Piracy Protections in Entertainment Venues Free Essays

At issue in the twenty-first century is the trade-off between the necessity of writers, musicians, artists, and movie studios to profit from their work and the free flow of ideas for the public benefit. Movie (and music) industry participants claim that encryption programs are necessary to prevent piracy. Others, however, including the defendants in cases such as Universal City Studios, Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Piracy Protections in Entertainment Venues or any similar topic only for you Order Now v. Corley, 273 F. 3d 429 (2d Cir. 2001), argue that the law should at least allow purchasers of movies, music, and books in digital form to make limited copies for fair use. Piracy is a long debated issue, expressly in the entertainment industry. It is argued that encryption programs are necessary to prevent piracy, protecting the rights of artists as well as production agents. Yet, an important query on this matter still remains; the question of public benefit and free flowing ideas for purchasers wanting limited copies in digital form. Yet the rights of the artists and producers still remains leaving the question of copyright violation, the idea behind encryption is valid but only to a certain aspect. Piracy will not be able to be brought to an end so hastily as long as the motivation to do so still remains, that is the real problem behind this debate. The purchasers should be allowed to make a limited number of copies as a fair use policy. If a purchaser fairly buys rights to a product they should be allowed to make copies for themselves via modes of laptop and other digital other issues relating to the consumer as well, which may result in this idea to be more counterproductive instead of beneficial. Instead of using encryption it may be more productive in the long run to educate purchasers of a product about piracy. The costs of products such as DVD’s and BLU-RAY copies has steadily increased causing a lot of consumers to make do with cheaper and pirated versions of products. As a user of these products this is something that resonates deeply. Many companies are beginning to include Digital HD with the purchase of a product; meaning that a user receives a redemption code that in turn allows them to download digital copies for personal use. Therefore if someone were to purchase a copy of a product it would be beneficial to all parties involved to come to a certain agreement maintaining the balance of rights for both groups. Allowing rights of digital copies to paying users helps maintain balance and benefits all parties involved; solving the issue of copyright violation for producers and artists and fair use to the consumers who purchase the product. How to cite Piracy Protections in Entertainment Venues, Papers

AIDS Whats New

AIDS Whats New ? - Is The Message Getting Through? Essay AIDS Whats new ? -Is the message getting through? We already know enough about AIDS to prevent its spread, but ignorance, complacency, fear and bigotry continue to stop many from taking adequate precautions.We know enough about how the infection is transmitted to protect ourselves from it without resorting to such extremes as mandatory testing, enforced quarantine or total celibacy. But too few people are heeding the AIDS message. Perhaps many simply dont like or want to believe what they hear, preferring to think that AIDS cant happen to them. Experts repeatedly remind us that infective agents do not discriminate, but can infect any and everyone. Like other communicable diseases, AIDS can strike anyone. It is not necessarily confined to a few high-risk groups. We must all protect ourselves from this infection and teach our children about it in time to take effective precautions. Given the right measures, no one need get AIDS. The pandemic continues: Many of us have forgotten about the virulence of widespread epidemics, such as the 1917/18 influenza pandemic which killed over 21 million people, including 50,000 Canadians. Having been lulled into false security by modern antibiotics and vaccines about our ability to conquer infections, the Western world was ill prepared to cope with the advent of AIDS in 1981. (Retro- spective studies now put the first reported U.S. case of AIDS as far back as 1968.) The arrival of a new and lethal virus caught us off guard. Research suggests that the agent responsible for AIDS probably dates from the 1950s, with a chance infection of humans by a modified Simian virus found in African green monkeys. Whatever its origins, scientists surmise that the disease spread from Africa to the Caribbean and Europe, then to the U.S. Current estimates are that 1. 5 to 2 million Americans are now probably HIV carriers, with higher numbers in Central Africa and parts of the Caribbean. Recapping AIDS the facts: AIDS is an insidious, often fatal but less contagious disease than measles, chicken pox or hepatitis B. AIDS is thought to be caused primarily by a virus that invades white blood cells (lymphocytes) especially T4-lymphocytes or T-helper cells and certain other body cells, including the brain. In 1983 and 1984, French and U. S. researchers independently identified the virus believed to cause AIDS as an unusual type of slow-acting retrovirus now called human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. Like other viruses, HIV is basically a tiny package of genes. But being a retrovirus, it has the rare capacity to copy and insert its genes right into a human cells own chromo- somes (DNA). Once inside a human host cell the retrovirus uses its own enzyme, reverse transcriptase, to copy its genetic code into a DNA molecule which is then incorporated into the hosts DNA. The virus becomes an integral part of the persons body, and is subject to control mechanisms by which it can be switched on or off. But the viral DNA may sit hidden and inactive within human cells for years, until some trigger stimulates it to replicate. Thus HIV may not produce illness until its genes are turned on five, ten, fifteen or perhaps more years after the initial infection. During the latent period, HIV carriers who harbour the virus without any sign of illness can unknowingly infect others. On average, the dormant virus seems to be triggered into action three to six years after first invading human cells. When switched on, viral replication may speed along, producing new viruses that destroy fresh lymphocytes. As viral replication spreads, the lymphocyte destruction virtually sabotages the entire immune system. In essence, HIV viruses do not kill people, they merely render the immune system defenceless against other opportunistic: infections, e.g. yeast invasions, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr infections, massive herpes infections, special forms of pneumonia (Pneumocystis carinii the killer in half of all AIDS patients), and otherwise rare malignant tumours (such as Kaposis sarcoma.) Cofactors may play a crucial contributory role: What prompts the dormant viral genes suddenly to burst into action and start destroying the immune system is one os the central unsolved challenges about AIDS. Some scientists speculate that HIV replication may be set off by cofactors or transactivators that stimulate or disturb the immune system. Such triggers may be genetically determined proteins in someones system, or foreign substances from other infecting organisms such as syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HTLV-1 (leukemia), herpes, or CMV (cytomegalovirus) which somehow awaken the HIV virus. The assumption is that once HIV replication gets going, the lymphocyte destruction cripples the entire immune system. Recent British research suggest that some people may have a serum protein that helps them resist HIV while others may have one that makes them genetically more prone to it by facilitating viral penetration of T-helper cells. Perhaps, says one expert, everybody exposed to HIV can become infected, but whether or not the infection progresses to illness depends on multiple immunogenic factors. Some may be lucky enough to have genes that protect them form AIDS! Variable period until those infected develop antibodies: While HIV hides within human cells, the body may produce antibodies, but, for reasons not fully understood, they dont neutralise all the viruses. The presence of HIV antibodies thus does not confer immunity to AIDS, nor prevent HIV transmission. Carriers may be able to infect others. The usual time taken to test positive for HIV antibodies after exposure averages from four to six weeks but can take over a year. Most experts agree that within six months all but 10 per cent of HIV-infected people seroconvert and have detectable antibodies.While HIV antibody tests can indicate infection, they are not foolproof. The ELISA is a good screening test that gives a few false positives and more false negatives indicating that someone who is infected has not yet developed identifiable antibodies. ) The more specific Western Blot test, done to confirm a positive ELISA, is very accurate. However, absence of antibodies doesnt guarantee freedom form HIV, as someone may be in the window period when, although already infected, they do not yet have measurable levels of HIV antibodies. A seropositive result does not mean someone has AIDS; it means (s)he is carrying antibodies, may be infectious and may develop AIDS at some future time. As to how long seropositive persons remain infectious, the June 1987 Third International Conference on AIDS was told to assume FOR LIFE. What awaits HIV-carriers who test positive?: On this issue of when those who test HIV positive will get AIDS, experts think that the fast track to AIDS is about two years after HIV infection; the slow route may be 10, 15, or more years until symptoms appear. Most specialists agree that it takes at least two years to show AIDS symptoms after HIV infection, and that within ten years as many as 75 per cent of those infected may develop AIDS. A report from Atlantas CDC based on an analysis of blood collected in San Francisco from 1978 to 1986, showed a steady increase with time in the rate of AIDS development among HIV-infected persons 4 percent within three years; 14 percent after five years; 36 percent after seven years. The realistic, albeit doomsday view is that 100 percent of those who test HIV-positive may eventually develop AIDS. Theory of knowledge Essay Paper A relatively weak virus, HIV is easily killed by a dilute 1 in 10 solution of Javex/bleach, rubbing alcohol and other disinfectants. Even where parents or caregivers have cleaned up HIV-infected blood, vomit or feces, HIV has not been transmitted. It is perfectly safe to share a kitchen, bathroom, schoolroom or workbench with HIV-infected individuals. But it is inadvisable to share toothbrushes, razors, acupuncture needles, enema equip- ment or sharp gadgets, which could carry infected blood through the skin. ORDINARY, NONSEXUAL WORKPLACE AND CHILDHOOD ACTIVITIES DONT TRANSMIT AIDS. The rare exception might be direct blood-to-blood contact via cuts or wounds if infected blood (in considerable amounts) spills onto an open sore. Even in such cases a swab with dilute bleach can kill HIV viruses. Not spread by mosquitoes and other insects: -Theres no evidence of HIV transmission by insects. Researchers report that the AIDS virus cannot multiply or survive inside a mosquito. The infection pattern in Africa where children who are not sexually active might be expected to have AIDS if mosquito bites were a real threat shows no sign of insect transmission. Vaccines still a way off: -Scientists caution that a safe, effective vaccine against HIV may be at least a decade away, mainly because, like the influenza virus, HIV mutates (changes structure) quickly, producing different strains. (Several different HIV strains have already been isolated. ) An ideal vaccine must be able to stimulate neutralization of both free viruses and those hidden within lymphocytes, such as T-helper cells. Researchers in various countries have developed and are testing a few preliminary vaccines. One sub-unit vaccine, made from virus coat material (a glycoprotein) genetically cloned in an insect virus (the baculovirus, which attacks moths and butterflies but no humans) has been shown to stimulate an immune response in experimental animals. Another preliminary vaccine, produced by cloning modified Vaccinia viruses, containing a portion of HIV envelope, is about to enter clinical trials in New York. (It would be applies, like the old smallpox vaccine, into a small scratch.) But to date no vaccine tried in animals or humans has been shown to prevent AIDS. Testing no solution: Large scale, screening of the public for HIV antibodies offers little pro- tection because todays apparent negatives can become infected tomorrow or test seropositive when antibodies develop in those already harboring HIV. Reliance on tests could lull people into false complacency. A false nega- tive result may fool someone into risky sexual behaviour. Curiously, despite a widespread demand for tests, especially among high-risk groups, a study in Pittsburgh showed that 46 percent of a group of homosexual/bisexual men tested did not return for or want their antibody test results. Many health experts therefore believe that mandatory testing would be useless as HIV antibody tests only indicate exposure, not necessarily infectivity. As one University of Toronto virologist puts it: Widescale compulsory screening for HIV antibodies is not necessarily useful and will do nothing to promote prevention or cure. Whats needed perhaps is more accurate knowledge about the disease and more responsible behaviour rather than testing.Those who should consider testing might include people known to be at high risk and any who think they may have been HIV-infected or who wish to be tested and have discussed it with their physician. Whats needed, as with any infectious disease, is not more testing buy more precautions against infection. Message clear but still largely unheeded: Despite a veritable blitz of AIDS information, experts claim that too few people are changing their lifestyles or behaviour sufficiently to protect themselves from AIDS. A recent Canadian poll revealed widespread ignorance of the fact that AIDS is primarily a sexually acquired infection, not caught by casual touch. The survey showed that although sexual intercourse among adolescents has risen steeply in the past 10 years, less than 25 percent of those aged 18 to 34 have altered their sexual behaviour to protect them- selves against AIDS, i.e. by consistent use of condoms and spermicide. THE CENTRAL MESSAGE IS CLEAR: UNLESS ABSOLUTELY SURE (and monogamy is no guarantee) THAT YOUR SEX PARTNER IS HIV-FREE, USE A CONDOM (latex, not made of animal material) plus a reliable spermicide (e.g. one containing nonoxyl- 9). Studies with infected haemophiliacs show that condom use by a regular sex partner reduces infection risks, compared to unprotected sex. And regular condom use may bring the added reward of preventing other sexually trans- mitted diseases such as gonorrhea and chlamydia or unwanted pregnancy.Many educators say that, by whatever means, AIDS information must get out to young people at an early enough age for them to absorb it before becoming sexually active. Only by acting upon accurate AIDS information can people protect themselves, their sex partners, families and ultimately society from this disease. Protection the only answer: The best way to avoid AIDS is to regard it as a highly lethal disease and practice commonsense prevention. Avoiding infection is IN ONES OWN HANDS. People can protect themselves. To halt its spread, people are encouraged to obtain and apply accurate AIDS information to their living styles and sexual habits in order to reduce the risk of getting or transmitting the virus. Sadly, health promoters claim that reaching the many who dont want to know is no easy task. Health promoters suggest that educators must learn how and when to communicate AIDS information in the right way at teachable moments. Many Public Health Departments are now taking the lead in disseminating education about AIDS with largescale public awareness programs. What of the future?: Many virologists believe that since antibiotics became available in the late 1940s we have become too complacent about viral infections, no longer take communicable disease seriously, and have modern medical schools which devote few teaching hours to anti-infective strategies. In fact, we still know little about retroviruses such as HIV. Perhaps special virology research centres, like the Virus Research Institute proposed for the University of Toronto, will help to halt the tragic toll of AIDS and other as yet unknown viruses waiting in the wings.For more information on AIDS or aid for AIDS call: local AIDS committees, Public Health Departments, or AIDS Hotlines (in Toronto 392-AIDS.) =============================================================================In everyday conversations, AIDS is usually a source for humour. For anybody who is suffering from the disease there is very little humour. The best prevention is not the thought that IT COULD NEVER HAPPEN TO ME, if that was so all the insurance companies would be out of business.The most reliable person to be put in-charge of preventing you for getting AIDS is YOURSELF!!!! T A K EP R E V E N T I V EP R E C A U T I O N S ! !============================================================================ Thanks to the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine for the article.

ACT Book Guide The Best Books for Intense Study

ACT Book Guide The Best Books for Intense Study SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Albert Einstein, who's generally considereda pretty smart guy, said, "It's not that I'm so smart. It's just that I stay with problems longer." That type of commitment, as anyone who's studying for the ACT knows, is its own formof intelligence, and it's what will help you accomplish your long-term goals. This book guide is meant for students looking to "stay with problems longer" and study intensively, like 100 or more hours, to maximize their scores on the ACT.If you're a student who wants to leave no stone unturned as you prep for the ACT, then these are the books for you. Before delving into the ACT prep book list, a word about what perspective I'm coming from in my recommendations. Perspective Check The ACT books on this list all have strengths and weaknesses, but taken together they can provide you with comprehensive instruction, insightful strategies, and a huge number of practice questions. Since all these books add up to hundreds of pages, I'll suggest an agenda below to help you study from them in a coherent sequence. These recommendations are based off of the experiences of myself, ACT experts, and students. These are the ACT preparation books that offer a level of detail and insight into the testbeyond the ordinary. They'll help you achieve mastery in each section of the test. At the same time, I think that self-studying from books presents some extra challenges for students. One lies in the comprehensive nature of these ACTprep books. Because they're so comprehensive, they can feel overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start and how to use them in a more effective way than attempting(and struggling) to read them cover to cover. The best ACT study plan is customized to your individual needs, target scores, and strengths and weaknesses. You don't want to waste time drilling yourself on vocabulary you already understand or probability questions you could do in your sleep. Instead, you want to make sure you're making an effective use of your time, targeting your weak areas, and building your confidence where you need it most. PrepScholar's online ACT prep program was created with these challenges in mind. It has all the best parts of these books, with critical lessons, strategies, and practice questions, plus it adds the unique feature of customization. The prep program diagnoses your level and individualizes the study plan to you, ensuring your prep is as focused and effective as possible. Plus it helps you design a schedule and stay accountable, two things that are tough to prioritize when you're studying completely on your own with ACTprep books. Regardless of whether or not you're interested in trying the 5 day free trial of PrepScholar's ACT prep program, you should explore our detailed study guides on the ACT. We have answers to all your questions about the ACT, from how to read the passages to saving time on math to how to best review your practice test mistakes. Our goal is to make sure all students can access the resources they need on their path to college. That being said, read on for a thorough assessment of the best ACT preparation books for intense study, starting with the critical book all serious students need. The Critical ACT Prep Book The book that's essential to your ACT prep comes from the testmakers themselves. The Real ACT Prep Book, also known as the Red Book, is a must-have. At the same time, it's not sufficient as the only book you use. Let's look at the pros and cons of the Red Book. The Real ACT Prep Book (or the "Red Book") Amazon price: $18.18 Pros Because The Real ACT Prep Bookwas created by the ACT and contains previously administered ACT tests, its practice questions are the best ones available. There are definitely high quality practice questions that aren't "official," but they are still an imitation. The questions in the Red Book are real, and therefore they're the most useful ones you can use to get ready for the test. The Red Book has 5full length practice tests, allof which were administered to students in past years. That adds up to over17hours of practice testing with more than1,000 practice questions! Students doing intensive prep can gain a lot from all this practice testing. As I'll explain further down,students could benefit from using these tests throughout their test prep, first to diagnose their level, then to measure to progress, and finally to finish up their studying with a post-test. You can gain a ton both from the experience of practice testing and the post-test scoring and analysis. Make sure to thoroughly understand your mistakes and use them to fuel further review. While the Red Book is the best prep book for authentic practice tests and sample questions, it's lacking in some other key areas. Let's consider what it's missing and why you need to supplement it with other books. Cons There are other parts to ACT studying besides practice tests, like lessons in content and time management strategies. The Red Book has some general information in these areas, but it doesn't go as deeply as you're looking for. That's why it's best used alongside other books to reinforce your understanding, experiment with strategies, and measure your progress as you go. Another word of caution: according to ACT experts and students, the ACT has been secretly but steadily getting harder in the past few years!The Science section, especially, has been getting more complex and time-consuming, plus the Reading is tough to finish within the given time limit. While the ACT has not announced any changes, there is general agreement that the test has, in fact, changed. This means that practice tests developed and/or administered before 2010 are probably not as representative of the test you'll see today as more recent ones. They still resemble the current ACT and are useful, but they're somewhat easier in terms of content and pacing. When taking these earlier practice tests, keep a critical eye on any differences amongthe tests. Also keep in mind that you might score higher on these than you would on the more challenging test given today. Finally, the last downside to the Red Book is that the answer explanations for each question are not as thorough as they could be. Students who want to prep deeply for the test should not just understand why a correct answer is correct, but also what exactly is wrong with the other answer choices. None of the answer choices are going to be totally off base or random, so students should develop a discerning eye about the common misleading answer choices that seem reasonable, but aren't quite right in some way. Luckily, the next book in this list provides more thorough answer explanations to many of the questions in the Red Book. It explains each answer choice while also suggesting helpful thought processes to use when approaching each question type. The Best ACT Book for Strategy The similarly named ACT Black Book is my highest recommendation for gaining strategies and insights into how the ACT works. It refers directly to questions from the ACT Red Book, so the two are best used together. The ACT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective ACT Strategies Ever Published Amazon price: $19.79 Pros Can this book live up to its bold title? Actually, I do think it's one of the best books for pure strategy and in-depth understanding of the ACT. According to its author, Mike Barrett, the ACT is a predictable, standardized test. The content knowledge is not particularly advanced, but the questions are unique, even designed to trick students, in their wording. Because of this predictability, Barrett says, students can learn to see through the tricks and beat each question in the least amount of time possible. He talks about patterns and process, and gives you practical strategies for answering math, reading, science, and English questions. The Black Book also shows you over 200 solutions for some of the hardest questions in the ACT Red Book. He walks you through how to solve and think about ACT questions in a way that the Red Book doesn't. While the ACT doesn't want to reveal its secrets, Barrett's mission is to pierce through the workings of the ACT and provide a concise roadmap of the test to students. The Black Book works well for focused students who are interested in going a step beyond the usual in their ACT prep. If you're interested in taking a big picture approach to the testand analyzing its patterns, then the ACT Prep Black Book is an indispensable study aid. Cons You mightbe starting to suspect that some of these books are so high quality because they're focused on a particular aspect of test prep. The Red Book is focused on practice tests, while the Black Book is focused on strategy. Because of its singular emphasis, the Black Book does a really good job in that area. Inevitably, though, this means that it's lacking in other key areas of test prep, namely content review. The Black Book is not particularly useful for instruction in geometry or grammar rules, nor is it going to help you develop your critical reading skills. In addition, the Black Book has no practice questions of its own. While the Red Book has 5 practice tests, you'll probably want to seek even more ACT questions to apply your understanding and improve your time management. Finally, the Black Book requires a certain amount of dedication and focus from its readers. It's not the easiest read, because it dives deeply into the ACT. That's why it can be so helpful for intense study, but be aware that you'll really have to engage with the material to get the most out of it. So far we've talked about practice tests and strategies, with less of an emphasis on reviewing concepts and enhancing skills. Below are my recommendations for the best comprehensive book for content review, followed by the best books for spotlighting each individual section of the ACT. The Best ACT Book for Overall Content Review My recommendation for an ACT prep book with an in-depth breakdown of concepts and skills is Barron's ACT. Students aiming for top scores who are looking for additional practice can also check out Barron's ACT 36: Aiming for the Perfect Score(Amazon price: $9.99). This assessment will focus on Barron's ACT. Barron's ACT Amazon price: $15.15 Pros Barron's ACT thoroughly reviews the concepts and skills being tested on the Reading, Math, English, Science and Writing sections of the ACT. The Englishand Math reviews are particularly strong, with each concept broken down into subtopics like a grammar review of parallelism, transitions, and word order and a math review of intermediate algebra, plane geometry, and trigonometry. It starts with a diagnostic test, encouraging students to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and plan their test prep accordingly. Purchase of the book will also give you access to an online component that helps you establish your skill profile and access video lessons. In addition toexampleand practice questions that illustrate and drill various concepts, Barron's ACT also has 3full-length practice tests. These aren't authentic ACT questions, but they are still high quality and useful in your prep. This is another 10+ hours of practice testing and over 600 practice questions, an essential part of intensive study. Barron's also excels in its answer explanations. Like the Black Book, it explains both why an answer is correct and what's wrong about the incorrect answer choices, an understanding that should not be overlooked in your test prep. While it's a traditional prep book written in a straightforward style, Barron's also acknowledgesthe feelings of its readers with sections on optimizing your test-taking mindset and managing any anxiety you have around the ACT. Cons As I mentioned earlier, big traditional prep books can be very useful in their thoroughness, but they can be daunting at the same time. Barron's ACT is a perfect illustration of this - chock full of content and practice questions, but intimidating in its breadth. The book suggests some study plans based on the amount of time you have to prep, but you'll also have to do some extra work to break it up into smaller, more manageable goals. Perhaps the biggest downside to Barron's ACT is how realistic the practice tests are. While they're relatively high quality, a lot of students agree that they are sometimes more difficult than the questions that will actually appear on the ACT. Their wording can be overly complicated, or sometimes they test a concept that's too advanced. While overpreparing isn't the worst thing, you want to mimic the test as much as possible so you have a strong understanding of what to expect. Again, try to keep a critical eye when taking practice tests and take factors like difficulty level into account if you notice unexpected fluctuations in your practice test scores. Finally, Barron's ACT is particularly strong on Englishand Math,and pretty useful on Reading. Its Science review is less strong than the other sections, something which occurs often across ACT prep books. While it describes the sources of passages, types of passages, and strategies for reading, along with science practice questions, you probably would want to supplement your science studying with another resource. Given this, let's look at the best resourcesspecific to each section of the ACT, starting with Science. Best Book for ACT Science Even though many students find the Science section to be the most challenging part of the ACT, until recently there were no books specifically dedicated to helping you on ACT Science. At PrepScholar, we know all the tricks for making ACT Science easier, so we decided to compile them into a book. The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science Amazon price:about $5 Pros The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Sciencecovers every topic, skill, and question type you'll see on ACT Science which means that nothingon this section will come as a surprise on test day.That includes a list of every science fact you could be tested on, so you're only studying the science information you need to know. It also containsmultiple strategies for tackling Science passages so you can choose the method that works best for you. Most importantly,this bookalsoincludes all of our best ACT Sciencetest-taking tricks.Many students get tripped up ontheScience section because it's so different from the science tests they've taken in school. Even if you're a science whiz, you'll likely need to study how the Science section works before you can ace it. This book is your key to doing that. It shows you how to identify every trick inACTScience and learn how toavoid getting fooled by them so you can find the correct answer quickly and more easily. Cons While every chapter in this book includes sample questions to help you see and understand different concepts, there is no final quiz or exam section at the end of the book. For every section of the ACT, it's critical to take regular practice tests and quizzes to track your practice and see where you still need to improve. To fully practice everything you've learned from this book,we recommend takingfull-length Science sections. Best ACT Book for Math If you want to hone in on the math section and improve your algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and problem-solving skills, then you can do so withthe Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT. Let's take a look at where it excels and where it's not as strong. The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT Amazon price: $17.54 Pros The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACTis a solid review of all the concepts you need to know for the Math section of the ACT. It doesn't get too advanced, but sticks to the topics that will show up on the test. Like PrepScholar, this book breaks each area - algebra, geometry, trigonometry - into small subtopics, like fractions, averages, square roots, functions, and trigonometry for rights triangles. Each lessonis illustrated with high quality practice problems, along with techniques and strategies for answering various question types. In addition to its own practice questions, this book cross-references questions in the Red Book. Overall it walks you through each and every concept you need to know for the Math section of the ACT in a clear and succinct way. Cons This book takes a minimalist approach in terms of its lessons. Some students will appreciate its straightforward, not overly explanatory style, while others might wish they hadmore description and explanation in each lesson. It's not a wordy book, but a lot of students look for that when they study math. On a similar note, this book isn't the most helpful for walking you through a problem from beginning to end. Some of its explanations are helpful, especially as they cross reference the Red Book, but it doesn't offer a lot of guidance for thinking through a problem. Nor does it evaluate problems by difficulty level or provide a frequency guide to help you prioritize more important concepts over others. Finally, this book has some errors in printing, especially in matching up the questions with the answer key. While this doesn't detract much from its overall quality, it can be distracting as you're scoring and understanding your practice questions. Just as this book dives into the math section of the ACT, my next two recommendations closely examine the verbal, or English and Reading sections. Best ACT Books for English and Reading I'm grouping these books together for two reasons. First, the skills you develop for English are helpful for Reading, and vice versa. Secondly, both guides come from the same author, Erica Meltzer, and have similar pros and cons. Let's look first at Meltzer's book on the English section of the ACT. The Complete Guide to ACT English by Erica Meltzer Amazon price: $26.52 Pros 75 questions in 45 minutes, oh my! The English section is definitely fast-paced. To make sure you finish in time, you need toquickly and efficiently identify each grammar rule being tested and pick the right answer choice. Erica Meltzer explains all the grammar rules you need to know for this section in The Complete Guide to ACT English, like verb agreement, word pairs, and transitions. Similar toPrepScholar's approach, she breaks the section down by skills and drills you on each one to ensure you can apply them in context. Throughout the text are cumulative reviews so you can practice your widening range of concepts. The practice questions in this book are realistic and take the same passage format as you'll see on the ACT. Meltzer's lessons are straightforward, clear, and to the point. You can also find extra tips for both the English and Reading sections onher blog, The Critical Reader. Cons One immediately evident con of this book is the cost. At almost $30, it is relatively expensive considering it only covers one of four sections. Plus you'll need to use it alongside the Red Book, if not other books for even more practice tests and questions. This book is "no frills," meaning it doesn't have a lot of description or creative graphics. Some students find it dry, while others appreciate that she cuts out extraneous material. The formatting can get a bit tedious with a lot of small font on each page, but the content remains high quality. Finally, you have to be careful about answering questions that are arranged by skill. While it's a great way to learn and reinforce each grammar rule, you also must practice applying these rules on real practice tests. Real tests won't be arranged in order for you, so you need to ensure you can quickly identify and apply each rule randomly without them being labeled for you. In addition toher grammar rules in The Complete Guide to English Grammar, Erica Meltzer also does a great job of presentingthe Reading section of the ACT. The Complete Guide to ACT Reading by Erica Meltzer Amazon price: $30.39 Pros Like her English book, Erica Meltzer's The Complete Guide to ACT Reading is a great resource for students serious about gaining a strong Reading score. She has realistic passages from prose fiction, humanities, social science, and natural science with high quality practice questions. The Reading section can be harder to break down than, for instance, the Math section, but Meltzer manages to clearly outline the skills and concepts you need. She categorizes the Reading question types into literal comprehension, big picture, vocabulary in context, inference, and tone/attitude questions. Along with a clear lesson, she has questions illustrating each of these important types. Along with these skills, this ACT book teaches you how to manage both your time and your stress. Meltzer gives strategies for mapping the passage, strategically reading them in order, and using skimming techniques to your advantage. She offers a few different approaches so that students can figure out what works best for them. At the end of the book are two practice tests, each with four passages and 40 questions each. That's another 70 minutes of practice testing to add to the hours you get from the Red Book and Barron's ACT. Cons Like its English counterpart, this book is relatively expensive, especially for a book of only 120 pages that covers just one section. It's also not all that creative in its layout, with small font filling up thepages. Some students find its style to be dry, which can make self-study harder to maintain if you're not engaged with the material. Like the English guide, this book is arranged by question type and skill, like big picture questions and determining tone. This is a great way to recognize question types and apply skills, but you also want to make sure you can identify and apply skills when the questions are in random order. All of the books I mentioned are exceptionally strong in some areas and not so useful in others. Taken together, they might feel a bit overwhelming - where exactly do you start? Read on for my suggestions on how to come up with a study plan that uses these books in a logical way. X marks the treasure(d ACT score)! Study Plan with ACT Prep Books Should you start reviewing content or learning about strategies? Is it better tobreak into your first practice test or leave it until you've done some studying? What if you juststackthe books in a pileand try again tomorrow? So many questions, somuch time....if you're planning to study intensively and devote many hours to ACT prep, that is. I wouldn't recommend attempting to read these books from cover to cover without a thoughtful plan. Instead, I recommend mapping out a plan and schedule that concentrate your review on the areas in which you need it most. First off, you need to uncover those areas where you need the most intensive prep. I recommend using a practice test as a diagnostic test, just as Barron's ACT suggests. For your most accurate diagnostic tool, you should use one of the official practice tests from the Red Book. Time yourself in a quiet room with no distractions. After you score your test, mark the ones you got wrong and figure out the reasons for your mistakes. Go over the answer explanations thoroughly, and take notes on where you need to review. If you struggled on geometry questions, for instance, you could start with geometry review. If you kept running out of time on Science, consult the time management study guides on the Science sections. You should review every section, but concentrate your prep on your weaker areas. Consult this guide of recommended ACT prep books for content review. Barron's is a comprehensive breakdown of all the sections, while The Ultimate ACT Math Guide and Erica Meltzer's books focus intensively on one section at a time. Teach yourself these concepts, drill them with practice problems, and measure your progress with practice tests spaced out along the way. The Black Book is best for students who have a strong foundation in the math, verbal, and science concepts and skills. You could save Black Book strategies for after you've done some content review. As you study, continue to keep a critical eye on question types and difficulty level of questions, as well as analyze themistakes you make on practice tests. Focus on the areas where you need to improve your performance and confidence the most. Dive into your weaknesses to see the biggest score improvements. Since this type of planning is so unique to each individual, it can be tough to know exactly what the best approach is for you. Before you start planning, I would encourage you to explore your options for test prep. Are Books the Best Option for Intensive Study? Taken together, these ACT books have a huge amount of knowledge to impart. It can be a big challenge, though, to get all that knowledge...imparted. You have to havea tremendous amount of self-discipline and sustained motivation to spend 100+ hours poring over these books. In addition, you have to design an effective study plan, rather than repeating the same kinds of questions that won't end up improving your score. Besides these challenging efforts, books can also get expensive. All together, these add up to over$100.In the old days of test prep (ie, 5 to 10 years ago), books were a mainstay of SAT prep. But with the advent of online prep programs, which combinethe unparalleled advantagesof technology with human expertise, books are no longer the only, nor necessarily the best, option. One of the reasons I'm a big fan of PrepScholar's approach is because it makes the test prep process more enjoyable. It does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for you, by diagnosing your academic profile and building a study regimen that complements your skills and learning style. It incorporates all the strengths of these books while seamlessly taking care of the customization and accountability aspect. Besides trying out PrepScholar's 5 day risk-free free trial, you can also explore our detailed study guides on all sections of the ACT. Some especially helpful ones include The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes on ACT Questions Should You Guess on the ACT? 5 Guessing Strategies The 31 Critical Math Formulas You Must Know The Complete Guide to ACT Grammar Rules ACT Vocabulary: Words You Must Know How to Write an ACT Essay, Step by Step How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer If you're looking to devote a good amount of time to prepping for the ACT, then you want to ensure you're making the most of it. By exploring your test prep options and the abundance of free resources online(though no ACT preparation books pdf free download), you can make an informed decision that will help you enjoy the process and ultimately achieve the scores you seek for your college applications. What's Next? For more detailed strategy guides on all sections of the ACT, including the best ways to study and manage your time, explore our continually updated articles here. Are you deciding when to take the ACT for the first time (or second or third)? Read about how to choose your test dates here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. 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E-COMMERCE AND THE FUTURE OF MODERN BUSINESS essays

E-COMMERCE AND THE FUTURE OF MODERN BUSINESS essays The internet has been the revolutionary technology of the new millennium, empowering consumers and businesses alike with blessings of connectivity (Kotler With the rapid increase and development of technology, information systems are no longer a novelty. They have become an ordinary component of our everyday life, varying from private every day use (such as emailing friends, chatting on MSN, etc) to corporate use, by facilitating business processes and transactions. In the modern days, an office is practically inexistent without the use of some kind of information systems. The old office, where people used only pens, paper, calculators and envelopes is quickly ceasing to exist in that particular form. Today we are moving into an era of intangible business processes, where business communication and transactions can be conducted anywhere, anytime, and with a simple mouse click . E-Commerce is currently changing the way business is conducted with very few organizations debating whether or not to participate in it. This essay will focus on the rise and importance of e-commerce, in order to illustrate that electronic commerce is the behind any successful modern business. The phenomenal growth of the Internet has lead to the emergence of a great number of new technologies. One of the most important ones is the ability to conduct business over the Internet. E-Commerce is often described as the buying and selling of information, products and services with the assistance of computer technology and the Internet (Rahman Traditional e-commerce was centred around electronic data interchange (EDI), a sharing and transferri...

Geertz and Pacanowsky Cultural Approach to Organization Essay

Geertz and Pacanowsky Cultural Approach to Organization - Essay Example From the film ‘Developing Organizational Culture,’ Tom examines how the theory can be applied in promoting an organizational culture within a workplace. He says that culture needs to be inclusive. Meaning, it should not come from one dominant section, but be a blend that reflects the entire organization. He agrees that culture is not organization, itself, is a culture and does not necessarily need to have one. Also, he concurs that it is a unique and elusive system of shared meaning which should be embraced by everyone as it determines what the organization stands for. No organization is made up of one person. Their complexities and diversities dictate that they need to be favorable for all. In conclusion, Cultural Approach to Organization is a brilliant theory that, if effectively applied in management, can help in producing an ideal workplace. Geertz and Pacanowsky did a commendable by doing a great research that can help in producing an excellent workplace. Surely, no organization has a culture because it is the very organization which is a culture. At the same time, it needs to be drawn from the narratives from the personal, corporate and collegial stories. For all organizations to excel, they need to have a set of culture which defines their system. As seen in the article and film, its effective application can help in promoting effective interpersonal and organizational communication which can in turn help in creating harmony within the workplace. It shows that the theory can help a lot if properly applied.

The self-esteem movement has caused young people to overvalue their Essay

The self-esteem movement has caused young people to overvalue their actual skills and has set many of them up for disappointmen - Essay Example 1). In considering this argument, it is important to note that studies have revealed that only about 12% of fourth graders are reading at grade level; and telling young learners that they are beautiful and gifted has not necessarily translated to higher test scores or better spelling skills (Colvin, p. 1). For which reason, various scholars have emphasized that the self-esteem movement has not achieved ideal goals for the students and for the educational system in general. It has instead gone too far in crediting children and other young people with skills which would not get them through the harsh realities of life. The self-esteem movement has also created an illusion for many young learners. It has overblown their self-concept and has seemingly given them more than a healthy dose of self-esteem. In other words, the movement has given them a bloated self-concept which seems to skate closely towards egotism and self-centeredness. This may be apparent in the case of bullies who have been â€Å"discovered to highly rate themselves in their academic performance and interpersonal relationships, and typically hold unrealistically positive self-esteem† (Tseng, p. 24). College professors also note that while citing spelling and grammatical errors, their students often claim that it is just the professor’s opinion. And these professors emphasize that wrong grammar and wrong spelling is not merely an opinion – it is just really bad writing (Jayson). Moreover, in assessing the different interests and values of teenagers and young learners, a survey was able to establish that when teenagers were asked about their biggest issues to date, one of their main issues is on "whether or not to have sex" and another concern is on their "popularity" (Psychauthors, p. 4). They expressed little concern for other issues like global warming, war, or politics. As compared to their parents' generations, these teens appear to display more self-confidence and self-est eem; but these qualities have not translated to happier and healthier teens. In fact, depression among teens seems to register at higher rates now than in the 1960s or 1970s; and not to mention, the number of teens suffering from eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia, have risen to alarming rates over the years (Psychauthors, p. 4). These numbers hardly express major gains in instilling improved self-concepts for young people; and if their academic gains were to be assessed, these show hardly any improvement at all. The self-esteem movement was conceptualized in order to give young learners the psychological tools to ward off bullies and other people who may underestimate their capabilities. These goals are to be admired; however, the overall impact that the movement has had on young people cannot be considered as major gains which can be used in the outside world. In the classroom, the movement emphasized that even if children made multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes in the ir schoolwork, these should be overlooked because it might damage their self-esteem (Jayson). However, as many of these young learners enter college where the merit system is based on strict and realistic standards, they often break at the slightest

Nietzsche's theory of nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nietzsche's theory of nature - Essay Example On the other hand what does human being do? in his opinion humans try to run nature the way they think best. As man is the ultimate being and creation of God thus he wants to use this power and modify the things going on around him. Isn’t living life close to respecting, desiring, being unfair, to be restricted, near to the attempt of being different, he says.   Furthermore the idea that humans are aggressive by nature the statement as living according to nature in actuality will mean living in accordance to life, so how can one do anything that is otherwise or different. He attempts to further shed light on this natural yet so indifferent methods of humans by suggesting that there is no need for people to make principles based upon what they are themselves and should be. It can be quite the opposite he says as one might imagine to go through the ecstasy of reading the rule of one’s own principles in Nature it is understandable that they would be looking for an altoge ther different thing. He calls people â€Å"you extraordinary stage-players and self-deluders!† (9; †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦) So much is the negativity he holds against the way human beings function. It is to him a shocking reality that things could be so deceiving and yet people try to justify themselves by saying it is what nature has taught them. Man is a proud being and undoubtedly in their pride they â€Å"wish to dictate your morals and ideals to Nature, to Nature herself, and to incorporate them therein.† (9; †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦)