100 Must-Read Books from the 90s

100 Must-Read Books from the 90s Bring out your turtlenecks and combat boots, and join us in reading our way down  the 1990s! (If you, like me, are a 90s kid, you can pick a book from this list to tick off an item on our Read Harder Challenge 2016.) Some notes: I have tried to avoid series like Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire, YA like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and novels like Fight Club and Infinite Jest: these are books that readers everywhere already know about; weve either already read them and watched the TV/movie adaptations, or never plan to. This is not to say that Rowling and Chuck Palahniuks contributions to the literature of the 90s is not valuable, but so as to leave space for other brilliant works from the decadeto discover something new.  I have also avoided the repetition of authors. Since this list is not genre-specific, I have tried to tag each  book with the shortest possible description after listing it: an indication to its genre, and whether it is fiction or non-fiction; a novel, play, or short story collection. Poetry anthologies and comics are listed separately. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (novel, historical  literary fiction) A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer (YA novel, historical fiction) Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner (Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play) Art by Yasmina Reza (Tony Award-winning play) A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (novel, historical literary fiction) Bag of Bones by Stephen King (novel, fiction, horror) Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson (novel, historical fiction) Birds of America by Lorrie Moore (short story collection, literary fiction) Blindness by José Saramago (novel, dystopian science fiction) Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat (novel, historical fiction) Charming Billy by Alice McDermott (novel, contemporary fiction) City of Djinns by William Darymple (travelogue/novel set in Delhi, India) Cuckold by Kiran Nagarkar (novel, historical fiction) Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami (translated to English by Alfred Birnbaum in 1994; novel, fiction, magic realism) Dangerous Angels (Weetzie Bat #1-5) by Francesca Lia Block (YA fantasy fiction, magic realism) Delhi by Khushwant Singh (novel, contemporary fiction) Difficult Daughters by Manju Kapur (novel, literary fiction) Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama (non-fiction, memoir) Drown by Junot Díaz (short story collection, fiction) Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture by Douglas Coupland (novel, contemporary fiction) Ghostwritten by David Mitchell (novel, contemporary/literary fiction) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (novel, fantasy fiction) High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (novel, contemporary fiction) Holes by Louis Sachar (YA novel, Newberry Award-winner) Imaginary Homelands by Salman Rushdie (collection of essays) In an Antique Land by Amitav Ghosh (a narrative ethnography) Indian Ink by Tom Stoppard (play, themes of art and culture) Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (short story collection, Pulitzer Prize-winner) Jazz by Toni Morrison (novel, historical fiction) Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz (novel, fiction, horror) My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk (novel, historical fiction) My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki (novel, contemporary fiction) Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (YA novel, fantasy fiction) Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez (novel, fiction, magic realism) On Love by Alain de Botton (novel, fiction, romance) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (novel, speculative fiction/historical romance) Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (novel, childrens fiction/YA) Possession by A. S. Byatt (novel, historiographic metafiction) Pulp by Charles Bukowski (novel, detective fiction) Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas (YA novel) Sabriel by Garth Nix (YA novel, fantasy) Scenes from a Writers Life by Ruskin Bond (memoir) Skellig by David Almond (novel, childrens fiction, magic realism) Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor (novel, childrens fiction/YA) So Far From God by Ana Castillo (novel, feminist/fantasy fiction) The Bad Beginning  (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket (novel, childrens fiction, absurdist/mystery) The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (novel, historical/contemporary fiction) The Giver by Lois Lowry (YA novel, utpoian/dystopian) The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (novel, historical/literary fiction) The Haunted Land: Facing Europes Ghosts After Communism by Tina Rosenberg (non-fiction, European History) The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin (novella, high fantasy fiction) The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead (novel, speculative fiction) The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie (short story collection, fantasy fiction) The Magicians Assistant by Ann Patchett (novel, literary fiction) The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (novel, mystery/detective fiction) The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (novel, literary fiction) The Secret History by Donna Tartt (novel, fiction, inverted detective story) The Sparrow by  Mary Doria Russell (novel, science fiction) The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (YA novel, fantasy/adventure) The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro (novel, contemporary fiction) The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler (play, feminist non-fiction) Three Tall Women by Edward Albee (Pulitzer Prize-winning play, fiction) Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters (novel, fiction, historical romance) Trying to Grow by Firdaus Kanga (novel, fiction) Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (YA novel, fiction) White Teeth by Zadie Smith (novel, literary fiction) Wise Children by Angela Carter (novel, fiction, magic realism) Wit by Margaret Edson (Pulitzer Prize-winning play, themes of mortality and human relationships) Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros (poetic short story collection) . POETRY ANTHOLOGIES Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe  (edited by Miguel Algarín and Bob Holman) An Atlas of the Difficult World by Adrienne Rich Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes Falling Up by Shel Silverstein First Four Books of Poems by  Louise Gluck Jimmy and Rita by Kim Addonizio Love Poems by Nikki Giovani New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver She by Saul Williams The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes . COMICS Astro City, Vol. 1: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek, art by Brent Anderson Bone, Vol. 1: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith Basara Vol. 1 by Yami Tamura Black Panther  #1 by Christopher J. Priest, art by  Joe Quesada, Mark Texeira Card Captor Sakura, Vol. 1 by CLAMP Complete Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel Doom Patrol, #64 to 87 by Rachel Pollack Ghost World by Daniel Clowes Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 1 by Nobuhiro Watsuki Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman Monster, Vol. 1:  Herr Dr. Tenma by Naoki Urasawa Palestine  #1-2 by Joe Sacco Preacher, Vol. 1: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis, art by Steve Dillon Sailor Moon, #1 by Naoko Takeuchi Supergirl by  Peter David, art by  Gary Frank, Cam Smith, Karl Story, Terry Dodson The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson The Complete Strangers in Paradise, Vol. 1 by Terry Moore The Infinity Gauntlet by Jim Starlin, art by  George Pérez, Ron Lim The Flash: Born to Run by Mark Waid, art by  Tom Peyer, Greg LaRocque, Jim Aparo, Pop Mhan The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore, art by  Kevin ONeill The Sandman, Vol: 1: Brief Lives  by Neil Gaiman, art by Jill Thompson, Vince Locke

Is Topgrading A Hiring Method For Identifying Candidates...

Topgrading is a hiring method for identifying candidates who qualify and are most likely to succeed in the organization and avoid the disastrous mis-hire. Through the use of the Topgrading interview hiring managers will be able to identify the â€Å"A Players† who are interviewing for the job based on the various steps in the process. According to the book â€Å"Topgrading techniques for hiring, promoting, assessing, and coaching people have enabled hundreds of companies to achieve 75% and even 90%+ success picking not ok performers but rather true high performers†(Smart). Before the Topgrading interviews even begin there are a few key steps that need to be taken to weed out the â€Å"C Players† from the â€Å"A Players.† One of these steps is the threat of the TORC (Threat of Reference Check), this informs candidates that at every step of the interview process that they will need to provide the company with references, such as former bosses and supervisors. Using the TORC scares away the â€Å"C Players,† because if they are just an average employee there former supervisors will not be willing to talk with the interviewer, and â€Å"A Players† will be extremely willing to give these references, because they are confident that their former bosses will talk highly of them. Measuring the baseline of your organization will all the company to calculate the percentage of successful employees you have hired and the percent of mis-hires the organization has hired. This will allow the organization to evaluate

Modernism, Modernity and Modernisation Urban Growth in...

â€Å"Through migrants, expatriates, exhibitions and publications, Australia first came into contact with Modernism in the mid-1910s. The modernist movement in Australia was at it’s most influential for over five decades, including global wars, economic depression, technological advances and massive social change. (http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/modernism) This article, however, will be focusing on Australia’s development of Modernity, Modernisation and Modernism between the inter-war period of 1919 to 1939. With an ever expanding city, Melbourne designers and architects took advantage of new technologies and advancements in the production of steel and glass which opened up endless possibilities for space and light,†¦show more content†¦Modernisation allowed for new trends and styles to be created that no longer payed such homage to the past and tradition, but rather moved forward in obvious progress and difference. This is one of Edgar Kaufmann Jr.’s design principals from his catalogue titled ‘What is Modern Design’, that principal being Modern design should express the spirit of our times. (Kaufmann, 1950) We can view this evolution in architecture because of new materials, technologies and ideals becoming available, new methods and possibilities were also opened up. Again, one of Kaufmann’s design principals is used in relation to the new advancements: Modern design should take advantage of new materials and techniques and develop familiar one. (Kaufmann, 1950) During the interwar period in Australia the use of new materials and technology allowed changes to occur within the architectural world. Industrial production became an integral part of modern society and ‘a new relationship was forged between man and machine’ (Singingman, 2010). Modernism and the belief that architecture could provide a new better way of living through new technologies methods and materials gave architects the chance to take big steps forward inShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagessubject. This is not the case with the present book. This is a book that deserves to achieve a wide readership. Professor Stephen Ackroyd, Lancaster University, UK This new textbook usefully situates organization theory within the scholarly debates on modernism and postmodernism, and provides an advanced introduction to the heterogeneous study of organizations, including chapters on phenomenology, critical theory and psychoanalysis. Like all good textbooks, the book is accessible, well researched and readers

I am Dina Maqdadi and I am not your traditional student Free Essays

I am Dina Maqdadi, an eager student with hopes of being accepted in a law school, a mother to a fifteen month old boy and currently undergoing a high risk pregnancy due on the first of January. As of now, I am in one of the most uncomfortable situations a student could be in: The dilemma of being a young mother. I am also in one of the most challenging scenarios a mother could be in: The challenge of being a single parent. We will write a custom essay sample on I am Dina Maqdadi and I am not your traditional student or any similar topic only for you Order Now Being a single mother is truly a brave task set for me especially because I have many goals in life. I must learn to set aside personal interests. I must learn to be responsible for my welfare and be even more responsible for the welfare of others, my children. I have learned these things. I have learned to look at things positively and I have learned to do everything to make my goals attainable. I am a real estate agent with backgrounds in engineering and real estate. I have been exposed to different people with different stories. I have learned that though I am already a mother, I should not let my hopes die. Thus, I have made a decision to study law particularly intellectual property law. I am a mother and I should be good at making the right decisions for the good of my children. They serve as my inspiration to fulfill these dreams because by doing such, I am not only securing a bright future for myself but also of my children. As new opportunities decrease due to the high qualifications, it is hard for me, a single parent, to provide the necessities of my children. It is in this light that I request that you consider my admission to your law school to be competent in today’s world. By letting me study in your law school, you open to me a future that I can shape. I am not saying these for you to take pity on me I sat these because it is the truth. By accepting me, you have not only made a difference in my life but also to my children as well. By considering me as a student you will help me and my children make our dreams into realities. Thank you and Godbless How to cite I am Dina Maqdadi and I am not your traditional student, Papers

Research Paper †Sex Education in Public Schools free essay sample

Research Paper – Sex Education in Public Schools It’s been a number of days since I’ve written here, and for that I have to answer that there have been a number of projects under works that I’ve had to tend to. For now, I will take the time to show you a research paper I’ve spent most of the day writing for my Comp I class. Sex Education in Public Schools Sex education in public schools here in the United States has, for at least the past decade, supported and utilized abstinence-only sex education programs to be taught throughout both intermediate schools and high schools. Though during the entire time that abstinence-only programs have been used, there has been a constant debate among both parents and educational authorities how to approach a better way of conducting sex education. The question has risen of whether or not abstinence-only programs actually aid the decrease of teen pregnancy, prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, or are giving children the education that their own parents would have wanted them to have on the subject matter. Comprehensive sex education seems, after evidence presented, to be the more effective method in aiding these issues. First, the issue of whether sex education should even be taught in schools. During a recent poll, results showed that only about 7% of Americans do not want sex education being taught in schools at all, while the other majority percentage clearly stated that they believe at least some information about sex education should be taught in schools (aâ‚ ¬? Sex Education in Americaaâ‚ ¬? ). Many have asked the question, or made the implication, however, that perhaps sex should not be talked about in public school, but only at homes with the children and their parents. Another ironic point also shows that most parents are uncomfortable talking to their children about sex and sexuality. Personal experiences are documented in a number of places in regards to the experiences of both the children and the parents feeling uncomfortable when the subject of sex is discussed. Still, many also say that even through both the discomfort in the discussions, as well as the education that is received in schools, parents take on a large role in helping to solve the future generations and their involvement with societyaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sex education problems. Ellen Goodman of The Boston Globe writes on parents: For a long time, parents of teenagers have been cast as the beleaguered, hapless characters whose voices are barely heard and rarely respected in a cacophony of peers, pop culture, and body piercers. Mothers and fathers, we are told, are road kill on the way to adulthood. [. . . ] But the study went through all the research on the role parents play in the teenagersaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ lives and what impact they have on their childrenaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sexual activity. It turns out that parents are a remarkably effective antipregnancy program. The greater the closeness of parent and child, the lower the pregnancy rate. (18) Given this information, it would make sense to infer that the more information the populace is given in regards to sex, and especially in parents to give to their children, the better off the children will be in their sexual health. Teen pregnancy rates in the United States exceed rates in nearly all other industrialized nations, aâ‚ ¬? The U. S. still leads the fully industrialized world in teen pregnancy and birth rates aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" by a wide margin. In fact, the U. S. rates nearly double Great Britainaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, at least four times those of France and Germany, and more than ten times that of Japanaâ‚ ¬? (Espejo 80). This being said, there is an ongoing slew of research which points to both a change of mindset to something more prominent of what was seen in the past, as well as more information being given to teens to be prepared for making intelligent decisions. Maggie Gallagher writes in The Age of Unwed Mothers: The teen pregnancy problem in our society is inseparable from a much larger marriage problem. Changing adult ideas about marriage and its relationship to procreation have directly guided the entire cluster of trends in teen behavior aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" including rising rates of unmarried sex, weak motivation to use contraceptives, rising ages of marriage, and sharp declines in both legitimation and adoption aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" that we currently describe, somewhat misleadingly, as our crisis of teen pregnancy. (91) Teen pregnancy rates have seen both falls and climbs in the past number of decades, and much of the time it has been difficult to pinpoint the cause of these rate changes. When the pregnancy rate decreases, both sides of the argument often take credit, one side saying that it was because of a lack of abstinence-only sex education, another side saying it was because of a reinforcement or fulfillment in abstinence-only sex education. In the Introduction to the Opposing Viewpoints seriesaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Teen Sexuality: Defenders of traditional sex education programs point to these statistics and argue that Congressaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s proposed changes to sex education are unnecessary. However, a second study by another Michael Resnick of the University of Minnesota provides another explanation for the drop in teen sexual activity. According to Resnick, parents who spend time with their children and make their values clear are more likely to have children who forgo sex, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and violence. aâ‚ ¬? Itaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more than the physical presence of parents, the number of hours a day theyaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re in the home,aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Resnick contends. aâ‚ ¬? Its their emotional availability. â‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (13-14) The more information and supportive relationships from the important authoritative figures in teensaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ lives will allow them to make more beneficial decisions in regards to sex teen pregnancy. Perhaps one of the largest concerns in teen sexual activity and what method of sex education would be best in preventing it, is that of sexually transmitted diseases, or aâ‚ ¬? STDaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Abstinence-o nly programs usually do not give out free condoms in addition to their teachings, as many often view this as contradictory. Through a number of studies it was said, aâ‚ ¬? The big change was that the sexually active boys were more likely to be using condoms, and virgins were much more likely to plan to use condoms when they have their first vaginal intercourseaâ‚ ¬? (Roleff 16). And while some would claim that contraceptives only encourage more sexual activity than would take place without contraception, another study showed that the rate of sexual activity for aâ‚ ¬? both sets of teens was about 50 percent. â‚ ¬? Clearly the decision to encourage the use of contraception when sexual activity occurs would be the ideal choice, given this information. By definition, abstinence states that you should abstain from all sexual activity, and abstinence-only programs stress that this is the only 100% safe way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, but it is implied in increased use of condoms that there will be a decrease in the transmission of STDaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. While some have claimed that condoms can often fail in preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, Ceci Conolly of the Washington Post wrote in the article Some Abstinence Programs Mislead Teens, aâ‚ ¬? Among the falsehoods cited by Waxmanaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s investigators: Condoms fail to prevent HIV transmission as often as 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control Centers has said, aâ‚ ¬? Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of STD pathogensaâ‚ ¬? aâ‚ ¬? 10 Reasons to Use a Condom, Any Condomaâ‚ ¬? ). While many abstinence-only education programs teach the consequences of these programs, not all schools using abstinence-only education speak in full truth about condoms or speak in encouragement to using condoms even though they have proven to be effective in preventing the spread of STDaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. While schools do need to h ave a role, the cultural and societal shift seen in parental involvement has presented a change in sexual health among teens. The high rate of teen pregnancy in the United States can better be improved through comprehensive information given to teens, the availability of contraceptives, and once again aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the relationship children have to their parents. Condoms can aid in the prevention of spreading sexually transmitted diseases, yet too few schools offer both the availability of condoms nor information on condoms themselves. Abstinence-only education serves well to emphasize that abstinence is the only certain way to prevent pregnancy and STDaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. However, comprehensive sex education can include an emphasis on abstinence while still equipping teens to make intelligent decisions about sex, reducing the teen pregnancy rate, and reducing the spread of STDaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. Works Cited aâ‚ ¬? 10 Reasons to Use a Condom. Any Condom. aâ‚ ¬? Trojan Brand Condoms. Trojan Condoms. 26 November 2006 Conolly, Ceci. aâ‚ ¬? Some Abstinence Only Programs Mislead Teens, Reports Say. aâ‚ ¬? WashingtonPost. com. The Washington Post. 6 November 2006 Espejo, Roman. Americaaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Youth. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Gallagher, Maggie. The Age of Unwed Mothers:Is Teen Pregnancy a Problem? New York: Institute for American Values, 1999 Goodman, Ellen. aâ‚ ¬? Why Teen Prengnancy is Down. aâ‚ ¬? The Boston Globe. 24 May 1998. Roleff, Tamara L. ed. Teenage Sexuality. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. aâ‚ ¬? Sex Education in America. aâ‚ ¬? NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School. The Kaiser Family Foundation. 26 November 2006

Produce a marketing strategy for a new or existing product Essay Example

Produce a marketing strategy for a new or existing product Essay In this unit I will need to produce a marketing strategy for a new or existing product. The company that I have chosen is boots. My strategy will need to include evidence and information about: * how the strategy is based on the principles of marketing * How I have used sources of primary and secondary marketing information * How I have analysed the impact of the external environment on your marketing decisions We will write a custom essay sample on Produce a marketing strategy for a new or existing product specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Produce a marketing strategy for a new or existing product specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Produce a marketing strategy for a new or existing product specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer * How I analysed the marketing context and decided on an appropriate strategy * How I have developed a coherent mix of strategies to meet consumer needs. I will also need to produce an oral presentation. First I will define what are marketing and its principles. Marketing is a way of advertising something. It is a way of thinking. Market The set of actual of potential users/customers. Market area A geographical area containing the customers/users of a particular firm/library for specific goods or services. Market demand The total volume of a product or service bought/used by specific groups of customers/users in a specified market area during a specified period. Market development Expanding the by present users. Market positioning total market served by 1) entering new segments, 2) converting nonusers, 3) increasing use Positioning refers to the users perceptions of the place a product or brand occupies in a market segment. Or how the company/librarys offering is differentiated from the competitions. Market profile A breakdown of a facilitys market area according to income, demography, and life style Market research The systematic gathering, recording and analysing of data with respect to a particular market, where market refers to a specific user group in a specific geographic area. Market segmentation The process of subdividing a market into distinct subsets of users that behave in the same way or have similar needs. Segments for the library could be demographic (Asian); geographic (branch-level); psychographics (leisure-oriented); customer size (largest user group area); benefits (have children in the home learning to read.) Market share A proportion of the total sales/use in a market obtained by a given facility or chain. Marketing The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. Marketing channel A set of institutions necessary to transfer the title to goods and to move goods from the point of consumption. (Vendors, publishers, library facilities.) Marketing mix The mix of controllable variables that the firm/library uses to reach desired use/sales level in target market, including price, product, place and promotion- 4 Ps. Marketing opportunity An attractive arena of relevant marketing action in which a particular organization is likely to enjoy a superior and competitive advantage. Marketing plan a document composed of an analysis of the current marketing situation, opportunities and threats, analysis, marketing objectives, marketing strategy, action programs, and projected income statement Marketing is the management process that is responsible for identifying products that would be likely to make a profit when sold and then selling these products to customers. Marketing finds out what consumers want and then attempts to meet those needs, at a profit. It a can also be defined as getting the right product to the right place at the right time. It is not the same as selling- that is making people buy what youve got. Marketing is making people want what youve got. The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service sells itself. When marketing a product you need to consider the 4 ps. Getting the mix right is essential to successfully market your product. The four Ps are: * Product- can be a good or service. In competitive markets, businesses have to be customer driven. They may use types of product differentiation (e.g. package design and/or a brand name) in an attempt to convince potential customers that their good or service is different from competitors products. The four types of products are: 1. Star High share of market in the growth stage of the product life cycle. -Requires significant injections of capital to finance the rapid growth. -May have negative cash flows but seen as having potential for high sales, and profit. 2. Cash Cow -High markets share, bringing in high sales revenue, cash flows and (usually) profit. -No market growth likely. -Product may have a personality/image in the market. -The large amounts of cash bought in can be used to subsidise stars. 3. Problem Child -Low share of a market with high potential for growth. -Relatively large injections of finance needed (as with stars). -Uncertainty about future sales revenue, cash flow and profit. -Decision needed on whether or not to halt production, or (if possible) to sell a brand. 4. Dog -Not going anywhere- no growth potential. -Any profit has to be reinvested just to maintain market share. -Identify and remove from the product portfolio. * Price- setting the right price for a product is a crucial aspect of marketing. There are short-and long-term objectives to be considered when pricing goods or services e.g. survival may become the priority in a recession, and imply low prices to maintain some sales and cash flow. Economic theory assumes that a price will be determined by market forces reaching equilibrium. The economic environment. A business may simply have to try and match the market price/going-rate for its products, or may have some control over its prices. * Place- Making goods available to users/consumers involves two main decisions: 1. Method of Transport-Depends on the type of goods. There will be several factors, e.g. most rail journeys also involving road transport, and whether a business should have its own fleet of road vehicles. 2. Channel Of Distribution-The procedure, or channel management required getting a product to the customers. The traditional channel includes using the wholesaler, but there are other possible channels. * Promotion-The overall objective of promotion is ensuring the survival and the growth of a business through an increase in long-term demand for its product(s). Selling will be the outcome of successful promotion. Market research is the collecting of data, the aim of which is to understand better what is happening in the marketing place, as the marketing department of a firm needs to know about consumers views and economic trends. Primary data is data you have gathered yourself, whereas secondary data is somebody elses data you use. Market research involves doing market research on customers, analysing their needs, and then making strategic decisions about product design, pricing, promotion and distribution. The purpose of market research is to provide information on particular market to those managers responsible for the firms marketing strategy, about what people want-a particular group of potential customers will need to be targeted. Data can be: * Primary- i.e. collected for a specific purpose. It will involve either a census (of every person in an area) or sampling (of a subset of the population). or * Secondary-i.e. Used for another purpose besides the original one. It could be internal data (from within the organisation, e.g. employee details or costings), or external data (e.g. from a government department, a newspaper, the TUC or the CBI). And. * Quantitative- i.e. in the form of numbers, e.g. showing the market share of different businesses, or the number of adults who will have seen a particular advertisement on television. Or * Qualitative- i.e. without, e.g. giving the motives for customers buying, or not buying, a particular product. In most cases market research will involve choosing a sample to represent the whole target group. The larger the sample, the more accurate the results will be, but costs will also be greater- a full national census costs millions of pounds, e.g. Random sampling is where every member of the target group/population has an equal chance of being chosen to provide responses. Computers might do the random selection. Systematic sampling involves selecting, for example, every 10th item or person from a list of the target group. Stratified sampling identifies distinguishable subgroups in the total group, then a certain number of members of each subgroup are chosen (at random). Cluster sampling involves selecting a geographical area, and then all the members of that local group/population are sampled, e.g. a sample of small retailers in a particular town. Field or primary research is when new data is obtained for a specific purpose, this can be provided by the marketing department of a firm. Data is usually gathered by surveys, (face-to-face, telephone, or by post). An advantage of field research is that the firm can have control over the whole process, and it can be more effective, but it does take longer and will cost the firm more. Desk or secondary research is the use of existing, already collected data. This could be anything from department of trade and industry reports to a companys sale statistics. Also company reports, government statistics, and surveys published by research organisations can be used as secondary sources of information. Desk research is quicker and cheaper than field research, but findings are not necessarily accurate or always relevant to your product. Marketing principles, there are many priorities within an organisation, but if it is truly marketing oriented, many of the following principles will be high on its agenda. Market research must establish whether current products or services satisfy customers expectations. Anticipating the future and forecasting tomorrows customer needs and expectations is the task of marketing research. This is very vital. Generating income or profit clearly states that the need of the organisation is either to be profitable or to generate as much income as possible e.g. likes a charity. Satisfactory growth can be achieved by entering new markets or creating a new product or both. Having a clear plan is essential for an organisation. The whole emphasis of the planning process is for the organisation to think customer and think marketing. The PEST analysis examines changes in a market place caused by political, economic, technological factors. Any organisation unaware of what is going on in the business world will risk being outmanoeuvred. Changes in the law will add to uncertainties. Statue law like the consumer protection law, and the voluntary agreements like the moni toring of advertising standards authority. Clearly understanding who the competition is and what benefits they are offering are essential for an organisation. Principles can be arranged into three categories: * Needs of the customer * Needs of the organisation * Influence of the market Businesses use the abbreviation SMART to shape their objectives. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic Time constrained. There are many types of business objectives in the private sector, depending on the business situation and their general direction in the market, they are as follows: 1) Survival When a business is in its early stages then it will want to survive, it will shape its objectives to make trading easier and maximise profits. Another threat to a business survival is corporate takeover; to prevent this a business would have to reshape their objectives. 2) Profit Maximisation This is exactly as it sounds, for many reasons a business will need to maximise profits and to do this suitable objectives will have to be drawn up. Some business may choose to go for long-term profit maximisation to ensure that they make lots of money and can therefore expand. 3) Satisfying This is an objective that maximises profit to the owners; it might not give the maximum profit that is possible to achieve. 4) Growth These objectives increase the growth of the business so that the workers, managers and directors can benefit. 5) Promotion of image Relationships with customers and employees is key in a modern business and so a company is ever vigilant of how it appears to these people. For a company o is better that the competition it is important that they have the correct image and a better one than the competition. Objectives can be shaped to develop good relations and treat employees well. Boots is a public limited company; they are included in the FTSE 100 stock exchange. Boots main business activity is retailing also they provide many other services such as: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Boots Opticians à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Boots Dental care à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Boots Foot care à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Health Beauty Services à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Boots Hearing care à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Insurance Services ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES 1. Liability is, in the vast majority of cases, strictly limited to the investments made by the shareholders. 2. Company Officers are not personally liable for their actions unless, in most instances, there is a clear and serious breach of their fiduciary duty. 3. Ironically, despite the limited liability, such entities often benefit from greater prestige than their sole proprietorship or partnership counterparts. The reason is probably because such an enterprise normally requires more planning and thus is deemed more credible. 4. They often benefit from significant tax advantages. In fact, many countries around the world give exclusive tax incentives to this type of entity. 5. The rights of shareholders are normally clearly defined and protected. 6. Corporate taxes only become payable after the end of the financial year. This means that money that would otherwise be taxed on a monthly or quarterly basis is available to earn further money before the final payment of tax. DISADVANTAGES 1. In larger companies shareholders often lose direct control over their investment. 2. Limited liability companies generally require the appointment of accountants, auditors and professional company secretaries. This means that such a structure is often more expensive to maintain than simple sole proprietorships or partnerships. 3. Certain professional bodies, especially those representing the legal and medical fields, do not allow members to register a limited liability company. In many instances, this denial has resulted in very high indemnity insurance. Aims Objectives The Boots Company intends to become the leader in wellbeing products and services in the UK and overseas. Simplify the business to focus on what we are best at. We should be a market leader, in health care, beauty care, and general fitness. We need to create more wellbeing related brands. Keep building our international health care and retail business. The objectives above mean that, first of all the Boots Company the leader in wellbeing products and services in the UK and overseas this means that they want to be the market leaders from their competitors who are Super drug, and for their retail range, GAP. They want to simplify the business to focus what they are best at, health and beauty; this means that they want to focus more on their beauty products such as No7. Also the want to be a market leader in, health care, beauty care, and general fitness, this is because Boots believes that wellbeing products are starting to focus now on health care and related areas. Also they want to create more wellbeing products because they want to be market leaders in wellbeing, this will not be cheap for them, but they well have to protect profits by relentlessly cutting costs. Also they want to keep building their international health care because the want to be market leaders around the world. The Boots Company have simplified the business organisational structure; during the year they have integrated their business as Boots Retail, with Boots Retail International as its overseas extension. This is saving Boots costs and them more a swift organisation. For example they have moved from three separate property departments to one; from 100 construction suppliers to seven; and from 14 internal IT groups to one. The have accelerated the transformation of their UK presence. They are positioning Boots as the leader in wellbeing services, as well as products. By the year-end of 2001 they had 297 Boots optician stores, 54 Dental care practices, 44 Foot care practices, 47 Hearing care centres, 22 Laser hair removal clinics, ten Health Beauty Services centres offering a wide range of therapies and treatments. This is telling us that Boots is very serious to becoming the leader in wellbeing services and products. Sales à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½M231.0Operating loss (33.1) Boots have stepped-up the pace at Boots Healthcare International. Clearasil, acquired in December 2000 was the driving force behind BHIs 12.5% sales growth last year. They also integrated the brand smoothly, turned its sales from decline to growth, and used it to open the door for local businesses to the huge US over-the-counter markets. South Asia, in Thailand, like for like their sales grew by 2.2%, focusing the offer much more on Boots brands and therefore driving up the margin, generated an even strong like for like gross profit growth. Europe, in Netherlands, sales of No7, grew in line with expectations as gained national distribution. This tells us that in the two continents where Boots is located they are making profits and they are successful, and they are keeping building their International business. This tells us that in the two continents where Boots is located they are making profits and they are successful, and they are keeping building their International business. Boots Retail International Sales à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½M40.3Decrease % (4.3) Loss à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½M (before expectations)(24.Increase %44.5 To develop an appropriate marketing strategy would involve creating a link between the external environment and the internal strengths of Boots. SWOT analysis is the focus upon the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing a business internally and externally. To enable a SWOT analysis to be carried out, research into Boots current and future positions need to be completed. This would result in building upon its strengths, minimise its weaknesses, seized its opportunities and cancel out the threats. STRENGTHS à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Large established business à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Good reputation à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Wide portfolio of products à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Good advertising (Coronation St) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Large target market OPPORTUNITIES à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Sponsorship for sporting events à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Diversify into a different market à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Expand Nationally à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Promote using large marketing strategies THREATS à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Cadburys main competitor launching a new product à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ More companies diversifying into the cosmetics market à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ A large price war, taking Boots off the market WEAKNESSES à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Unmotivated staff in the work place à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Too big a demand for a particular product PEST is split into four categories, political, economic, social and technological influences, which are all external factors. A PEST analysis identifies what external factors are going to affect Boots in the coming months and years. POLITICAL business decisions which are influenced by political and legal decisions. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Political decisions can affect Boots for the good and the bad, because if taxes increase, therefore consumers decrease and sales of stock decrease. However if taxes decrease the likelihood is consumers will buy more. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Laws can also change Boots income because if a law was brought out, that you could only work 9.00am 5.00pm. ECONOMIC influenced by domestic economic policies and world economic trends. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The interest rates can affect Boots because if the interest rates were high then Boots would not want to borrow as much money for expansion. Also if consumers had loans they would again have less disposable income to but luxury items. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ If the minimum wage was brought down, this would mean more money for Boots but would also result in low sales from the consumers. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The government can also raise taxes, which would bring a stand still to the sales of cosmetics. SOCIAL -close analysis of society à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ If Boots do not control their pollution levels or have big buildings destroying the landscape with noise and traffic congestion, then the local residents would complain to their local council resulting to possible incentives for bringing in jobs for the community being stopped. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ On the other hand local residents with small businesses near to Boots would benefit due to the money being brought in by tourists. TECHNOLOGICAL developments in manufacturing and business processes. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Cost of machinery. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ New machinery à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Maintenance à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Training for advancing IT à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Upgrading old machines to improve the company à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Advances of transport of goods/cost/lorries Boots Mission Statement is: Our mission is to grow our business profitably so that we are: A leading player in our chosen markets by size, ranking, regard or influence. A natural choice for customers and intermediaries- positively regarded, attractive and competitive. A challenge to our competitors creditable, effective and respected. Mohammed Shaqeeb 13ADO

Childhood Education and Social Inequalities essays

Childhood Education and Social Inequalities essays Early Childhood Development and Social Inequalities By All families should have the same opportunities to live a descent life. But due to the backgrounds of some families, and children, they may not have a chance for this. There are certain risk factors that have a bearing on social inequalities in health, and particularly those that are prone to preventative intervention. There are many that I could talk about, but I have picked out four of these factors to talk about. They are biological factors, family and social factors, parenting factors, and attachment. Even these I feel that I will not be able to cover completely, because there is only a certain part we see, and then there is the that is kept hidden from all. There are many factors that influence the development and social inequalities in a childs life. These include biological, family and social factors, parenting factors, attachment, and the way non-maternal care is influenced. All of these are risk factors that are likely to have a bearing on the childs social inequalities on their health. The biological factors include premature birth, low birth weight, and a serious medical illness. The significantly influence and infants growth. Low birth weight, less than 2500 grams, has a prevalence of 6 percent in white middle-class U.S. women, and 15 percent in ethnic minority teenagers. These teenagers tend to be single mothers. At the Infant Health and Development Project, they found that in a large amount of premature infants, that their IQ was less than 85 at three years of age. Race was the greatest factor in predicting outcome, that was followed by maternal education, and then medical complications. The infants of poorly educated African American mothers (90%) who had medical complications were severely compromised, while only nine percent of white infants with...