Solzhenitsyns One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Essay Example

Solzhenitsyns One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Paper Closely tied with dignity, is free will. Although it seems the concentration camps confine all sources of personal choice and freedom, they fail to eradicate the effect of free will. Shukhovs team led by Tiurin builds a place to warm up, not for the building site, but for themselves, emphasizing how the team can do something to for themselves, despite the seeming impossibility of this self service. Even stronger achievements of the free will, can be shown in Shukhov himself. He has a very economic attitude towards all materials, nothing can be wasted; even eight years in camp couldnt change his nature, Shukhov wasnt made that way We see another line, saying even eight years as a convict hadnt turned him into a jackal. Here, the writer subtly uses repetition of even eight years to reinforce the protagonists persistence, in his personal philosophies and ethics, which could only be sustained by a powerful free will. In speaking of the freedom of choice, there is also the freedom of sharing food rather than stealing it. Tsezar the office assistant generously offers Shukhov two biscuits, two lumps of sugar, and a slice of sausage from his parcel since he protected the parcel for him, although it is not compulsory to give, Tsezars choice shows his morality in his free will to repay someone for helping him; Shukhov then gives away one of his biscuits to Alyosha, simply from his sympathy that he makes himself nice to everyone but doesnt know how to earn anything, this act is also a revelation of virtue by his free will. We will write a custom essay sample on Solzhenitsyns One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Solzhenitsyns One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Solzhenitsyns One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Finally, prisoners are empowered with the ability to make the choice in their beliefs. Alyosha for example chooses to believe in God and Jesus, having faith that being in prison is not about suffering but this lets you have time to think about your soul; and from Shukhovs observation that His voice and his eyes left no doubt that he was happy in prison this is proof that Alyoshas faith in God, in hope is so strong, even in such adversity. Lastly and most importantly is comradeship. Throughout the novel, we see real bonds between the prisoners. More evidently, is the comradeship between Shukhovs team. When they surround Tiurin to hear his story, this metaphor: It was a family, the team clearly shows the tight links between the men. The protagonist also reveals his strong trust in his team leader, this faith is reinforced through the metaphor Tiurin was a father to the team, and the firm declarative His team leader would never give him away. Additionally, in the narration, Solzhenitsyn deliberately uses the collective they in what a pace they set why shouldnt they race on and many other phrases during the construction of the wall, effectively building an unconscious state of family, community between the zeks. There are also more specific relationships between characters. The two Estonian fishermen show an unusual bond between each other, as they shared everything: one of them wouldnt spend even a pinch of tobacco without consulting the other, the measure word a pinch stresses the strength of this bond. A fatherly affection develops from Shukhov towards Gopchik, we see this as the writer states in a short sentence Shukhov was fond of the scamp, especially since his own son died young. As well as this, for the protagonists fellow worker Kilgas and himself they had come to respect one another. , and also this short sentence Shukhov liked to work with Kilgas. Therefore it is evident that an amity is formed between the two. However some may say that there is also negative qualities that undermine this sense of celebration of the human spirit. Preliminarily, we see arrogance. Der, the building foreman is an arrogant man; he says to Shukhov with an imperative Youre a mason. Listen to what a foreman has to tell you which instantly reveal his arrogance demanding Shukhov to listen to his orders, and disrespecting Shukhovs skill. We see that Der is not ordering Shukhov because he himself is more skilful, as Shukhov informs the reader that when Der once showed him how to lay bricks, he got a belly laugh. A man should build a house with his own hands before he calls himself an engineer. This line of quotation therefore tells us Ders lack of skill, which causes his arrogance to bulge out blatantly. Greed is also apparent. When the prisoners receive parcels from their family or friends, the guards open them first, they cut, they broke, they fingered, the sheer greed of the guards, in searching the parcels and eventually grabbing most of the contents for themselves, is illustrated vividly to us by the use of these three short clauses and dynamic verbs. Greed is also shown throughout, when the writer mentions that everyone waited fearfully to learn who would be losing a slice of bread that evening. That evening implies that bread is very often stolen by other zeks, showing how greed persists like a tumour in the camp. More serious than greed, is that there are possibilities of betrayals. When Kuziomin, Shukhovs first team leader brings up the fact that there are those who peach on their mates, we automatically gain a bitter sense of reality at the camp, of the possibility of betrayal. Finally, the most severe negative quality is the lack of sympathy for others. In the example above of the guards selfishly rummaging and fishing for food and other treasures in the prisoners parcels, a vivid picture is painted of the parcel reception process. For example, every zek who got a parcel had to give and give, starting with the guard who opened it. The imperative modal auxillary had to and the repetition of give emphasize the sense of a hierarchy, the injustice of the treatment of prisoners-ultimately a severe lack of sympathy and consideration for others. In the canteen, there is further unkindness. The writer suddenly lapses from the past into the present tense They fleece you here, they fleece you in the camp, they fleece you even earlier, with this technique along with the second person narrative you accentuate the unfair yet perpetual swindling that occurs, when the ones higher in the hierarchy, the cook, the sanitary inspector and others, take advantage of the zeks and filch some of their rightful portions. Also, in the line And get away from the serving hatch! , Solzhenitsyn effectively uses what an authority would shout out as a direct quote, an exclamation mark here heightens the severity and callous feelings from this tone of voice. In conclusion, this novel shows many virtuous qualities, as well as some negative qualities. However, as the former is insisted so often and so strongly by the writer, especially through the protagonist, Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it cannot be denied that the novel is in fact a powerful, heartfelt celebration of the human spirit, standing out like on a background of harsh adversity. Solzhenitsyn has presented this celebration well as these elements of virtues are neatly interwoven into the text, without any glaring seams of exaggeration or overemphasis on character morality in their thoughts or behaviour, therefore making the existence of such human spiritual qualities more convincing.

New Technology essays

New Technology essays There was new technology released on Monday by Intel Corporation. It was a trio of new chipsets intended to make the richness and speed of digital media, gaming, and broadband for its Pentium 4 and Celeron processor users much better. They are trying to find ways to stay in the market with chipmakers. Intels new lineup, comes at a time when this semiconductor company is struggling to keep its chipset revenue from taking a deeper nosedive. It includes the Intel 845G, 845E, and 845GL, all with built-in graphics and faster data transfer capabilities. The 845 and 845GL are intended for Intel's Celeron processor, whereas the 845G is aimed at more business PCs and home PCs with Pentium 4 processors. This trio of chipsets is already available on the retail market. The chipsets include Hi-Speed Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, a data transport technology that enables faster connections to digital devices and increases bandwidth up to 40 times more than the average USB 1.1 interface. With this type of technology, you can see that Intel is trying to stay alive in a market where even they arent having much luck. Intel is trying to meet the current popularity of digital devices. This includes digital cameras, which balances the overall platform performance of the Pentium 4 processor's speed and makes it easier for users to edit and play digital video, view and edit family photos, handle larger digital files, play games, and listen to music. This will help to reach, gamers and home PC users. All of Intels new chipsets enable surround-sound capabilities with 20-bit audio. Intel has integrated graphics called Intel Extreme Graphics with the Intel 845G. Additionally, USB 2.0 enables users to burn CDs six times faster than normal, and back up data 11 times faster. This will help Intel to grab a share of that market with their new product. Intel has some interesting estimates t ...

Workplace bullying in Japan as cultural phenomena Essay

Workplace bullying in Japan as cultural phenomena - Essay Example Workplace bullying is defined as repeated and health-threatening mistreatment that is humiliating, intimidating and threatening in a manner that interferes with full participation in work. The perpetrators desire to control the victim and bullies in the workplace select their victims and methods of bullying. Bullying at the workplace is a form of aggression and includes spreading of malicious rumours, gossip or physically attacking someone socially (Inceoglu, 2002). The topic is of great importance since bullying at workplace takes different forms such as undermining a person’s contribution at the workplace, threatening abuse, withholding necessary information, establishing unattainable deadlines, changing the work guidelines, intruding in to individual privacy, yelling, constant criticism, unwarranted punishments, assignment of unreasonable duties and tampering with individual personal belongings in order to intimidate the individual (McCarthy, 2001). Workplace bullying in Ja pan is a social problem that is linked to the current cultural phenomenon. Japanese culture is complex and multi-layered since it has been developing for the last a thousand years. Japanese people view the culture as a source of inspiration especially fashion, geisha traditional dancers and Samurai warriors wielding their two swords. Japanese business leaders perceive themselves as Samurai warriors and deal effectively with subordinates through bullying or issuing verbal commands that may be insulting. Social ranks and status in the society are clear and everyone is aware of each other’s age and status in the institution (Gordon, 1998). In some companies, the employees are issued with magazines that display the formal ages of each employee and ranking is used in various employment matters such as promotions, distribution of awards and recognition of superior performance (Jacobson, Hood & Buren, 2014, p 57). Japanese spontaneous sociability and nature of

How Convincing Is Porters Model of National Competitive Advantage in Essay - 5

How Convincing Is Porters Model of National Competitive Advantage in Explaining the Characteristics and Performance of the Business Systems of Major Economies - Essay Example The paper tells that international competitiveness of countries is an ever-growing concern for firms, governments as well as academic scholars. International competitiveness is one of the most misused and misunderstood terms in the press and academic literature of the modern world. According to Daniels, there is no consensus on how to measure, explain and predict international competitiveness of countries. The true meaning and understanding of the international competitiveness of countries have been the subject of much debate. Porter popularized the implicit assumption underlying the management theories that a firms competitiveness can be extended to a country’s competitiveness using his diamond framework and the world competitiveness reports. There are two schools of thought; the economic school and management school. The economic school ignores the notion of country competitiveness. However, the management school supports the concept of country competitiveness. To properly e xplain the differing views on international competitiveness by economists, a little background on the differing trade theories is required. The review of the trade theories will provide a platform for the analysis of Porter’s Diamond framework. Adams Smith theory of absolute advantage was the first theory that attempted to explain why countries engage freely in international trade. According to this theory; a state can enhance its prosperity if it limits itself into producing goods and services that the country has a higher absolute cost advantage over other countries. The country should also import those goods and services in which it has an absolute cost disadvantage.

A Look At British History History Essay

A Look At British History History Essay It was a turbulent century in British history. A brief study of the era of 1550 to 1650 clearly illustrates why. This was a period of invention, scientific advancement and astrological discoveries, yet it remained filled with supernatural notions, superstition, mythology and plain ignorance. During this era, Britain embarked on an age of great world exploration and mighty conquests while fighting bloody wars of religion, class and political dominance at home. This century was marked by a great rebirth of the arts in which intellectuals and artists flourished in Britain, yet it was also a time of strife, hardship, disease and hunger. It was during this chaotic era that Britain came to be known as the center of Western civilization under the humane and rational rule of Queen Elizabeth I (World). It was also during this time that the poet and playwright William Shakespeare lived, worked and wrote some of historys most remarkable literary works having been influenced by and having drawn upon the social thought, religious conviction and political landscape of this tumultuous era (World). Prior to and during the time of Queen Elizabeth and the time of the Renaissance, Britain was a breeding ground for religious and political unrest. Beginning in 1531, the countrys official religion changed five times in accordance with the choice of the King or Queen who was in power at the time (Elizabethan). Since most of the English common people believed that Kings and Queens were directly connected to God and must be obeyed at all times, the monarchs chosen religion was also followed by most of the monarchs subjects (Time). Britains official religion was Catholic until 1531, then it was Protestant until Queen Mary took the throne after which it became Catholic again and then back to Protestant during Queen Elizabeths reign (Time). Each change in power led to a change in the nations official religion which, in turn, led to persecution of the non-ruling religious group. The political thinking during this period was controlled by a small number of powerful ruling families and jealou sies and rivalries within these families made these political conflicts even more severe (Time). During this era, England was a leader in world exploration and soon became a major commercial power. It was also a time of advancements in technology and invention. All of the unrest and uncertainty, however, left the common people feeling discontent and afraid of the many changes that were happening to their nation. The era in British history between 1550 to 1650 during the time that Queen Elizabeth held the throne has been characterized by British people as one of the best epochs the country ever had (World). While it is true that during her time in power Queen Elizabeth calmed religious unrest, established Britain as a leading world power and ushered in the age of the Renaissance or rebirth of new ideas and new thinking, the life of ordinary citizen was harsh. The majority of the population, referred to as common people, lived short lives filled with hard labor, little food, no schooling, rampant disease, poverty, violence, crime, high infant mortality and inequality between men and women (Time). In cities, life was particularly filthy, brutal and short. There was no running water in homes and so most people were dirty and smelly. Human and animal waste was thrown out directly onto the streets (Time). These unclean conditions formed a breeding ground for the spread of diseases such as typhus, bubonic plague, tuberculosis and influenza (Time). Rogues and vagabonds roamed the roads begging and stealing (Time). Riots were common and could turn violent. Such harsh conditions at home were one of the reasons that many British common people chose to travel to the colonies in the New World in search of a better way of life. It is, therefore, no surprise that entertainment was extremely important to the common people. Even the poorest of the people enjoyed entertainment from acting troupes, dancing, jugglers, strolling players, and plays. Theatre was especially popular with the common people and it was inexpensive to attend (Tudor). It was during this time that open air playhouses first came to be in the cities of Britain, including the Rose, the Swan, and the Globe Theatre in London which was owned, in part, by Shakespeare (Tudor). William Shakespeare fed upon the atmosphere and the feelings occurring during this turbulent era of British history and he used them extensively in his plays and other literary works. One such example is a speech by a character named John of Guant in Shakespeares 1601 play, Richard II, expressing his love for England and his concerns about the countrys future (Time). All of the major events, people, places and problems of this era, including class structure, religious discont ent, fate, rebellion against authority and prominent figures of the time, influenced Shakespeare and provided inspiration and background for his literary works (Who). In his plays, Shakespeare chose to write about many of the periods topics of conversation and disagreement, including classical Greek and Roman tales, superstition, love, revenge and rebellion. The works of playwrights such as Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe contributed to Londons eventual rise as a center of culture and art. Their contributions to this time period will forever mark the social, religious and political thinking of the time and illustrate the conflicts that made the era of 1550 to1650 one of the most turbulent eras in British history. Works Cited Elizabethan Period. ELIZABETHAN ERA. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Time Travellers Guide to Tudor England. Channel 4. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . The Tudor Church. UK Travel and Heritage Britain Express UK Travel Guide. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Who Was around in 1550 to 1650 in Great Britain? WikiAnswers The QA Wiki. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . World History of 1550 to 1650. 2020 Site Wedding Invitation Wording, Family Crests, Trees and Other Eclectic Information at 2020. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .

Beer Wars-Documentary Review

MBA 650EV| Beer Wars| A Documentary| | Table of Contents Introduction2 How the Large Got/Stay Large2 Why Light is King3 Craft Beer Facts3 The Craft Beer Way4 Spreading the News5 Large Feeling the Effects5 Political Issues6 Conclusion7 Introduction Beer Wars was a very eye-opening documentary. It was interesting to see how the market share of the largest beer company, Anheiser-Busch, has grown throughout the years. In 1965, Anheiser-Busch had a meager market share of twelve percent. As marketing on television grew in popularity, Anheiser-Busch’s market share grew as well.By 1985, Anheiser-Busch’s market share had grew to thirty-seven percent. By 2005, Anheiser-Busch’s market share had grown to an enormous forty-nine percent. This was very shocking to me that one company could control almost one-half of the market share of a $97 billion industry. Also, in 1985, the other two largest beer makers, Miller and Coors, made up about twenty-six percent of the market share . Thus, in 2005, major beer companies made up seventy-five percent of the beer sales in the United States. Which tells us that craft breweries only had twenty-five percent of the market share.How the Large Got/Stay Large In the beginning, all beers were craft beers, until the big three companies wanted to grow, and grow they did. Unfortunately, as the three largest beer companies in the United States grew, the beer-drinking public that was buying their beer were actually the people who were suffering. The reason that I say this is because of the way the large beer manufacturers got to this point. The large beer manufacturers were not very concerned about the quality of their beers as much as they were about the number of sales that were created.The way that the large beer companies did this was through their advertising campaigns. The large beer companies were/are millions and millions of dollars during different sporting functions and on every day television. Beer Wars told us that , on average, there is about $1. 5 billion spent on advertising by the large beer companies every single year. That number is astounding to me, considering how popular their beers are. I think if they were to cut back their advertisements by about 50%, they would still maintain a stranglehold on the beer market in the United States.Another way that large beer companies tend to stay on top of the market is through shelf space at different locations. The large beer companies tend to make many different varieties of beers and thus are afforded more space on the shelves and local markets and liquor stores. This leaves a very small area for craft beers to be displayed, especially when it is very difficult to determine if a beer is a craft beer or made by one of the large beer companies. I will talk more about this later in the discussion. Why Light is King The large beer companies tend to market light lager beers, and for good reason.About eighty-five percent of the beer consumed in the United States is light lager. So, Miller Lite, Coors Light and Bud-Light are very good money makers for the large beer companies. I would not blame the companies for pushing and selling what the people want, or is this what people want? Craft Beer Facts Well, craft beers haven’t fully caught on in the beer markets. NPR. org tells us that craft beers only make up about five percent of the total beer market. According to NPR. org, there are currently over two thousand breweries in the United States.Of those two thousand, about 1,950 of those breweries are considered craft beer breweries. That’s another very interesting point. Ninety-five percent of the breweries in the United States are brewing about five percent of the beer that is sold in the United States. That really doesn’t seem right, but NPR. org goes on to tell us that in order to be a craft brewery, the breweries cannot brew more than 6 million barrels of beer every year. According to texaswatchdog. org, Anheiser-Busch alone brewed over one hundred million barrels of beer in 2011. That is an amazingly large amount of beer for one company to sell.This also tells us that the hope is not nearly lost for craft brewers. If all of the 1,950 craft brewers produced only ? million barrels of beer each year, they could easily cripple the large beer manufacturers with an influx of 975 million barrels of beer flooding the marketplace. But, the vast majority of craft brewers would never want to do that. The Craft Beer Way The craft brewers in the United States and around the world have a completely different take on what it means to brew beer. Dogfish Head craft beer was said to only have . 0002% of the market share of beer sales in the United States.According to brewersassociation. org, Dogfish Head craft beer ranked 12th in the nation in 2011, based upon the number of sales for a craft brewery. That is truly amazing, how a company ranked 12th in the whole country in craft beer sales still only has . 0002% of the total market share of the beer industry. However, the owner of the company said that he would never want to grow like the large beer companies have. He is more concerned about each and every bottle of beer being the best beer possible, rather than worrying too much about how many cases he is able to send out the door.As a whole, craft beer makers try to capture their piece of the market through differentiation of their products and not through advertising like the large beer companies. Craft beer makers still try to do new and interesting things with beer, but they do their best not to lose focus on the most important factor, a good quality brew. Spreading the News Beer Wars told us that one event that allows craft breweries to get their name out to the public is the great American beer festival. This is an event where brewers go to from all over the world for people to sample and try different beers that the craft brewers make.This is a great way for the small b reweries to get their name out to the market. Unfortunately, Beer Wars told us that even the large beer companies are starting to attend this event. Large Feeling the Effects The large beer companies have now started feeling the effects of small craft beers in the marketplace. According to brewerassociation. org, craft brew beer sales have increased from about one percent to about six percent of market share in the past fifteen years. This is the only portion of the beer industry to have any sign growth in that timeframe.Once again, the large beer companies are using their financial advantage to combat this trend. Anheiser-Busch has gone out and purchased several small beer company names and have been selling them as craft beers, where in fact they are mass produced at one of many Anheiser-Busch’s factories. Another way that large beer companies are flexing their monetary muscles is through lawsuits. Beer Wars described how one craft brewer was being sued by Anheiser-Busch fo r using a name that the brewer had used for years. The problem with this is that Anheiser-Busch had not been using that name for very long.Another issue with this is that craft brewers do not have the financial means to be able to hold off many lawsuits from large beer manufacturers. The reason that this is difficult for craft beer makers is the fact that funding for craft breweries is very hard to come by. Usually investors either invest in very large ventures or very small ventures. Most of the time, craft beer makers are somewhere in the middle as far as their funding needs go. Because of this oddity, gaining funds for the production facilities for a craft brewery is very hard to obtain through normal financing. Political IssuesSome of the other challenges for the craft beer manufacturers is found in Washington, D. C. Beer Wars tells us that beer lobbyists are one of the most powerful group of lobbyists in Washington. The main focus of these lobbyists is ensuring that the three-t ier system of distribution is held intact. The three-tier distribution system basically splits up the beer manufacturers, the beer distributors and the beer retailers. This rule was put in after prohibition to make sure that beer sales would be fair across all persons involved. Basically, so the large beer makers couldn’t prevent others from getting their product onto store shelves.Unfortunately, this is exactly what is happening. Distributors tend to lend favor to the large beer companies, because they are paid by how much beer they deliver, and as we saw from Beer Wars, the large beer manufacturers still control that volume of beer sales. So, when the distributors are putting the beer on the shelves of the retailer, they will basically give the large beer companies whatever kind of shelving presence that they desire, basically because they are getting incentivized to do so. I definitely think that the three-tier system needs to be looked at and revamped to meet the needs of today’s marketplace.Conclusion Overall, this documentary was a very interesting look into the beer manufacturer marketplace. I never realized before how devious the large beer manufacturers are when it comes to protecting their market share. With both the lawsuits over naming rights and the basic control of beer distributors, it’s amazing that any craft beer makers even stand a chance of holding any portion of market share. I believe that the large beer manufacturers are scared of what could happen very quickly if they do not do something to respond to the expanding requirements for quality beer in the marketplace.This documentary definitely made me change my mind on how I thought about craft beers. I always figured it was just some fad that would eventually fade away. I see now that this is not the case at all. Craft brews are just being produced to give the marketplace a much higher quality, even if they have to pay a little more. I have a much greater respect for c raft beer manufacturers. I would hope to someday be able to brew my own beer just to see how fulfilling it can be. I will definitely start drinking more craft beers because of this documentary. References (Other Than Beer Wars) 1. BREWERS ASSOCIATION RELEASES TOP 50 BREWERIES IN 2011. †Ã‚  Brewers Association. Brewers Association, 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. . 2. Chappell, Bill. â€Å"U. S. Craft Beer Brewers Thrive, Despite Small Share Of The Market. †Ã‚  NPR. org. NPR, 18 May 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. . 3. Lisheron, Mark. â€Å"Anheuser-Busch InBev Roars against Craft Breweries Bill in Texas Legislature. †Ã‚  Texas Watchdog | Investigating Government Waste, Fraud

Early Brain Development and Learning

It is not commonly known that the brain is 90% developed by age five. Most people believe that at age five children are just starting to learn. In fact, the brain absorbs more from birth to age five rather than from age five on. Parents and family can do many things to aid in the development of a baby’s brain, ultimately assisting in their learning. The sequence and rate at which the brain develops predicts the optimal times for a baby to learn. Sequence and rate is measured by milestones that a baby may reach by a certain age. Experiences are one thing that helps promote brain development. Our five senses give us these experiences. How in the first few years of life do we develop into the complex people we are today? We will look at how nature versus nurture; sensory perception; positive and negative experiences and both our social and physical environment contribute to and develop everything about whom we are as individuals. The brain is influenced in many different ways. The most important factors in brain development start with genetics, nutrition, and responsiveness from parents, daily experiences, and physical interactions. Parents need to know that children are learning and accepting more information that a fully grown adult. Children need positive and sensitive feedback from family. In the past, scientist believed that the human brains development was determined by a biologically determined path (Brotherson, 2005). This means that the brain would develop genetically through family, but leading technology and science proved that the brain is not predetermined genetically by family. The brain matures through the five senses: smell, touch, vision, taste, and hearing. The experiences that the five senses bring are very crucial to help build the connections that guide brain development. The importance of the parents understanding of the first few years of his or her child’s life is extremely important. As Titzer, P. H. D, (2008) uses a computer metaphor to explain brain development he put it this way â€Å"Your baby’s brain could be thought of as a highly responsive, self-programming computer. For the first few years, the hardware is still coming together – a baby is not a finished product, but a growing, developing individual, complete with organic â€Å"circuitry† – the central nervous system† (p. ). The brain will absorb more with more stimulation. At an earlier age stimulation for the brain circuitry is at its best. This will cause the brain circuitry to develop more effectively. The main function of the brain in the first three years of life is to create and support connections between neurons. The con nections are referred to as synapses. Synapses could be envisioned as the limbs on the tree. Imagine a large family tree with its trunk as the original lineage. Then the main branches are the families as they grow and have children. Neurons are like the trunk and the main branches of the tree. The number of neurons a baby is born with remains constant in the first three years of life. Synapses (all those years of lineage on the family tree) are all the little twigs and branches that come off the main trunk. In the first three years of life our brains synapses increase to a number in the hundreds of trillions. However, after age three the number of synapses begins to slow until age 10. During this period there are more synapses created than needed. A person creates more synapses than needed and the â€Å"use it or lose it† theory applies to all the unused synapses. The synapses being used the most, meaning the circuits that transfer information the most become permanent to the brain. The synapses not used are lost in a process called pruning. In fact, the ability to see light is lost if the eyes are not exposed to light within the first three weeks of life, hence â€Å"use it or lose it† theory (Hawley, 2003). This will happen because the synapses that can see light will be lost because they will not have been used. That is why we want to give our children as much experience socially and with learning as possible. With this kind of experience these synapses will become permanent. Brotherson (2005) describes a baby’s brain at this point like a â€Å"†super sponge† absorbing everything given to it (para. 4) The first three years are the most sensitive for learning and development (Gable & Huntington, 2001). The brain takes in these experiences through our five senses. According to Gable & Huntington (2001) â€Å"an infant’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and language development are stimulated during multisensory experiences† (para. 12) During these first few years of life is most rapid growth period for the brain. At birth the brain is 25% developed, at six months it is 50% developed , at 30 months 75% developed and at age five it is already 90% developed. There have been many optimal opportunities for parents to teach their children many things from birth to this point already. Children at the age of two have been known to read at the reading level of a fifth grader because they were taught at the â€Å"prime time. † Acquiring the knowledge of how a baby’s brain develops and what can be done to influence it in a positive way can make a world of difference for a child. A positive influence during this critical period is very crucial. Let us take a look at nature versus nurture; sensory perception; positive and negative experiences and both our social and physical environment contribute to and develop everything about who we are as individuals. Take the study of nature, for example, our individual innate qualities versus nurture, and our personal experiences. As evidences by the recent Human Genome Project, it is currently believed that there is much more nurture than nature in the result of each of us. With this, how does nurture become nature? Let us look at the example of ‘perfect pitch’ to show the relationship between genetics and environment. This is an example of how† heredity and environment can interact† (Davies, 2001, para. 3). Davies (2003) describes perfect pitch as â€Å"The ability to recognize the absolute pitch of musical tone without any reference note. People with perfect pitch often have relatives with the same gift and research show this is a highly inherited gift, possibly the result of a single gene. However, studies also demonstrate a requirement for early musical training (before age 6) to manifest perfect pitch. Many personality and behavioral traits will not be exclusively the result of nature or nurture, but rather an inextricable combination of both† (para. 5). _ Nature versus nurture and the role that heredity and environment have in human development indicates that with almost all biological and psychological traits genes and environment work together in communication back and forth to create us as individuals . No one questions it; this is the ying and the yang, the Adam and Eve, the Mom and Pop of pop psychology and genealogy. Nature and Nurture is what made us what we are today and will determine what our children will be tomorrow. I have heard the expression that life is all about perception. We all know people who are positive and those who are negative. And each of us has either an optimistic or pessimistic personality. How we perceive the world around us is i nherently a matter of our sensory perception of the world and largely that done in the first several years of life. We have many senses but we most often refer to the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. We are born with the need for a multisensory environment. Research shows that interactions that are associated with many of emotion are more â€Å"readily remembered and recalled†_ __(Gable & Huntington, 2001, para. 17)_. With this, it is proven that with a multisensory environment we develop out temperament and emotions during an early the early stages of life. Developmental milestones are certain things that a child should be able to do by a certain age range. A child’s doctor will use these milestones to assess the development of a child in the area of his/her gross motor, fine motor, language, cognitive, and social skills. Even though each milestone has an age range, each child is different and unique so the age can vary significantly. One child may start to walk as early as seven months old and another child may not begin to walk until 16 months old and both would be considered normal. They both would be within the normal age range. In conclusion, we have looked at how genetics and environment in early brain development occurs as well as the importance of multiple sensory experiences, positive interactions, and social and physical stimulation in early development of a variety of cognitive and behavioral skills. It was briefly discussed that there are many interventions and treatments for improvement in many areas of interrupted brain development due to early childhood trauma, stress, and neglect with appropriate intervention. Many agencies today focus on education for parents and caregivers to ensure a more positive and educational experience for the early brain development. References Brotherson, Gable,S. & Hunting, M. (2001). Nature, Nurture and Early Brain Development. Retrieved from http://extension. missouri. edu/publications/DisplayPub. aspx? P=GH6115 Hawley, T. (2003). Starting Smart. How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development. Titzer, R. Ph. D. (2008). Your Baby Can Read. Carlsbad, Ca