front bedroom of a five-bedroom flat above the general store where his father worked, near Tampico, Illinois. He spent his childhood in a succession of small Indiana towns. His family was very poor, but not quite living in poverty. They came close to being crushed by the Depression. His father, Jack Reagan, was an Irish-Catholic, but only their first son, Ronald’s brother Neil, was baptized a Catholic. Jack was a hard-worker, but struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. His mother Nelle was a very moral and dignified woman. She encouraged her children to get a good education so they could have a better life.