The Implemention of Enterprise Resource Planning in China Essay

The Implemention of Enterprise Resource Planning in China - Essay Example The literature review is divided into 3 sections. The first section explains the four approaches proposed for implementing I.S. The second section explains the 6 C.S.F for implementing ERP systems as explained by Yingjie.The third section explains the H.D.N.C. This is when an I.S is implemented at a particular geographical area or a particular branch of an organisation . Due to the fact the system is implemented with a small group of people, this method facilitates the identification of unforeseen disruption in the implementation of large scale I.S.  This is when the legacy and the new system   are operated simultaneously. The parallel approach is expensive   to manage but facilitates in case of unforeseen disruptions or when the new system fails. In this case, the company are still able to achieve organisational objectives with the legacy system.  This is when an I.S is implemented in a Big Bang or urgent manner. This will entail closing the old system at a particular day an d launching the new system the next day. Although this approach minimises costs (the transition cost and the operation cost) it is risky and could easily lead to system failure.  In order for ERP system implementation to be successful, the shared vision of the organisation and role of the new system and structures should be communicated between managers and employees Top management has a significant role to play in ERP implementation. The roles of top management in IT implementation include encouraging the keen comprehension of the competencies and weaknesses of IT.

System Analysis and Design of an Equipment Tracking Database Essay Example for Free

System Analysis and Design of an Equipment Tracking Database Essay BG Group has been active in the energy sector in Trinidad Tobago since 1989 and established an office in the country in 1994. Currently the company’s office is located at 5 St. Clair Avenue, St. Clair, Port-of-Spain. Today, BG Trinidad and Tobago (BG TT) is one of the Group’s core operational areas and is virtually unique among the multinationals based here, in operating onshore and offshore assets in all key areas of the country. The UK-based BG Group is a global leader in the exploration, production, distribution and supply of natural gas to industrial markets. The Group has operations in over 25 countries, including the UK, Egypt, Kazakhstan and India. The Group’s key business is the connecting of high value markets to competitively priced gas, to which it deploys expertise at all stages of the gas chain. BG TT has upstream operations in three main areas – the offshore East Coast Marine Area (ECMA) and North Coast Marine Area (NCMA), as well as the onshore Central Block located in the Moruga forest. The BG Group-operated ECMA or Dolphin gas field, located 83 km off the east coast of Trinidad, commenced production in March 1996. The Dolphin field is contracted to supply gas to NGC under a 20 year supply contract. The ECMA also supplies Atlantic Train 3 and Atlantic Train 4. NCMA comprises three producing fields, Hibiscus, Chaconia and Ixora, which supply natural gas for Atlantic LNG Trains 2, 3 and 4. A 107 km, 24-inch pipeline from the NCMA development to Point Fortin is the longest pipeline in Trinidad Tobago. A fourth producing field, Poinsettia, is scheduled for development in 2008. BG TT acquired Aventura’s 65% interest in, and operatorship of, the onshore Central Block in 2004. Central Block is conveniently located near the Cross Island Pipeline in Moruga, which makes it an attractive proposition for the supply of natural gas to Atlantic LNG. On acquiring the Block, they also took on an existing domestic gas supply agreement with the Petroleum Company of Trinidad Tobago Limited (Petrotrin). The transportation of this natural gas to the NGC network constitutes BG TT’s first sales of liquids in the country. 1. Problem Description: This project will provide guidelines for implementing an asset tracking solution at BG TT’s IM (Information Management) department. The system is needed to assist the Helpdesk Administrator to keep track of a large variety of physical computer equipment as they are bought, stored and assigned to the company’s employees. Currently there is a manual system that entails the use of a notebook to record and track the assignment of computer and computer related equipment. Inventory levels are checked periodically and recorded using the manual paper system. The most common method for tracking assets is to record transactions as they happen. As a result inventories are time consuming and almost impossible to maintain accuracy since assets move around on a daily basis. Also the data collected during any inventory is outdated before the finished reports are published. An asset tracking system needs to be able to produce reports that will help the organization make intelligent business decisions. The department wanted to streamline its equipment checkout process. The objective is to computerize the current manual process in order to make the equipment checkout processes fast and accurate. The computerization of this process will simplify paperwork and provide electronic storage of data. Because of the amount of equipment to be checked out every day and the number of members involved, the workload for staff members in the department increases every year. The operating cost includes the maintenance cost of the equipment and their inventory. Some of the problems faced by the staff members are listed below: †¢ Each piece of equipment is individually marked for identification purposes; however, there isn’t a method to allow a user to backtrack or check into certain equipment in terms of its usability and for maintenance purposes. This often leaves the user with an uncertainty on how good the equipment is in a given. Lack of information on the status and maintenance of equipment leads to bad quality of equipment because of unperformed maintenance. This, in turn, may cause customer dissatisfaction when poorly conditioned equipment is being given out. †¢ Manually completing forms creates another issue due to hand-writing. That is, more than one person will be handling the forms and each person has a different style of hand-writing. This leads to misunderstanding of the information on the forms, especially when maintenance requests are entered by one staff member and not understood properly by another staff member. †¢ Forms could be easily misplaced, thus resulting in missing documents. Human errors on checking forms for completeness could result in incomplete form. †¢ The equipment check-in and checkout processes are difficult and involves extensive labor to get the work done right. Currently, a staff member is required to manually check each equipment that is being checked out for the day and make sure things are getting checked in correctly. On top of that, the staff member is required to tally up all equipment before closing of the business on that day to make certain that all equipment are in place; otherwise, they may have equipment shortages and may have to reorder. 2. Proposed Solution: The aim of this project is to develop the inventory system that can be applied in the current IM Department. The objectives are: †¢ to identify the problems involved in the implementation of the current inventory system; †¢ to identify the needs of a systematic inventory system; †¢ To develop the prototype of the inventory system that can be implemented. The eventual inventory system will be a DBMS that will control the organization, storage, management, and retrieval of data in a database. The DBMS will accept requests for data from the application program and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data. When a DBMS is used, information systems can be changed much more easily as the organizations information requirements change. New categories of data can be added to the database without disruption to the existing system. The proposed DMS will have the following basic features: †¢ Provides a way to structure data as records, tables, or objects †¢ Accepts data input from operators and stores that data for later retrieval †¢ Provides query languages for searching, sorting, reporting, and other decision support activities that help users correlate and make sense of collected data A Database Management System (DBMS) is a software system that enables users to define, create, and maintain the database and provide controlled access to this database. The DBMS is the software that interacts with the users’ application programs and the database. Typically, a DBMS provides the following facilities: †¢ It allows users to insert, update, delete and retrieve data from the database usually through a Data Manipulation Language (DML). Having a central repository for all data and descriptions allows the DML to provide general enquiry facility to this data, called a query language. The provision of a query language alleviates the problems with file-based systems where the user has to work with a fixed set of queries or there is a proliferation programs, giving major software management problems. †¢ It provides controlled access to the database. For example, it may provide: ? An integrity system, which maintains the consistency of stored data; ? A user-accessible catalog, which contains description of the data in the database. The proposed solution takes care of the CRUD features of the database software namely the following: a. Create the storage structures – It implies that the storage structures can be created and modified for the change in the database or the information system.

Marks and Spencer: Internal and External Analysis

Marks and Spencer: Internal and External Analysis MS is a great brand. It is one of the UKs leading retailers. The company operates in about 41 countries worldwide with UK as its primary market and employs about 76,000 people. MS deals in clothing, food, home, financial services and online services. To develop the suitable business strategy for its growth particularly focusing on Plan A, there have been discussed MS internal external environments. Strategic impact of external environment on MS has also been discussed. Major challenges facing MS and competitive advantages of MS have been discussed. MS is a market leader so that market leader strategy and suggestions have been given. INTRODUCTION The study encompasses a report about the MS, to develop the strategy for its growth focusing on Plan A. Marks Spencer launched Plan A in January 2007, setting out 100 commitments to achieve in 5 years. The discussion has been described in detail about the core analysis of MS internal and external environment, SWOT analysis of MS has been included. Debenhams has been selected closest competitor of MS because they have a comparable product base. Strengths Weaknesses of DEB have been described. It also consists upon the current economic obstacles and the remedies to remove these obstacles. For this reason, books, newspapers, magazines, and websites have been consulted. LITERATURE REVIEW REFERENCES SOURCES: BOOKS/NEWS PAPERS/JOURNALS,MAGAZINES DIGESTS BOOKS: 01. Fundamentals of Marketing by William J. Stanton, Michael J. Etzel, Bruce J. Walker, 10th Edition, Published and Printed in The United States of America by McGraw-Hill, Inc. 02. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th Edition, Volume 7, Published by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. United States of America. British Library. NEWS PAPERS: The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk/ JOURNALS,MAGAZINES DIGEST European Retail Digest  | The University of Manchester www.readinglists.manchester.ac.uk/ Web Sites: web.ebscohost.com (British Library) www.marksandspencer.com/ http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/company_overview http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=15053580site=ehost-live http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marksspencer?INTCMP=SRCH http://plana.marksandspencer.com/media/pdf/planA-2010.pdf http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/opportunities/shared_services_admin/ssa_hr www.datamonitor.com http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/ http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/ Brief History of Marks Spencer: MS is a major retailer of clothing. It is headquartered in London. MS started its business in 1884 as a stall in an open market in Leeds. Then known as Marks Penny Bazaar, it was the household goods, toy, and sheet-music business of Michael Marks, a Jewish refugee from Poland. In 1894 he started partnership with Thomas Spencer. Marks son Simon transformed the business from outdoor stalls to indoor shops. He purchased Brookes Brothers, the oldest U.S. clothing retailer in 1988 but sold it in 2001. (1) MS products, including food, clothing and household goods have been selling under the St. Michael brand name in most parts of the world.(2) The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th Edition, Volume 7, Published by, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Printed in The United States of America. (British Library). Aldridge, Roger, Autumn1995, Growth Strategies A Case Study in Internationalisation. [online]. European Retail Digest, Issue 8, p25-32, Available from: (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=15053580site=ehost-live), [Accessed 15 March 2011 03:12 PM] (British Library). Marks Spencer Overview: MS is one of the UKs leading retailers. MS offer stylish, high quality, great value clothing, home products and best quality foods. There are over 75,000 people working at MS in the UK and abroad, and over 600 UK stores. MS is expanding its business globally. MS is the number one provider of womenswear in the UK, and is rapidly growing market share in menswear, kids wear, home, and online business. (Company Overview) Available from: (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/company_overview) [Accessed 11 April 2011 at 4:24 PM] Stock Chart for MS, March 2011-April 2011 One Month Chart for MARKS SP. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marksspencer?INTCMP=SRCH [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 03:09 AM] [online] Something About Plan A Marks Spencer launched Plan A in January 2007, with aim to 100 commitments to achieve in 5 years. Marks Spencer has now extended Plan A to 180 commitments to achieve by 2015. The goal of it to become the worlds number one retailer. MS has now achieved 62 of its 100 Plan A commitments set in 2007. (1) Marks Spencers 7th annual report. Published in June 2010. http://plana.marksandspencer.com/media/pdf/planA-2010.pdf (Consulted on 20/03/2011) Analysis of MSs Internal Environment: MS is the market leader in clothing due its range and quality. Leadership in clothing converted MS into market leader in department stores. In this section, the discussion would be on the following key points: Financial Resources Human Resources Company Image Learning and development Location Production Facilities (1) Strengths Weaknesses Financial Resources: The company earned  £9,536.6 million profit during the financial year ended April 2010. (DATAMONITOR. 2010. Marks and Spencer Group plc. Available from: www.datamonitor.com [Accessed 22 March 2011]. Human Resources: In this area MS has a number of teams, including Payroll, Pensions, Learning and HR Administration. MS also has a general recruitment team who manage all store and head office recruitment. (Human Resources. http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/opportunities/shared_services_admin/ssa_hr [Accessed 09 April 2011 at 02:28 AM] ). William J. Stanton, Michael J. Etzel, Bruce J. Walker Fundamentals of Marketing 10th edition, International edition (1994), Page # 54, McGraw-Hill, Inc. United States of America. Company Image: MS is a top company for responsible business. Marks Spencer has been recognised as the top company in the UK for responsible business. MS was named Company of the Year 2006, at Business in the Communitys Awards for Excellence. (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/press_releases/pr/businessinthecommunity.pdf) [Accessed 09 April 2011 at 02:40 AM] Learning Development: MS provide in-depth training and performance coaching to the employees for their development. (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/learning_development) [Accessed 09 April 2011] Location: MS has over  600 stores throughout the UK. MSs largest store is located at Marble Arch on Londons Oxford Street. http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/where/uk_stores [Accessed 09 April 2011] Production Facilities: MS is the worlds first retailer who is using palm oil in its products.   This palm oil has been used in almost 1,000 MS food, beauty and home products each year.   (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/investors/press_releases/sustainablepalmoil) [Accessed 09 April 2011 at 03:48 AM] Strengths Weaknesses of MS: Strengths of MS: MS has a strong market position in the clothing segment. MS leads the market in womenswear, lingerie and menswear and have an expanding childrenswear business. MS has been very successful in capturing its customers segment through its different product offer, in-store service and garment quality. Some other key points are: Reputation/Brand Market position Quality products Online shopping Weaknesses of MS: The average shelf life for MS products is 3 to 5 days, compared with supermarket dry shelf products with 3 to 4 weeks shelf life. It is a high price for consumers. Cost-conscious people are much concerned about the price. MS stores have competitive disadvantages as compared to Tesco. Tesco stores have been carefully designed with good store layouts. MS stores have not been carefully designed with good layout. This is a clear competitive disadvantage compared to Tesco. (1) Some other key points are: Slow to change Lack of newness Clothing: does not appeal to younger womens taste Analysis of MSs External Environment: In this section the discussion would be on following key points: There are two levels of external environment: External Macro environment External Micro environment Marks Spencer Group, PLC SWOT Analysis; Nov2010, p1-13, DATAMONITOR: Marks and Spencer Group plc. Marks Spencer Group Company Report, Available from: (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=58451839site=ehost-live), [Accessed 15 March 2011 02:55 PM], British Library. In external macro environment, key points would be: People Economic Conditions Competitors Analysis Social and cultural Aspects Political and legal Aspects Technology In external micro environment, key points would be: The market Suppliers Marketing Intermediaries (1) And Opportunities Threats. External Macro Environment: People: The first external environmental factor is population because the people make up the markets. We know that MS is trying to fulfill the need, want and demand of its customers by their age groups, marital status, gents, ladies, kids, old aged people, and brand quality conscious people and to the higher number of home shopping or internet/online shopping. Economic Conditions: Economic conditions or changes effect the total market size. MS has strong customer segment even in this challenging economic environment. MS has increased the share of the clothing market. (1) William J. Stanton, Michael J. Etzel, Bruce J. Walker Fundamentals of Marketing 10th edition, International edition (1994), Page # 42,53,54 , McGraw-Hill, Inc. United States of America. Competitors Analysis Competitors of MS are many. Because MS sells a lot of different products. There is long list of its competitors, like, BHS, Debenhams, Derrys, House of Fraser, Sainsbury, Tesco, and Morrisons. But MS is best known for its clothes. So that I have selected Debenhams closest competitor of MS. This selection has been made because they have a comparable product base. Strengths of Debenhams: Reputation Good product mix and brand selection Latest designers better up-to-date with current trends. Attractive Advertisement. Weaknesses of Debenhams: Internationally, theyre not well known as compared with MS. Theyre competing mainly in the domestic market. (1) Social and Cultural Aspects: Life-styles, social values, beliefs have significant marketing implications and MS has capability to cope with change. Political Legal Aspects: Every company is influenced by the political and legal processes. These forces, such as, monetary and fiscal policies, social legislation and regulation, and governmental relationships with industries. Technology: Technological changes, change the business style. http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/, [Accessed 11 April 2011]. - External Micro Environment: The Market, Suppliers and Marketing Intermediaries are also effect the organization. Opportunities Threats of MS: Opportunities: Expansion abroad (India and China), and investment in other countries. (1) Threats: Due to strong competition MS losses market share, especially in food sector. (http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/), [Accessed 11 April 2011, at 11:52 PM] Major Challenges Facing the MS: MS has made progress, but still face some challenges to meet the original 2012 targets. Government has changed the rules for renewable electricity so MS is working in partnership with BRE/Pure to meet its commitments. Marks Spencer Group, PLC SWOT Analysis; Nov2010, p1-13, DATAMONITOR: Marks and Spencer Group plc. Marks Spencer Group Company Report, Available from: (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=58451839site=ehost-live), [Accessed 15 March 2011], British Library. MS has a wide range of food; and sales of food have continued to decline in the current economic climate. (1) External Environmental Strategic Impact on MS: The retail industry is generally a very dynamic, fast changing sector. Companies have to be keeping themselves to aware about the market, to know any new trend and they have to keep up with the customers increasing expectations and changing tastes. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more difficult and challenging to keep the customer satisfied and loyal customers preferences change quickly. Above mentioned analysis of external environment of MS has a strong effect on it. MS is among the top 6 UK retailers. External issues have the strategic impact on MS as: Fast changing Market Economic conditions. Consumers change of taste. Marks Spencers 7th annual report. Published in June 2010. http://plana.marksandspencer.com/media/pdf/planA-2010.pdf [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 3:33 PM] Slow economy. Increased competition from locally and from foreign companies. (1) Competitive Advantages of MS and How MS will achieve it: MS is the market leader both in clothing and department stores. Reputation and brand of MS is globally recognised. Internationally, DEB is not well known as compared with MS. DEB is competing mainly in the domestic market. MS regularly checks the salaries against other retailers to make sure that it is competitive. For this reason MS continuously reviews the basic pay every year. MS also offer extra performance rewards to recognise individual achievement. (2) MS is continuously offering these rewards benefits: Competitive Salary, Bonus Scheme, Holidays, Employee discount, Pension Plan, Additional benefits (like: discounted gym membership, savings on tickets for amusement parks, joining fees for health clubs and reductions at a variety of UK holiday resorts.). (3) (1). http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/, [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 5:00PM]. (2): (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/rewards_benefits), [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 11:43 PM]. (3) (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/opportunities/trainee_management_scheme/trainee_benefits_rewards), [Accessed 13 April 2011 at 12:27 AM]. NEED OF STRATEGY FOR THE GROWTH OF MS Need of developing the strategy for the growth of MS focusing on Plan A is to make moves, plans and strategies for expanding the market or enlarging the share of existing market and keeping them secure. It helps an organization better cope with the changes that occur in market place from time to time. MS is a market leader in retail industry and under mentioned are the suitable business strategies for the MS. Market Leader Strategy: The company has the largest market share in the relevant products market. The market leader should look for new users, new uses, and more usage of its products. MS must defend its market share market segment. SUGGESTIONS: Distinctive Competence: MS must determine its distinctive competence over its competitors. So that it can made strengths over them. Distinctive competence may exist in the form of: Low cost of production competence. Mass production competence. Access to cheap sources of raw material. Product quality variety. Financial Technological competence. Capability to cope with change. An organizations capability to cope with change is a very good strong point. MS must continue with the market changes with better marketing policies and effective functional programmes. Name Indexà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Subject Indexà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..

Favoritism in Washington Irvings The Legend of Sleepy Hollow :: Legend Sleepy Hollow

Favoritism in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow In Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" he has two main characters, Ichabod Crane and Bram Bones. These two heroic characters both desire the same woman, Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a substantial Dutch farmer. Apart from the fact that they both yearn for the same woman these two men are completely different creatures. In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Washington Irving does not hide the fact that he clearly favors Ichabod Crane over Brom Bones. Ichabod Crane is a somewhat geeky tall lanky man. He is a highly educated schoolmaster who travels from home to home teaching young children. "Ichabod Crane had a soft and foolish heart towards the sex". He clearly doubts himself with the ladies and appears to be a rather insecure character throughout the narrative. On the other hand, Ichabod Crane's adversary Bram Bones is quite the opposite. Bram Bones is a rather large robust burly and somewhat arrogant man. He is well known for his "feats of strength and hardihood. He is a confident man who expects his advances on a lady to be reciprocated. Bram Bones traveled with his gang of friends whereas Ichabod Crane seemed to be a loner who traveled by himself. Interestingly, both men were well known for there knowledge and skill in their own trades. Nevertheless, even their choice of vocation couldn't be more contrary. Bram Bones was known for his great knowledge and skill in horsemanship. His profession was a hands on job requiring great physical strength. Later in the story we learn that Ichabod lacks the necessary skills to ride a horse very well. Conversely, Ichabod Crane was clearly known for his knowledge and great wisdom. He was respected for his informative accounts of witch craft and the legendary superstitions such as the headless horseman. In terms of the author's favorite character, Washington is not shy about letting the reader know favoritism is undoubtedly towards Ichabod Crane. At one point in the story Washington states, "I should in the true spirit of romantic story, give some account of the looks and equipments of my hero and his steed".

Books and e-books Essay

In time of technical progress e-books are getting more popular day by day, but still most of the people prefer hard copy of books and do not support new fashion wave. Book has always been the best present for any kind of occasion, it is something that does not have an expiration date and it will always be in fashion. However, you cannot give e-book as present, of course you can send my e-mail, but you cannot put your sign and it sort of loosing meaning as a present, because you cannot touch it. On the other hand prices for e-books are lower and you can get a variety of free e-books, so everyone can enjoy literature from all of the world, but you should have special gadget to read e-books, and it is additional expanses for reading. In contrast, printed books are sort of pricy, and you cannot buy as much books as you want, as a result you are not trying to read new authors whose creations had not become bestsellers. Spending money on books is good investing, because you can collect a library and after you can leave it for next generations, as I mentioned before book is the product that does not have an expiration date. Having your library in an electronic devise it is a risky business, by reason on viruses that attacking devises every day and deleting all information from them or you can just loose an e-reader with all your book collection. Also hard copy book does not need to be charged and you can read as much as you want and wherever you want, unlike e-book is charging from electricity.

A Critical Analysis of The Great Gatsby

The beginning of the 20th century was marked with substantial changes including the industrial revolution, WWI and the gradual diversification of moral views as opposed to the uniformity imposed by the clericalism that had dominated the American society from its conception.The dynamically changing morality first and foremost touched the new bourgeoisie, or the class of people who made their fortunes rapidly and became wealthy at relatively young age.com/cumulative-exam/">The Great Gatsby is a famous novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The action takes place on Long Island and in New York City in the 1920s era. The characters of the drama are mostly wealthy, yet young people, going through the stage of the inner morality reformation.The literary work depicts the stable upper-middle class of the 1920s, who used to live in the West Egg district of Long Island. Contemporary New York City lured people with its countless opportunities to realize oneself and improve one’s m aterial well-being; Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate, is not an exception. He is flexible and intelligent enough and thus moves to New York for the purpose of learning and working in bond trade.Furthermore, he’s originally solvent enough to afford a flat in the fashionable West Egg district: â€Å"My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this middle-western city for three generations. The Carraways are something of a clan and we have a tradition that we’re descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch [†¦]† (Fitzgerald, 4).Upon the arrival to New York, Nick soon gets attracted to the fun-driven lifestyle, implying noisy parties, light flirt and false, theatrical love. The family of his cousin Daisy, who lives not far from Nick, is equally wealthy and aristocratic: her husband Tom graduated from a prestigious university and runs a successful business. Daisy is a beautiful, but excessively materialistic woman, who once had a romantic affair with Gatsby, but soon rejected him because of his allegedly questionable ability to provide for the future family.Instead, she accepted Tom’s proposal and selected confidence in the tomorrow’s day as opposed to the strong, barely controllable emotions she had for Gatsby (Milford, 69). The protagonist of the novel, Jay Gatsby, stands to certain degree apart from the lawful third-generation businessmen he is on friendly terms with. Gatsby is a descendant of a poor family, but, owing to his motivation for learning, he manages to enter St. Olaf’s College, which he, however, soon leaves because of the despair, associated with his janitor’s job (Turnbull, 122).Driven by his love for Daisy, he fanatically seeks ways of becoming rich and even dares break the law and engages with criminal business. However, the protagonist remains sincere in his attitude towards people and seems extremely kind, generous and broad-minded person: â€Å"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it that you come across four or five times in life†¦ [his face] believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself† (Fitzgerald, 52-53).As one can assume, wealth, as implied in the American Dream, particularly popular among the middle-class population, is one of the major themes of the literary work: â€Å"The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in the era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess† (Bruccoli, 73).Wealth, or, more precisely, its lack, becomes the major reason for the destruction of the beautiful fairy tale romance between Gatsby and Daisy. Financial prosperity is also the main factor motivating Tom’s extramarital lover, Myrtle, for seeing the man on the regular basis. Finally, money becomes a catalyst of Gatsby’s tragic outcome of being slaughtered after taking Daisy’s blame for the accident with My rtle (Bruccoli, 79; Lehan, 211).When approaching the theme of wealth from an alternative perspective, it is possible to notice The Great Gatsby contains a comprehensive overview of the sociology of upper-middle class and newly minted rich businessmen. In particular, the western part of the district is inhabited by newly rich, whereas the denizens of East Egg represent nobility and aristocracy: â€Å"Fitzgerald portrays the newly rich as being vulgar, gaudy, ostentatious, and lacking in social graces and taste.Gatsby, for example, lives in a monstrously ornate mansion, wears a pink suit, drives a Rolls-Royce, and does not pick up on subtle social signals, such as the insincerity of the Sloans’ invitation to lunch† (Lehan, 215).At the same time, aristocratic circles are depicted as mannequins, whose public behavior rarely reflects their true beliefs and attitudes. For instance, Tom is unfaithful in his relationship with wife and starts an affair with a woman, whose backg round is far from aristocratic and who lives in a poor neighborhood.Wealth is also close-knit with the theme of   moral freedom, which causes the moral degradation of the top society (Lehan, 233). The Buchanans are literally heartless: instead of attending Gatsby’s funeral and demonstrating their respect for everything the dead made for safeguarding Daisy’s reputation, they simply change the place of residence and distance themselves from the tragedy both physically and psychologically.Even Gatsby, the most â€Å"authentic† and open-minded person in the novel, seems adversely affected by his wealth and sinks in the marsh of criminal affairs increasingly deeper so that even his surroundings learn about his illegal alcohol business and murders he committed.Therefore, by describing the wealthy New York City communities of the 1920s, Fitzgerald prominently illustrates the negative impact of excessive prosperity on human value system and intrinsic ethical principle s. The author also proves that money provides great freedom, but really few people are psychologically prepared to accept and successfully manage it.Works citedBruccoli, A. New Essays on The Great Gatsby. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985.Fitzgerald, F. S. The Great Gatsby. Wordsworth Editions, 1993.Lehan, R. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Craft of Fiction. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1966.Milford, N. Zelda. New York: Harper and Row, 1970.Turnbull, A. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1962