art of war essays

art of war essays The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a thirteen chapter book with each chapter explaining different strategies and tactics of war. The book starts off by explaining plains you must lay down for war and also enlightens you of the preparation you must go through for war. Then toward conclusion of the book it states strategies for handling situations such as terrain and how and when to attack. In a nutshell the books main focus was to be about war but many reads associate to real life experiences. The most interesting piece about the book is found in the beginning of each chapter. Every chapter opens up with a quote by Sun Tzu himself. For example, one a my favorite Sun Tzu quotes throughout the hole book was in the sixth chapter headed, Weak points and Strong. Sun said Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. This and many other points made by Sun relates to sports and me as a person and many different ways. One day I plan on coaching a team of my own. Even though war should never be compared to athletics there are many qualities that each share in common. As you might prepare for a war you will also have to for a game. You will even have to adjust your laying plans because of terrain and have to attack certain ways such as war. This is what makes this book special and unique. Sun Tzus thought process of strategies and tactics during war could be express by a coach, a business owner, and really anyone who is in a position of leadership. The reason I choose this quote by Sun was because it applies to me as a coach and as a person seeking future work. I believe in being early all the time, never late. As a coach I believe in being early and having may kids all ready to go come game time. Also the earlier a team begins working for a goal will always has an ad ...

Lord of the Flies Book Report Profile

Lord of the Flies Book Report Profile Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, was published in 1954 by Faber and Faber Ltd of London. It is currently published by The Penguin Group of New York. Setting The novel Lord of the Flies is set on a deserted island somewhere on an island in the tropics. The events of the story occur during a fictional war. Main Characters Ralph: A twelve-year-old boy who, at the outset of the boys’ ordeal is elected leader of the group. Ralph represents the rational and the civilized side of humanity.Piggy: An overweight and unpopular boy who, because of his intellect and reason, becomes Ralph’s right-hand man. Despite his intelligence, Piggy is frequently the object of scorn and teasing by the other boys who consider him a misfit in glasses.Jack: Another of the older boys among the group. Jack is already the leader of the choir and takes his power seriously. Envious of Ralph’s election, Jack becomes Ralph’s rival eventually wresting control completely away. Jack represents the animal nature in all of us which, unchecked by the rules of society, quickly degenerates into savagery.Simon: One of the older boys in the group. Simon is calm and peaceful. He acts as a natural foil for Jack. Plot Lord of the Flies opens with a plane full of British schoolboys crashing on a deserted tropical island. With no adults surviving the crash, the boys are left to themselves to try to stay alive. Immediately a sort of informal society springs up with the election of a leader and the setting down of formal objectives and rules. Initially, rescue is foremost on the collective mind, but it is not long before a power struggle ensues with Jack attempting to sway the boys to his camp. Possessing different goals and vastly different sets of ethics, the boys divide into two tribes. Eventually, Ralph’s side of reason and rationality gives way to Jack’s tribe of hunters, and the boys sink deeper and deeper into a life of violent savagery. Questions to Ponder Consider these questions as you read the novel: 1. Examine the symbols of the novel. What is the symbolism of the face paint adopted by Jack’s tribe?What does the conch shell represent?Who or what is the â€Å"Lord of the Flies? Consider the origin of the phrase as well as its significance to the story.How does Golding use disease to extend the allegory in the novel? Consider Piggy’s asthma and Simon’s epilepsy as examples. 2. Examine the conflict between good and evil. Are people inherently good or bad?How are the values of the children painted to align them with a specific side?How is this novel an allegory for society as a whole? 3. Consider the theme of the loss of innocence. In what ways do the boys have their innocence stripped from them?Are there any characters that seem to possess no innocence from the outset and what is their purpose in the novel? Possible First Sentences Lord of the Flies is an allegory for society at large.Innocence is not stripped, it is surrendered.Fear and control are often found together in society.Is morality an innate feature of personality?

SWOT Analysis and Balanced Scorecard for Community Coffee Research Paper

SWOT Analysis and Balanced Scorecard for Community Coffee - Research Paper Example There is also a growing preference among Americans for independent cafes compared to national franchises Increased demand for coffee blends in rural areas of the United States Threats The recent economic recession and subsequent uncertainty have reduced consumption Recent health results that have shown coffee to have some negative side effects, despite others showing it is good for you. This acts to confuse the wary customer. Rising costs of dairy and coffee products that cannot be foreseen but could have a serious impact on the coffee industry Strategic Objectives Community Coffee is geared more to a business strategy, especially since it concerns competition within a specific market (Nair, 2010), i.e. coffee shops. It follows that they will have to establish a competitive advantage over its rivals. In order to achieve this, Community Coffee needs to build their strategy on differentiation of products. This will contribute to a competitive advantage and shield the business from pric e wars in the industry. It is also important for Community Coffee to think about expanding nationally, which will be incorporated into the financial aspect of the scorecard. Finally, the diversity of the locations that Community Coffee seeks to operate in might make it difficult to grab a significant market share. They need to incorporate a faster service pace to compliment an on-the-go customer base; in addition, adjusting to a slower pace for the rural coffee shops that require a friendlier and slower pace since everyone there is community (Nair, 2010). Community Coffee will need to incorporate the two elements in its overall strategy. Balanced Score Card Financial Perspective On the objective concerning revenue growth, Community Coffee needs to concentrate on market diversification... Community Coffee is geared more to a business strategy, especially since it concerns competition within a specific market (Nair, 2010), i.e. coffee shops. It follows that they will have to establish a competitive advantage over its rivals. In order to achieve this, Community Coffee needs to build their strategy on differentiation of products. This will contribute to a competitive advantage and shield the business from price wars in the industry. It is also important for Community Coffee to think about expanding nationally, which will be incorporated into the financial aspect of the scorecard. Finally, the diversity of the locations that Community Coffee seeks to operate in might make it difficult to grab a significant market share. They need to incorporate a faster service pace to compliment an on-the-go customer base; in addition, adjusting to a slower pace for the rural coffee shops that require a friendlier and slower pace since everyone there is community (Nair, 2010). Community Coffee will need to incorporate the two elements in its overall strategy. On the objective concerning revenue growth, Community Coffee needs to concentrate on market diversification (Nair, 2010). Community Coffee intends to cater to both urban and urban rural clientele with their aim being to have at least 6% market share in the rural areas and 3% market share, in the urban areas, by 2014. The key indicator of performance will aid in measuring this objective with the major similar measure being percentage revenue increase.