Corporate Social Responsibility Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Social Responsibility Movement - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the history of CSR in the UK had been a smooth one before the hurdles began making this one of the most difficult processes to undertake in the country. The aim was to provide a link between the corporate and the society, something that would see the regulation of activities within the required platforms. This would also see the growth of regulation based on the impact of transnational corporations that were setting base in the UK at the time. When the late nineteenth century saw a growing number of corporations in the world, the debate regarding the link between the corporations and the society became a debate that was in the public domain. The aim was to introduce new policies that would see most of these huge corporations share their profits with the society, or initiate new projects that would create and enhance regulation within the society. In the 1920s and 19230s, the main CSR strategies in place were trustee management that sough t to maximize wealth creation and growth of the community. From the 1930s to the 1970s, the corporate period was in motion and the UK companies took social responsibilities as the government did. The late 1970s saw the companies take up specific issues to handle, while the 1980s saw an increased responsiveness to community affairs. The 1990s and early millennium saw an increase in the CSR concepts as they became the base-point of completing other points of growth for the society as a whole. During the early twentieth century, companies were always working on meeting their demands while creating and enhancing new platforms that would see them prosper. However, this would imply redirecting their profits to other social causes as a means of meeting the key demands of the society. The main aim was to proceed with a new mentality that would see corporations in the UK grow further while still having the main ideas of the society in place. One problem that arose during the initial stages o f creating a strong CSR program at the time was the lack of a decisive definition of the term.

Business strategy-business game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business strategy-business game - Essay Example A single strategic direction for the firm is selected which is the differentiation strategy as per the Bowman’s strategy clock. The Bowman’s strategy clock is used to identify one or multiple strategic aspects that may be taken up by a company for developing competiveness, sustainability and continued success (Chesbrough and Rosenbloom, 2002). This is because the results of the analysis and the study of the external market indicate that the adoption of a differentiation strategy can be beneficial for the company for ensuring greater levels of success and sustainability for the future years. The number of companies operating in the athletic footwear segment in which the case company belongs ranges from 4 to 10 main companies. However, for the analysis, three main competitors of APanda Shoes are considered which are Diversity Footwear, C Athlete Company and Bold Athletics Company. The company APanda Shoes operates in multiple geographical regions. The company has its manufacturing plants in North America, Asia pacific, Europe, Africa and Latin America. This makes the athletic footwear manufacturing company much vulnerable towards the political norms in the different countries of its operation. The political factors like the stability of the political environment, the formulation of government policies, taxation policies, export and import policies and duties levied on the athletic footwear products are some of the common factors that would affect the business decisions and operations of APanda Shoes. The economic factors like inflation rates, Gross Domestic Predict (GDP), economic and business cycles, disposable income level and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) are some of the economic factors that would directly influence the profitability, sales and sustainability of the company in the four operational regions. The volatility of currency exchange systems and the fluctuations in the foreign exchange

Metaphysics SHort essay 4 Essay Example for Free

Metaphysics SHort essay 4 Essay Price begins by describing how things we see in nature share elements. He explains how a tomato, sunset in the sky and a blushing face share nothing more in common than the color. However, some objects have many things in common. These objects group themselves together into Natural Kinds. Price describes a Natural Kind as a group of objects, which have many, perhaps indefinite, features in common. He explains that while this repetition makes things seem dull and monotonous, they are important because they are what makes conceptual cognition possible. In a world of incessant novelty, where there was no recurrence at all and no tedious repetitions, no concepts could ever be acquired. It would also make difficult the act of thinking because nothing would be recognizable. Price goes on to describe different terms of quality and relation. Quality is a recurrent feature of the world, which presents itself in individual object or events taken singly. Redness and bulginess are examples of this. A relation is a recurrent feature of the world, which presents itself in complexes of objects or events, such as this besides that, or between A and B. These terms allow us to give a simple analysis of change. Price explains how change has puzzled philosophers since the time of Heraclitus. Understanding objects in terms of quality and relation help us understand the concept of change. Another term that allows us to do so is the term ‘characteristics’. Characteristics are of at least two different types of qualities and relations. For Price, allow of this leads us to Aristotle’s theory of univeralia in rebus, or philosophy of universals. The philosophy of universals agrees that all objects characterized by x resemble one another. However once must be cautious and note the difference between exact resemblance in a certain aspect, and total or complete resemblance. While some have debated whether complete resemblance can be achieved, the important thing to note is the different intensities of resemblance that exist. Price goes on to list differences between the philosophy of resemblance and the philosophy of universals and deals with classical arguments against them both. Price concludes by saying that one must have a good knowledge of both. Since both can be misleading at times, when in danger of being misled by one of the theories, then can turn to the other for truth. D. C. Williams, on the other hand, comes out against the philosophy of universals in â€Å"The Element of Being. † He attempts to explain this in his example of the three lollipops. He tires to prove that when one says a is similar to b, one is only saying that a part of a is wholly similar to a part of b. He states that entities or abstract components are the primary constituents of this or any possible world. Many know these to be ‘abstract particulars’. Williams decides to name these parts tropes. He defines a trope as a particular entity either abstract or consisting of one or more concrete entities in combination with an abstraction. Tropes are connected to each other by way of location and by way of similarity. He goes on to explain and concludes by saying any possible world, and this one, is completely constituted by tropes and their connections of location and similarity. He explains how they would pertain to the notion of abstract and universal by using the example of Socrates (concrete particular), his wisdom (abstract particular/trope), Socratesity (concrete universal) and all of the wisdom (abstract universal). He goes on to explain how tropes would apply to different areas of philosophy, such as the philosophy of knowledge. He concludes by saying that all the things we see are no universal but consist of parts, tropes, which these things are a part of. Williams differs from Price by stating that objects consist of tropes and they are what create these appearances or similiarties. Price on the other hand states that objects share a certain resemblance in quality, relation and characteristics. Resemblance Theory and Trope Theory Carlos Manuel Jordan PHI 3500 Metaphysics December, 4 2014.

Reflection Report And Learning From An Experience Education Essay

Reflection Report And Learning From An Experience Education Essay The reflection report is a form of thinking, how to analyze based on knowledge and feeling. As a manager self analyze to think about weakness and strengths. In this report, it is need to focus on communication skills, time management, scope management, risk management, analysis, self motivation and management (self judgment, self evaluation, self reaction, and self satisfaction), problem solving, team effectiveness and project planning. The main objectives of this report are needed to discuss and focus on following element: Life long learning after this dissertation course experience Experience and Importance of group work and relationship with team members Importance to keep daily dairy for long run projects such as dissertations, research work reports or any long technical projects. Reflection is a series of step to note down for future reference and help Importance of analysis and research we did for our project- processing of running project Quality of work related to topic Tutor and group members suggestion and advises then note down in reflection dairy Basically reflective knowledge is a method to examine him/her self internally and deeply and finding out the issue of nervousness, settle down by the experience which creates the meaning of self. And learns from the same repeating experience and changed him/her self effectively by the result of experiences. Reflection practice is the form of self awareness and self appraisal and describes the result and outcomes of persons actions. Recollection of Experiences (Weekly Detailed Dairy) Week Date Activity 01 14 -06-2010 First week, we attended the introduction session of AMP Module given by Vincent Ong, and learnt how to write a report and how to follow the format etc from supportive tutor. After that Academic Liaison Librarian has give the detailed information about way to put the referencing in our report and module handbook of AMP was provided to all of us. Next day activity was about the plagiarism and turnitinUK. JBK explained us regarding paraphrasing and feature of turnitinUK. They also helped us in search of related articles from digital library. First time, I have learnt that how to put key words in advance search and get the journals and articles called rational research to identity and support our work. Rob explained us about the reflection report and how it is relevant with our report and what makes a good reflection report and what should be the structure of report. After that we have collected handbook of AMP topic. During this week we have formed a group of 10 members as we all previously worked together so we knew each other. One thing in our favor that working with known group members will reduce time taken to start performing and understanding of each frame of work. Beginning of this week we all felt excited and optimistic. As we received information about work we became more apprehensive, confused and uncertain and our topic also made us very uncertain and anxious. But after two days brain storming with group members and detailed discussion with tutor reassured us, and gave us clarification and showed right direction. In general we learnt that wide range of resources and journals are available in our library; it was analyzed that without the tutor guidance may be we would be on the wrong direction. We also understand the importance of referencing. How to comparing and contrasting the material from different authors and importance of sharing ideas as well as we understand the importance of secondary research. Learned about the importance of the time management in project and proper referencing; may be some problem will be encountered during the project like in personal planning and in managing a group. Learning solution in this week would be like how to find relevant information more effectively and learned the need to maintained records about daily activities of progress. 02 21-06-2010 . This week, I have read the handbooks and all material given by tutor. Two articles in handbook are very much helpful for understanding the topic. Today we start our project; we did research and found 5-6 articles about target market selection and difference between B2B and B2C practices. Facing much difficulty in research about the relevant topic because our topic is much tricky and confusing. After two day struggling and with different key words as suggested by tutor, we came at one point of start. Need to understand the synthesis Main Report like how to draw evidence and evaluate and present our own thoughts in Report. It was advised that the main report should be synthesis rather than descriptive. A lot of hurdles came while searching the topics. To day I got some useful articles and after reading got some useful points of my requirements. This week we had a meeting on Friday to solve the issues regarding the understanding of topics and their key wordings for search. 03 28-06-2010 This week, feeling much difficulty while reading, reviewing and comparing the articles of different authors and different sides regarding my topic and key words. Before start writing the literature review, I must needs to understand and study the Harvard System for proper referencing. So Google it and find and understand the many ways of putting referencing for article, journals and books such as articles with missing date, missing authors name , with more than one or two authors work etc. Today, I started my work on dissertation and I made a folder of my all downloaded article and took the print and read two of them then make the synthesize point from them I have been started my work from literature review which is the main body of the report in which we needs to put our ability to produce a quality of work there. I had written my synthesis point from two articles. This week we had a 2nd meeting on Friday to solve the issues regarding the understanding of topics and share some ideas as well as searched article with each other also our project manager send us some useful topic related to inviting tender of technological solutions. I have decided to divide my work chapter wise as guided us by our AMP module Coordinator. So we come the point that work should be start from literature review section. 04 05-07-2010 Today I got my result; I had passed my in all modules. Thanks to Almighty GOD. Today I also review the one more article which is presented in an international conference regarding issues related to ICT facing by SMEs companies. So extract some main point from this article and note down. In our meeting we discussed about the difference between E-business and E-commence, it found about a detailed reading that e-commence is linked to the B2B and e-business is linked with B2C. Moreover from studies one thing come out that is digital-related products and digital-unrelated product. Our project team leader explained and clearly differentiated that digitally related product i.e. software applications, mobile phones, digital cameras were more suitable for e-commerce, and more easily sold over the internet unlike digitally unrelated products like furniture where consumers must want examine physically before a purchase is made. We also discussed and studied further on the key issues and consideration regarding the tender invitation for website development solution. 05 12-07-2010 In literature review, comparison of all researchers and authors work relevant to topic is very much difficult and different nature of work for me. It is noticed that all researcher focusing the similar issue that affecting the operation while company is moving to B2C market and suggests the same requirement and key consideration. As I am having the first experience at this level of literature review and work but it is much interested and knowledgeable effort for me. It is very easy to divert from the original topic during the literature reviewing process. Felt much difficulty like diversion from my original topic in this part of work. May God help me to do this in good and best ways related to exact topic requirement. 06 19-07-2010 This week I was not able to work on my report due to my some personal engagement and some family issues so I was out of station. 07 26-07-2010 This week, I started to understand and revise some articles and documents on tendering. As I need to understand that how to invite the tender for technological and software solutions. Issues come up while writing on inviting tenders for technological solution. Because invitation of tenders for technical and non technical solution are much confusing and related work. But feel like interesting as I am having the new expertise and expertise in this new area of tendering. I dont have any experience of reading such type of documents. As I was stuck on the step of inviting tender so today I consulted with the team leader of our group so she help me out in understanding of this specific point that what are the key requirement for inviting the tenders as I was thinking on the format like that regarding tendering but she solved my issue and sent some articles for literature review related to this. She is very much helping person and nice lady and she should be a good team leader in future. 08 02-08-2010 Confusion- writing on invite tender for web development that whether it should b E-tendering or normal traditional way. Another issue that I was facing that in most of tendering article there is no proper author or researcher name. Mostly the company and organizational name are mentioned while inviting tender for the technological or software solutions. Got some article and journal on tendering and outsourcing the IT related work and technological solution. This week I have made my final schedule and divide the days till final review of report and how to close my work within the month of august. Understand and learnt about the use of indexing in table of contents in MSWord; how to use the proper referencing. 09 09-08-2010 This week I met with my one of the group member in LRC and discussed about the e-book refereeing and how many references we can use and whether mostly should be journals articles and could be from any where else? So she suggested that we should email to Peter Godwin as well as we get some information from LR guide or referring within digital library. After that we discussed about recommendations on topic. Should we need to suggest or put some recommendation related to our kind of work? This week, I got some good article but this is my targeted week in my time table to finish all the literature review and writing. And should be focus and emphasized on the synthesis, analysis and comparison of the report in last 3 week. This week, I need to scale down and windup my all review work. Today is the end of this week and I have closed my literature review writing and my next stage is to syntheses the report and exacts the key point for analysis and discussion. 10 16-08-2010 Today I have started my work on review of my work with detailed and syntheses point of view. Feel some ambiguity regarding references in analysis and discuss stage that whether we need to put the Harvard reference within the analysis and discussion portion like we did in literature review or not? To resolve this issue I put an email to our team member and waiting of there reply. 11 23-08-2010 This week is very much tough and crucial as I totally put my effort on the revision and focus on my whole work and balance the report in a proper flow and come out with corrected some mistakes After that I can better focus working on the conclusion and recommendation of the topic. Today end of this week, I wrote down my conclusion and recommendation. 12 30-08-2010 Working on reflection analysis report and syntheses my all work into final version. Recompiled daily dairy log of my all 3 month works Personal feelings and learning from the experience Research work is really very much interesting but time consuming. I spend my neat hours and hours on this report and this work should be helpful and very much supportive for my future work and learning at this level and above this. Meetings and regular Google talk and email exchange about AMP report work, experiences and discussion with group members. Some major difficulties were come in front while reviewing the literature like comparison of all researchers and authors work regarding my topic. As it is noticed that all researcher focusing the similar issue that affecting the operation while moving to B2C market and suggests the same requirement and key consideration for outsourcing processes. As I was having the first time experience at this level of literature review and work but it was much interested and knowledgeable effort for me. I enjoy a lot with my work and feel much happy at this stage and got much knowledge from last three month efforts. That how to make the comparison of other authors work and note down in own my wordings. It was very easy to divert from the original track during literature reviewing phase as well as in writing the report process. My God help me out to do this thing in good and best ways that I was linked to my topic. Issue regarding literature review and other relevant work are resolved very smoothly with the help of all my group members collective participation and efforts. We had arranged the meetings until all the members are cleared and much satisfied with the understanding of topic and data collection as we had three weekly groups meeting with team leader after the AMP week. My team was very much generous with the commitment and time punctuality. My contribution was also remarkable as well and I was linked with my group members all the time 24/7 through email, facebook and mobile. And I was much satisfied with my work and with group members response. Group Dynamics and Learning from the experience Here I must mention one thing that my current AMP group members are not fresh new members. We were having same group in all our previous course work. So we were much comfortable with each other and knew each other frame of mind and algorithm of work. And we understand the group dynamics and responsibilities. As a whole I didnt feel any problem in my work with my members. Since I was linked with my group members all the time 24/7 through email, mobile and all the group members were much satisfied with my contribution and with my quick response on any issue related to our work. I fulfill my all responsibilities that were given by our team leader. Out supervisor consultancy was very much helpful for us regarding the understanding the actual topic and how to search the relevant material from digital library. He did very level best to solve our issues. I learnt that the group work is very much effective and helpful for this type of big projects as the work is distributed and every member come up with good and different ideas and knowledge. And the project will meet the deadlines very smoothly. Lessons for the future Projects The lesson learned dairy was kept in order to bring all the lessons together that we learnt during the dissertation work, which would be the guideline for other future projects. The weekly diary was updated whenever I have learned some thing new during the project whether it was positive or negative lesson. From experience with the proper management of work start to end and all the group members cooperation; many positive and good lessons was learned for future projects. Such as weekly meetings, time management and good communication with members will push up our progress. With a good time management, now we have a lot of time for quality review and correction before the deadline. I learnt very much from group work experience as it will help me out in increasing good management skill and to achieve the objectives according to prefix quality standards within the time constrains through the planning and good control especially at initial stage. Daily log helped me out to plan and schedule the weekly tasks and overall progress of my work. Following are the key lessons I have learned for future project as a group. Good understanding and friendly work environment. meetings with group members and weekly dairy and should be maintained Time management and planning Good communication and updates sharing. Conclusion The project was managed very calmly and smoothly with help of supervisors guidelines from the first stage and good teams effective communication via (email, phone and weekly meetings) motivation, planning and time management, risk management and most important is self management and motivation. Each team members was very much delegated, punctual and showed their responsibility. The tool of weekly dairy helped me out to align and monitor my each stage and there objectives. We received the feedback and make the updates with weekly group meeting at the start. However, with good time management and understanding of work, our group members met the deadlines but we faced few issues and hurdles regarding understand of topic and search of relevant material like e-article, e-journal and books. But with effective communication between all members via meetings, email, phone all the risks and issues will be overcomes with the time beings. Finally, my project was successfully finished with the mercy of Almighty God and the equal contribution of all team members at there level best and my mothers prayer was with me all the time. At the end, I believed that good management skill and supportive project leader as well as enough support from the supervisor in AMP Week were the reasons for no major issues, hurdles, and deviations from the track. As good management and clear communication helped out greatly to avoid the likely issues and conflicts as every team members were aware of their own deadlines and their own responsibility. I must appreciate this new method of self recording of our daily work for such type of long project which kept us on right path and lesson for time management and reflection of our work for future prospects. I am much satisfied with my work at this stage and learnt a lot for future things as this whole experience of UK changes my lifestyle and it was the lifelong learning for me.

Postponing Motherhood Essay -- Pregnancy Birth Children Short Stories

Postponing Motherhood As a senior in a small high school in Connecticut, Jane Swanson* was attending weekly volleyball team practices, planning for college, studying for tests, and spending time with her friends and her boyfriend. She was a typical teenager until, at 17, she learned that she was pregnant. Stunned by the news and unsure of what to do, she spoke to her friends about her options. She was especially surprised because she was using condoms and practicing safe sex. Sadly, half of the 1.3 million women having abortions each year used some form of contraception when they became pregnant. She quickly realized that with her friends being teens themselves, they couldn’t give the best advice, and decided to call the nearest Planned Parenthood in Connecticut. Planned Parenthood is one of the best-known resources for abortion services. About to celebrate is 75th year, it is well known for promoting sexual and reproductive health through â€Å"clinical services, education and advocacy.† "Caring professionals provide a wide range of services in our modern facilities. Our clients know they can trust us to provide confidential and comprehensive health care at a reasonable cost,† wrote Dianne Luby, President and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, in her public address published on the clinics’ web site. Swanson spoke to a receptionist who informed her of the different types of abortions, medical and surgical, and also urged her to come into the office as soon as possible. She added, however, that that particular clinic did not perform abortions and she would have to travel a significant distance, to Hartford, for the procedure. The National Abortion Federation, through its 350 member clinics and... ...ake the decision to abort,† said Brown. â€Å"They fear being cut off from their families, their education being interrupted, their finances, that their boyfriends would leave them. They’ve already made up their minds.† A branch of A Woman’s Concern includes â€Å"Healthy Choices,† a five-day program in middle schools and high schools aimed at educating young people on unhealthy behaviors, misconceptions in the media, and lesson in skill building, designed to teach the students that they have a voice. "Healthy Start† has visited eleven or twelve different schools in and around the Boston area so far this year, and has received a positive response. Two years after having an abortion, Swanson, is still confident that she made the right decision. "There is no shame in getting pregnant, or getting help,† Swanson said. â€Å"Looking back, I only wish I had told my mother.†

Phonics vs. whole language? Essay -- Essays Papers

Phonics vs. whole language? Like other issues of education, educators and theorists debate and analyze methods of reading instruction. They judge methods and curricula not only by their efficacy but also by their appropriateness and ease. Throughout the history of education these methods and curricula have changed, shifted, and transformed. Currently, though, there are two front-runners in the debate—phonics and whole language. Popular belief is that these curricula are diametrically opposed. Researchers of effective reading instruction assert the opposite, saying that â€Å"an artificial, simplistic dichotomy† has no reality in the discussion of phonics and whole language (Dahl & Scharer, 2000,  ¶43). The purpose of this research paper is to compare these two seemingly different curricula in the realm of reading instruction, to determine their individual levels of appropriateness, and to decide which, if either, is ultimately more appropriate in the school setting. Phonics Defined What is phonics? The word â€Å"phonics† comes from the Greek word for sound and is defined by the Webster’s II New Collegiate Dictionary as the â€Å"use of elementary phonetics in the teaching of reading.† The Britannica Student Encyclopedia says, â€Å"phonics is translating parts of written words into the sounds they represent.† From these two definitions of phonics, one can deduce that it is a method of segmentation, visual and auditory recognition, and decoding. Phonics is the vehicle by which learners begin to understand the individual sounds, or phonemes, of a word. The sounds—there are about 45 in the English language—are the basic building blocks of language, and mastery of them ensures success in future reading attempts (Hempenstall, 1997,  ¶16). Educators use phonics at several levels of reading instruction, including early childhood, remediation, and adult literacy. In an article about Dorothy Strickland’s book Teaching Phonics Today: A Primer for Educators, Linda Starr (1999) quotes Strickland: â€Å"Historically, those who have denounced poor reading achievement in the United States have turned to phonics as a solution† (qtd. in Starr, 1999,  ¶2). Phonics is, indeed, a solution, for its basic principle of breaking words into parts allows the reader to approach any new word with confidence, assuming that he has learned all of the written sounds successfully. Phonics is used in both in... ...s in diverse classroom settings† (Dahl & Scharer, 2000,  ¶52). Based upon the data set forth in this paper, a system of balanced instruction seems to be the most beneficial route for reading instruction. Students should learn about the relationships between letters and sounds through both traditional instruction and on the spot direction. They should be encouraged to express themselves through writing and educators should give feedback and constructive criticism about their mistakes as well as their creativity. Diane Weaver Dunne (2000) tells us â€Å"there is no magic bullet that can teach all children how to read† ( ¶ 1). As such, educators should individualize instruction to reach all learners, and reading and writing should take place in every area of the curriculum. The problem in this debate lies not in the direct opposition of whole language to phonics but in the misconceptions of both camps. 1 The whole language camp seems to be split on this issue: â€Å"Some Whole Language theorists still believe that any emphasis on phonics is unfruitful, or even harmful— ‘The rules of phonics are to complex†¦and too unreliable†¦to be useful’†(Smith qtd. in Hempenstall,  ¶ 58).

After Many a Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was an English fiction and non-fiction writer, novelist and critic. Besides novels he published travel books, histories, poems, plays, and essays on philosophy, arts, sociology, religion and morÄ ls He was a humanist, pacifist and satirist. He was interested in spiritual subjects as parapsychology and philosophical mysticism. His lifelong preoccupation with the negative and positive impacts of science and technology life makes him one of the representative writers and intellectuals of the 20th-century. Aldous Leonard Huxley was born on 26 of July in 1894, in Godalming, Surrey, England. His family was a part of English intellectual elite.Aldous’ grandfather was the great biologist, agnostic and controversialist Thomas Henry Huxley, who helped develop the theory of evolution. His mother was sister of Mrs. Humphrey Ward, the novelist and niece of Matthew Arnold, the poet. He had three brothers, two of them – Julian Huxley and Andrew Huxley were outstanding biologists. His third brother Noel Trevelyan Huxley committed suicide after a period of clinical depression. Huxley’s heritage and upbringing had an effect on his work. He attended Hillside school, after that he was educated at Eton College, Berkshire, and after his eyesight recovered (he had keratitis punctata which left him practically blind for two years, but it also saved him from participation in the World War I), he was able to study English literature at Balliol College, Oxford.Already then he entered the literary world while he was at Oxford, meeting writers like Lytton Strachey and Bertrand Russell and becoming close friends with D. H. Lawrence After graduation he was financially indebted to his father, that’s why he became a French teacher, but he couldn’t keep discipline. He worked also at Air Ministry and Brunner and Mond chemical plant in Billingham. In 1920-21 he worked as a drama critic for Westminster Gazette and an assistant at the Chelsea Book Club and the Condà © Nast Publications. He married Maria Nys in 1919.Their only child, Matthew Huxley, was born in 1920. The family divided their time between London and Europe, mostly Italy and France, in the 1920s, and traveled around the world in 1925 and 1926, seeing India and making a first visit to the United States. He moved in 1937 with the guru-figure Gerald Heard to the United  States, believing that the Californian climate would help his eyesight, which caused him problems all the time. A year later he with his family moved to Hollywood, where he became a screenwriter (among his films were also adaptations of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice).In the 1950s Huxley became famous for his interest in psychedelic or mind-expanding drugs like mescaline and LSD, which he apparently took a dozen times over ten years. In 1955died his wife Maria Huxley, and a year later hemarried Laura Archera. He died November 22, 1963, the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassin ated. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried in his parents' grave in England. In 1961 he suffered a severe loss when his house and his papers were totally destroyed in a bush-fire. On his deathbed, unable to speak, Huxley made a written request to his wife Laura for â€Å"LSD, 100  µg, intramuscular†. Huxley died aged 69, on 22 of November, in 1963.Media coverage of Huxley's passing was overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the death of the British author C. S. Lewis, alln on the same day. Huxley's ashes were interred in the family grave at the Watts Cemetery, home of the Watts Mortuary Chapel in Compton, England. Aldous Huxley produced 47 books in his long career as a writer. His most famous novels are Brand New World, Eyeless in Gaza, Ape and Essence, Island and After Many a Summer dies the Swan.The English critic Anthony Burgess has said that he equipped the novel with a brain. Other critics objected that he was a better essayist than no velist precisely because he cared more about his ideas than about plot or characters, and his novels' ideas often get in the way of the story.Novel After Many a Smmer Dies the Swan was written in 1939. Aldous had lived and worked in California for a year, so this satirical novel caricatures what he had seen as a strange life there. The novel won Huxley that year's James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. In 1959 the American Academy of Arts and Letters gave him the Award of Merit for the Novel, a prize given every five years; earlier recipients had been Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Mann, and Theodore Dreiser. I need to confess, that I had never heard of this author and his novel before. In search of it, I decided that I want to read a work in original languageband because it is also a language course, I wanted to find something in English, that I haven’t heard about, that I don’t have an opinion about. Something that can challenge me.In spite that this author’s most famous novel is Brand New  World, I chosed After Many a Summer Dies the Swan, because this title intrigued me. I must say, that I don’t feel disappointed after reading this novel and I found very much quotations which made me to THINK more about THINGS. The action in this novel revolves around characters which are brought together by a Hollywood millionaire Jo Stoyte, who is in his sixities, after strokes and conscious of his mortality. In order to keep an eye on him and cure him, he has hired Dr. Sigmund Obispo, which is interested in researching the secrets of longlivity and no idications of obsolescence in animals, and his assistant Peter Boone.Mr. Stoyte is supporting Dr. Obispos’ research. Mr. Jeremy Pordage is an English archivist and literature expert, who is brought by Mr. Stoyte from England in order to archive a rare collection of books. Mr. Pordage's presence highlights Mr. Stoyte's shallow attitude towards the precious works of art, that he can affor d himself. Virginia Mounciple is Mr. Stoyte’s twenty-two year old mistress, who gives pleasure to the old man, secretly likes Dr. Obispo, and who’s young assistant Peter is in love with. Mr. Propter is Jo Stoyte’s neighbour, who is only one of the characters who achieves success and happiness, without upsetting anyone ar creating evil. All these characters have different life philosophies.Dr. Obispo places great faith in science and medicine as saviours of humankind. He sees everyone as a stepping stone to science, the greater good. According to Propter's philosophy, he is trapped in ego-based â€Å"human† behaviour that prevents him from reaching enlightenment. Dr. Obispo seduces Virginia in a characteristically egotistical way. She is unable to resist him despite her loyalty to Mr. Stoyte. When she is found out by Stoyte, he wants to kill Dr. Obispo, but accidentally kills Peter instead. Dr. Obispo covers up the act for money and continued research supp ort. This takes him, along with Virginia and Stoyte, to Europe, where they find an immortal human, the Fifth Earl of Gonister, who is 200 years old and still alive, but who now resembles an ape.Mr. Stoyte can not grasp that transcendence or goodness should be one's ultimate goal, rather than prevention of death, and expresses his wish to undergo treatment so that he too will live forever. The story works scientific knowledge into a more traditional form of narrative. The evolutionary principle of neoteny has been invoked to explain the origin of human characteristics from ape ancestors. The storyline suggests that, if we lived  longer, we would continue to develop along the path of an ape and eventually become ape-like.The story has been interpreted as the British Huxley's contemptuous nod to the Hearstian reality of the United States in the early part of the twentieth century: Jo Stoyte is an allegory for William Randolph Hearst by his acquisitions of art and living in an opulent estate – similar to Hearst Castle – with Virginia, who can be taken as a parody of Marion Davies. This novel has been adapted in theatre, cinema and radio. NBC University Theater radio made adaptation on 12 of December in 1948, starring Paul Henry and Alan Hale, Sr., with intermission commentary by Norman Cousins. In 1967 UK released 45- minute T movie – After Many a Summer, directed by Douglas Camfield.It’s story tells about an American millionaire who is searching for a magic potion, that will grant him eternal life. In early 2000 the Baryshnikov Dance Foundation commissioned a 35-minute dance for the White Oak Dance Project called After Many a Summer Dies the Swan. The book is mentioned in the novella and film A Single Man (2009), when George Falconer (Colin Firth) who is an English professor, one year after the sudden death of his boyfriend, who is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles, takes an empty pistol and some notes alongsi de with this book in his briefcase.I must say, that reading this novel was difficult, because of author’s use of words, that are not acquainted in these days and special scholastic terminology, and because of that, I have feeling that I haven’t truly understood everything, but I suppose that it is normal, because I am only studying and I don’t have responsibility to know everything. In novel, there were a lot of philosophical and psychic thoughts and ideas, so I chosed the most interesting and inspiring quotes for me, which all not reveals central plot of novel or main characters perception of life, but speaks about faith and philosophy, about life and death, about good and evil, about men nature and also biology. So now I will start to pull my favourite quotes out of the story.†Potential evil is in time; potential good isn't. The longer you live, the more evil you automatically come into contact with. Nobody comes automatically into contact with good. Men don't find more good by merely existing longer.† Men have always wanted to live longer then they are supposed to, but it mostly isn’t because they want to fulfil their life with compassion and generosity to others, to those, who need help, or to gain more knowledge. All they mostly want to achieve is only their own, well, maybe sometimes also their families, goodness and wealthiness. Most of men only thinks of self-interest, but are they really inteded just for it.There must be something more for them (and us) in this life. All our life we are busy to make our plans and dreams to come true, and when our time has almost come to an end, we want to life longer to do something good. But why now, why we haven’t thought of it earlier? Because we didn’t have time. But I must say, it is so lame argument. Time was all around us, but we didn’t spend it concerning about and doing things that really matters. So, if you can extend your time, it doesn’t m ean that you will know how to spend it and find good. Time is evil, because it is slowly and consistently killing us.†Why do we fall when we jump out of a tenth-story window? Because the nature of things happens to be such that we do fall.† I really liked this quote. It is so simple and obvious fact, but I have never thought of it, because it just happens so. This first sentence really sounds to me like wordplay. Why do we fall when we jump? Some will say it is because of gravity, and there is nothing we can do about it. It is science. But maybe we are not created to do and desire whatever we want. †Jumping† or reaching for something we want, but don’t need to get, achieve or gain is †falling† or maybe even salvation from it.Our misfortune is that we don’t always stop after †fall†, but instead we get back on that windowsill, despite our scars and bruises,and start looking down, searching for someone to catch us or somethi ng we can land on. This, in my opinion, is human nature. We don’t want to give up (ofcourse there are a loto f people who do give up, but that is already another story), we are stubborn, we know nature of things, but we are sure of that we can experiment and try to change it. † Why should some animals live much longer than human beings and yet show no signs of old age.Somehow, somewhere we had made a biological mistake.† This thought sound very interesting. We are cold the crown of nature, of all beings, but why is then do we live shorter lives than those, who are supposed to be below us . We are smarter, wiser, simply better than animals. Why don’t we live longer, for instance, why could not we day at age of 200? And again – time is evil.It will last longer, but it will kill us anyway. And if we really, even obligatory, must life that long and become ape-likes, do we really want that? Would we like to become as Jo Stoyte, who doesn’t care abo ut anything at all? I won’t. I think I would rather commit suicide, than become an animal. But question is – what went wrong in our development? Who made the mistake? I can’t explain why it is so, but I believe that it must be this way. We come into the world, we live and we die, and there is nothing wrong with it. It is nature of life. We are humans, we don’t need eternal life. We are smart and capable, buti f we could have more time, I think we won’t have any normal idea what to do with it. I believe that our world is breaking apart, there are too much bad things, catastrophes, cold-blooded people, who are willing to do everything to make moore good for themselves.I would not like to live too long to witness all that what is going to happen and what we don’t know a thing about. †If you're always scared of dying, you'll surely die. Fear's a poison; and not such a slow poison either.† This spoke to me too and it is connected with previous quotes and my thoughts. I don’t really know statistics, but I think there are nearly equal amount of people who are scared of dying and who are not. I can include me in this not scared part. Why should I be scared? I know, I will die, sooner or later. I don’t believe in any predictions, but once I filled test with title – „When you will die?†. If it is true, it will happen on 16 of January, in 2016.So, it seems that I will be able to finish my studies and maybe even work for and half a year, and then †¦ That’s it! I am gone, and how? In a car accident. But thank goodness, I don’t have a drivers licence. I think it is obvious, that I am making fun of this. I don’t believe I will day at age of 26. But if I will, I am not scared of it. I almost like my life, it isn’t bad, but it always could be better, and if it becomes better untill 2016, then death – bring it on! I don’t have self-destructive in clination. I am living here and now and I am suggesting others to do the same. Don’t do stupid things and play with your destiny, but use our days, make them worth it. Thinking of dying will kill much faster.Don’t be afraid of death, if it smells your fear, it will track you down and kill you more painfully. There were a lot of nice quotations, but because of the page limit (and if there won’t be any, I would need much more to write everything I would like), I will only write some of them down without discussing. †The real conditions at any  given moment are the subjective conditions of the people then alive†. On the human level. men live in ignorance, craving and fear. Ignorance, craving and fear result in some temporary pleasures, in many lasting miseries, in final frustration. †What is man? A nothingness surrounded by God, indigent and capable of God, filled with God, if he so desires.†In conclusion I can say, that I was interested i n these philosophical and eternal thoughts, proposed by the author. They are meaningful, they make me think and I consider that the greatest credit of studying.