Nutritional Care Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nutritional Care Plan - Essay Example Harvey (2011) explains that â€Å"overnutrition is an unfavorable health condition in which at least one nutrient is supplied in an amount that exceeds the bodys requirements for normal metabolism, growth and development.† The Test Lab Online (2011) adds that overnutrition is a serious medical problem in pregnancy because â€Å"chronic overnutrition can lead to obesity and to metabolic syndrome, a set of risk factors characterized by abdominal obesity, a decreased ability to process glucose (insulin resistance), dyslipidemia, and hypertension.† This essay shall focus on abdominal obesity in pregnancy. According to the American Pregnancy Association (2011), woman who had BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 before pregnancy is required to gain weight of 1 – 4.5 pounds during the first trimester. However, after just two weeks, the woman came back to the hospital with a weight gain of 7.7 pounds. This was still at the early stages of the pregnancy and therefore constituted an excessive weight of 3.2 pounds. Further biochemical test showed that the albumin level of the woman was 5.8 g/dl, which was almost above normal. The interpretation is that the woman was suffering from overnutrition. Clinical assessment however revealed that the integrity of the woman’s skin was intact. When dietary assessment of the patient’s daily intake of food was done, it was realized that the woman had been misinformed to start taking in more protein and fat and extra mineral with the intention of helping her fetus grow better. Medications were suggested for the patient based on her cultural and socioeconomic background. It must be reiterated that medications or drugs come into the treatment of over nutrition as a last resort and especially when the patient’s case has resulted in obesity. Some commonly acceptable medications in medical circles include Orlistat, Sibutramine, Rimonabant, Metformin, Exenatide, Pramlintide

Many Nations Native Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Many Nations Native Americans - Essay Example There is a group of Cherokee people that want to stay in their homelands spearheaded by Principal Chief John Ross. The opposition to the removal of the Cherokees was justifiable and was based on a valid argument. Initially, all the Cherokees were united in opposing the removal from their ancestral homelands. Even after the 1832 court ruling that Cherokees should be allowed to live in their ancestral lands, the government has not heeded. The land lottery that was enacted in 1830 is being implemented, where citizens of Georgia are the beneficiaries of the Cherokee’s land. The Cherokees attempted to fight for themselves with the government on the opposition. Despite some of the Cherokees having no hope in that they will regain their land, a group of them was totally opposed to the removal. One of the strong believers that the Cherokees should not be removed from their homeland was Principal Chief John Ross. He had support from the majority of the people. However, a rift among the people created instability to the Cherokee government. Various advantages helped the group that was opposed to the removal to be dominant and stronger. Firstly, under the Principal Chief John Ross they had a control of the Cherokee government. This means that rebels were thrown out of the government once they were known. Secondly, they were the majority; in this case, the people behind Principal Chief John Ross were much more than those that attempted to collaborate. This ensured that the rebellion became stronger. Thirdly, the elite among the Cherokees supported non-removal. These include Principal Chief John Ross, his brother among other leaders that were more enlightened. Despite their concerted efforts, the non-removal delegation was defeated because both the federal and state governments supported it. Upon the ratification of the Treaty of new Echota by the Senate, the battle was lost despite the push by Ross and his leadership. In

Platos Socrates Essay Example for Free

Platos Socrates Essay In order for the concept of wisdom to carry any viable weight in the affairs of the world, it is necessary for said concept to acknowledge the link between wisdom as an abstract idea and wisdom as a guiding principle for pragmatic action. Although other thinkers within the list of writers and philosophers we have studies do promote the idea of wisdom as a pragmatically applied force; Henry David Thoreaus interpretation of wisdom and its applications in human life and in human society seems to me the most reasonable interpretation among those we have studied so far. Thoreaus basic idea of wisdom is relative easy to understand adn emerges, not from abstract philosophical discourse, but from the vantage point of everday life: Does Wisdom work in a tread-mill? or does she teach how to succeed by her example? Is there any such thing as wisdom not applied to life? (Thoreau 118) By asking these questions in connection to the idea of wisdom, Thoreau makes it obvious that he regards wisdom as a method of defining nd helping to instruct human behavior and not merely human thought. Interestingly enough, while Thoreaus definition of wisdom is steeped in the practical and the pragmatic, he admonishes his readers and listeners not to confuse materialism and wisdom, that is, not to mistake the pragmatic of earning a living with the pragmatics of wisdom: It is pertinent to ask if Plato got his living in a better way or more successfully than his contemporaries,or did he[ ] find it easier to live, because his aunt remembered him in her will? The ways in which most men get their living, that is, live, are mere makeshifts, and a shirking of the real business of life,chiefly because they do not know, but partly because they do not mean, any better, (Thoreau 118). The application of Thoreaus pragmatic vision of wisdom may elude some observers; however, Thoreau, himself, illustrates the application of his idea of wisdom by turning his sights to the gold rush fever which enveloped his contemporaries: Did God direct us so to get our living, digging where we never planted,and He would, perchance, reward us with lumps of gold? (Thoreau 119) where, obviously, Thoreaus hang up with gold-rushers is not their pursuit of earning a living, per se, but with the folly of their believing that gold can, in and of itself, replace the need for wisdom: I did not know that mankind was suffering for want of gold. I have seen a little of it. I know that it is very malleable, but not so malleable as wit. A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much as a grain of wisdom,; where Thoreuas ironic contrast of gold and wisdom leaves little doubt, in the end, as to which he views as more crucial to humanity. (Thoreau 119) 2. Whose view of wisdom (Socrates, Thoreau, Huxley, Pieper, or Frankl) seems to be the least reasonable? Why? Although Platos Socratic writings on the nature and meaning of justice achieve and inner-harmony and function in logical consistency with the rest of his ideas regarding ethics, aesthetics, and civics, Socrates view of wisdom, as defined by Plato, strikes me as the least rational of the theories and ideas we have studied. Far be it for me or anyone else to accuse Plato of leaving holes in his theory of wisdom; that is not the issue so much as the circclar nature of Platos reasoning which leads me to feel that the concepts of wisdom which are described by Socrates offer very little in the way of practical application in life and seem more like abstract ideas meant to stimulate those who enjoy pondering theory, rather than to assist those who are truly seeking applicable means for wisdom in daily life. Primarily, it is Socrates insistence that wisdom exists beyond the human appreciation of it, which seems to cripple the overall argument on the nature of what comprises wisdom: Socrates considers there to be two general sorts of knowledge, one which makes its possessor wise and one which does not. Socrates, and others too, can confidently and quite correctly claim to have a number of instances of the latter sort; but no human being can rightly claim to have the former sort, since no human being has ever attained the wisdom Socrates himself disclaims having when he professes ignorance, (Brickhouse, and Smith 31). true enough, Socrates humility in professing himself to be without wisdom has puzzled observers adn scholars for quite some time; however, the admission that wisdom exists, apart from human understanding, nd must be pursued even to the point of admitting that it cannot be attained, leaves the entire issue of wisdom up in the air form a pragmatic point of view. Socrates may believe that human wisdom is of little or no value (23a6-7). What would be of great value, if only he had itnamely, real wisdomSocrates and all others lack. The greatest wisdom for human beings, as we have just seen, is the recognition that we are in truth worth nothing in respect to wisdom (Brickhouse, and Smith 33) and this type of vision is, of course, another variation on a religious or metaphysical concept: that of Divine Wisdom. For Socrates, wisdom is an abstract power deemed tor reside within the Divine consciousness but only sparingly in human consciousness. I would say that nay definition of wisdom which fails to forward a concrete, pragmatic application as pertains to human society and individual behavior is worthwhile only from a purely intellectual point of view. Works Cited Brickhouse, Thomas C. , and Nicholas D. Smith. Platos Socrates. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Harding, Walter, ed. Thoreau: A Century of Criticism. Dallas, TX: Southern Methodist University Press, 1954. Thoreau, Henry David. The Major Essays of Henry David Thoreau. Ed. Richard Dillman. Albany, NY: Whitston Publishing, 2001.

Positive And Negative Impacts Of Tourism Tourism Essay

Positive And Negative Impacts Of Tourism Tourism Essay GENERAL INTRODUCTION PROS AND CONS There are both positive and negative effects resulting from tourism.Positively it creates employment and economically enables the conservation of valuable space;restrains a migratory tendency within the home population improving their socio-cultural education.It encourages support of local commercialisation resulting in the free interchange of ideas,customs and sensitization of issues concerning the eco-environment.The reduction of working hours,the ever present threat of unemployment because of technological advancement and the globalisation process enables the tourism industry to provide an interesting and stimulating intensive alternative. Just as significant are the effects of the rising cost of natural resources,water,energy.The spoiling of landscapes with land reclamation;rising levels of waste disposal;alterations to ecosystems;the extinction of rare species of animals and plants;the loss of traditional values and rising levels of prostitution,that is sex tourism.There is the narcotics trade,forest fires,together with the rising cost of housing. There are rising levels of carbon dioxide and other contaminating gases from increasing frequencies of airflights with ozone erosion and acid rain.All kinds of ecosystems are becoming affected.Thailand is littered with golf courses that consume large amounts of pesticides and water.There is hardly anywhere in the world not affected by tourism impact .Tourism is an aspect of globalisation most sensitive to any repercussion.In the eastern region of Spain for example,Benidorm has a great concentration of hotels,accommodating nearly half a million tourists in August within an area of little more than 12 kilometres.There is also a large proportion of the population of many countries who do not participate in tourist flows but who nevertheless will become part of such flows with the emergence of new markets in Latin-America and Asia. NEGATIVE IMPACT AND DIVERSIFICATION There is no one clearly acknowledged method of analysing the impacts of tourism and there are a number of different criteria for its measurement.Most studies are able to display the benefits generated and contributive to the balance of payments and deployed income supplied by the government.Yet few have included the analysis of negative effects.Negative economic impact has an effect on the local scale with destinations suffering economically when dependent on tourism.Diversification if applied to the local economy is able to positively reverse such consequences with the development of tourist goods and services replacing the previous gains from traditional activities.Yet there is fragility, with instability ever present due to alteration of tourist routes,ineffective publicity,and influence from ever changing tourist fashions in response to seasonal variation of production.An inflationary spiral frequently develops.This inflationary aspect is sublimative with prices and taxes affecti ng the local population.It has no regard for anything existant before and it becomes patently obvious in the escalation of food prices and that of goods etc.Those who are directly involved in the industry experience improved benefit but not the local population. There occurs disruption of traditional productive sectors of capital destinations within areas of tourist development.Foreign capital is not limited to a local effect as it leaves the receiving country thereby contributing to a loss of currency.Some authorities assert that for the long term,low potential productivity from a tourist company has a depressive effect on local economic growth. Possible inflation may occur from tourist activity,the purchasing potential being greater than that of the resident population therefore leading to escalating prices for food and services.There is loss of potential economic benefits with a high dependency on foreign capital.resulting in distortion of the local economy.Concentration of econo mic activity becomes channeled into one type of activity,with a resultant fluctuating impact upon the level of employment. FURTHER FACTORS It appears that tourism development within a country relates to an assumption of economic gain.Only tourism management with its application of various methods and principals can determine whether any economical gain will outweight the cost factor.There are staffing costs,overheads and utilities to take into account.The decision to reduce costs to a minimum might involve improved staffing rotas,and energy saving programmes. FURTHER POSITIVES There can be a number of positive impacts of tourism such as contributing towards a favourable balance of payments,facilitated competition with foreign banking,provision of input to the GNP(Gross National Product) and the spending multiplier.Also there are job creation opportunities and increased revenues for the government from direct taxation.There are negative impacts including costs for infrastructure development;and the over-dependence of the destination on tourists;also the aspect of low skilled work. It seems clear there is a simple principle involved here, namely that of minimising costs and maximising profits.High leakage is most likely to occur with multi national enterprises,where there is the need to promote tourism.In order to do so there has to be importation of food and beverages and capital technology accompanied by repatriation of staff. A capital outflow occurs as a result of capital investment for infrastructure from the host government. It may be argued that with restriction/control of such multi national enterprises there will be reduced capital outflow,reduced repatriation,together with switching on of a multiplier effect stimulating more spending by the tourists in the local economy.Again debatable,there is the hiring of as many local residents as possible for staff,ensuring proper salary levels with provision of training to support promotion opportunities.With the resulting reduction of staff repatriation there will occur an increase in the levels of local staff remuneration and immediately contributing to a multiplier effect with the possibility of enhancing the destinations socio-cultural aspect.Economic choice should be accompanied by preferential influence and guidance With the diminishment of seasonality there is a need for professional marketing expertise at destinations to increase the average length of stay,the daily expenditure per head .Yet very searching evaluation is required here for such actions, while producing economic be nefits which may in fact harm the environmental,socio-cultural aspects of the destination causing indirect costs. POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACTS Social impacts again consist of both positive and negative effects.Positively there is the recovery and conservation of cultural values that but for the visiting tourists would have disappeared.Funds as a result are made available for preservation of artefacts and restoration of forgotten historical monuments.Local communities would be unable to provide such resources.Various tactics are applied in such privileged places of tourist interest.Many local customs have been revitalized and tourist resources are being made available for the reappearance of folklore,festivals,craft pursuits and gastronomy.There has occurred marked improvement in facilities and services such as sanitary,modes of transport,parks etc. NEGATIVE SOCIAL IMPACTS Nevertheless again negative impacts exist.The immediate negative factor is that of the social disparities between the indigenous population and that of the visitors.For some destinations essentially those to be found in the underprivileged countries there is a kind of imperialistic relationship with the inhabitants becoming servants of the tourists.Inevitably there arises social tension and resentment.A new kind of colonialism appears with dependency upon the foreign currency.Outside workers with better qualifications obtain the contracts.With such clear indications of the socio-economic differences the negative impact takes effect.Gaming,increasing prostitution and drugs make their appearance where previously they had not existed.Tourist arrivals are therefore linked to such manifestations.Loss of culturization occurs as a result of such negative impacts.The local population observes the tourists and then seeks to adapt to their customs paving the way for the destruction and disappe arance of the very thing that the tourists originally arrived for. DOXEYS IRRIDEX MODEL The socio-cultural effect therefore becomes measurable with reference to the crime rate .A management method used to measure the level of socio-cultural impact is Doxeys Irridex Model.The model has a four stage process wherein there are diminishing returns in the local inhabitants attitude towards the visitors.Firstly there is the exploration stage where contact between both parties is of frequent occurrence and here the attitude is referred to as euphoria.There is a welcoming of contact with the outside world and there is the possibility of supplementing the household income as a result of such inflow.With increasing tourist arrivals there occurs diminishing contact with the early arrivals.The tourists become part of everyday business concerns that transforms the initial attitude into one that seeks contact and liaison for personal gain.Those residents of such a destination develop an apathetic attitude to such matters. A further development of the model presents annoyance.The significant inflow of tourism disrupts everyday life with developing queues experienced in the local shops,traffic jams.Local business accommodates to souvenir promotion emanating a sense of alienation to the local population.A subtle inbalance is occurring subconsciously activating antagonism towards the tourists.There is a loss of control within the community because they have now become dependent upon such tourist inflows.Destination facilities as a result of increasing volume deteriorate and contribute to the attraction of a down-market visitor.The tourists now become the focus of blame for such developments.The increasing deterioration in attitude becomes a mirror of reflection and comparison of the effect of such tourism influx. TOURISM AND DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT The tourism impact to the environment is the most negative aspect.Wholesale damage has been caused to large areas that will be very difficult indeed to reclaim.Tourism,tourist activity as a phenomenon of mass flows requires substantial infrastructure supported by intricate service networks.Careful planning has not always been applied with a resulting deterioration of the natural and social environments.There has been a transformation of infected zones with the destruction of ecosystems;diminution in the quality and quantity of water;soil contamination;the extinction of many species of fauna;severe infection of flora,fishing depletion and the contamination of the sea. Destruction of ecosystems arises with a massive presence of visitors.Originally the mass influx promised a get-rich-quick attitude.Those destinations with an image of a tourist paradise have become victims to ecosystem destruction.Natural clean water has been severly affected and reduced with tourist arrivals.In many instances the amount of tourists arriving has been unsustainable to local resources.The many many golf courses and residential swimming pools all affect agricultural development and the zonal ecological balance. Soil contamination arises in many instances with substances derived from human activity that alter the chemical environment and reduces crop yield. Many species of fauna are becoming extinct;tree populations are becoming severely depleted;there is unregulated city-planning,and uncontrolled hunting presenting an overwhelming danger to an increasing number of species.The mighty oceans yield of fish is becoming seriously affected.Population along the coasts has mushroomed together with second residences.To prevent an ecological disaster careful and superior planning is necessary;beyond local expertise.An overwhelming presence in the natural zones is affecting/impacting the flora in the same way.The presence of tourists in natural zones with a deluge of sporting activity such as motorbikes,mountain bikes,all land vehicles causes severe erosion of surface land inevitably affecting the flora. PROSPECTIVE SOLUTIONS Are there solutions to such problems? Or is tourism an impact generator advancing to disaster? A global entity that is attaching attention to such problems and attempting to fulfil objectives for a sustainable tourism is the European Union.The EU with its agenda 21 has invited the local administrations to act.It recommends the following:Promotion of local production,offering ecological foods of the region containing no additives.Reduction of waste garbage and separation of the various categories for possible recycling.Usage of various technologies to save water.Purification of residual waters for irrigation and agriculture.The saving of energy with efficient washing machines,heat insulation.Respecting the environment and landscape.Promotion of public transport and bicycling.Establishment of pedestrian zones in areas of historic value.The promotion of local tourism and the support to reduce air schedules of the flight industry thereby reducing carbon emissions.Planning to facilitate contact between the visiting tourists and the local inhabitants but to deter the formation of an y tourism ghettos.Planning to benefit all the local population. MAXIMIZE AND MINIMIZE All the factors noted above seem to suggest that the main aims concerning tourism management strategy are to maximise economic,environmental and socio-cultural benefits but to minimise associated costs. The physical and cultural environments comprise the essential attractions for the visiting tourist to the destination.It is the responsibility of tourism management to minimize environmental damage so ensuring future business.There are a number of methods that may be applied to diminish environmental impacts.Energy saving measures eg light bulbs,toilet flushes,cleaning detergents that are environmentally friendly.The limiting of visas thereby reducing immediately the number of visitors.Educational programmes of awareness both for the visiting tourists and the locals.An increase in profit may result with the reduction of costs,applied to utilities. Even if the limitation of visas does significantly affect profit it may be considered a better option so that there is still existent the possibility of future gains with the preservation of the destinations natural resources that are there to attract the tourists in the first place. TO CONCLUDE;;one of the main ingredients for success of environmental policies is government involvement itself.Again it may be arguable there should be laws on land usage and the extent of building construction for the destination with the necessary infrastructure being installed to meet anticipated volume of tourist flow together with protection of natural heritages. Tourism management methods applied to assist in maximizing positives and minimising negatives of impact for the socio-culture consist of educating about tourism;promotion of cross-cultural exchange;imposition of visitor codes;ensuring that locals have access to cultural facilities;preservation of local architecture;maintenance of authenticity;providing for the more sensitive cultural tourist with appropriate marketing;limitation of tourist numbers. One principal that has gained attention is the carrying capacity assessment.It may be used to control and implement frontline sustainable tourism.There is a variety of applications such as the determination of a tourism development limit for a particular place and the limitation of actual visitor numbers. Hopefully it attempts to achieve sustainable tourism development as a working reality.It has not met with the anticipated success because of unrealistic expectations,faulty assumptions and misplaced value judgment with an inadequate legal support system. It perhaps has become clear to the reader that tourism management should not function alone in these matters,but work together with local government and public bodies.Legal implementation is a central issue because if there is to be a restriction of visas for example there has to be assistance from such a quarter.Success breeds success and so tourism management and government will hum the same tune. The methods referred to above all have the same principal;that of protection for the host destination rather than a focus upon tourism demand.Obviously the demand has to be considered but it is the design of the tourist product that should be the main focus.Application of such principals referred to in the foregoing discussion will hopefully result in sustainable tourism for the future.

Contractual Law: A Look at John and Chen Essay -- contract law, case st

a) What arguments could Chen use to support his refusal to pay John more than the original agreed price? A valid contract that is legally enforceable should consist of an offer, an acceptance, an intention to be bound and a sufficient consideration. Accordingly, the first contract formed by Chen and John includes John’s agreement to build for Chen extension of the house in consideration of payment of the price of building materials as per the date of completion of performance of the contract and labor costs of $6000 at the performance of the contract. First and foremost Chen needs to understand that this was the original contract and both him and John were legally bounded by the contract. By changing the terms of agreement, John made a counter offer a fact that Chen could use in his justification for refusal of payment. This is evident as John proposed a new term in the contract by demanding a payment of $10,000 or not doing the job as agreed in the original contract. A counter offer changes the terms of the original contract and at this time Chen had the right he terminate the contract due to John’s counter offer. As a matter of fact, it is worth noting that a counter offer fails to exist if the offeree accepts the new terms of the contract as Chen did but Chen can use it to argue that John had no intention to be bound by the original contract (Koffman and Mcdonald, 2007). Duress occurs in a contract when one party is made to engage in a contract that he otherwise did not want to engage in due to blackmails, threats of bring actual harm, and threats of withdrawal from the contract at the time it is urgently needed. The two types of duress currently existing is physical duress and economic duress and Chen can use econ... ...n argue that failure of his completion of the contract in time was out of circumstances that he could not control. In addition, John can argue that the breach of the term of completion of the building at June was contributed by Chens’s reluctance of acceptance of the second offer. References Books Adams, A. (2010). Law for Business Students. London, U.K : Longman Koffman, L. & MacDonald, E., (2007) The Law of Contract (6th Edition) : Oxford University Press, McKenDrick, E. (2005). Contract Law Text,. Cases and Materials (2nd Edition): Oxford University Press, Cases Bank of Australia Limited v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447 Goldsbrough Mort & Co Ltd v Quinn (1910) 10 CLR 674, Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 11,110). Smith v William Charlick [1924] 34 CLR 38 The Mihalis Angelos [1970] 3 WLR 601

Free Essays - All Quiet on the Western Front :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

about men, but of German soldiers and their hardships during World War I and how their attitudes changed throughout the war. â€Å"We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war†(p.88). This novel portrays the overwhelming effects and power war has to deteriorate the human spirit, scar physically, and scar mentally.   You start out leaving you’re home and family proud and ready to fight for you country, to toward the end of the war, you become tired and scarred both physically and mentally beyond description. At the beginning of the novel nationalist feelings are present through pride of Paul and the rest of the boys. However at the end of the war many come to the realization of how pointless and horrific war really is.    All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel that greatly helps in the understanding the effects war.   The novel best shows the attitudes of the soldiers before the war and during the war. Before the war there are high morals and growing nationalist feelings. During the war however, the soldiers discover the trauma of war. They discover that it is a waste of time and their hopes and dreams of their life fly further and further away. The remains of Paul Baumer's company had moved behind the German front lines for a short rest at the beginning of the novel. After Behm became Paul's first dead schoolmate, Paul viewed the older generation bitterly, particularly Kantorek, the teacher who convinced Paul and his classmates to join the military. â€Å" While they taught that duty to one’s country is the greatest thing, we already that death-throes are stronger.... And we saw that there was nothing of their world left.   We were all at once terribly alone; and alone we must see it t hrough.†(P. 13) Paul felt completely betrayed.   â€Å" We will make ourselves comfortable and sleep, and eat as much as we can stuff into our bellies, and drink and smoke so that hours are not wasted. Life is short.† (P 139) Views of death and becoming more comfortable with their destiny in the war became more apparent throughout the novel.   Paul loses faith in the war in each and every passing day.   Ã‚  Throughout the novel it was evident that the war scarred the soldiers permanently mentally.   Everyone was scared to go to war when it started. Young recruits were first sent because the veterans knew they were going to come back dead.

Annotated Bibliography of Mark Twain Essay

Budd’s classic text, first published in 1962, explores Twain’s political, social, and philosophical views. It studies them in the context of his writings, letters, and books and probes the author’s personal evolution over time. Budd looks at Twain’s views on American politics, capitalism, women, slavery, the Civil War, and imperialism. His thesis is that Twain’s views were complex and changed over time, but that ultimately he was an old fashioned 19th century liberal who had views that would not easily be accepted in today’s world. â€Å"Though critics will concentrate on the formalized texts, recovering the full shape of Twain’s ideas requires going deeper into the gregarious socializing with many self-confident men and a few feminists. †(Budd, 14) This text is reliable because Budd used Twain’s own extensive writings and letters to articulate his philosophical views. Moreover, Budd was a lifelong historian and critic of Twain and edited a two volume collected works from the author. I will use this book to discuss Twain’s perspective on racial issues, anti-imperialism, and American politics and relate them to his novels and short stories. This book is an excellent exploration of Twain’s changing views. However, it is a relatively challenging read and is best suited for readers already familiar with the author’s work and with 19th century history. I would recommend this book to anyone who already has some knowledge of Twain’s works. Carkeet, David. â€Å"The Dialects in Huckleberry Finn. † American Literature 51. 3 (November 1979): 315-332. Academic Search Complete. TCC Library, Fort Worth, TX. October 4, 2012 David Carkeet studies Twain’s use of dialect and idiomatic speech in the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn†. In particular, he probes whether Twain in fact followed the announcement at the beginning of the book suggesting that seven dialects and variants of Southern English are spoken in the text. Carkeet’s thesis is that Twain does in fact follow to a great extent his written intention in writing the characters in different forms of English, including Southwestern, Black, and Missouri Pike County accents. For Carkeet, the dialects of the various characters are best compared to Huck’s own speech, which serves as the default standard in the story. â€Å"A detailed examination of Huckleberry Finn shows that there are differences in the way people speak that are too systematic to be accidental. †(Carkeet, 316) This source is reliable because Carkeet extensively covers the speech patterns in Huckleberry Finn and cites examples directly from the original text. He actually breaks down examples of how different characters say the same words and phrases differently. I will use this article to discuss how Twain made use of vernacular English and local speech to immerse readers in the world of Missouri and the South that he grew up with. This article is easy to understand and is an excellent complement to reading Twain’s book from a fresh perspective. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about Twain, or get a better understanding of the time. Gribben, Alan. â€Å"The Importance of Mark Twain. † American Quarterly 37. 1 (January 1985): 30-49. America: History and Life. TCC Library, Ft. Worth, TX. October17, 2012 Alan Gribben’s article discusses the reception of Mark Twain’s writings by other authors and by literary critics. It addresses Twain’s unique position as a humorist and a classic author in the American canon. The author’s thesis is that Twain had a unique comic voice in his writings that were flexible and supple enough to still resonate with modern audiences whereas many other writers from the period now sound dated. â€Å"Nevertheless, Mark Twain’s literary stature has suffered, from time to time, because of his predilection for comic forms. †(Gribben,31) This source is authoritative because Gribben is one of America’s preeminent Twain scholars. He has studied and written for decades about the author and has founded a society for the appreciation of Twain’s writings. This article will serve my discussion of Twain’s writing style and unique idiom in my essay. Gribben’s paper is extremely easy to understand and is articulate. I would recommend this article to anyone that wants a better insight of Twain and the time. As well a better perspective of the time, some of Twains perspectives come as more Humor than racism. Moore, Olin Harris. â€Å"Mark Twain and Don Quixote. † PMLA 37. 2 (June 1922): 324-346. TCC Library, Ft. Worth, TX. October 2, 2012. Moore suggests in this article that Twain’s writings were deeply influenced by the Spanish author Cervantes. He expresses disagreement with the then prevalent view that Twain was a purely American writer and instead describes how indebted he was to European literature. â€Å" What genuine American humor! What a true picture of American boyhood! Nothing of Europe in Mark Twain! Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are real Americans! †(Moore,324) The thesis is that Twain’s novels were shaped by Cervantes’ classic â€Å"Don Quixote† and that in particular, Tom Sawyer was modeled after the protagonist of the Spanish novel. This source is relatively authoritative because it relies upon Twain’s own writings, the record of what books he read and when, as well as Cervantes’ text. However, it may be undermined by more recent scholarship since when it was published in 1922 many of Twain’s writings and correspondence were not available to scholars. I plan to use this article to discuss different interpretations of Twain’s major works, especially â€Å"Huckleberry Finn†. The article is useful and easy to read. I would recommend this to anyone that wants gain a better perspective of Twain and his works. By being easy to read this would allow readers to easily understand the work. Powers, Ron. Mark Twain: A Life. New York Free Press, 2005. Powers’ book is an extensive investigation of Twain’s life examining not just his major novels and short stories, but his thousands of letters, political essays, and newspaper articles. Moreover, by using what he calls â€Å"interpretive portraiture†, Powers probes into the details of Twain’s personal life, relationships, and views on issues concerning woman, race, and American politics. The basic thesis of the book is that Twain is indeed worthy of the fame and popularity he has enjoyed among generations of readers. Powers defends Twain’s writings against his fiercest detractors, many of whom see his novels and stories as roughly and in artfully written or alternatively as racist or misogynistic, and argues that while flawed, they at times rise to greatness. The authority of the source is that Powers is a long-time journalist, author and historian. He has won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and has written extensively before on Twain and other topics such as the Second World War and Civil War. In addition, the authenticity of the source comes from the primary sources, including books and correspondence that it relies upon. I would use this book to flesh out the details of Twain’s life and situate his writing into the context of events in the late 19th century. The book is an excellent, if voluminous introduction to Twain. It is also well written and easy to understand. Railton, Stephen. â€Å"Mark Twain in his Times. † University of Virginia Library. 2012. October 2012. http://twain. lib. virginia. edu/index2. html. Stephen Railton at the University of Virginia has compiled a comprehensive online database of original writings and materials related to Twain’s works. The website has unpublished drafts of Twain’s major works, period advertisements, illustrations, sales prospectus, period reviews, and essays addressing topical issues related to the books. There is no thesis per se in this website because it is intended to primarily serve as a collection of primary sources on Twain’s writings. The authority of this site derives most of all from the primary sources it gathers together, many of which are rare and obscure. In addition, Railton is a professional historian and literary expert on Twain and 19th century American literature. I will use this site to look at Twain’s writing process as he wrote Huckleberry Finn and other books. I will also study the marketing techniques Twain used and the critical reception he received at the time, as recorded in reviews on the site. This website is easy to read but somewhat difficult to navigate. It is so extensive that it is not entirely user friendly and probably has its layout updated. Tucker, Jeffrey A. â€Å"Mark Twain’s Radical Liberalism. † Ludvig Von Mises Institute. January 27, 2010. November 2012. Jeffrey Tucker in this online article writes about the much debated nature of Mark Twain’s political views. Twain’s politics seem difficult to classify, Tucker observes, only because the ideology he subscribed to is no longer fashionable. â€Å"Part of the difficulty of understanding Mark Twain’s political outlook is due to the terminology and the tendency of politics to corrupt the meaning of everything. †(Tucker, 1) Tucker situates Twain’s anti-slavery, anti-imperialist, anti-government, and pro-capitalist views in terms of 19th century classical liberalism. It is Tucker’s thesis that Twain was essentially a liberal of the old, small government and pro market variety. The authority of this source comes from Tucker’s study of Twain’s writings, which are quoted from and cited in the text. In addition, the author is a major scholar of libertarian politics and economics which are relevant to his interpretation of Twain’s views. I intend to use this online piece to show how Twain could hold points of view that today seem incompatible, such as being anti-war and pro-business. This is a very accessible source and should be of value even for those who disagree with Tucker’s libertarian agenda. I would recommend this article to anyone that has a point of view on Twain.