How Starbucks Saved My Life Essay

We chose to review the bestselling book called â€Å"How Starbucks Saved My Life† by Michael Gill because we thought that it would be a good read, as the title itself was intriguing. The book was quite difficult to find but somehow we managed to chance upon some copies of it. The book was not a disappointment as it was truly inspirational. It had taught us to start looking on the brighter side of life and to always move forward, not backward. We have also learned that we should not dwell on the past. At the start of the book, Michael Gill had been living in his past and had many regrets in his past life. Soon enough, the author came to the realization that lingering in his past was not going to make the present any better for himself. Hence, he made the decision to obtain a more positive mindset about the future. He proceeded to observe things in a different light and always did things with an open mind. Another one of the reasons why we chose this book was because it has also taught us to be hard working and take pride in whatever we have accomplished. In addition to that, the author taught us to never take things for granted and to appreciate the things we have in life before it can be abruptly taken away from us. The book is based on a true story about the author’s life. He used to work with J. Walter Thompson (JWT) – the largest advertising agency in the United States of America – as a successful advertising executive. He devoted most of his life working hard for the agency and sacrificed most of his time with his family to contribute in making the agency successful. He had spent long hours working with his clients instead of being with his family. The author thought of himself as a pillar of his family. He thought that sacrificing his job was worth all the times he had not been there for his family as he desired to provide a good life for his family. In fact, he was so loyal to his job that he was willing to surrender spending Christmas with his family to work with his client. The author had said â€Å"I was full of pride that I had never refused any effort JWT ever asked of me. † (2008, page 8). He had done everything he could to dedicate himself to the company; he was soon enough fired by one of his colleagues, Linda. The author had really liked Linda and he had helped her to move up on the Board of Directors. Hence, he felt extremely hurt that he was fired by Linda as he thought of her as a friend. The author was also furious with himself because he did not notice the signs earlier on while he was working that his new boss, a Brit named Martin Sorrell, who was younger than him. One of the signs that the author should have paid attention to was when his boss had once said straightforwardly â€Å"I like young people around me. † (2008, page 9). A few years later, he decided to open up his own consulting company and at the start, many of his old clients made business with him. However, his business gradually slowed down to a halt as lesser and lesser of his clients went back to him. His life became more miserable when he found out that he had a tiny tumour called an ‘acoustic neuroma’ on the base of his brain that was affecting his hearing. The author also started going to the gym momentarily after he was fired to keep himself occupied. â€Å"I needed a reason to get out of the house everyday, and exercise became my new reason for getting up and out. (2008, page 23) was what the author said. The gym was where he met his mistress, Susan. He had an affair with Susan for more than a year while still being married to his wife, Betsy. Late one morning, Susan broke the news to the author that she was pregnant with his child. He had hoped that she would go for an abortion but she refused because she thought that God told her that she should keep the baby. The author had then confessed to his wife of many years that he had impregnated another woman which led to his divorce. The author was sitting in a Starbucks store, reminiscing about his past when a black lady named Crystal accosted him intrepidly and confidently, offering him a job at Starbucks. During the interview, Crystal provided the author with a booklet that showed the health benefits of working as a barista at Starbucks. This caused the author to immediately make the decision to work at Starbucks as he could finally secure his fifth and last child’s health insurance. He then embarked on a new journey working at Starbucks and working for Crystal was a new experience for him since he was used to working in a high rank position. The author also wrote about how the Guests of Starbucks treated him differently than the clients he used to work with in his previous job. His Partners treated him with respect and was always patient when it came to teaching him new things. Slowly, he moved up his position as a barista and became the Coffee Master of the store. He adored his job so much that he wanted to exceed his service for his Partners and Guests. Therefore, he did this in a form of writing poems for them. One of the poems he wrote for his Guests was: â€Å"Your wonderful smile/When you walk in the door/Helps to make/Our spirit soar. You make sure to us/Just how we are/When we see you at the register/Or at the bar. /Little wonder you are our star/And a favourite Guest. /You bring out/Our very best! † (2008, page 224). At last, he decided to quit working at Crystal’s store and work at the Starbucks store which is near to his apartment. When he told Crystal that he wanted to work at another Starbucks store, he was praised by Crystal as being one of the best at delivering legendary service. It meant that he made the extra efforts to make positive bonds with the Guests. Due to his excellent service, he helped the store to attain a five star award which was the first ever time that Starbucks rewarded its stores. The book was useful to us as there were some original economic acumen. It taught us that no matter how rich and successful you are at that point in your life, you will still have to make a financial backup plan and be vigilant towards your own financial wealth. We found this book inspiring because the author did not give up even after many downfalls in his life. It taught us to persevere through hardship and be determined to overcome it. Family was also another important factor that he had stressed on in the book. He wrote about how he regretted not spending enough time with his family. He wrote that he was upset with himself because he had not been able to see his children grow up as fine adults that they are presently. This has taught us not to neglect our family even though it clashes with our personal work. We must always spend quality time together because it will strengthen the bond in the family as it is our first priority. The fact that he was the reason why his family was broken apart also caused him to feel guilty. The author had lived luxuriously all his life until he was fired by his company. He had once said in an interview, â€Å"I was born with just about every advantage you could imagine, or even wish for. † He had everything he wanted but he took it for granted. We can relate this to our lives as it acts as a reminder to us to always treasure what we have in life. This book is mostly about his experience working at Starbucks. However, the book was not entirely perfect. What did not appeal to us the most was that he had too many flashbacks. Due to the numerous flashbacks which he had, it made the book less interesting to us. It was tough for us to continue halfway through the story as he droned on about his previous life too much but eventually, we still managed to finish the book. The book also had too many corporate speaking and repetition. Another reason why it was not that useful was that the author talked about the Partners, Guests and having respect almost endlessly but only mentioned about his affair, divorce and his out-of-wedlock child merely. He had not exactly elaborated on the negative impacts in his life. Other than that, the author had also said in his book that he regretted prioritizing his work rather than his family in his younger years but it still seems as if he is achieving more from his work instead of from his new child. We have learned the importance of respect and serving people well from him but we feel that he had not learned how to connect with his children – especially his last child – well enough.

How you would apply a semiological and ideological analysis to a Essay

How you would apply a semiological and ideological analysis to a television advert for a consumer product - Essay Example According to Gillian Dyer advertising is the "official art" in which beliefs and values through the brand are reminded to the people (Reschke, 1998). To understand the real meaning of advertisement its analysis are done to learn the techniques that are employed in designing the content of an advertisement. Media analysts have used different parameters of analysis to gain understanding of concepts interrelated with advertisements. This paper aims to analyze an advertisement through the most commonly used analysis methods called semiotic and ideological analysis. The advertisement selected for this paper is projecting a perfume named 1 million which is the new male fragrance by the Spanish leading colognes and perfume company named Paco Rabbane. Perfumes are considered as both essential and luxurious part of everybody’s life. When worn in daily life they are a necessity, when worn for formal occasions they depict a luxurious life style, elegant personality for women and sheer masculinity for the men. Perfume advertisements are always based on a sophisticated and sensational theme which is directly relating to physiological aspects of humans. The advertisement of perfume 1 million Paco Rabbane had been analyzed during the broadcast of 24th July 2010 by American TV channel namely AsiaVision. I have analyzed it semiotically to understand the hidden meanings prevailing within the text. Semiotic are basically the symbols and signs used within the text to create meaning. The signifier in this particular advert is no doubt the perfume 1 million where it signifies a young sexy looking man that uses the perfume to achieve all his dreams. Several iconic signs the moving objects have been used in the ad to convey the message to the user. To give the add a realistic touch they have made the use of many conventional codes set by our society such as firstly the color of the

Introduction and implementation of educational programs Essay

Introduction and implementation of educational programs - Essay Example Secondly, the above-mentioned educational programs may raise the society’s understanding of the interrelation of natural and human processes and systems and how actually people influence the state of the environment both directly and indirectly. In other words, people will have the opportunity to learn about the causes and effects of their activities. For sure, the general public realizes that climate change is taking place these days because of burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and range of other destructive activities. However, not all the people perceive the fact that because of human activity, the planet is changing too fast and that it can have devastating consequences, which altogether will lead to the so-called Sixth Extinction scientist all over the world are talking today. In her article titled The Sixth Extinction?, Elizabeth Kolbert says, â€Å"People are changing the world so fast that many other species can’t cope†. Among them is the researc h conducted by Julia Lehman, Amanda Korstjens, and Robin Dunbar, in which they show that in case there are extreme changes in climate, such mammals as apes may not survive in their traditional habitat. Being aware of such specific facts means being able to get the understanding of the relation between human beings’ activities and nature and develop attitudes of appreciation and concern for the current state of environment.Finally, the introduction of educational programs may result in the development of the capacity for both personal and collective action.

Managers learn better through experience. Theory has nothing to offer Essay - 2

Managers learn better through experience. Theory has nothing to offer - Essay Example Since management as a separate discipline was established, managers have been taught in a classroom setting where most of their learning has been theoretical. Theoretical learning for managers has been ineffective due to several reasons. One of the reasons is that theoretical learning does not take into account the diversity the types of organizations that managers are required to manage (Papamarcos, 2005, p327). In the field of management, there is a wide range of organizations with different needs in terms of management styles. This perspective is not captured in theoretical management training, which has the effect of making managers apply the same techniques in management therefore leading to failure of the organizations to meet their objectives. For instance, the expertise that is required from a manager that manages technology professionals will be different from the expertise that is needed by a manager in a political organization. This is because a manager in a political orga nization will be required to have conflict handling techniques, which may not be, require of his counterpart in a technology firm since there are minimal conflicts. Leaning through theories involves using the thoughts of other people to run organizations (Mazutis & Slawinski, 2008, p444). This weakness of using theory in managers’ training is the therefore in the pattern of the managers thinking or his way of doing things which may antagonise the theory that he is supposed to use. In turn, this will mean that the manager will not give the optimal productivity that he is capable of since he has been limited by the theory. In addition, using theory limits the managers to be innovative in new and more effective ways of managing the organization that will improve its performance; this is as a result of the manager being required to follow what the theory says. For instance, a manager may have been taught that the best way to manage the employees in an organization is by being ens uring his or her commands are followed, however, the employees may perform better if they are given a democratic space to air their views on ways which they think would help to increase the productivity of the organization. Training managers theoretically may entail using theories that were applicable in the past but which may not be effective currently (Vince, 2011, p340). The global organizational environment has been changing everyday due to advances in technology and changes in global business patterns such as globalization. Due to these dynamics in the organizational environment, the processes of running the organizations have been changing making it hard to use previous techniques to run organizations in the current environment. For instance, previously any meetings that the manager had with his or her juniors involved physical presence, which meant managers, had to travel a lot especially in the organizations that had several branches. However, with the coming of teleconferen cing, the manager is able to attend meetings with other employees in different locations without being physically present. Due to the challenges that leaning through theory presents to the managers, it has been widely acknowledged that leaning through experience would work best to ensure the knowledge that

Editing Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Editing Research Paper - Essay Example The onset of the so-called global village has necessitated the need for students to acquire an international experience, so as to be able to function as career men and women in a world that is rapidly becoming more and more interlinked. The notion of a â€Å"global perspective† has replaced the old global dream of a â€Å"world order.† The global village perspective emphasizes interdependence among all the nations of the world. Numerous new concepts serve as evidence of international interdependence that today’s students cannot avoid. These include the competitive pressures that have resulted due to globalization of economies, the linguistic and cultural challenges encountered in international business, the massive impact of 9/11 that the world feels to this day, international environmental challenges such as the negative ecological effect of global warming, and technologically facilitated telephonic and internet communications. Since the end of the Second World War, interactions and activities that essentially took place within the borders of a single state are increasingly taking place across national boundaries. Examples include business relationships, employment, professional associations, and family and social connections. This ongoing process of globalization has presented new pressures to individuals to competently engage in the free flow of commerce, communication, and ideas across national boundaries. To this effect, studying abroad serves as a way of preparing students to function effectively in this globalized society (Williamson 28-32). The advantages of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages. The world is becoming increasingly globalized; therefore, studying in a foreign country is beneficial because it enables students to learn new languages and cultures, obtain exposure which widens their level of thinking, and learn to

Laboratory Report 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laboratory Report 3 - Essay Example MacKenzie & Buxton (1992) compared five width interpretation models regarding 2-dimensional targets (MacKenzie & Buxton, 1992): ï‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Smaller of† model. It picks the smaller of the height and width. Intuitively it may produce accurate results, because the smallest dimension of the object will be the most restricting when attempting to move a cursor inside it. This model is only useful for rectangles. ï‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   W’ model. It uses the length of the line between the center point of the target object and the object boundary along the approach angle. This is appealing because it is a 1-D interpretation of a 2-D task. But it is more difficult to calculate because the angle between the starting point and the target object must be known. This model is good for circles, rectangles and others. Furthermore, there are some cases that Fitts’ law failed to predict correctly. E.g., some input devices are not suited to Fitts’ Law, such as isometric joysticks that are force sensing and undergo negligible human limb motion (MacKenzie, 2001). Extensions and changes to Fitts’ Law have been proposed for some of those cases, such as Touch screens (Sears and Shneiderman, 1991), and standard GUI with lots of small target areas (such as radio button, combo buttons, and buttons on toolbars) (Sears and Shneiderman, 1991). Fitts’ Law is valid but limited. First of all, it does not address numerous factors other than target amplitude and width that affect user input performance. While there is evidence that task completion times are reduced when a task is split over two hands, Fitts Law does not address the effect of parallel strategies of delegating positioning and selecting to separate limbs. Fitts Law also does not address the effect of human body asymmetry on performance, such as the performance difference between preferred and non-preferred hands,

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Example for Free

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) depicts a condition in which persons demonstrate an abnormal degree of obsession or compulsion in relation to specific daily activities (as cited in Gournay, Curran Rogers, 2006, p. 60). Obsessions are persistent thoughts or mental images while compulsions are recurrent behaviors that are performed specifically to relieve obsessions (as cited in Gournay, et al, 2006, p. 60). Obsessions usually cause considerable distress and anxiety for the individual and as a result actions (compulsions) are performed to diminish the anxiety caused by the obsessive thoughts or images, Stein (2002) highlights that compulsions are not necessarily observable but could take the form of mental rituals (p. 397). Everyday life experiences usually reveal some amount of obsession or compulsion but do not usually affect normal activities to a significant extent. Often such compulsions are necessary, excusable and natural and therefore do not cause considerable distress. The distinction between these behaviors and the behaviors associated with OCD is in the frequency with which they are carried out, the motivations behind the behaviors and the level of anxiety experienced (Gournay et al, 2006, p. 60). OCD is present when the behaviors reach the extent of preventing the individual from functioning properly in normal everyday activities. For OCD diagnosis, the American Psychiatric Association specifies that there must be the presence of the obsessions or compulsions as discussed above. Additionally these mental processes or behaviors must take up a significant amount of time, usually more than an hour each day (as cited in Geffken et al, 2004, p. 46). It is important to discern the distinction between the obsessive and compulsive behaviors demonstrated by persons with OCD as being significantly different from delusions that are evidenced in various other disorders. The most commonly used treatment method for OCD is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which has been accounted with an over 80 percent success rate (Geffken et al, 2004, p. 46). This procedure uses the two techniques of exposure and response prevention. In exposure the patient is made to face up to their fears. This procedure seeks to reinforce model behavior by having the patients getting accustomed to refraining from the behaviors that they feel compelled to participate in. By being repeatedly exposed to the anxiety-causing stimulus the patients eventually develop a tolerance for the anxiety and the anxiety itself decreases. The other procedure is response or ritual prevention which uses the principle of negative reinforcement. Individuals have to endure and suppress the anxiety caused by the mental images or thoughts and therefore avoid attempts to reduce the anxiety by participating in the unwanted behavior. Research has found that both procedures are equally as effective in decreasing and eventually removing obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior (Geffken, et al, 2004, p. 46). Of the two the exposure and response form of CBT is probably the most effective treatment alternative for OCD in adults and children. In addition to CBT there are a number of drugs developed for the treatment of OCD and a few other depressive disorders. Many have proven to be effective in treating adult OCD. Among these are serotonergic agents such as clomipramine, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine and sertraline. There are also citalopram and paroxetine but these two have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (Storch Merlo, 2006, p. 329). However, more and more research is suggesting that a combination type treatment that utilizes CBT and prescription drugs have the most numerical and long term success. Anonymous (2004) reports that, Â  in a randomized study with three distinct groups of patients treated with either CBT along with sertraline, CBT alone, sertraline alone or a placebo, 53.6% of participants in the combination CBT and sertraline group showed a 100% improvement of their symptoms. Comparative results for the control groups were 39.3% with the use of CBT only, 21.4% with the use of sertraline only and 3.6% with the use of a placebo (p. 1156). References Anonymous. (2004, Dec). Combination therapy best for obsessive disorders. AORN Journal, 80(6), 1156. Geffken G. R., Storch, E. A., Gelfand, K. M, Adkins, J. W. Goodman, W. K. (2004, Dec). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Review of treatment techniques. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing Mental Health Services, 42(12), 44-53. Gournay K., Curran, J. Rogers, P. (2006, Apr 26). Assessment and management of obsessive compulsive disorder. Nursing Standard, 20(33), 59-66 68. Stein D. (2002, Aug 3). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Lancet, 360(9330), 397-405. Storch, E. A. Merlo, L. J. (2006, Apr). Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Strategies for using CBT and pharmacotherapy. Journal of Family Practice, 55(4), 329-333.