Analysis of South Africas Retail Industry

Analysis of South Africas Retail Industry Executive summary South Africa is a player in the local and international retail industry. Retail like all business operates and is affected by external forces as well as internal forces. The external forces are commonly referred to as macro and micro environmental factors have a direct or an indirect impact on the retail industry. Retailers do not have much control over environmental forces unlike marketing variables. It is therefore crucial that every retail business identifies these forces and monitors them effectively to reduce negative impact on growth and profit margins. Retail is primarily about buying decisions and behaviours. Economics play a large part in influencing both individuals and organisations with regard to their buying decisions and behaviours. South Africa like any global player has as a top priority the aim to grow in terms of economic activity. The effect that the retail sector has on the SA economy and also on international impact of our retail sector on imports and exports are evaluated. The more business is conducted the more tax is available to the government to provide appropriate services and establish its various development programmes. Facts that are critical to success of South Africa retail industry are looked in relation to Market size and scope of growth of the retail industry in South Africa? Growth prospects and issues related to the industry? Size of segment of the organized market what are its growth prospects? Major players in South African retail industry, their strategies for growth, and their position in the market? Emerging trends in the South African retail industry? Opportunities challenges before the retailers in South Africa? Key findings are summarised, presenting the valid information relating to the contribution of the retail industry in the economic growth of the country. In the final stage of the analysis, a conclusion signifying which segment of Retail is most attractive is made, detailing the reasons for such conclusion, from beginning to end showing importance of the factors contributing to its attractiveness. Retail overview Retailing encompasses all activities involved in selling gods or services directly to final consumers for their personal non business use. Although most retailing is done in retail stores, in recent years non-store retailing has been growing much faster than has store retailing. Non-store retailing includes selling to the final consumers through direct mail, catalogs, telephone, the internet, TV home shopping shows, home and office parties, door to door contact, vending machines and other direct selling approaches. (Kotler, 2005) For purposes of this assignment only formal retail will be discussed. There are different type of retailers classified in terms of several characteristics including the amount of service they offer, the breadth and depth of their product lines and the relative prices charged and how they are organised. Major Store Retail types include Speciality Stores, Department Stores, Supermarkets, convenience stores, Discount Stores, Off-Price Retailers and Superstores. (Kotler, 2005 pg368) The sector encompassing wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants is an important contributor to GDP and employment for South Africa. It is evident that the preparations toward hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup have likely influenced a large increase in investment in the sector as hospitality services, for example, gear up for this major event. That said, the sector has been hard hit by the recent global economic slowdown, evident in the contraction in growth of the sector itself, as well as decreases in employment. The latter is of serious concern considering that the sector is South Africas third largest and also employs 22% of the labour force, with a large proportion being women from the informal sector. (Climate Risk Opportunity A15 Retail and Tourism, 2009) Key Players in the South African Retail Market : Pick n Pay; Metcash Ltd; Massmart Holdings Ltd; Woolworths Holdings Ltd; Spar Group Ltd; Edgars Stores Ltd. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the South African economy is expected to have contracted by 1.8% in 2009 in the wake of the sharp downturn in global demand and commodity prices, tougher financing conditions, weak household spending and low business confidence. Growth will bounce back in 2010 to 2.8% spurred by the hosting of the World Cup. However, the struggling sectors, mainly manufacturing and retail, will remain in doldrums. There is a risk that electricity shortages, will re-emerge in 2010-11, constraining energy-intensive sectors, such as mining, as new base-load power station are not expected to come on stream until 2012. (rru.worldbank, 2010) The overall Ease of Doing Business ranking slipped this year mainly due to a 22 spot drop in the Starting a Business Indicator. South Africa still ranks in the top 100 in eight indicators. The lowest ranking is in the Trading Across Borders indicator. (rru.worldbank, 2010) Macro environment analysis According (Neiman and Bannet (2002), p. 32), Macro Environment takes in consideration of all the external influences that restrain a bearing in the business, but is not compact beneath its direct subject of influence. The importance falls on the renovation that unmanageable micro-variables bring about, and their implications for the business, yet enduring alongside, each other of changes in the environment, in charge to be able to forecast the changes in the environment which can turn to be a difficult mission. The universe of sociological elements that affect a companys ability to serve its customers or sell its goods and services. There are six major macro environment forces: cultural, demographic, economic, natural, political, and technological. The cultural environment includes institutions and other forces that affect the basic values, behaviors, and preferences of the society-all of which have an effect on consumer marketing decisions. The demographic environment includes the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, sex, race, occupation, and other statistical information. The economic environment consists of all factors-such as salary levels, credit trends, and pricing patterns- that affect consumer spending habits and purchasing power. The natural environment involves all the natural resources, such as raw materials or energy sources, needed by or affected by marketers and marketing activities. The political environment includes all laws, government agenc ies, and lobbying groups that influence or restrict individuals or organizations in the society. The technological environment consists of those forces that affect the technology and which can create new products, new markets, and new marketing opportunities. (Dictionary of Marketing Terms) Regulatory and Political Environment: Regulatory and political environment denotes local, state, national, and global laws and regulation which concern businesses. Many business decisions are motivated by the legal and regulatory controls (Solomon, Marshall Stuart. 2006, p. 52). Retail Merchants like other industries are subjected to a number of local and international regulations. Political and legal factors contribute to the environment in which managerial decisions must be made. (Daniels)[1] They are an integral part of the retail operating environment. There are regulations governing the conduct of business in various sectors of the South African Economy. Regulatory bodies and processes the South African Retail Council (SARC (Consumer Goods Council)[2] A unified retail body that will strengthen retailers position and voice in the industry. The objective of SARC is to deal with issues pertaining to retailers interests, the pressing challenges facing the retail industry as a whole including: a fragmented retail representation to key stakeholders; and duplication of efforts and costs. As a collective voice for the industry SARC will shape the environment in which retail business takes place in South Africa. Fundamentally, SARC will focus on two particular areas as impacting on the retail industry: Economic legislative Affairs; and Labour Relations. As a unit within the CGCSA, SARC enjoys the benefit of sharing the existing infrastructure and well established resources currently enjoyed by CGCSA. SARC is mandated to engage in debates and discussions of legislation drafting which will impact on retailers; to give direct input into the South Africas regulatory frameworks. SARCs mandate with regards to labour relations would be to work w ith the government on labour issues especially regarding transformation and equity compliance. Members also have an opportunity to network through seminars, workshops and conferences thus getting an opportunity to learn and build relationships; Information and Resources: regular updates on industry position statements, policy papers or briefings and government submissions. Consumer Goods Council of South Africa[3] The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa is a Section 21 company representing over 11,000 member companies in the retail, wholesale and manufacturing of consumer goods. Its vision is to be a formidable and respected industry voice in South Africa. Its mission is to promote partnership amongst stakeholders across the consumer goods industry in resolving shared non-competitive matters in the most efficient manner to the ultimate benefit of the consumer. (CGCSA) Competition Commission In meeting the objectives to the Competition Acts, the commission is focused on restricting anti-competitive practices, eliminating abuse of dominant positions and strengthening merger control. Three institutions are created in terms of the Act to achieve the above objectives: The Competition Commission, which is independent but whose decisions may be appealed to the Competition Tribunal and the Competition Appeal Court; The Competition Tribunal, which has jurisdiction throughout South Africa and is independent from the competition institutions; and The Competition Appeal Court, which has status similar to that of a High Court and jurisdiction throughout South Africa. (Department of Trade and Industry South Africa) Sources: Government Communication and Information System, Waksmans Attorneys: Business Guide to South Africa, DTI Office of Consumer Protection[4] The Office of the Consumer Protection (OCP) functions as part of the consumer and Corporate Regulation Division of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The OCP administers the Consumer Affairs (Unfair Business Practises) Act 71 of 1988. The office also enforces other legislation administered by the dti that contains consumer protection provisions. The Office of Consumer Protection is committed to protecting consumers against unfair business practices through complaints resolution, investigations, prosecutions, education and voluntary compliance programmes. It does this by: Promoting the spirit of fair trade between consumers and service providers; Educating consumers about their rights and duties; Providing quick and fast resolution of complaints through negotiated settlements; Investigating and resolving matters relating to unfair business practices; Prosecuting Offenders ITAC ITAC was established through an Act of Parliament, the International Trade Administration Act 71 of 2002, which came into force on 1 June 2003. The aim of ITAC, as stated in the Act, is to foster economic growth and development in order to raise incomes and promote investment and employment in South Africa and within the Common Customs Union Area by establishing an efficient and effective system for the administration of international trade subject to this Act and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Agreement. The core functions are: customs tariff investigations; trade remedies; and import and export control. Legal Environment In the context of Macro Environment analysis a legal system is the mechanism for creating, interpreting and enforcing the laws in a specified jurisdiction. The South African Retail environment is a regulated one exhibiting elements of constitutional law, criminal, civil and commercial laws. According to (International Business Environments and Operations 12th Edition, Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan; Pg 158) The constitution of a country is designed to guarantee an open and just political order, the criminal law is designed to safeguard the social order, the civil and commercial laws ensure fairness and efficiency of business transactions. Aspects of all three components bear on the decisions made by managers and investors. This accurately describes the legal environment in which the South African Retail market operates. The legislation applicable in the country is a method used by the government to regulate retail business practices, defining acceptable practices for conducting business transactions, to specific the rights and obligations of parties engaged in the business transactions and to afford legal redress when needed.(Int. bus Environ Operations) The South African legal climate is that of a democratic mixed legal system, engaging, common law, civil laws codified in various legislation, regulations and customary law. South Africa offers a balanced legal and political system safeguarding the interest of consumers as well as corporations, small medium enterprises. The political climate as well as the social environment is stable. The legal environment is derived partly from the political climate in a country and has three distinct dimensions to it: The domestic laws of home country; the domestic laws of foreign markets; International law in general. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) Domestic laws govern marketing within a country, e.g. the physical attributes of a product will be influenced by laws (designed to protect consumers) relating to the purity, safety or performance of the product. Domestic laws might also constrain marketers in the areas of product packaging, marking and labeling, and contracts with agents. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) South Africas commercial legal system has been influenced by English law. English courts create and follow precedents just as South African courts do. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) Central to all commercial activities is the contract. The purpose of a contract is to specify the respective rights and obligations of the parties to an agreement and outline specific procedures or actions that must take place. Buyers and sellers are at times also subject to international law, which may be defined as that body of rules which regulates relationships between countries or other international legal persons. There is neither an international parliament empowered to create international law; nor an international police force to enforce it. The principal sources of international law are treaties and conventions. Other sources of international law are custom (i.e. international practice that is accepted as law) and the general principles of law recognised by civilized nations or natural law (the basis of human co-existence). The Incoterms (2000), as published by the International Chamber of Commerce, are not, strictly speaking, part of international law. Another area in which international law plays an important role is in controlling the use of the sea and the environment outside the territorial waters of countries. The control of international air travel by organisations such as IATA (International Airline Transport Association), or structures such as The Hague-Visby Rules in relation to ocean freight, may also be regarded as part of international law. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) Legislation affecting the Retail Market in South Africa:- Labour Laws in South Africa (Department of Labour South Africa)[5] (Employing Workers) Workers in the retail sector are protected by a plethora of legislation (listed below). Notably the protection afforded by legislation and regulations deals with: wages,, hours of work, leave, prohibition of child labor and termination of employment. Amended Labour Relations Act; Basic Conditions of Employment (Amendment) Act, 2002 ; Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997; Basic Conditions of Employment Act Labour Relations Act ; Labour Relations amendment Act 2002; Employment Equity ; Employment Equity Act ; Skills Development Act ; Unemployment Insurance Fund; Rules for the conduct of proceedings before the CCMA; Skills Development Act; Sectoral Determination: 9: Wholesale and retail sector; No. 85 of 1993: Occupational Health and Safety Act as amended by Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act, No. 181 Of 1993 Labour Regulations There is a plethora of regulations impacting the SA Retail labor and some of these are:-Driven machinery, Electrical Machinery, Construction ,Asbestos ,Lift escalator and passenger conveyer, Electrical Installation, Environmental regulation for workplaces, Facilities, Certificate of competency. South African Paint Manufacturers Association: Guide to Health Safety in the workplace Employment Equity: Code of good practice: Employment Equity, EEA 2: Employment Equity report, EEA 4: Income differential statement, EEA 10: Occupational categories, Technical Assistance Guidelines on the employment of people with disabilities) Land and Building Laws (Dealing with Licenses, Registering Property) Construction Industry Development Board Act, 2000; National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act (Act 103 of 1977); Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act Tax Laws (Paying Taxes) Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 1999; Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 2004; Value-Added Tax Act, 1991 See discussion on Tax below. Constitution of South Africa Commercial and Company Laws (Starting a Business, Protecting Investors, Closing a Business) Companies Amendment Act, 2004; Companies Act, 1973; Competition Act, 1998 Civil Procedure Codes (Enforcing Contracts, Closing a Business, Protecting Investors) Magistrates Courts Rules of Court Banking and Credit Laws (Getting Credit, Protecting Investors) Banks Act, 1990; Insolvency Act Unfair Business Practices Act no 71 of 1988 EXCHANGE CONTROLS (SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK) Financial Regulations (Financial Services Board) Consumer Protection Act no 68 of 2008 (Data to follow) Consumer Affairs (Unfair Business Practises) Act 71 of 1988 The act deals with unfair business practise which is defined as any businesses practice which directly or indirectly has, or is likely to have, the effect of harming relations between business and consumers, unreasonably prejudicing any consumer, deceiving any consumer or unfairly affecting any consumer. Competition Amendment Bill, 2008[6] In 2006 DT reviewed the current competition regulatory framework. The review of the existing competition law regime was informed by a need to respond to the industrial policy objectives such as promotion of competitiveness; Observations on the challenges of the competition authorities in dealing with uncompetitive outcomes resulting in artificially high prices to the detriment of consumers; e.g. competition problems resulting from complex monopolies or multi-firm conduct; To strengthen efforts on cartel enforcement by introducing personal liability on directors who cause their firms to engage in cartel activities. (Department of Trade and Industry South Africa) To address these, the dti proposes to introduce Competition Amendment Bill, 2008 (Bill). The Bill is not intended to overhaul the current competition regime but is focused on key areas aimed at Strengthening the existing provisions of the Competition Act; Providing the competition authorities with extra powers to deal robustly with uncompetitive practices; and Enabling the Competition Commission to play a more proactive role in investigating markets and take measures to ensure market transparency. Competition Commission Act[7] 1998 (Werksmans Publications) The Competition Act affects every business operating in South Africa, and the serious consequences of contravention necessitate a sound understanding of its basic principles. An overarching law, the Competition Act, prohibits anti-competitive behavior such as price-fixing and collusion between competitors, and the abuse of dominance. The Act also provides for a merger control regime in terms of which the prior approval of the competition authorities must be obtained for certain mergers and acquisitions. South African competition law differs from foreign models in that the focus is not purely on competition issues, but also on certain public interest and social goals such as the promotion of small businesses, the interests of employees and black economic empowerment. South Africa has a well-developed and regulated competition regime based on best international practice. South Africas economic system is predominantly based on free market principles. However, as in most developed economies, competition is controlled. The Act fundamentally reformed the countrys competition legislation, substantially strengthening the powers of the competition authorities along the lines of the European Union, US and Canadian models. The Act provides for various prohibitions on anti-competitive conduct, restrictive practices (such as price fixing, predatory pricing and collusive tendering) and abuses by dominant firms (firms with a market share of 35% or more). South African authorities embarked on a major overhaul of competition policy, which led to the formulation of a new policy, the Competition Act, No. 89 of 1998, which seeks to achieve the following objectives: To promote the efficiency, adaptability and development of the economy; To provide consumers with competitive prices and product choices; To promote employment and advance the social and economic welfare of South Africans; To expand opportunities for South African participation in world markets and recognise the role of foreign competition in the Republic; To ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises have an equitable opportunity to participate in the economy; and To promote a greater spread of ownership, in particular to increase the ownership stakes of historically disadvantaged persons (HDIs). Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act No 53 of 2003[8] Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) is a specific government policy to advance economic transformation and enhance the economic participation of black people in the South African economy. The Department of Trade and Industrys (the dtis) growth strategy includes a focus on broadening participation, equity and access to redress for all economic citizens, particularly those previously marginalised. The Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Act, No. 53 of 2003, facilitates the dtis work in this area by establishing a legislative framework for the promotion of BEE; empowering the Minister to issue Codes of Good Practice and publishing Transformation Charters; establishing the BEE Advisory Council; and making provision for matters connected therewith. (Department of Trade and Industry South Africa) International Trade Administration Act 71 of 2002, The object of the Act is to foster economic growth and development in order to raise incomes and promote investment and employment in the Republic and within the Common Customs Area by establishing an efficient and effective system for the administration of international trade subject to this Act and the SACU agreement. (Department of Trade and Industry South Africa) Intellectual Property Rights[9] South Africa has a developed system of intellectual property law covering patents, industrial designs, copyright and trademarks. It is also a signatory to most of the international conventions in this field. Environmental Regulation In terms of Section 24 of the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) is to take care that a sound balance is maintained between environmental and socio-economic aspects in all policies, plans, programmes and decisions, including the encouragement of investment, granting of incentives and all other interventions. the dti encourages existing industries to implement Cleaner Production (CP) as an internationally adopted tool that incurs savings, increases competitiveness and elevates companies to higher levels of resource and energy efficiency. the dti at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development established the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), which implements CP in priority sectors, focusing on textiles, agro-processing and chemicals. NCPC sector projects are conducted in terms of Trade and Investment South Africa (TISA) Customised Sector Programmes (CSP). POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) The political environment has an impact on the attractiveness of economic prospects of a particular country or region, also a companys international activities. The decision on whether or on to transact will be influenced by various factors including financial penalties on a company or if unanticipated events in the political arena lead to the loss of income-generating assets. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) The greater the level of involvement in a foreign markets, the greater the need to monitor the political climate of the countries business is conducted. Changes in government often result in changes in policy and attitudes towards foreign business. Bearing in mind that a foreign company operates in a host country at the discretion of the government concerned, the government can either encourage foreign activities by offering attractive opportunities for investment and trade, or discourage its activities by imposing restrictions such as import quotas, etc. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za).Companies should therefore continually adjust their policies accordingly. Nearly all governments today play active roles in their countries economies. Although evident to a greater or lesser extent in most countries, government ownership of economic activities is still prevalent in the former centrally planned economies, as well as in certain developing countries which lack a sufficiently well developed private sector to support a free market system. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) Reflected in a governments attitudes and policies towards business are its ideas about how best to promote national interest in the light of the countrys economic and political resources and objectives. Foreign products and investment seen to be vital to the growth and development of the economy often receive favourable treatment from the government in the form of reduced tax, exemption from quotas, etc. On the other hand, products considered by a government to be non-essential, undesirable, or a threat to local industry are frequently subjected to a variety of import restrictions such as quotas and tariffs. It is also important to be aware of the nature of the relationship between South Africa and the foreign target market. This was a major consideration during South Africas political isolation. Fortunately, South Africas international relations have normalised and today South Africa is viewed very favourably, from a political perspective, by the rest of the world. The political environment is connected to the international business environment through the concept of political risk. Political risk is determined differently for different companies, as not all of them will be equally affected by political changes. Political risk is of a macro nature when politically inspired environmental changes affect all foreign investment. It is of a micro nature when the environmental changes are intended to affect only selected fields of business activity or foreign firms with specific characteristics, (possibly by expropriation). When business is conducted in developing countries, the risks of greatest concern are civil disorder, war and expropriation. When business is conducted in industrialised countries, labour disruptions and price controls are generally seen to pose the greatest threats to a companys profitability. (http://www.exporthelp.co.za) Government Policies As in any other industry, the retail trader has to follow and honour laws and regulations of the host country and central regulations. At some level of the state, the retailer has to pay licence fees, and comply with community health and fire, safety standards, as well as zoning and building codes. At the point of the government and central controls can have a variety from pricing to employee hiring to the insurance of credit (Stewart Abbott. 1993, P. 115). South Africa operates an open market economy often retailers have challenges with compliance with the technical standards, regulatory and conformity assessment regimes are substantial, even when they are transparent. (Koch)(Technical Barriers to trade Barriers Faced by South African SMMES Michael A Peet Steven F Koch) Government regulation comes in many forms, such as tax regulation, labour regulation and regulations concerning the import and export of goods. These regulations have both costs and benefits, which government must balance. Regulation is a broad area that impacts on companies in many different ways. A study conducted and using data gathered from a number of South African Company surveys to investigate how government regulations impact on firms showed the following findings:- Funding, grants and initiatives Sources of funding for Companies or individuals doing business in South Africa are mainly from Commercial Banks. Funding from Bank Loans affords tax efficient benefits where the funds are used for the purpose of trade and in the production of income. The interest paid on the loan is tax deductible, subject to the transfer pricing and thin capitalization provisions. (DTI, 2009) Local borrowing virtually includes all forms of borrowing and financing facilities, e.g. bank loans, overdrafts, facilities and finance leases, credit extended to local suppliers of goods and services, borrowing limits are set on pre-set formula. Types of loans (DTI, 2009) include:- Mortgage Loans: each commercial bank applies its own policies; Unsecured loans: to finance working capital through overdrafts, depending on good standing of the company. Alternatively the banks can require security in the form of personal guarantees by the directors, physical security such as bond over unbounded property, or a cession of the book debts of the company. Discounting and factoring: discounting of e.g. foreign bills, trade bills, bankers acceptances or promissory notes. Corporate Finance: for medium sized companies, tailor made solutions for larger or more complex needs.; Export Finance and Guarantees State Assistance: The state owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) finances the private sector to facilitate commercially sustainable industrial development and innovation to the benefit of South Africa and Southern Africa. Finance is in the form of equity, quasi equity and medium tern loan finance. Interest rates are competitive and risk related and based on the prime bank overdraft rate. T

Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield Essay -- GCSE English Literature Co

Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield David Copperfield was Charles Dickens’s eighth novel, and has been said to be Charles Dickens favorite novel. In the Charles Dickens edition of the novel Dickens states, â€Å"It will be easily believed that I am a fond parent to every child of my fancy, and that no one can ever love that family as dearly as I love them. But, like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favorite child. And his name is David Copperfield†(Valsmis 1). Many of the events of the novel, David Copperfield, have been compared to Charles Dickens own life; therefore many believe the novel to be somewhat autobiographical. John Forster one of Charles Dickens close friends and the author of Dickens biography wrote, â€Å"too much had been assumed†¦of the full identity of Dickens with his hero; but certainly a good deal of Dickens’s character and experience went into the book†(Unknown 2). Forster’s remark deals mainly with some of the publicâ€⠄¢s belief that the entire story of David Copperfield was autobiographical. Charles Dickens began work on David Copperfield after John Forster questioned him about his childhood. E. D. H. Johnson's, Charles Dickens: An Introduction to His Novels, discussed a conversation that John Forster overheard between Charles Dickens’s father and a man, in which; the man claimed that he remembered a young Dickens working in his factory (Johnson 1). Johnson stated, â€Å"Forster's curiosity over this chance discovery moved Dickens to write the fragment of an autobiography which he subsequently entrusted to his friend when he decided to incorporate the substance of his recollections almost verbatim in the Murdstone and Grinby episode of David Copperfield†(Johnson 1). D... ...vid Copperfield. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/engl253-01s02/dickens/publicationrecep.htm Other Sites interesting Sources Hornback, Bert. David Copperfield in Noah's Architecture: A Study of Dickens' Mythology. Athens, OH: Ohio State P, 1972: 63-82. Needham. Gwendolyn B. The Undisciplined Heart of David Copperfield in Nineteenth-Century Fiction 9 (1954): 81-107. [Reprinted in David Copperfield,Norton Critical Edition, Ed. Jerome H. Buckley, New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1990: 794-806.] Nussbaum, Martha C. "Steerforth's Arm: Love and the Moral Point of View" from Love's Knowledge: Essays on Philosophy and Literature (New York: Oxford UP, 1990: 335-363).<o:p></o:p> Stewart, Garrett. "Dickens and Language," in Cambridge Companion to Charles Dickens, Ed. John O. Jordan, New York: Cambridge UP, 2001: 136-151.

Leonardo Fibonacci Essay -- Mathematics Papers

Leonardo Fibonacci Leonardo Fibonacci was one of the great mathematicians of his time. His lifestyle allowed him to travel and study math in various countries, and he ended up combining his cultural knowledge to discover the most effective ways of doing mathematics. He is most famous for his contributions to the European number system and for his sequence of numbers known as the Fibonacci numbers. Starting with 0 and 1 as the first two numbers, each number in the sequence is the sum of the two preceding numbers. He came across these numbers as a solution to a problem that he used as an example in one of his many publications. He was not aware of the importance of his findings at the time. Many uses have been found for these numbers since Leonardo’s death and many mathematicians have used this sequence in their own theories. Leonardo Fibonacci was born in Pisa, Italy in the middle 1170’s. When he was almost twenty, he moved to Bugia, Algeria with his father, Guielmo Bonacci. Bonacci was the secretary of the Republic of Pisa responsible for directing the Pisan trading colony in Bugia. When he brought his son to Algeria, he had Leonardo educated to become a merchant. During his studies in northern Africa, Fibonacci discovered the Hindu-Arabic number system, which he had not been exposed to in Europe. When his father arranged for him to work for the Pisan republic, Leonardo took advantage of his business trips to countries such as Greece, Sicily, Egypt and Provence. He studied the methods of mathematics that were practiced in these various nations. He discovered that the Hindu-Arabic numerals were much more effective and easier to manipulate than the Roman numeral system used in Italy. [i] .. ...997. Newman, James R., The World of Mathematics. Vol. 1, New York: Simon and Schuster, c1956. Peer Reviewed by Melissa Lenzi and Mike Hartman. [i] http://www.lib.virginia.edu/science/parshall/fibonacc.html [ii] Ibid. [iii] http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibBio.html#who [iv] Sanford, p.25 [v] http://www.lib.virginia.edu/science/parshall/fibonacc.html [vi] Ibid [vii] http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibBio.html#who [viii] http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibFormula.html#calcnext [ix] Ibid. [x] Ibid. [xi] Gullberg, p. 287 [xii] http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knot/Fibonacci/lucasNbs.htmll#otherstarts [xiii] Gullberg, p. 288 [xiv] Boyer, p. 287 [xv] http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibpi.html#piandfib [xvi] Newman, p.718

The Last Samurai :: essays research papers

My Place of Refuge For a number of people visiting places of significance can be the channel for changing one’s point of view on life, recharging one’s emotional battery, or growing closer to one’s family and friends. These favorite places could have characteristics such as captivating beauty, sentimental value or a refuge of serenity. My favorite place where I find refuge is at Pomme De Terre Lake near Bolivar, Missouri. This is where I find a connection with my family and friends. The lake is a place to reflect on times spent growing up and now a place to make new memories with my family and friends. A place to find refuge from normal day-to-day life and take in the beauty of such a splendid area that God created. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The smells surround me in an irresistible craving for the lake. A. The smell of the dew in the morning B. Smells of the campfires C. Waking up by the aroma of the bacon frying. 2. As I think of the aroma of the bacon frying it brings my to the sensational tastes created at the lake. A. The flavor of the bacon in your mouth. B. I take delight in the taste of the smoked turkey on July 4. C. The taste of a cold beer while spending a hot day on the lake or enjoying a late night game of cards. 3. The magnificent sights created at the lake. A. Blazing orange and red colors created by the flames of the campfire. B. The marvelous scene of an evening sunset. C. The view of our family enjoying time together at the lake. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The sounds of the lake create a refuge from the normal day-to-day life. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The voices of my family talking and laughing B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The roaring of the engines of the boats racing up and down the water. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While laying in the tent taking in the peaceful sounds of the night 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The lake makes me feel such an enjoyment. A. The feel of the salmon ski under my feet B. The control I feel while in the driver’s seat of the boat C. The feel of the dew under my feet People need to find a place that can cause a renewing to their body and their inner self. People need time to create significant memories with their family and friends. They need a place to reflect back on the beauty of our magnificent world that God created. We all need to find a way to recharge our emotional battery and grow closer to the ones we love.

Irish Nationalism

Irish Nationalism: The Fight for Self-Government Since the late twentieth century, Ireland has been subject to varying types of English rule. There has been much debate on the degree of English rule in Ireland, but the call for a united Ireland was very popular among many Irishmen. Nationalistic feelings in Ireland saw a steady growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century with many different movements looking to achieve Irish self-government. These nationalistic movements can be categorized into three groups: constitutional, revolutionary, and cultural nationalism.Whether by politics, violence, or education, Irish nationalistic groups each had their own ideas on how to achieve independence from English rule. Each group had its strengths, as well as its weaknesses that contributed to the overall success of the nationalistic movements. Constitutional nationalism, which encompassed nationalism through political forces, mainly involved the vision of Home Rule. Home Rule was the idea of having an Irish parliament to control domestic matters while Britain controlled external Irish affairs. The face for the Home Rule movement was Charles Stewart Parnell, a political leader and Irish landlord.Parnell is most commonly known as the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party. He turned the Home Rule movement into a major political force dominating legislation, and proving it to be a vast encompassing party by gaining the widest possible support. Parnell was deemed the â€Å"Uncrowned King of Ireland†, possessing enormous political skills leading him to be extremely successful in the field of practical politics. However, political scandals led his leadership to be called into question and put his whole political career on the line.Charles Parnell’s skills led him to many accomplishments in politics. Parnell was elected president of the Irish National Land League in 1879 which campaigned for land reform, including the reduction of tenants ' rents during a time of economic disaster. He not only raised an enormous amount of funding for famine relief during a trip to America, but Parnell also used his position as president to gain the support of tenant farmers in his fight for Home Rule. The support that came from the Land Movement and its mass appeal aided Parnell in bringing the Home Rule party under the wing of the movement.One of Parnell’s greatest accomplishments was the conversion of William Gladstone and the Liberals to Home Rule. During the election of 1885 the Conservative party used Parnell in order to gain an electoral advantage. This tactic succeeded giving them the majority of seats in Parliament and ultimately leading to the Liberals under Gladstone coming to power with Home Rule party. Although Parnell enjoyed great success as the leader of the Home Rule party and as a notable force in the fight for domestic Irish self-government, his weaknesses limited the extent to which his political skills coul d carry him.Parnell accomplished a great amount in the fight for Home Rule, but ultimately he failed to achieve it. The reason he was unsuccessful was due to his greatest weakness, the scandal with Katherine O’Shea. During the time Parnell was elected leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party he began a relationship with Katherine O’Shea, wife of Captain William O’Shea. His fall from power occurred when Captain O’Shea filed for a divorce naming Parnell as the guilty party. â€Å"It was therefore Captain O’Shea and the divorce case which brought down Parnell†[1].Although many leading politicians had known about Parnell and O’Shea’s affair for some time, it was when Parnell did not challenge Captain O’Shea’s allegations that shocked the public. This caused Parnell to be revealed as an adulterer and discredited him as a leader. Gladstone was forced to distance himself from Parnell due to the fact that the Liberals had no chance of winning the next election with ties to Parnell. Without the support of Gladstone, Home Rule was not a possibility. In the end, Parnell’s strengths were his greatest weaknesses.His pride and iron will kept him from contesting Captain O’Shea’s allegations allowing O’Shea’s side of the story to go unchallenged and ultimately leading to Parnell's fall from power. Constitutional nationalists such as Charles Parnell used politics in pursuing Irish self-government. The strength of this method is that it delivers concrete results. Although Parnell was not able to achieve Home Rule himself he was able to gain support for the party, leading the way for John Redmond to get the third Home Rule Bill passed by the House of Commons.Before this time, no success of this magnitude had ever been achieved in the fight for Irish independence. The weakness of constitutional nationalism is that it is a time consuming method. It took two initial Home Rule Bil ls to be rejected, the first of which being introduced in 1886, until the third was passed in 1914. Parnell dedicated his political career to the pursuit of Home Rule and was not able to see it passed before his death. Even when the third Home Rule Bill was passed, the process of it becoming a law was suspended pending the end of World War I.Constitutional nationalism is successful in that it delivers results in the fight for Irish self-government; however, the process is long and grueling. Revolutionary nationalism was a more forceful, rebellious method in pursuing Irish self-government. Revolutionary nationalists were not afraid to use violence including assassinations, bombings, and even uprisings. The most popular uprising in the struggle for Irish independence was the Easter Rising, which took place shortly after Britain’s entrance into World War I. The main group involved in this revolutionary nationalistic movement was the Irish Republican Brotherhood.The Irish Republi can Brotherhood, or I. R. B. , devised a rebellion to overthrow Britain’s government in Dublin following the time tested dictum that England’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity. While Britain had surely forgotten about Ireland and Home Rule, focusing its attention mainly on the war, the I. R. B. used it as an opportunity to rebel. Patrick Pearse, a key leader in the rising, chose Easter for the uprising for its biblical connotations of sacrifice and resurrection; he saw the rising as a ‘blood sacrifice’.The rebels hoped to take control of Dublin as well as initiate riots in order to start a revolt, in turn removing English rule. However, the rising was a military disaster. On top of many of the rebel’s plans being disrupted by the British, poor organization also led to an unsuccessful rebellion. Upon capture many of the rebels were condemned to execution including James Connolly, who was carried to a firing squad tied to a chair due to an i njury sustained during the rising.The nature of these executions led to anger among many Irishmen and turned the rebels into martyrs. The rising led to control of Irish politics shifting from the Irish Nationalist Party to the recently I. R. B. infiltrated Sinn Fein. This shift led the way for constitutional nationalists to push for a challenge to Britain’s control of Ireland. Revolutionary nationalists took a more direct approach in the fight for Irish self-government. Rebellions, such as the Easter Rising, sought to overthrow government in a revolution without political involvement.This approach is strong in that it is has been successful in the past, as seen by the American and French revolutionary wars. A revolutionary approach can shift power almost instantly rather than going through years of political negotiations. However, when unsuccessful, revolutions end in meaningless bloodshed. The Easter Rising at first seemed to be a failure, resulting in the deaths of many Iri shmen for no reason. Instead, Britain’s reaction resulted in the rebels becoming martyrs, and the British losing the hearts of the Irish people.Although the Easter Rising resulted in the deaths of many Irishmen, it also opened the door for constitutional nationalists to take control of parliament in the 1918 general election and for revolutionary nationalists to initiate the Anglo-Irish war. While constitutional nationalists focused on politics and revolutionary nationalists focused on rebellions, cultural nationalists focused on the revival of Gaelic culture and language. Just as constitutional and revolutionary nationalism was important in the fight for Irish self-government, so was cultural nationalism.It helped to foster a spirit of earnest nationality, invoking feelings of patriotism in young Irishmen. The Gaelic Athletic Association was established to do just this. Founded in 1884, the Gaelic Athletic Association aimed to establish an independent Irish organization dedi cated to promoting athletics as well as preserving Irish nationalism. The Gaelic Athletics Association not only encouraged education about Gaelic language and culture, but was also formed as an anti-British group closely associated with the Irish nationalistic cause.This association caused the GAA to get caught up in the troubled politics of the early twentieth century. In 1920 British soldiers interrupted a football match in Dublin firing shots into the crowd and onto the field killing fourteen people. This was a response to political violence that had occurred in Dublin earlier that day. This event came to be known as Bloody Sunday. However, the Gaelic Athletics Association was a non-violent one that was subject to the repercussions of being associated the nationalistic cause. The GAA is claimed to have been founded by the I. R.B. with the goal of getting Irish youth involved with an organization in order to form a physical power capable of pressuring the Home Rule party of the fu ture. Although the association had no violent or political intentions, it provided the depth that the Home Rule party needed in order to secure an independent, self-governing Ireland. Cultural nationalists were strong in that they united Irishmen in the fight for Irish nationalism. Cultural nationalists promoted camaraderie through athletics and focused on a revival of nationalistic feelings as well as Gaelic culture.They provided a unity of Irish people that was necessary to the success of a self-governing Ireland. However, cultural nationalists did not provide any concrete results in the pursuit of Irish independence. They brought together the Irish people but only to the extent that they were prepared to join a constitutional or revolutionary force. Nationalistic feelings were high in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Many nationalistic movements that existed sought to set up Irish self-government in one form or another.These movements were constitutional, revoluti onary, or cultural nationalistic groups. Each group possessed both strengths and weaknesses. Constitutional nationalists succeeded in political battles relating to domestic rule. However, their means were often time consuming and presented results that were not very certain. Revolutionary nationalists, on the other hand, were able to change the tides of the Anglo-Irish governmental struggle almost instantly. The bloodbath that resulted in their physical force, however, was the weakness of their methods.Finally, cultural nationalists were able to unite Irishmen in the fight for self-government promoting nationalistic feelings. Unfortunately, they provided no real means of progressing Irish nationalism in the fight for self-government. Constitutional nationalism had the most impact with the Home Rule party as well as the Dail Eireann (Assembly of Ireland) which helped to establish a treaty following the Anglo-Irish war in order to establish the Irish Free State. However, without the p hysical presence to back up the political force, Irish self-government would not have been possible.As Eamon de Valera stated, the way to Irish independence was â€Å"first battling England with votes, and if that failed, with rifles. †[2] All in all, each form of Irish nationalism contributed in some way to lead Ireland into a self-governing country. Bibliography [1] â€Å"PARNELL AND KITTY O'SHEA. † PARNELL AND KITTY O'SHEA. Web. 05 May 2012. . [2] â€Å"Troubled Ireland – Anglo-Irish War. † Troubled Ireland – Anglo-Irish War. Web. 05 May 2012. . [3] Hachey, Thomas E and McCaffrey, Lawrence J. The Irish Experience Since 1800: A Concise History. Armonk, N. Y: M. E. Sharpe, 2010. Print. ———————– [1] [1] [2] [2]

Laissez Faire Leadership Essay

Managers and supervisors who adopt the laissez-faire leadership style delegate responsibility for the accomplishment of work objectives and decision-making power to their employees. For example, a CEO of a large, new-car dealership may allow departments — such as NEW CAR SALES, used car sales and service — to operate on their own without his direct supervision. In this case, the CEO sets expectations for the departments’ operations, revenues and costs and provides the needed resources to accomplish particular business objectives. However, the department managers and employees determine how they will achieve the objectives. Implementation of Laissez-faire Leadership This laissez-faire system works best in groups of experienced, educated and highly skilled employees such as staff specialists or consultants who are accustomed to working in team environments. In our example of the car dealership, the NEW CAR SALES, used car sales and service department teams each possess specific skills and have received specialized training. So each team may work best when it establishes its own work schedules, works independently and makes decisions as a group, rather than at the direction of its CEO. In this example, laissez-faire leadership is especially effective because many department problems are well defined, a course of action is frequently predetermined, resources are readily available and limited CEO interaction is required for the team to work effectively. Advantages of Laissez-faire Leadership â€Å"Hands-off† leadership allows each team’s skilled members to brainstorm to identify appropriate solutions to problems and implement these decisions rapidly. As a result, the business avoids the cost involved in some meetings, such as the opportunity cost of not completing other tasks, missed sales calls and lost customer face time. Laissez-faire leadership works well in a creative environment where employees are free to implement innovative solutions. In our example, the sales team works with the finance department to identify creative financing options for potential buyers. The service department, meanwhile, employs up-to-date technology and mechanics skilled in contemporary engines.

Cooked Essay

In the movie named The Smell of Coriander, I find a touching story about a man who realizes his profound redemption from the punishment. Waking up early, having a heartily prepared meal, dressing up and being picked up to the company by a private driver is the beginning of a normal working day of Thanh who is a successful middle aged investor in real estate and stock market in Viet Nam. He is also the CEO of the trading center naming Sky. Many people look at his successes and his happy family with the jealousness. But behind his current clean, perfect profile is an ashamed background in which he appears as a true, heartless betrayer.Thanh was a talented, handsome man in a small village besides a mildly flowing river. His superficial youth led him to the pregnancy of Hoa, his girlfriend. They were really in love with each other, and they were planning for a wedding by themselves. A month after the pregnancy of Hoa, Thanh was accepted to an illustrious university. He was a smart and am bitious man, so he wanted to follow the call of a promising life which would change his life totally if he took the chance. Obviously his girlfriend became a burden for his own career.Thanh knew that she would not let him go unless he would take her with him. He decided to leave Hoa in secret and pursued his dream. When Hoa realized that his boyfriend has left, she was drastically shocked, but she still wanted to keep the child. As a part of Asian culture, having a child without the husband is a considerable shame for a family, so Thanh left her family and born the child in a motel; then, she gave him to a poor family in another village. She could not admit the truth that his boyfriend had left her, so she committed a suicide in the hopelessness and the severe hurt.After graduating from the university, Thanh got married with a wealthy and powerful woman and began his own career, while his forlorn son, Huy, tried to overcome every single complication to go to school and to survive. H uy was as smart as his father. He always appeared as an outstanding student at school, so he got a scholarship to study business in a university. Ironically, that scholarship was sponsored by his unknown father’s corporation. Huy somehow knew about his mother’s death and his betraying father from the poor family in which he was adopted.He grows the revenge toward his father. He swore that he will destroy his father’s current successes and be a big man in his father’s fields. Thanh kept moving on in his profession without the redemption of the past; he even did not care if he had a child. With him, money was everything. While he thought that nobody could stop him in controlling the market, a small company was established and tried to contract a project that the Sky of Thanh was also aiming at. The manager of the small company was Huy, he won the project from his crafty father.Since then, thing began to change, Sky fell down in the market and Thanh lost his CEO position and his pride when the press discovered his past. His wife divorced him. He finally found himself and his own redemption when he lost everything. He lived by himself and thought of what he had done. He realized that he was totally controlled by money. He had never had the feeling of peace since he knew about the death of his death’s girlfriend. Two year later, Huy came and let his father know that he would forgive his past. Thanh finally felt he was back to his life with a recovered heart.Similarly, Jeff Henderson in Cooked falls from the most insane richness into the prison to find out the redemption. The cause of JH’s Fall are the concupiscence, misguided success, and denial. However, the Fall is the beginning of a powerful recovery and redemption. His amazing adventure from the forgettable past is inspired by the imprisonment, the will to study and the resolution of to renew his own life. Concupiscence is one of the causes of JH’s Fall. Accordin g to McMahon’s blog Breakthrough Write, concupiscence is defined as the search for happiness based on gratifying pleasure and ego without a moral compass.Slowly going over JH’s life, we can easily symbolize him as the man of concupiscence. First, he gives himself a very reasonable, magnanimous ground which defends that he is pulling his family out of the poverty. Then, things begin to change when he has made so much easy money. With him, money never has the definition of adequateness. JH admits â€Å"he had eights car, each one worth more than $30,000, and it still wasn’t enough† (64). Crack dealing in Hard Head’s eyes is not illegal. He considers himself as a â€Å"businessman† while his job is killing hundreds of people consuming his drug.His so called â€Å"business† brings him a lot of money quickly enough for his awareness of value and labor to disappear. We need to make it clear between the self interest and the concupiscence in JH. More exactly, the positive self interest no longer exists in this man. The concupiscence controls JH in every step he makes when he is an immoral crack dealer. JH tries to satisfy his appetites in many unreasonably spending situations; in fact, his irrational expenditure just makes his demand of money go higher. It also means he is willing to trade more in his crazy so called business.He is a talented man in his business. Unfortunately, he easily lets himself follow the flow of the concupiscence, and the result of his irresponsible acts is the out of control life. Besides the concupiscence, misguided success is also the reason that partly creates the Fall of JH. When he is a little Hard Head he has been taught how to steal by his grandfather (Henderson 13). And one more time, he categorizes his grandfather’s stealing into the knightly acts. He says that â€Å"his grandfather was kind of like Robin Hood† (15).He slowly masters the stealing skills which he complimen ts about it as a proud achievement. We feel sorry for him because he is so deficient in the care of family although he still has father and mother. In fact, he has never lives in the really happy and safe childhood which every kid needs to have. T Row can be considered as the most influential element in forming JH’s characteristics and personality. T has the PhDs in game and he is extremely admired by JH. T is the replacement figure of JH’s ideal father with the weird ridiculous â€Å"homie love†.Like father like son, JH finally graduates from the â€Å"crack dealing institution† of T Row when T is sent to prison. In the book named Freakonomics, the economists discovering the hidden side of facts make a stunning conclusion that drug dealers still live with their moms! (Levitt and Dubner 103). According to their calculation, the foot soldiers like JH earn just $3. 30 an hour, less than the minimum wage (Levitt and Dubner 103). That is the reason why JH wan ts to go his own way. JH desires to become a new professor in the game that T Row is playing which means he will keep moving forward in his criminal activities.Educational misdirection leads Hard Head to the most serious Fall in his life, but he refuse to accept the truth that he is falling down from his insane wealth. He builds himself a thick, stable, undestroyable wall to protect his foolish criminal pride from the warning of his sister Cali Sim and family. He is absolutely insane about his success and tries to exaggerate its value by showing he is not about violence, taking drug or hanging out with gang bangers. He denies the fact that his drug dealing is extreme harmful and mortal.In practice, the victims of his business can be abandoned and addicted babies, neglected children, strung-out fathers, battered mothers, or an addicted young man in a car accident†¦ JH might not know that ninety percent of sentenced crack dealing cases in federal level are black, and he will be o ne of them (Brown). There is no doubt that JH is living in the illusion of insanity which means he is convinced that there is no truth and he is absolutely â€Å"untouchable†. He denies the wakening of his conscience because he is so under the spell of his virtual success and wealth.Being imprisoned is the best way to stop Jeff Henderson’s Fall. This Hard Head is like a bungee guy who has just jumped out of a bridge. He closes his eyes and enjoys the excitement of a free drop. He will never know where the stopping point is if his face is not slapped by the cool, pure and fresh surface of the river. The imprisonment plays a role as this river. It wakes JH up, holds his head and shakes it up. At last, he realizes that he has reached the bottom. Like a bungee jump, the end of the Fall is the beginning of a recovery. In prison, JH experience many unique things which essentially turn him into a new man.He finally knows that he is also vulnerable and helpless when he is stri ped in front of Fed officers (76). The feelings of weakness and lonesome make him keep praying to Jesus. We cannot imagine that Hard Head will cry in hopeless and regret. Crying will not help him out of the detention room, but crying shows us that there is something which stays deep inside this man’s soul is trying to pull him back with the real life. He painfully realizes how toxic his job was when he unintentionally witnesses a prisoner is dying because of a balloon of heroin (115). The fear of himself and his mortal job is rising day by day.The man with the PhD in the game now fully learns the most basic lesson: how far people would go to get high (Henderson 115). His philosophy of life changes to Nihilism which indicates a life without purposes, meaning and intrinsic value. This can be the most dangerous thing for his return because a man living in Nihilism is not different from a man without a soul and mind. It directly ruins his owns life and put a huge bold period for everything. But as we mentioned earlier, JH has PhD in the game, and when he truly finishes the course he is going to come back. Being imprisoned has recalled in JH the will of study.The hurting nineteen and half years punishment turns Anderson in to a totally new man. He learns how to read and to listen. He loses the passion for marriage and love. Instead, he concentrates on cooking; he wants to be a chef. He finally finds the passion which deserves to be pursued. Struggling with a dangerous life in prison helps JH horn his skill in confronting the problems. He is willing to work at the lowest position such as pot and pan room (Henderson 132) to get a change of promotion (Henderson 132). He built up for himself a strong endurance which supports him a lot in winning the popularity in prison and even after being released.He reads more; sometimes, he wondering if the black is dominated by the white. This thought never has a bad influence on him; in fact, it pushes him to study harder, to earn the respects from the people in his life. A determined goal and a resolution to be successful make JH stronger than ever. After the years renewing and training in prison, the fear still follows him like a ghost. His fear is undetermined; he calls it the â€Å"unknown† (Henderson 176). We might wonder if this Hard Head will return to his familiar path of his forgettable past, but we have to admit that his mind is refreshed and his skill day by day becomes more perfect.He is the person who truly knows the real value of cooking. In his point of view, cooking is not only an occupation but also the art of making food and the passion of facing new challenges. In the Cooked, there are at least four times JH move to a new location to pursue his cooking career. His efforts are paid by the prize Las Vegas Buffet Chef of the Year (Henderson 254). In that touching moment, nobody sees in him the figure of the past crack dealer but an impressive returning of a guilty soul.When a d oor is closed, there is always another door open. With JH, the door of the prison is closed behind him, and now he is opening the door which leads him to the world of the most famous chefs. JH would never have the feeling of real success and complete recovery if he had not been stopped by the Fed. His Fall is the result of concupiscence, the misguided success and the denial. Luckily, his life is saved by the imprisonment, his will of study and the resolution of renewing his life. It does not matter if we are black or white.We always have a chance to make a turning point for our life because â€Å"nobody pulled a gun on you to make you commit the crime; you made the choice† (Henderson 171). Works Cited Brown, Joseph H. â€Å"A pointless lament for crack dealer. † Headway 9. 10 (1997) Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. El Camino Coll Lib. , Torrance, CA. 22 Sep, 2009. Henderson, Jeff. Cooked. New York Times Bestseller, 2007. Levitt, Steven and Dubner, Stephen. Freakonomics. New York Times Bestseller, 2005. McMahon, Jeff. â€Å"1A Lesson #1 for Cooked†. Herculodge. typepad. com. July, 2009. El Camino Coll Lib. , Torrance, CA. 22 Sep, 2009.