E-Commerce and its impact on the Global Marketplace Essay

E-Commerce and its impact on the Global Marketplace - Essay Example The main impact of E-Commerce is the fact that the global marketplace never sleeps and working 24/7, 365 days a year. It functions across different time zones as well as geographic boundaries. The integration of synergies leads to an extraordinary improvement in efficiencies. The presence of better and improved software enables the companies to conduct business online in an automated fashion leading to better productivity. It opens up a better competitive arena even to smaller companies with lesser resources at their disposal. It symbolizes the usage of the complete potential of the Internet and using it to gain profitability. Inter-business transactions or business-to-business (B2B) or e-commerce between businesses usually between manufacturers and suppliers. The other is the transaction between businesses and consumers (B2C) or electronic retailing. B2B type of E-Commerce is more common because of the usage of computer technology to a large extent by businesses, B2C in the form of online retailing has picked up exponentially. The success story of Wal-Mart has been extensively discussed and analysed. Sam Walton's guiding principles of "everyday low prices " have made Wal-Mart the world's largest retailer. The availability of the product when the customer looks for it on the shelf has to be accomplished, at the lowest possible cost without high overheads Using E-Commerce Supply Chain to Support Low Prices and Increased Customer Satisfaction "At Wal-Mart, we don't implement technology for its own sake," says David Flanagin, Director of Network Engineering. "It has to have a payback that helps the customer."(Quoted from http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/ibs/vertical/retail/Wal-Mart.PDF) So when the Wal-Mart network that unifies more than 100,0000 employees in more than 2400 stores and 100 distribution centres was undertaken, the Cisco network was chosen after great deliberation. Unifying and coordinating retailers and suppliers were of paramount importance. The number is staggering considering there are thousands of products and hundreds of suppliers and these are shipped to myriad destinations in the actual seasonal periods when they are sold. Wal-Mart ventured into EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) in 1980 and used it to transmit data to its suppliers. By 1990 Wal-Mart had its own application called "Retail Linka" and suppliers used modems to dial into the network for sales and inventory data. This enabled better forecasting and planning, producing and shipping. With the growing E-Commerce scenario, Wal-Mart utilized the power of the Internet and using the Cisco network, Wal-Mart updated and reorganized the "Retail Linka" to a greater level of competence and usability. Logins are password protected and each supplier has a level to which he is able to access the information. "We

Fast Food Nation Essay Example for Free

Fast Food Nation Essay The growth of the fast food industry over the past few decades into what it is today is an undeniable phenomenon that has occurred in an alarmingly rapid pace. The fact of the matter is it seems that a person has a very realistic chance of finding a McDonalds within a 4 mile radius of any household in the country, it is also arguable that this is already the case for the world as well, and if not now then very soon indeed. According to an article â€Å"Good Home CookingRight off the Assembly Line,† by James Bone on the Times Online Web site said, â€Å"only one-third of Americans cook meals from scratch†, meaning with fresh ingredients. Bone also reports that â€Å"Americans spend only thirty minutes cooking dinner, compared with 2-1/2 hours in the 1960s†. In his book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser says, â€Å"one-quarter of Americans eat in a fast-food restaurant each day† (3). Why are Americans eating so much fast food? The answer is simple: they are willing to trade quality for speed. While Americans may be attracted to food that is fast and easy, they are missing some important benefits of slowing down. In fact, Americans’ obsession with fast food is hurting not only their health but also the quality of their lives. The main reason that Americans are getting take-out food and cooking prepared meals is obvious: they don’t have enough time. Bone said â€Å"in more than two-thirds of households in America, two people are working†. People with demanding work schedules have little time for food shopping and cooking. Another reason that mealtime has become so short is that many younger adults grew up in what one might call a fast-food culture. In the past fifty years, inventions such as televisions, fax machines, and computers have increased the pace of life. At the same time, microwave ovens, drive-through restaurants, and TV dinners have changed the way Americans eat. Many people now prefer to eat quickly, even in their cars or in front of the television, instead of taking time to cook a meal and sit at the table. In this culture of instant gratification, people don’t think food is important enough to spend much time on. Even though Americans think that they are saving time and improving their lives by eating precooked and prepackaged food, their obsession with fast food is causing the quality of their lives to go down. Fast food doesnt contain the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. They have lots of preservatives, fat, sugar, and salt to hide the fact that they are not fresh. As a result, people may feel chronically fatigued and lack the energy they need to complete daily tasks. If people do not eat fresh foods that provide necessary vitamins and minerals, they may become tired and sick, and they will miss out on opportunities to enjoy their lives. Another serious health concern is obesity. There is an obesity epidemic in America today, especially with young person, that is related to the way people are eating. According to Schlosser, â€Å"the rate of obesity among American children is twice as high as it was in the late 1970s† (240). Obesity can lead to many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In The Link Between Fast Food And The Obesity Epidemic. Dustin Frazier writes, â€Å"deaths due to poor diet and physical inactivity increased 33 percent over the past decade†. It cites a study concluding that, â€Å"poor diet and physical inactivity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of death in this country†. Certainly, if fast food causes people to become obese, and then obesity causes them to get sick or die, fast food cannot be considered â€Å"improvement† in Americans’ lives. Even though Americans may think they are saving time and improving their lives by eating fast food, they will actually have healthier and more enjoyable lives if they change the way they cook and eat. Making dinner from scratch is much healthier than getting burgers and fries from a fast-food restaurant. And people get more than just a full stomachthey get more time with family and friends and a good feeling from creating something healthy. People should learn to choose fast food carefully and remember the pleasure of eating good food in good company. Work Cited Bone, James. â€Å"Good Home CookingRight off the Assembly Line. † TimesOnline 27 Mar. 2006. 9 Oct. 2006http://www. timesonline. co. uk/article/0,,11069-2105427,00. html. Frazier, Dustin A. The Link Between Fast Food And The Obesity Epidemic. Health Matrix: journal Of Law-Medicine 17. 2 (2007): 291-317. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Perennial, 2002. Print.

Carl Friedrich Gauss Essay -- Mathematician Biography Biographical Ess

Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) Introduction: Carl Friedrich Gauss is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He is a creator in the logical-mathematical domain as he contributed many ideas to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and physics. Being a math education major, I have come into contact with Gauss’ work quite a few times. He contributed greatly to the different areas of mathematics like linear algebra, calculus, and number theory. Creativity can be seen when a person makes or discovers substantially new ideas that dramatically impact the domain in which the person is working. Gauss’ work should be considered creative because he contributed so many new theorems and ideas to mathematics, astronomy, and physics. Unlike some of the creators Gardner studied, Gauss seemed to be a truly decent man. He never tried to criticize his rivals or make himself stand above the rest. He solved problems because he loved math. Some theorems that we credit to being solved by someone else were really discovered earlier by Gauss. He did not publish everything because he did not have time to finish it all. That is why I hold Gauss higher than some of the other creators we read about. He was a decent man who worked for the love of math. I also greatly admire his work. Any mathematician who can prove so many different ideas in so many different areas of mathematics is truly a genius. Relation to Gardner’s Triad: As a child, Gauss was a prodigy. This event happened just before Gauss turned three years old. â€Å"One Saturday Gerhard Gauss (his father) was making out the weekly payroll for the laborers under his charge, unaware that his young son was following the proceedings with critical atten... ...had been braver and published his ideas on a non-Euclidean geometry, then he would have fit Gardner’s model almost perfectly. Instead he chose to publish works that would not raise a lot of political controversy. Although Gauss is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, he would have been in a class by himself if he would have published everything he had discovered. Works Cited Bell, E.T. Men of Mathematics. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986. Bretscher, Otto. Linear Algebra with Applications. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997. Burton, David M. The History of Mathematics, an Introduction. Newton, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1985. O’Conner, J.J. and E.F. Robertson. â€Å"Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss.† (Dec. 1996). 26 November, 2001 http://www-groups.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Gauss.html

Fsibl

Introduction Islamic Banking in Bangladesh There are currently seven commercial banks operating under Islamic principles. They are: 1. Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, 2. Al-Arafah Bank Ltd. 3. Social Investment Bank Ltd, 4. Exim Bank Ltd, 5. Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd. 6. Icb Islamic Bank Ltd 7. First security Islami Bank Ltd. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND First Security Islami Bank Limited (FSIBL) was incorporated in Bangladesh on 29 August 1999as a banking company under Companies Act 1994 to carry on banking business.It obtained  permission  from Bangladesh Bank  on 22  September 1999  to commence its  business. The  Bank  carries banking activities through its Fifty Three (53) branches in the country. The commercial  banking activities of the bank encompass a wide range of services including accepting deposits,making  loans,  discounting bills, conducting  money transfer  and  foreign  exchange  transactions,and  performing other related services such  a s safe  keeping,  collections  and  issuing  guarantees,acceptances and letter of credit. At the beginning, FSIBL started their business with traditional commercial banking services.However, from 2008 they converted their business to Islamic Banking with Islamic Shariah Act. The FSIBL has played a pioneering role in shaping the future of the Banking industry inBangladesh since its inception. The Bank started in 1999 with 14 branches and now it has 53  branches in Bangladesh and recently the bank introduce an Exchange House in Canada. The Bank also maintains a comprehensive correspondent relationship with top ranking banks. FSIBL has already started their on-line, SMS and ATM banking facilities for their clients. 2. 2 Vision of the Bank Wherever you are, you can Bank with us† is the motto of  First Security Islami Bank. FSIBL is  prepared to meet the challenge of the 21st century well ahead of time. To cope with the challengeof the new millennium it hired experi enced and well-reputed banker of the country from theinception. The  bank  has  efficient  and  dedicated  professional  and  equipped  with  modemtechnology to provide the best service in the need of the people and thus to realize its vision. Sothe Bank defamed its Vision: ‘to be the most efficient Islamic Bank in terms of customer service  profitability and technology application’Mission To develop & deliver the most innovative products, manage customer experience, deliver qualityservices that contributes to brand strength, establishes a competitive advantage and enhances  profitability, thus providing value to the stakeholders of the bank   2. 4 Goal of the bank To  exceed customer expectations through  innovative Islamic financial products &  services  andestablish a strong presence to recognize shareholder’s expectation and optimize their rewardsthrough dedicated work force. . 5 Special Features of FSIBL †¢ All activiti es of FSIBL are conducted under a profit/loss based system according toIslamic Shariah to get the nation rid of Usury. †¢ Its investment policies under different modes are fully Shariah compliant and wellmonitored by the board of Shariah Council. †¢ FSIBL  has  included  online  banking  in  its wide  range  of  services. Bangladeshisoftware has been introduced in this feature to  promote the local developers. †¢ FSIBL regularly arranges its AGMs (Annual General Meeting).Whenever neededEGMs (Extraordinary General Meeting) are also arranged. †¢ They believe in providing dedicated services to the clients imbued with Islamic spiritof brotherhood, peace and  fraternity. †¢ The bank is committed towards establishing a welfare-oriented banking system tomeet the needs of low income and underprivileged class of people. †¢ The Bank upholds the Islamic values of establishment of a justified economic systemthrough social emancipation and equi table  distribution of wealth. †¢Following  the  Islamic  traditions,  it  is  assisting  in  the  economic  progress  of  thesocially  deprived  people;  in  the  creation  of  employment  opportunities  and  in  promotion of rural areas to ensure a balance development of the country. 2. 6 FSIBL’s Inter Division and  Branch Coordination All  the  53  branches  are  computerized  under  distributed  server  environment. Another  few  branches are  planning  to open  in near  future. FSIBL has  already started their on-line, SMS andATM banking facilities for their clients.FSIBL  have  set  up  Wide  Area  Network  through  Radio,  Fiber-Optics  &  other  availablecommunication media systems to provide any branch banking to their customers. Customer of  one  branch  is  now  able  to  deposit  and  withdraw  money  at  any  of  our  branch es. 2. 7 Online Banking FSIBL  Online  banking  application  addresses  the  needs  of  small,  individual  and  corporateaccount  holders  of  the  bank. This  application  provides  a  comprehensive  range  of  bankingservices that enable the customer to meet most of their banking requirements over the Net at any  branch. . 8 SMS Banking SMS banking  is a  technology-enabled  service  offering from  banks to  its customers,  permittingthem to operate selected banking services over their mobile phones using SMS messaging. FirstSecurity Islami Bank Ltd. has officially launched SMS banking service from December 17,2007. 2. 9 Merchant Banking FSIBL’s Merchant Banking Group is strongly positioned to offer perfect financial solutions itsclient’s business. They specialize in the arrangement of various forms of Foreign CurrencyCredits for Corporate.FSIBL provide the resources, convenience and services to meet its cl ients’needs by arranging Foreign Currency credits through:†¢ Commercial loans†¢ Syndicated loans   Lines of Credit from Foreign Banks and  Financial Institutions†¢ FCNR loans†¢ Loans from Export Credit Agencies†¢ Financing of Imports. 2. 10 Product and Services In the memorandum and articles of association of the First Security Islami Bank is revised itsarea of operation is clearly written. The product of FSIBL is targeted to fulfill that aim.The  product and services that are currently available are given below: †¢ Depository Products First Security Islami Bank is now offering 09 depository products for mobilizing the savings of  the general people. There are also emphasizing on non-fund business and fee based income. Bid  bond/ bid security can be issued at our customer's request. FSIBL is posed to extend L/C facilities to its importers / exporters through establishment of  correspondent relations and Nostro Accounts with leading ba nks all over the world. †¢ Loan ProductsFirst Security Islami Bank offers a wide range of loan and advance product to the client for  financing different purpose that fulfill the requirements of the bank and have good return to theinvestment as well as satisfy the client. †¢ Other Product and Services The bank has its concentration for new product and services development for satisfying itscustomer and increasing its customer base. They prefer now faster service with least cost. For  delivering faster service the bank has introduced online banking service. There are other productsand services that FSIBL has introduced.They are: * Online Banking Services * Locker Services * Utility Bills * ATM services FLUCTUATION OF SHARE PRICE (ONE YEAR) BALANCE SHEET ANALYSYS 3. 1. 5 Types of Investment Facilities The Bank’s Policy is to introduce diversified / new types of Products / Product derivativesalong with usual Banking Products. At present the Bank offers the followin g facilities: i. Investment  / Deployment of Funds: a. Bai-Murabaha  (Deferred  Lump  Sum/  Installment Sale)  b. Bai-Muajjal  (Deferred  Installment /  Lump  Sum  Sale)c. Ijara (Leasing)d. Musharaka (Joint-Venture Profit-Sharing)e.Mudaraba (Trustee Profit-Sharing)f. Bai-Salam  (Advance  Sale and  Purchase)g. Hire-Purchaseh. Direct Investmentsi. Post  Import  Investment  j. Purchase  and  Negotiation of Export Billsk. Inland Bills  Purchasedl. Murabaha  Import  Billsm. Bai-Muajjal Import Billsn. Pre Shipment Investmento. Quard-ul-Hasan (Benevolent Investment) KYC Concept The Investment Officers/RM must know their customers and conduct due diligence onnew borrowers, principals and guarantors to ensure such parties are in fact who theyrepresent themselves to be i. e. , Know  Your Customer (KYC).The Banker – Customer relationship would be established first through opening of CD/STD / SB accounts. Proper introduction, photographs of t he account holders / signatories,  passport,  Trade  License,  Memorandum  and  Articles  of  the  Company,  certificate  of  incorporation, certificate of commencement of business, List of Directors, resolution, etc. i. e. all the required papers as per Bank’s policy and regulatory requirements are to beobtained at the time of opening of the account. A declaration regarding approximatetransaction to the account is to be obtained during opening of account.Informationregarding  business  pattern,  nature  of  business,  volume  of  business  etc. is  to  beascertained. Any suspicious transaction must be timely addressed and brought down tothe notice  of  the Head  Office /  Bangladesh Bank  as  required  and  also  appropriatecorrective measures to be taken as per the direction of Bank Management/BangladeshBank SWOT analysis Strength Diversified ownership pattern Strong market share Good Financial performance Good investment portfolio Comfortable Liquidity position Experienced management team Sound HR development programmes Improvement in automation Wide branch networkSignificant involvement in corporate social responsibility Weakness: Unmatched asset versus capital growth Limited delegation of power Limited modern customer service facilities Moderate recovery of rescheduled investments High large investment exposures Initial stage of system based internal control procedures Opportunities: Investment in SME and Agro based industry Real time online banking Credit card in dual currency Creation of Islamic Money market product Introduce above 5 years Islamic bond Threats: Market pressure for increasing the SLR Overall liquidity crisis in money marketGovernment pressure to reduce investment rate Increase the capital adequacy position Findings * Most of the costumers do not know the regulations of the investment modes. * Shortage of human resources in Investment Section. * Deposit schemes favorin g to the customers. * Senior level executives should be more cooperative with the subordinates. * Regarding security service of the bank, account opening and closing system, phone query, cash withdraw and deposit facility, credit profit rate, online banking, external and internal environment are satisfactory to the customers. Most of the customers are service holder and businessman; they like to come to FSIBL because near to residence / office / work place, better service, easier banking procedure. * Employees of the bank are more cooperative with the customers. * Employees of the bank have good knowledge to solve the queries of the customers. * According to the customers opinion more ATM booths needed to be setup in different places. According to the data analysis customers feeling about banking in FSIBL are very satisfied. Recommendations Different types of products and services are available in FSIBL but clients are not concerned about that so advertisement and promotional activi ties should be increased. * Increasing more deposit schemes under consumer banking. * Providing prompt service in account opening. * Now a day, the online banking service is very much popular in all over the world, so the bank should try to develop in this side. * FSIBL should increase Debit card ; credit card facilities. * SJIBL online service should be fast ; accurate. The website of SJIBL is not good enough; most of the pages are under construction. The page should be constructed as soon as possible. * Should increase the ATM Booths. * More manpower is required to run the business smoothly. * Employee trainings and workshops should be administered in order to give them knowledge and professionalism in customer interactions. They should be taught about how to deal with the problem of customers and problematic situations. * Physical and technological facilities should be increased in evaluating credit proposals. Experienced and expert personnel should be kept within the bank, which will lead to a quality selection of clients * SJIBL should more focus on customer needs. They need to concentrate more on their existing services and product innovation. * A yearly conference with the employees should be arranged where they will exchange their views with the management about different aspects. This will help to increase the efficiency of the employees. * Prompt service should be given to the customers. In this regard arranging job rotation regularly for employees to improve the skills in different types of service.This will increase the efficiency of the service. * More emphasis should be given on the customers’ complaint. * Informal training can be a way to improve the skills of the employee. Allocating job responsibility to the employees according to their profit. * Try to create a good image to customers through different promotional tools Conclusion First security Islami Bank Limited is one of the leading Islamic sharah based commercial bank in Banglades h. FSIBL is committed to provide excellent service to its valued customers. The management of FSIBL always gives special efforts to uphold the interest and trust of their customers.By providing excellence service and special effort First Security Islami Bank has placed itself to a strong position among all the banks. The main focus of FSIBL is to concentrate on the consumer demand, which differentiates FSIBL with other banks. FSIBL has been successfully created a brand image Islamic sharah based in the market and is maintaining a strong position in the market. But still it has some weakness, which can be easily overcome. FSIBL has much more potential to explore the existing market. So, to be the number one forever they have to be very perfect in their business.

Critical response to ‘Z for Zachariah’ Essay

The book I read is ‘Z for Zachariah’ by Robert C. O’Brien. I enjoyed this book because it contained few but excellent characters and is full of mystery and suspense. ‘Z for Zachariah’ is about a sixteen-year-old girl, called Ann Burden who thinks she is the only person to survive a nuclear war. However, as her diary entries progress, you learn of a person in a green suit who is pulling what looks like a trailer covered with the same green material as the suit approaching Ann Burden’s valley. Later in the diary you find out that the person is a man who had been an industrial chemist before the war, working for the Government designing a suit to protect people in the event of a nuclear explosion. His name is Mr Loomis and he is wearing the only one of these suits. When Mr Loomis finally arrives in the valley, he is amazed by the fact that there is water, which appears to be safe but Mr Loomis makes one severe mistake. When he checks the water for the level of radiation with his Geiger counter he in fact checks the clean water in the stream but then goes on to venture further down the valley, where he finds Ann Burden’s home where the polluted Burden Creek is nearby. Once Mr Loomis has seen inside Ann’s house (where Ann has cleverly hidden any clues that could show the visitor that there has been people living there recently) he then proceeds towards Burden Creek in the hope of getting his first bath in probably months. However, not realising that the stream and Creek are not connected and in fact the Creek runs into the valley from over the hill where the pollution is, he jumps right in. Within a very short period of time after Mr Loomis has had his bath he became very ill, as he had been exposed to a lot of radiation. When Mr Loomis becomes sick Ann then realises she will have to help him and that is when she first shows herself. Ann’s diary entries take you through the events that happen when she is and is not in the company of Mr Loomis. My favourite part of the book is the first three diary entries. In these diary entries Mr Loomis has not yet arrived in the valley however Ann has seen smoke from over the hill for three days, which she presumes is from a human made fire because it is in a thin column that it rises. The smoke comes at the same time everyday, in late afternoon. Each afternoon the smoke is nearer to Ann’s home. I like this part of the book the most because in it you find out what it has been like for Ann being alone for so long because her family left her to look for other people and had never returned. It is interesting to read Ann’s thoughts of being excited and scared that she may in fact not be the only person left in the world. It is obvious why Ann would be excited about someone else coming into the valley but maybe not so clear why she would be scared. Ann is scared because after the nuclear explosion some radio stations had still broadcasted, but towards the end of them broadcasting the presenters seemed to be going crazy. Here is a quote from the second diary entry which will explain why Ann is scared â€Å"Suppose a car came over the hill, and I ran out, and whoever was in it got out – suppose he was crazy? Or suppose it was someone mean, or cruel, and brutal? A murderer? What could I do?† After this quote, you realise that Ann is a very sensible and careful person because she decides to move her things to a cave nearby her home and make it look as though no one has lived in her house. That way she can watch whoever is coming into her valley and if they are crazy or mean she can stay in the cave unbeknown to the visitor and wait until they leave. At the end of the third diary entry Ann has still not seen anyone but knows that they are camping at the crossroads and exploring North, South, East, West and when they come into the South they will find Ann’s valley. The most remarkable character in the book I think is Ann Burden. She is careful, mature, kind, helpful, sensible, confused, and strategic/logical. In the following paragraph I will explain why Ann Burden is all of the things I have just said: The reason I think Ann is careful is because when Mr Loomis is first entering the valley she goes to the cave to live there as she does not know if Mr Loomis is ‘safe.’ During the book ‘Z for Zachariah’ you realise that in fact even though Ann is only sixteen she is more mature than Mr Loomis who is quite a bit older than Ann. The proof that shows this, is all of the words I am using to describe her and she also thinks about having children to begin the human-race again. The words kind, helpful and sensible describe Ann well because when Mr Loomis is ill with radiation poisoning she helps him and is kind to him even though he’s a stranger. Also Ann still helps Mr Loomis after he tried to rape her – she gives him half of everything i.e. eggs, milk and chicken and lets him have the comforts of her home while she moves into the cave. It is obvious that Ann is confused, as she does not know why Mr Loomis is being so horrible to her especially when she has done everything she can to be nice to him and to help him. The last words to describe Ann are strategic and logical; I think these words describe Ann well because when she does not want Mr Loomis to find her she thinks about what he can and cannot see e.g. when she builds a fire she thinks about where and how to build it so Mr Loomis can’t see it – she also thinks about what time of the day to light it. The style of ‘Z for Zachariah’ is in diary form. Throughout the book there were not many figures of speech, however, there were a few similes, here is a quote from the book that describes Ann’s dog Faro when he has returned from the dead lands where there is radiation, in it there is a simile â€Å"as thin as a skeleton.† The structure of ‘Z for Zachariah’ is in chronological order, each event happening in an order that makes sense and makes the story more intense and interesting. During the book, there is not much direct speech as the genre of the book is in diary form so it contains more of the thoughts and feelings of Ann Burden. The themes in the book are effects of modern technology, survival, dominance, bullying, age against youth, optimism/realism, breeding, art v science and religion v atheism. In the following sentences, I will discuss the themes that occur in ‘Z for Zachariah.’ The first theme ‘effects of modern technology’ is the theme that allowed the story to occur because nothing in the book would have happened had there not been a nuclear explosion. The themes of survival, dominance and age against youth are all linked together and are in a way very similar to each other. These three themes are perhaps the strongest and most occurring ones throughout the book, I will explain why: survival of course is going to be a major issue, Ann is the one who thinks about this the most having thought of growing her own crops, so when the supplies run out in the shop she will still have food to survive, and that is just one example. Throughout the book Mr Loomis tries to be the stereotypical ‘Alpha male,’ he wants everything to be done his own way and to be done by him. For example when Ann said she would go into the town with the safe suit to collect books, even though Mr Loomis is still ill he refuses to let her go, perhaps thinking she is incapable or he could have been worried she wouldn’t come back with the safe suit, although I think the first scenario is more likely. The only time Mr Loomis seemed to let Ann do things her way is when he could not do things for himself, however, he never admitted it. ‘Age against youth’ is another strong theme as throughout the book you realise that Mr Loomis even though he is older he is not always wiser and more mature, in fact Ann is definitely the more mature of the two characters. Optimism and realism are two words that can explain Ann and Mr Loomis’ completely different personalities. Ann being the optimist who thinks that the results of an action will always be good and Mr Loomis being the realist he makes decisions based on facts and not on false hope. Throughout the book breeding is a theme, but more with Ann – she thinks towards the future and beginning the human-race again. The theme of art v science is one that occurs throughout the book. As Ann is interested in art and Mr Loomis is interested in science, a few quarrels occur between them. However, ‘quarrels’ is perhaps the wrong word because Mr Loomis always seemed to get his own way. Again, I will use the example of when Ann wanted to use the safe suit to collect some engineering and physics books for Mr Loomis; she also suggested that she get some for herself. Such as poetry. Yet Mr Loomis refused and said, â€Å"You could not go. Understand that. Keep away from the suit. Never touch it.† After Mr Loomis had given Ann his lecture, she could not understand why he had become so angry. It was alright if he wanted something but as soon as Ann wanted something to do with her interests, it was too much of a risk. Religion v atheism is a theme in the book. Ann being the religious one and Mr Loomis the atheist. I don’t think Ann is strongly religious, I just think she finds going to the church and praying a ‘comforting factor.’ Earlier I said Mr Loomis is an atheist. This means that he doesn’t believe that any god or gods exist, therefore he does not understand why Ann would want to go to the church and ‘waste her time’ praying. I enjoyed this book because there were few characters, which allowed you to get to know them better. I also liked the style of the book being in diary form because you didn’t have to read the minute by minute accounts of what is happening in the book you only get to read the exciting and more intense parts which would be written in a diary. The thing that made the book a little boring was the fact that there weren’t many different figures of speech. The length I though was too long, some parts of the book seemed to be dragged out to give it a longer length, for example when Mr Loomis is sick the book got a little boring because in the diary entries you really were only told what Ann had did that day, there wasn’t enough character interaction. One thing that I thought ruined the book was the ending, I thought it was exciting when you were told that there was hope that there could be other people still living and you wanted to keep reading and know if there was anyone else out there, but it just stopped. Taking the entire book into account my opinion is that it is quite good as I think it gives a good insight into what could happen if there is a nuclear explosion – it is realistic.