Essay about Steve Jobs Biography Summary - 7096 Words

Chapter 1: Childhood: Abandoned and Chosen Steve Jobs was the natural-born son of John Jandali and Joanne Schieble. Jandali was a teaching assistant from Syria and Joanne was a Catholic girl from Wisconsin whose parents disapproved of her relationship with a Muslim. Unable to wed, they gave their baby up for adoption and baby Steve was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs of San Francisco, California. Paul Jobs was an engine technician turned car mechanic, and he introduced Steve to the world of engineering and design, instilling in him many of the principles of good design that are so characteristic of Apple products. Still, Jobs struggled at times with the circumstances surrounding his birth, and he expressed mixed emotions about both†¦show more content†¦One engineer complained, â€Å"This guy’s a goddamn hippie with b.o. Why did you do this to me? And he’s impossible to deal with.† Jobs temporarily left Atari to visit India and pursue his interest in Eastern spirituality. Although he initially sought out a few notable spiritual gurus, he eventually turned inward and sought simplicity and deprivation, although he never found the spiritual calm he was looking for. Still, he was deeply affected by this experience and developed an understanding of the importance of intuition in Indian culture. When he returned to Atari, Bushnell challenged Jobs to design a one-player version of the game pong, and offered an additional bonus for designing the game with fewer computer chips. Jobs recruited Wozniak to design the game and proposed they split the fee. Wozniak finished the design in four days, and Bushnell paid Jobs. There is some controversy regarding this story, as some accounts suggest Jobs kept the additional bonus for himself, never telling Wozniak about the bonus money. Chapter 5: The Apple I As the technology revolution was being born in Silicon Valley, Steve Wozniak joined an informal interest group of computer nerds called the Homebrew Computer Club, where he saw a demonstration for a microprocessor. It was there that Wozniak came up with the idea for the modern personal computer - keyboard, screen and computer all in one package. While Wozniak initially wanted to give away his design forShow MoreRelatedZen And The Art Of Computing1283 Words   |  6 Pagesdeveloped. This source began with Jobs idea of apple from the beginning from when he was in school and enjoyed technology. It stated how it all started in the garage of his parents home. - â€Å" The Entrepreneur of the Decade.† Inc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2014 This source helped me because it demonstrates how Jobs was a very successful entrepreneur that he was chosen to be the entrepreneur of the decade. Within this source, there was also a interview/ conversation between Jobs and Inc. This source was veryRead MoreEffective Leadership Skills Showed By Steve Jobs1293 Words   |  6 PagesExecutive Summary This report will be focused on the effective leadership skills showed by Steve Jobs over a supported timeframe and the turnaround that Apple had experienced under his vision and orders. Steve Jobs played a very important role in leadership that led Apple from a company, which was founded in a car-garage to a great Macintosh Pcs, iPod, iPhone and iPad. The report will additionally break down and look at the key administrative and initiative abilities that Steve Jobs aced that promptedRead MoreLiterary And Non Literary Works1721 Words   |  7 PagesKeep Holding On Patch Adams Literary Work A Brave and Startling Truth By: Maya Angelou Music Keep Holding On By: Avril Lavigne, 2007 Film Patch Adams, 1998 The Brave and Startling Truth This poem was written by Maya Angelou in 1995 Summary In this poem that paints a picture of how it can be when the fight is over. When we lower our weapons and stop reaching for them and look at the outcome of the fight. This poem is telling us to stop looking at war but to look at the peace that weRead MoreLeadership and Management Style of Steve Jobs3141 Words   |  13 Pages1. Executive Summary This Report evaluates the leadership and management style of Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple who is also recognised for his other successful business ventures. Secondary data will be explored to determine what kind of leader Jobs was, what leadership characteristics he possessed and if his style was effective in driving Apple forward. The future of Apple without Jobs will also be considered Findings from this report suggest that Jobs is an unconventional, complex leaderRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.4405 Words   |  18 PagesJune 9, 2015 Abstract This research paper is about Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is a 39-year-old American information technology company selling consumer electronics like phones, Computers, tablets etc. It is a company of innovation by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak ,which has completely changed the world. It is currently the world’s second largest IT Company after Samsung and is first in the United States according to the value, which is over $700 billion. As per its past and current recordsRead MoreEssay on Myths Surrounding Innovation3045 Words   |  13 PagesAn example to challenge this myth would be Steve Jobs who is a university dropout and was not anywhere creative neither had a creative background until he started at hewlitt-packard. While working there he came up with this idea of personal computers and shared his idea with Hewlitt-Packard and wanted them to build the personal computer unfortunately they had rejected his idea. What so ever, he never gave up on his idea and started with his friend Steve Wozniak to build the personal computer andRead MoreMens Rea The Writing Style and Feminism of Lakambini Sitoy7010 Words   |  29 PagesPhase V – Sitoy’s Writing Style 17 4 Data Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation 5 Summary of Findings, Conclusion, and Recommendation Summary of Findings 24 Conclusion 25 Recommendations 26 Further Recommendations for Future Researchers 26 WORKS CITED APPENDICES Appendix A – Synopsis of the Short Story, Mens Rea Appendix B – Biography of Lakambini Sitoy CURRICULUM VITAE OF THE LITERARY RESEARCHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTRead MoreHbs Apple Case4682 Words   |  19 PagesBusiness Strategy Apple Case 09 March 2012 â€Å"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, But what none can see is the strategy Out of which victory is evolved.† Sun Tzu (1) 1 Executive summary 2 2 Introduction 3 3 Apple INC.: An overview 3 4 Strategy Analysis 4 4.1 Branch of economic activity 4 4.2 The 8 key concepts 4 4.2.1 Competitive advantage 4 4.2.2 Long term 4 4.2.3 Organization 4 4.2.4 Scope 5 4.2.5 EnvironmentRead MoreApple Recommendation Report6561 Words   |  27 Pageselectronic sources and the Steve Jobs biography. The electronic sources include business databases, marketing research databases, and online journals and articles. I have found the business databases to be extremely helpful in performing forecasts and projections for future trends in the consumer electronics industry, whereas the Steve Jobs biography provided extremely useful insight into Apple s marketing strategies. BRIEF HISTORY OF APPLE INC. _EARLY HISTORY_ Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak had been longRead MoreComparison in Leadership Styles for Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates3475 Words   |  14 PagesExecutive Summary Leadership is not a position but rather a process which involves the leader, the followers and the situation. Great leaders lead with the best interests of their employees in mind. A leader must lead according to the needs of the organization. The leader must not only be successful as a leader, but also bring success to the organization and its employees. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the leadership styles of two successful entrepreneurs. The paper consists of

Factors That Influence Online Customer Buyer Behaviour Research Proposal

Essays on Factors That Influence Online Customer Buyer Behaviour Research Proposal The paper â€Å"Factors That Influence Online Customer Buyer Behaviour† is an affecting variant of research proposal on marketing. Online shopping is a process where consumers buy goods and services directly from the seller in real-time. It occurs in most instances in the absence of intermediary services over the Internet. It is basically a form of electronic commerce. An online shop enables consumers to purchase goods without having to travel in person to the shopping centers. The process is also known as Business-to-consumer that is (B2C) online shopping. The purchasing of goods between two business entities is referred to as Business-to-Business (B2B) online shopping. In recent years, shopping has become popular and has increased its services to cater for the people in the upper class as well as those in the lower class (Pride et al 2009, 16). For one to use this service, they need to have a bank account, a debit card and a computer or access to one. This shows that shoppin g is because of technology.The online shopping’s effects widened its target group to the people in the middle-class level as at first it was mainly used by young men with university education and high-income level. This change can be seen worldwide especially in the USA whereby during the early years of the Internet there were exceedingly few women users but by the year 2001; the women were 52.8% of the population that was online. The consumers find the products that they are interested in by directly visiting a retailer’s website or by doing a search across many vendors using software by the name shopping search engine. This helps the consumer to accumulate as many goods as possible and chose from them (Canzer, 2006, 25).The next step is a check out process that follows in which the delivery and the payment information are usually collected if it is needed. The shoppers using the online method commonly use the credit card when making their payments but others just cre ate accounts and are able to pay the goods and services using alternative ways like cash on delivery. Once the payments are done, the retailer transports the goods to the consumer and if they are downloadable, the consumer does so in his or her own computer (Tashakkori, 2003, 42).Consumer Buyer BehaviourAccording to the most recent research on the behaviors of consumers on the Internet, there are four groups, which are distinct from one another and with exceptionally different motivations and intentions. Some of the different tastes that are displayed by the buyers are entertainment; the desire to get more information, desire for exploration and shopping purposes. The majority of adults who are young tend to be active seekers of information and the high level they acquire of technological confidence becomes an encouraging factor during the research of products online. The consumers are nowadays able to get easily what they want and this has improved the living standards of the consu mers (Kotler Armstrong, 2008, 69).The Internet has also increased the consumers' bargaining powers as most of the search engines allow consumers to get in touch with many retailers who deal with a specific type of goods. This gives the consumers opportunities to decide on where to shop, as the retailers have no control over the consumers (Banerjee, 1992, 69). The consumers also learn how to trust people. This happens because of the purchasing of goods from places that a consumer does not even know and yet trusts the people he or she has not seen. This behavior is developed by consumers due to online shopping (Tashakkoori, 2003, 27).

The Nuiances of Good Compare Contrast Essay Topics

The Nuiances of Good Compare Contrast Essay Topics You'll tackle various issues and explain many situations as you attempt to discover the appropriate answer. If you select a challenging essay topic for a specific reason, or when you have zero choice and thegiven topic doesn't interest you much, do take the support of Professional Advisers. First you discuss the very first subject. The toughest role in answering a question for college composition is when it's indirect. You must present your topic, clearly, and also your thesis statement that has the function of indicating to your readers what is the probable path of the whole work. You see that it's an unusual topic that might be quite hard to imagine or explain, but some students might just turn that topic into a masterpiece. The very first thing you ought to do is identify the kind of compare and contrast essay which you're handling. The easiest method is obviously the 2 columns we all very first learned. By doing this you will be in a position to work out what kind of topic you can join with. You should choose the kind of topic you may feel passionate about. Choosing the appropriate topics might take a while in case you don't have a list of sample topics facing you. Since you may see, the topics are broken up into multiple categories so it would be simpler that you select one. So now you are aware of how to select the best compare and contrast topics and the various segments which you need to address when writing. The topics you'll find here require a distinctive approach as you attempt to produce useful and accurate content. The Foolproof Good Compare Contrast Essay Topics Strategy For instance, you might think of similarities or differences if we are purchasing a new MP3 player or picking a place to study English. At the same time that you may be someone who can begin an essay off of the surface of your head free of problem, a lot of people discover that it's simpler to sit down and write out an outline before beginning. Once you have sorted out things, hit books hunting for relevant details. Now look at the 2 lists you have ma de. As a college student, you should give yourself the opportunity to experience all compare and contrast essay ideas. There is no correct way to start organizing your paper, it's up to your own discretion. We specializing in providing you with the customized essay that you demand. The goal isn't simply to receive your GED, yet to move beyond. Good Compare Contrast Essay Topics Features Though both are compelling in various ways, they hold more similarities than you can realize. In a lot of the scenarios, you ought to search for items to compare that have some differences but similarities too. It's going to be quite easy to discover the differences but the similarities are a lot more difficult to find. It's just as important to spot the differences between the two things which you're comparing. Details of Good Compare Contrast Essay Topics The vital reason many writers fail is they don't go further. For example an individual may pick a topic like, life in the shoes of a werewolf. Enough practice in reading and writing will supply you with an additional advantage. You may discuss a feeling of taste and the book of your favourite author. Getting the Best Good Compare Contrast Essay Topics Then identify which type of essay you need compose. From the outline, you may now begin writing your essay. If so, you're in for writing a great essay. Every excellent essay starts with a good brainstorm. A comparison essay is among them. Writing a great essay might be a bit of cake if you are feeling inspired. Choice of the essay topic is important portion of your efforts to compose a fantastic essay. If the subject of your essay appears to be boring and repetitive then you won't ever have the ability to engage your audience. The Foolproof Good Compare Contrast Essay Topics Strategy If you are going to write a comparative essay, you want to get a notion of the impacts of distinct aspects to the result which you might get at the conclusion of the writing activity. Global issues with respect to a bigger scale of things have their own topics and often are merely a microcosm of individual issues that aren't being addressed individually. If you think about a strong topic but it doesn't offer enough space for comparison then your efforts are going to be in vain. You're given the freedom to not just pick compare and contrast topics by yourself, but you need the freedom to opt for th e side of your support along with how to contrast it. Students may typically understand the structure with only a short quantity of instruction. They learn to analyze information about two different subjects. In the span of obtaining an education, they have to deal with different tasks and overcome various challenges of different complexity. Students who excel in writing about such complex topic might have an opportunity to be enrolled into a number of the very best Art universities to come up with their abilities and talent.

Revenues of Inferior Goods Producer

Question: Discusss about the How Revenues of Inferior Goods Producers are Expected to be Affected by Economic Recessions and Expansions. Answer: Introduction: As argued by Kubler, Selden Wei (2013), when the income of the person rises, the demand for the normal good increases, whereas, the demand for the inferior good decreases. In specifically, when people have more money, they avoid consuming the inferior good. Thus, the less consumption of inferior good indicates not only the reason of poor quality but also the affordability. However, during the recession period, people want to consume less, and they choose inferior good instead of normal good (Dziadkiewicz, Pisani Wong, 2015). In this research essay, the impact of the recession on normal and inferior good has been analyzed. Apart from this, the condition and impact of revenue regarding inferior good by economic depression and expansion have also been critically evaluated. In this perspective, the relation of the income elasticity of demand with the recession has been briefly stated. Discussion: According to Chen, Peng Hung (2015), the income elasticity of demand (em) can be defined as the percentage change in quantity demanded in respect to the percentage change in income. In the case of normal good, higher income raises the quantity demanded, and the income elasticity is positive (em 0). On the contrary, for inferior good, higher income lowers the quantity demanded (Mark, Southam, Bulla Meza, 2016). When the income of a consumer rises, the person is more likely to take a taxi or car ride rather than a bus ride. Now, the bus ride is inferior to him. As a result, the income elasticity of demand is negative for inferior good (em 0). Figure 1: Income elasticity of demand for inferior good Source: (As created by author) According to this figure, to the right of the point G, X is an inferior good to the consumer as em 0 in this case. On the contrary, the situation has reversed during the period of recession. In the words of (Schild, Fricke Neugebauer, 2013), during the recession period, the incomes of the people fall, and as a result, the people want to consume less to save money. Thus, most of the people choose inferior good instead of normal good. In this meanwhile, people want to substitute the expensive goods to cheaper goods for decreasing their consumption level (Dziadkiewicz, Pisani Wong, 2015). Moreover, when the economy faces the depression or recession period, the income of the people falls, and the people have a smaller amount of money for consumption purpose. As a result, for the normal good, a recession of the economy shifts the demand curved towards the left (Allgrunn Weinandt, 2016). Figure 2: Shift of the demand curve for normal good Source: (As created by author) However, for the inferior good, a depression in the economy shifts the demand curve upwards. This situation indicates the fact that people want to buy more inferior good instead of normal good. In addition, they substitute the most expensive good to the less expensive one (Kubler, Selden Wei, 2013). Figure 3: Shift of the demand curve for an inferior good Source: (As created by author) On the other hand, as per the view of Dziadkiewicz, Pisani Wong (2015), during the period of economic recession, people receive a lower amount of money as well as income. As a result, total revenue increases in the economy. On the contrary, when economic expansion presents in the economy, people receive a higher amount of money (Chen, Peng Hung, 2015). This situation leads to the decrease in total revenue in the economy. In this perspective, it can be notified that though the recession is bad for the economy, it has a positive effect. As opined by Mark, Southam, Bulla Meza (2016), during the recession period, the natural tendency of the people is to save more money which leads to the situation of economic growth. Moreover, this positive tendency lowers the amount of debt and the debt seeking attitude is also minimized from the mind of the people. In addition, more money is available in the economy which can be used for the investment purpose. It indicates the fact that the banks have a huge amount of money which they invest for boost up the economy (Schild, Fricke Neugebauer, 2013). Thus, the revenue of the economy goes up in the recession period. On the other hand, the contradictory nature is seen during the expansion period of the economy. In the words of Allgrunn Weinandt (2016), when the expansion period exists in the economy, people want to spend more amount of money instead of saving. As a result, less amount of money is available to the banks for investment purpose. This situation leads to the lower amount of revenue in the economy. Moreover, in this perspective, it can be deduced that inferior good can be able to raise the amount of revenue during the recession period (Mark, Southam, Bulla Meza, 2016). In the context of food item which is a necessary good, the income elasticity is less than one. It is also an inferior good. Thus, during the recession period, the demand for restaurant services decreases which is a normal good whereas, demand for grocery stores increases which is an example of an inferior good. By the same logic, Wal-Mart is an inferior good and Target is normal. Conclusion: By the above critical analysis of the impact of the recession on the economy, it can be concluded that inferior good is more effective to raise the amount of revenue to compare to normal good. In the recession period, people want to consume more amounts of inferior good and less of a normal good. Moreover, the income elasticity of demand is also negative for the inferior good. However, it has a positive effect on the economy during the recession period. In this perspective, people prefer to choose less expensive or inferior good and save a huge amount of money. As a result, banks have a lot of money which are used for the investment purpose. This situation boosts up the economy which leads to the economic growth of the country. On the other hand, during the period of economic expansion, people want to spend more which leads to reduction in the amount of revenue. References Allgrunn, M., Weinandt, M. (2016). Is Shopping at Walmart an Inferior Good? Evidence from 1997-2010.The Journal of Applied Business and Economics,18(1), 77. Chen, A., Peng, N., Hung, K. P. (2015). The effects of luxury restaurant environments on diners emotions and loyalty: Incorporating diner expectations into an extended Mehrabian-Russell model.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,27(2), 236-260. Dziadkiewicz, J., Pisani, A., Wong, R. (2015). Does a Recession have an Impact on Alcohol Consumption?.Deakin Papers on International Business Economics,8(1). Kubler, F., Selden, L., Wei, X. (2013). Inferior good and Giffen behavior for investing and borrowing.The American Economic Review,103(2), 1034-1053. Mark, T., Southam, C., Bulla, J., Meza, S. (2016). Cross-category indulgence: Why do some premium brands grow during recession?.Journal of Brand Management,23(5), 114-129. Schild, A. M., Fricke, J., Neugebauer, A. (2013). Inferior rectus muscle recession as a treatment for vertical diplopia following cataract extraction.Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology,251(1), 189-194.

Nicholas Coppernicus Essays - Copernican Revolution,

Nicholas Coppernicus Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer, best known for the astronomical theory that the sun is stationary and Earth, spinning on it's axis once daily, revolves around the sun annually. He was very intelligent and was educated at various universities. If Copernicus hadn't challenged Pltolmy's theory, it would have affected us in many ways. Space travel, satellites, and weather prediction would not be as advanced. Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 in Torun, Poland (Wood 87). He was born into a family of merchants. Copernicus uncle, Bishop Lukasz Watzerode, made sure his nephew obtained a solid education. In 1491 Copernicus enrolled in Jagiellonian University. From there he studied liberal arts for four years but received no degree. Like many others he went to Italy to study medicine and law (Smith 1039). Before he left, his uncle appointed him a church administrator in Fronbork. He then used the money from there to pay for school. Copernicus began to study canon lay at the University of Bologna in 1497. At that time he, was living at the home of mathematics professor, Domenico Maria de Novara. Copernicus astronomical and geographical interests were greatly inspired by Novara (Westman). Around 1500 Copernicus gave speeches on astronomy to people in Rome. Later that year he gained permission to study medicine at Padua University. Copernicus, without completing his medical studies , received a doctorate in canon law from Ferrara in 1503, after which he returned to Poland to take up his administrative duties (Smith 1039). From 1503 to 1510, Copernicus stayed in his uncle's bishop palace in Lidzbark Warmiski. From there he published his first book, a Latin translation of letters on morals by a Byzantine writer. Between the times of 1507 and 1515, he completed a short astronomical book. It was not published until the 19th century (Wood 87). The main premises of the Copernican theory were that Earth rotates daily on its axis, while revolving yearly around the sun. He argued that other planets also circle the sun. His theories of planetary motion had the advantage of accounting for the daily and yearly motion of the sun and stars. It explained the apparent motion of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn and the fact that Mercury and Venus never moved more than a certain distance from the sun. His theory also stated that the sun was stationary. Another important aspect on Copernican's theory was that it allowed some kind of order of the planets, according to their periods of revolution. Unlike Pltolomy's theory, the greater the radius of the planets orbits, the greater the planet takes to make one revolution around the sun. Not many 16th century readers wanted to believe the Copernican theory. They didn't believe that there was a rotating Earth and that it spun 24 hours a day (westman). Nicolaus Copernicus passed away in 1543, but no one forgot his astronomical theory. By the 17th century, most major thinkers in England, France and Denmark were Copernicans, but natural philosophers in other European countries held strong anti-Copernican views for a least another century. Copernicus was a very intellectual man. He was one of the greatest thinkers of all time. For him to challenge Pltolmy's theory was very courageous at that time. Many people doubted his theory. It was hard for people to believe something so different to what they had known. It's incredible that Copernicus didn't let society change his thinking. If it wasn't for his intelligence and courage, we wouldn't have the knowledge to test our space technology.

20 Cause and Effect Essay Topics How to Talk about the Rise and Fall of the Food Movement

20 Cause and Effect Essay Topics How to Talk about the Rise and Fall of the Food Movement If you have gone through our first guide 10 facts on the rise and fall of the food movement for a cause and effect essay then you are on the right track. In this second guide, we’ll not only discuss 20 food essay topics but also demonstrate how to write a sample cause and effect essay on the food movement, for your convenience. This will help you greatly when you want to choose a relevant topic for your essay. Here are 20 topic suggestions on the rise and fall of the food movement for your essay: Effects of the Food Movement on Environment Why is Local Food Healthier than Packaged Food? The Motive of Slow Food Movement: Organic and Sustainable Food The Origination of Local Food Movement and its Causes Impact of the Food Movement on Our World What Makes Local Food Better than Processed Food? The Philosophy of Slow Food Movement What Caused Slow Food Movement? Problems with Fast Food and How it Affects Our Planet The Truth about the Food Movement Common Perception of the Food Movement Effects of the Food Movement on Farm Workers and Livestock How the Food Movement is Beneficial for Everyone on Earth Health Effects of Processed Food on Our Lives Why did Slow Food Protest Against Fast Food Industry? Why ‘Natural’ Food Sounds a Lot Better than Artificial Food Starting a Food Movement in Your Kitchen Slow Food Can it Feed the World? Economic Implications of the Food Movement Environmental, Social and Health Implications of the Food Movement We’ve just given you a plethora of topics on rise and fall of food movement. You now should be able to use any one of these topics and easily write an essay on it. To make things even easier, we’ve left a sample cause and effect essay for you below. Once you read through the sample essay, you can check out the final guide where we’ll show you how to outline and format your essay, and it should be written to really wow your professor. Here is how a cause and effect essay on the rise and fall of the food movement is based on one of the topics mentioned above. Sample Cause and Effect Essay Environment, Social and Health Implications of Food Movement The food movement is actually based on people who want to promote the value and benefits of food grown locally. This movement recommends that you buy ‘local food’ food which is near you, i.e. farmers’ market, your own garden or your state. The goal of the food movement is to keep food organic and sustainable in its natural state. This means that the food you are buying locally, should be organic and must be grown without any use of chemical pesticides or synthetic growth hormones. It significantly helps the environment, workers and animals, and especially the consumers. Historically, these factors have helped the food movement grow further throughout the world. When the Food Movement started, globalization and internationalization were at their peak. It enabled people to buy any kind of food from around the world. Fruits and vegetables of all kinds became available in all seasons. This meant that you could buy strawberries in November and so on. Globalization had spread and dominated every kind of food we see today, including: fruits and veggies, processed food, dairy food and so on. However, about 25 50 years after globalization went viral, people began to perceive afflictions that threatened our very existence and well being, which strongly correlates to this fast food paradise. Realizing the economic downfall that ensued, including health and social problems as well as political havoc, the food movement launched mainstream all around the world. For the last 30 40 years, the human race on a whole has been a victim of obesity, which has led to a number of health complications like type II diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, coronary heart disease and joint degenerative diseases. Obesity is largely the cause of consuming cheap and readily available foods which significantly increases caloric intake without the nutritional value found in whole, natural foods. This is one of the reasons that brought the food movement into existence and people started taking active part in it. Big firms that distribute fast food are one of the reasons our natural food growing environment has been withering away. This destruction is unfortunately, irreversible. The aim of large food corporations is to produce as much as they can in the least amount of time while lowering the final products costs through whatever means necessary, and delivering that food to consumers as quickly as possible. To fulfill their mission, they started performing environmentally harmful practices and now it has become a standard. These inhumane corporations provide antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones to animals, so they grow faster than usual. These animals are often subjected to cruelty, kept in cramped and unhygienic environments, as opposed to the natural habitat Mother Nature has to offer. Crops are sprinkled with harmful pesticides and are harvested through machinery, which can be looked at as form of slaughtering that destroys the soil in a very bad way. All these environmental implications have also led to the rise of the food movement. On the other hand, the food movement has played a significant role in making people aware of why locally and naturally grown food is a lot better than processed food. It has made people understand the benefits of natural food and the adverse effects we suffer along with the environment, as a result of what the big food corporations are producing. Farmers’ markets have become a hang-out point for people who share this same perspective on how major fast food companies have maligned the environment. The food movement has also helped us appreciate the providers of healthy and nutritious food more and also show gratitude to farmers who work hard to provide such great food to us. This has also fostered growth in the local food movement. Today the food movement has become a mainstream community and it is steadily picking up the speed. We can save ourselves from the role humans have played in agriculture for the last 50 years or so; the Food Movement and the philosophies of organic and sustainable agriculture are our best bet for a healthy, virtually disease-free existence. You are now armed with a number of good topic suggestions, and a sample essay to give you a better idea of what the final essay should look like. The final guide in the series discusses 3 patterns to organize your cause and effect essay on the food movement, which specifically shows you what to take into account while composing your cause and effect essay on the food movement. References: Alexandra Link and Chris Ling, June 2007. Farmers Market and Local Food Systems CRC Research. https://crcresearch.org/case-studies/crc-case-studies/farmers-markets-and-local-food-systems Mark Notaras, Oct 2014. Slow Food Movement Growing Fast Our World by United Nations University. https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/slow-food-movement-growing-fast Bryan Walsh, Feb 2011. Foodies Can Eclipse (and Save) the Green Movement Time. http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2049255,00.html Bryan Walsh, Sep 2008. Can Slow Food Feed the World? http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1838757,00.html Hesser, Amanda, July 2003 QA; Endangered Species: Slow Food The New York Times.  nytimes.com/2003/07/26/arts/q-a-endangered-species-slow-food.html Associated Press, Aug 2008. Slow Food Movement Finally Picking Up Speed Today. today.com/id/26378691#.V6b6Yrh96Uk Tamar Haspel, Jan 2016 The Surprising Truth about the Food Movement' The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-surprising-truth-about-the-food-movement/2016/01/25/42bed508-bfcf-11e5-9443-7074c3645405_story.html

Agave Plants of Ancient Mesoamerica

Agave Plants of Ancient Mesoamerica Maguey or agave (also called the century plant for its long life) is a native plant (or rather, lots of plants) from the North American continent, now cultivated in many parts of the world. Agave belongs to the family Asparagaceae which has 9 genera and around 300 species, about 102 taxa of which are used as human food. Agave grows in arid, semiarid, and temperate forests of the Americas at elevations between sea level to about 2,750 meters (9,000 feet) above sea level, and thrives in agriculturally marginal parts of the environment. Archaeological evidence from Guitarrero Cave indicates that agave was first used at least as long as 12,000 years ago by Archaic hunter-gatherer groups. Main Species of Agave Plants Some of the major agave species, their common names and primary uses are: Agave angustifolia, known as Caribbean agave; consumed as food and aguamiel (sweet sap)  A. fourcroydes or henequen;  grown primarily for its fiberA. inaequidens, called maguey alto because of its height or maguey bruto because the presence of saponins in its tissue can cause dermatitis;  30 different uses including food and aguamielA. hookeri, also called maguey alto, is used primarily for its fibers, sweet sap, and sometimes used to form live fencesA. sisalana or sisal hemp, primarily fiberA. tequilana, blue agave, agave azul or tequila agave; primarily for sweet sapA. salmiana or green giant, grown mainly for sweet sap Agave Products In ancient Mesoamerica, maguey was used for a variety of purposes. From its leaves, people obtained fibers to make ropes, textiles, sandals, construction materials, and fuel. The agave heart, the plants above-ground storage organ that contains carbohydrates and water, is edible by humans. The stems of the leaves are used to make small tools, such as needles. The ancient Maya used agave spines as perforators during their bloodletting rituals. One important product obtained from maguey was sweet sap, or aguamiel (honey water in Spanish), the sweet, milky juice extracted from the plant. When fermented, aguamiel is used to make a mildly alcoholic beverage called pulque, as well as distilled beverages such as mescal and modern tequila, bacanora, and raicilla. Mescal The word mescal (sometimes spelled mezcal) comes from two Nahuatl terms melt and ixcalli which together mean oven-cooked agave. To produce mescal, the core of the ripe maguey plant is baked in an earth oven. Once the agave core is cooked, it is ground to extract the juice, which is placed in containers and left to ferment. When the fermentation is complete, alcohol (ethanol) is separated from the non-volatile elements through distillation to obtain the pure mescal. Archaeologists debate whether mescal was known in pre-Hispanic times or if it was an innovation of the Colonial period. Distillation was a well-known process in Europe, derived from Arabic traditions. Recent investigations in the site of Nativitas in Tlaxcala, Central Mexico, however, are providing evidence for possible prehispanic mezcal production. At Nativitas, investigators found chemical evidence for maguey and pine inside earth and stone ovens dated between the mid- and late Formative (400 BC-AD 200) and the Epiclassic period (AD 650-900). Several large jars also contained chemical traces of agave and may have been used to store sap during the fermentation process, or used as distillation devices. Investigators Serra Puche and colleagues note that the set up at Navitas is similar to methods used to make mescal by several indigenous communities throughout Mexico, such as the Pai Pai community in Baja California, the Nahua community of Zitlala in Guerrero, and the Guadalupe Ocotlan Nayarit community in Mexico City. Domestication Processes Despite its importance in ancient and modern Mesoamerican societies, very little is known about agaves domestication. That is most likely because the same species of agave can be found in several different gradations of domestication. Some agaves are completely domesticated and grown in plantations, some are tended in the wild, some seedlings (vegetative propagules) are transplanted into home gardens, some seeds collected and grown in seedbeds or nurseries for market. In general, domesticated agave plants are larger than their wild cousins, have fewer and smaller spines, and lower genetic diversity, this last a result of being grown in plantations. Only a handful have been studied for evidence of the onset of domestication and management to date. Those include Agave fourcroydes (henequen), thought to have been domesticated by the Pre-Columbian Maya of Yucatan from A. angustafolia; and Agave hookeri, thought to have been developed from A. inaequidens at a currently unknown time and place. The Mayans and Henequen The most information we have about maguey domestication is henequen (A. fourcroydes, and sometimes spelled henequà ©n). It was domesticated by the Maya perhaps as early as 600 AD. It was certainly fully domesticated when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century; Diego de Landa reported that henequen was grown in house-gardens and it was of much better quality than that in the wild. There were at least 41 traditional uses for henequen, but agricultural mass production at the turn of the 19th-20th century has depressed the genetic variability. There were once seven different varieties of henequen reported by the Maya (Yaax Ki, Sac Ki, Chucum Ki, Bab Ki, Kitam Ki, Xtuk Ki, and Xix Ki), as well as at least three wild varieties (called chelem white, green, and yellow). Most of them were deliberately eradicated around 1900  when extensive plantations of Sac Ki were produced for commercial fiber production. Agronomy manuals of the day recommended that farmers work towards eliminating the other varieties, which were viewed as lesser-useful competition. That process was accelerated by the invention of a fiber-extracting machine which was built to fit the Sac Ki type. The three surviving varieties of cultivated henequen left today are: Sac Ki, or white henequen, most abundant and preferred by the cordage industryYaax Ki, or green henequen, similar to white but of lower yieldKitam Ki, wild boar henequen, which has soft fiber and low yield, and is very rare, and used for hammock and sandal manufacture Archaeological Evidence for the Use of Maguey Because of their organic nature, products derived from maguey are rarely identifiable in the archaeological record. Evidence of maguey use comes instead from the technological implements used to process and store the plant and its derivatives. Stone scrapers with plant residue evidence from processing agave leaves  are abundant in Classic and Postclassic times, along with cutting and storing implements. Such implements are rarely found in Formative and earlier contexts. Ovens which may have been used to cook maguey cores have been found in archaeological sites, such as Nativitas in the state of Tlaxcala, Central Mexico, Paquimà © in Chihuahua, La Quemada in Zacatecas and at Teotihuacn. At Paquimà ©, remains of agave were found inside one of several subterranean ovens. In Western Mexico, ceramic vessels with depictions of agave plants have been recovered from several burials dated to the Classic period. These elements underscore the important role that this plant played in the economy as well as the social life of the community. History and Myth The Aztecs/Mexica had a specific patron deity for this plant, the goddess Mayahuel. Many Spanish chroniclers, such as Bernardino de Sahagun, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, and Fray Toribio de Motolinia, stressed the importance that this plant and its products had within the Aztec empire. 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