What Is a Cornice Check the Architecture Glossary

In Classical architecture, and even Neoclassical, a cornice is the uppermost horizontal area that protrudes or sticks out, like moldings along the top of a wall or just below a roof line. It describes an area or space that overhangs something else. As space is a noun, cornice is also a noun. Crown molding is not a cornice, but if the molding hangs over something, like a window or air vent, the protrusion is sometimes called a cornice. The function of the cornice overhang is to protect the structures walls. The cornice is traditionally by definition decorative. However, cornice has come to mean many things. In interior decorating, a cornice is a window treatment. In hiking and climbing, a snow cornice is an overhang you dont want to walk on because it is unstable. Confused?   Dont worry if this is too difficult to comprehend. One dictionary describes it this way: cornice 1. Any molded projection which crowns or finishes the part to which it is affixed. 2. The third or uppermost division of an entablature, resting on the frieze. 3. An ornamental molding, usually of wood or plaster, running round the walls of a room just below the ceiling; a crown molding; the molding forming the top member of a door or window frame. 4. The exterior trim of a structure at the meeting of the roof and wall; usually consists of bed molding, soffit, fascia, and crown molding. — Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, Cyril M. Harris, ed., McGraw- Hill, 1975, p. 131 Where does the word come from? A way to remember this architectural detail is to know where the word comes from — the etymology or origin of the word. Cornice is, indeed, Classical because it comes from the Latin word coronis, meaning curved line. The Latin is from the Greek word for a curved object, koronis — the same Greek word that gives us our word crown. Types of Cornices in Architectural History In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, the cornice was the uppermost part of the entablature. This Western building design can be found throughout the world, in various forms including: architrave cornice, which has no frieze beneath itcavetto cornice or Egyptian gorge Cornice Types in Residential Architecture The cornice is a decorative architectural element not found in more modern homes or any structure that lacks ornamentation. Todays builders generally use the word eave to describe the protective overhang of the roof. However, when the word cornice is used in home design description, three types are common: box cornice, illustrated by this Elevation Drawing from the James Longest House, Special Collections Research Center at NCSU Librariesopen or skeleton cornice, where rafters may be seen under a roof overhangclose or closed cornice, which offers very little wall protection and is often accompanied by guttersThrough-The-Cornice Dormers Since an exterior cornice is decorative as well as functional, the decorative cornice has made its way to interior decor, including window treatments. The box-like structures over windows, hiding the mechanics of shades and drapes, are called window cornices. A door cornice may be a similar decoration, protruding over a door frame. These types of cornices often add an elegance and sophisticated formality to interiors. What is cornice molding? You may see whats called cornice molding (or cornice moulding) at the Home Depot store all the time. It may be molding, but its generally not used in a cornice. The interior molding may have stepped projections, like a Classical exterior cornice design, but its more of a marketing description than architectural. Still, its commonly used. The same goes for window treatments. Sources Inline illustration from Figure 67, The Egyptian Gorge or Cornice, from the Project Gutenberg EBook of A history of art in ancient Egypt, Vol. I by Georges Perrot and Charles Chipiez, 1883Websters New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, Wiley, 2002, p. 325Inline photo of Through-The-Cornice Dormers by J.Castro/Moment Mobile/Getty Images (cropped)

The Republic - Book 1 - Theme of Justice - 2417 Words

The subject matter of the Republic is the nature of justice and its relation to human existence. Book I of the republic contains a critical examination of the nature and virtue of justice. Socrates engages in a dialectic with Thrasymachus, Polemarchus, and Cephalus, a method which leads to the asking and answering of questions which directs to a logical refutation and thus leading to a convincing argument of the true nature of justice. And that is the main function of Book I, to clear the ground of mistaken or inadequate accounts of justice in order to make room for the new theory. Socrates attempts to show that certain beliefs and attitudes of justice and its nature are inadequate or inconsistent, and present a way in which those†¦show more content†¦br brCephalus argues that finding old age as a good thing will depend on whether you have the disposition of those who have order and peace with themselves. And he identifies this disposition with the inclination not to tell lies or deceive and the willingness to fulfill obligations to gods and men. He believes that a life which manifests these disposition is the life of a just person, of a person conscious of having lived free from injustice. It is unclear whether Cephalus takes it that being conscious of having lived free from injustices is simply that one has not cheated or told lies and having fulfilled the obligations to gods and man. Because of the living of a just life is merely to follow these guidelines then it is not implied if these virtues are attributed to a specific personality, or of an orderly and peaceful character. If his argument is not correctly linked then there is no reason to correlate living justly with the possession of a certain character; the just character. I t could turn out that the benefits of just conduct are the possession of a particular sort of character. br brSocrates remarks that telling the truth and returning what is borrowed cannot be the definition of justice (as outlined by Cephalus), he claims that instances of the types of action Cephalus thinks of as just, can in different circumstances be identified as cases of unjust. Socrates launches into a description of the act of giving a borrowedShow MoreRelated The Republic - Book 1 - Theme Of Justice Essay2346 Words   |  10 Pagessubject matter of the â€Å"Republic† is the nature of justice and its relation to human existence. Book I of the â€Å"republic† contains a critical examination of the nature and virtue of justice. Socrates engages in a dialectic with Thrasymachus, Polemarchus, and Cephalus, a method which leads to the asking and answering of questions which directs to a logical refutation and thus leading to a convincing argument of the true nature of justice. And that is the main function of Book I, to clear the groundRead More Intangible Justice is in the Soul Essay1352 Words   |  6 PagesIntangible Justice is in the Soul Plato’s Republic, although officially divided into ten books, can be separated into two very distinct sections. The first section, roughly spanning Books I through IV, contains a rather tangible investigation of justice in practice. Namely, the section considers what acts or occurrences are just, either in a city or in a man. The second section, beginning around Book V and continuing through the end of the dialogue, deals with the much more abstract issue ofRead MoreThis week’s reading centered on the social contract between God and the Israelites. The reader,600 Words   |  3 Pagessocial contract between God and the Israelites. The reader, who had grown up familiar with the Exodus, found a much deeper meaning and contextual understanding in this week’s reading. Specifically, the reader’s attention focused on two key aspects: 1) God’s control over nature as the contextual focus, and 2) how Exodus, Deuteronomy and Leviticus set forth blue prin ts blue prints for a society. Moreover, the reader was previously familiar with the more traditional version of the commandments in DeuteronomyRead MoreThe Apology Is Plato s Retelling Of Socrates s Trail1599 Words   |  7 PagesApology is Plato’s retelling of Socrates’s trail. Within his account, he portrays Socrates as a confident, but almost haughty, and reasonable man. The main philosophical themes that Plato presents through Socrates are wisdom, justice, and his purpose in the community. Socrates is at this trial because he has been accused of two things: 1) â€Å"Socrates is guilty of wrongdoing in that he busies himself studying things in the sky and below the earth; he makes the worse into the stronger argument, and he teachesRead MoreDepiction Of Struggle And Division889 Words   |  4 Pagescommon themes amongst them. By doing so, we were supposed to be able to more deeply understand each text and the argument each was making. Throughout the readings, th e most prominent themes were that of struggle and division, though it is certainly more prevalent and obvious in certain texts than others. Though all the texts depict division and struggle, they focus on different societal divisions This depiction of struggle first became clear during the reading of Plato s Republic in book I, whereRead MorePlatos Philosophy and Works1915 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Prompt: Book X of the Republic does not reflect the rest of Platos work. On the one hand, Plato stages a final showdown between philosophy and literature (or myth). On the other hand, the book concludes with the elaborate legend of Ers journey into the afterlife creating a determining myth factor. The prompt invites one to make sense of this contradiction. What is the point of the final myth? What does Plato manage to convey through it that he wasnt able to show or persuade with the philosophicalRead MoreGender Based Violence During And After Conflict1319 Words   |  6 Pagesnothing new. It has been going on for hundreds of years all over the world (Burn) and many other documents, articles and websites cite this statement. This specific topic I chose because I was unaware of it before reading about it in our course work book â€Å"Women Across Cultures,† by Burn. This matter is new to me and I would like to discuss how this issue of violence connects women around the globe. I would like to refresh your memory about this topic from week two, chapter 2, (Burn) and our UniversalRead MoreThe s Defence Of Injustice1733 Words   |  7 PagesGlaucon’s defence of injustice, which he presents to Socrates in book 11 of Plato’s The Republic. For the purposes of this paper, I will focus on the overriding theme in Glaucon’s argument; that we are only just for the sake of consequences and will conclude by agreeing with this notion. Glaucon, dissatisfied with previous appraisals of justice, seeks to challenge Socrates by strengthening Thrasymachus’ defence of injustice in book 1. ‘This is exactly what he gives us – 3 arguments that support Thrasymachus’Read MoreReconciling The Divergence Of The Nature Of Man Between Classic And Modern Thinkers1425 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Nature of Man between Classic and Modern Thinkers Within Book 2 of Plato’s work The Republic, Socrates’ companion Glaucon describes the tale of the ring of Gyges, challenging Socrates on the nature of man. Within the ring of Gyges scenario, Glaucon posits that when an individual has the power granted by a ring of absolute invisibility that grants impunity, â€Å"no one [†¦] would be so incorruptible that he would stay on the path of justice or stay away from other people’s property, when he could takeRead MoreAn Analysis Of The Oedipus And Plato 1636 Words   |  7 PagesKAUFMANN’S OEDIPUS AND PLATO’S SOCRATES In Chapter Four of his book, Tragedy and Philosophy, Walter Kaufmann claims that Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex is one of the greatest tragedies ever written in part because it presents so vividly five characteristics of human life which make our existence so tragic. The purpose of this paper will be, first, to present Kaufmann’s view and, second, to apply these same characteristics to Plato’s dialogues in general and to the characters in Plato’s dialogues,

Implications Of Effectiveness Of The Communication †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Implications Of Effectiveness Of The Communication. Answer: Introduction Communication has an essential role to play in any business organization. Clarity in communication in all levels of the organization will ensure the effectiveness of the organizational performances and success. Irrespective of any industry in which a business organization operates, it is essential to ensure good and positive communication (Austin Pinkleton, 2015). This assignment highlights a multi-national business organization, that operates in various countries such as Australia, India, Oman as well as Nigeria. This business organization manufactures agricultural equipments and distributes it to the local as well as the international clients. The organization is a big one, with more than 8000 employees, in the five countries (Beamer Varner, 2011). The customer base of the multi-national organization is huge. They have more than 1 million customers, all over the world. However, in the recent years, the company has been facing various communication issues. The challenges included lack of timely communication with the clients, along with communication breakdown from the top management, as well as from the lower level employees (Brownell, 2015). The communication issues also encompassed taking feedback from the clients, communication using the local languages (Suter et al., 2009). Cross-cultural issues as well as lack of adequate development in the digital literacy were also some of the major communication issues, faced by the multi-national company. This assignment highlights some of the good practices of communication, in business organizations, in order to ensure that the organizational operations are successfully completed. Moreover, various strategies are proposed that could be used by the business organization, in order to ensure the mitigation of such communication issues. The implications of the effectiveness of the communication and the mitigation of the issues will also result in the successful enhancement of the organizational performances. Good practices Communication is one of the most essential activities that need to be carried out by any business organization (Grunig Dozier, 2013). Communication is essential in the business organizations to ensure that the information is circulated among the various levels of the employees smoothly (Brownell, 2015). With lack of communication, the employees of the business organization will lack in knowledge and information, and will not have an idea, what is to be done, in order to fulfil the organizational goals (Beamer Varner, 2011). Communication issues are common in business organizations. However, the best practices, which are followed by various other organizations, include the following strategies. Abiding to the 7 cs of communication It is important that the employees of the business organization abide the 7 cs of communication. The 7 cs of communication are: Completeness- Communications in business organizations has to be complete. This highlights the fact that all the information that needs to be conveyed has to be done. All the relevant information has to be furnished, in order to ensure that the communication is complete (Dolan, 2017). Complete communication internally, among the employees, as well as with the clients, ensure the enhancement of the organizational goals (Moscardo, 2009). Moreover, a complete communication also ensures additional information is also conveyed, thus leaving no scope of doubt in the listeners mind (Eisenberg, 2014). Incomplete communication triggers confusion as well as conflicts over sharing incomplete information (Henderson, Stackman Lindekilde, 2016). Conciseness- In order to ensure that effective communication is carried out, the other business organizations ensure concise communication. This highlights that the communication is made effectively, in the least possible way, so that redundant information in not communicated. Sharing of unnecessary information results in redundancy, and triggers confusion (Henderson, Stackman Lindekilde, 2016). Conciseness is essential for ensuring effective communication. It is time saving, as well as cost saving (Moscardo, 2009). Moreover, it conveys the exact message, thus mitigating the chances of confusion. Concise message is not repetitive and hence is more comprehendible to the recipient. Consideration- Being considerate is implemented by the business organizations that ensure effective business communication. Being considerate means understanding the situation that the other person is going through (Austin Pinkleton, 2015). Before communicating, it is essential to understand the background and the mindset of the person (Eisenberg, 2014). While communicating, it is important that the recipient or the audience be not harmed by the communication (Brownell, 2015). Moreover, the communication should not harm the sentiments of the ones, being communicated with. Clarity- Clarity in communication includes being specific about the communication. Clarity includes emphasising on specific messages that are being communicated, in order to mitigate confusion (Fallowfield Jenkins, 2009). Lack of clarity in communication will give rise to confusion. Clarity of thoughts will enhance the meaning of the messages being transmitted, along with increasing the chances of effective work. Concreteness- Concrete communication includes being particular about the transmission of the messages, along with reducing being fuzzy (Ulmer, Sellnow, Seeger, 2013). Concreteness includes information being supported by specific facts and figures (Henderson, Stackman Lindekilde, 2016). In the organizational context, it is important that the messages be not wrongly interpreted. Correctness- The communication has to be correct. The information that is transmitted, has to be correct so that the information could be used effectively (Dolan, 2017). Correct communication has a significant impact on the business organization and its activities. If incorrect communication is done, then wrong information will be transmitted, thus reducing the effectiveness of the communication (Booth, 2009). Courtesy- This implies that respect in communication has to be given to each other, such that the communication is polite and empathetic (Grunig Dozier, 2013). Courteous message includes, respecting the viewpoint of the other person, along with being empathetic in communication. Thus, the business organizations that ensures effective communication abides by the 7 Cs of communication (Ulmer, Sellnow, Seeger, 2013). Engage in formal communication The business organizations engaging in effective communication, engages in formal business communication. This includes effective formal communication with the employees, along with communication with the clients. Formal communication includes business meetings as well as exchange of e-mails (Booth, 2009). Video conferencing is also an effective way of communication to connect the clients and the employees, located in different geographical locations. Thus, even though geographical constraint is faced during communication, yet, it is easily overcome with the efficient use of technology. Impart oral as well as written communication Oral as well as written communication is an essential part of effective communication. It is important that written communication be also given adequate importance (Sageev Romanowski, 2011). The business organizations that ensure effective communication, engages in written communication as well (Brownell, 2015). Moreover, engaging in written communication, acts a proof of communication with the employees as well as the clients. Well documentation of the communication with the client The communication with the clients has to be well-documented. This is important to ensure that none of the parties, in the communication can deny the exchange of information later (Grunig Dozier, 2013). Thus, it is essential that the communication with the client is well-documented, and the document is shared with the concerned people (Robbins, 2009). Clarity in communication, among the various levels of hierarchy The flow of communication among the various levels of the hierarchy has to be maintained, such that the top-level employees are able to communicate effectively with the lower level employees and vice-versa (Leonard, Graham Bonacum, 2014). This ensures a positive organizational culture and organizational behaviour among the employees of the business organization (Austin Pinkleton, 2015). Thus, the business organizations that follow the effective communication diligently ensure a positive work culture and impart effective fulfilment of the organizational goals. If these practices could be implemented by the business organization, then it i possible to mitigate the organizational communication issues, that is faced by them. Future strategies The first challenge that the multinational company faces is the lack of timely communication with the staffs and the clients. In order to ensure that this challenge is not faced, a regular communication with the client has to be done (Leonard, Graham Bonacum, 2014). The basic structure of the organization has to be changed. The top-level employees need to ensure that they engage into open conversation with the staffs from time to time. This will be helpful in mitigating the challenges, faced by the company (Maguire Pitceathly, 2012). Moreover, the reliability of the business organization will also increase if timely communications with the clients are maintained. The issues faced by the clients could be highlighted as soon as it occurs, thus mitigating the issues, sooner. This in turn will ensure customer satisfaction and customer retention. Thus, repeat customers will be obtained by the business organization. Another challenge that the company faces is the communication breakdown from top-levelmanagement to the front line employees and vice versa (Leather Eaves, 2015). However, in order to ensure that this challenge is not faced by the business organization, the top-level managements have to communicate from time to time with the clients as well as the staffs (Cenere et al., 2015). The changes in the organizational culture have to be incorporated, such that clarity of communication could be implemented among the front line employees and top-level staffs (Sageev Romanowski, 2011). The feedback from the clients is essential in order to ensure that the feedback on the products is collected and the areas of improvement are implemented in the upcoming products (Townsend, DeMarie Hendrickson, 2013). In order to ensure that the feedback are collected from time to time, the clients should be given feedback forms (Eisenberg, 2014). Moreover, employees who are a part of the customer service team should be given the duty to collect timely feedback from the local as well as the international clients and make sure that the changes demanded by the clients are incorporated, if feasible (Beamer Varner, 2011). Moreover, it is also essential that the clients be informed about the collection of their feedback and incorporation of changes requested by them (Zalabak, 2014). Since the company operates in 5 different countries, adopting to the local language of these five countries is a major issue (Leonard, Graham Bonacum, 2014). Thus, it is recommended that the company should recruit people form from the local countries, which have the knowledge of the local language (Yule, 2013). This will be helpful in mitigating the issues with the local language (Hovland Lumsdaine, 2017). Moreover, since the clients are local as well as international, hence a common platform for the communication with the clients should also be ensured (Leather Eaves, 2015). English could be chosen as a common platform for communication for the employees and the local and international clients (Ulmer, Sellnow, Seeger, 2013). Irrespective of the country, to which the employees belong, it is important that all the employees should be given the minimum training on technology, that are essential for the fulfilment of the organizational goals. This will help in mitigation of the comm unication issues and communication using social media could be carried out successfully, without any barrier. Cross-cultural issues are also a major barrier in organizational communication (Yule, 2013). Since the company operates in various countries, hence the employees belong to different culture. In order to ensure that the cross-cultural communication is carried out effectively, the employees have to be made aware of the culture of each other (Halawah, 2015). This could be done, if the employees engage themselves in cross-cultural extracurricular activities (Maguire Pitceathly, 2012). Moreover, the employees need to be made aware of the culture of each other and ensure that they respect the culture of each other, in order to retain organizational harmony (Hovland Lumsdaine, 2017). Along with these, each of the employees has to be open to accept differences of option. Moreover, active listening and observing the body languages of each other, is effective in mitigating cross-cultural differences in communication (Leonard, Graham Bonacum, 2014). Along with the mitigation of the language barrier, hostile stereotypes are to be removed as well (Austin Pinkleton, 2015). The differences of behaviour that is incorporated in a person, as an impact of culture, has to be mitigated. Respecting the culture of each other, ensures in the mitigation of the cross-cultural issues. The multi-national company operates in 5 different countries, among which some of them are developed countries, while some being developing ones. Hence, the digital literacy among the countries varies widely (Maguire Pitceathly, 2012). Thus, the employees of Australia, are much more advanced and tech savvy, than those of Nigeria or Oman. India being a developing county has been able to impart considerable digital literacy, among the people (Cenere et al., 2015). Thus, the employees of the company, who are in India have some digital knowledge, and thus, are able to communicate using advanced technology. Thus, if the employees from all the five countries are communicating with each other, the people of the countries of Oman and Nigeria might not be able to join the other countries, as they lack technological development (Hovland Lumsdaine, 2017). Thus, it is recommended that all the employees of the company should be given the same training, to equip themselves well with the organiza tional culture and the technological developments (Henderson, Stackman Lindekilde, 2016). Thus, the above recommendations and future strategies are effective in ensuring the mitigation of the faced barriers. Conclusion and implications Communication is an essential activity for any business organization. The multi-national company has been facing various communication issues. However, it is essential to ensure that the organizational issues regarding communication should be mitigated. The above-mentioned recommendations should be followed, in order to ensure that the organizational issues are mitigated. However, if the issues of communication faced by the company are not mitigated, then it implies that the recommendations are not diligently incorporated. New strategies and implementation plan needs to be imparted such that the communication issues in the business organization could be curbed down. Before the strategies are applied in the organizational context, it is essential that the organizational structure is evaluated to be effective for the application of the communication strategies. Moreover, communication is an essential activity. So, even if the recommended strategies do not enhance the communication, oth er potential solutions are to be highlighted, in order to ensure effectiveness of communication in the organization. It is to be noted that if the employees are trained effectively and aligned with the organizational goals, then the employees will be able to get themselves freed from the communication issues. Imparting effective training to all the employees, irrespective of the country they belong to, is helpful in mitigating cross-cultural issues as well as discrepancy in the technological knowledge. The implications of the communication in the organization are to ensure that all they employees are able to communicate with each other with clarity and courtesy. Moreover, it also implies that the organizational goals as well as the steps needed to be taken, in order to fulfil the goals are communicated effectively. This ensures the enhancement of the organizational performances, along will achievement of client satisfaction. References Austin, E. W., Pinkleton, B. E. (2015). Strategic public relations management: Planning and managing effective communication campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge. Beamer, L., Varner, I. I. (2011).Intercultural communication in the global workplace. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Booth, W. C. (2009).The rhetoric of rhetoric: The quest for effective communication. John Wiley Sons. Brownell, J. (2015).Listening: Attitudes, principles, and skills. Routledge. Cenere, P., Gill, R., Lawson, C., Lewis, M. (2015).Communication Skills for Business Professionals 7. Cambridge University Press. Dolan, R. (2017). Branding yourself effective communication skills.FEMS microbiology letters,364(2). Eisenberg, E. M. (2014). Ambiguity as strategy in organizational communication.Communication monographs,51(3), 227-242. Fallowfield, L., Jenkins, V. (2009). Effective communication skills are the key to good cancer care.European Journal of Cancer,35(11), 1592-1597. Fielding, M. (2006).Effective communication in organisations. Juta and Company Ltd. Grunig, J. E., Dozier, D. M. (2013).Excellent public relations and effective organizations: A study of communication management in three countries. Routledge. Halawah, I. (2015). The relationship between effective communication of high school principal and school climate.Education,126(2). Henderson, L. S., Stackman, R. W., Lindekilde, R. (2016). The centrality of communication norm alignment, role clarity, and trust in global project teams.International Journal of Project Management,34(8), 1717-1730. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., Johnson, D. E. (1969).Management of organizational behavior(p. 65). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Hovland, C. I., Lumsdaine, A. A. (2017).Experiments on mass communication. Princeton University Press. Leathers, D. G., Eaves, M. (2015).Successful nonverbal communication: Principles and applications. Routledge. Leonard, M., Graham, S., Bonacum, D. (2014). The human factor: the critical importance of effective teamwork and communication in providing safe care.Quality and Safety in Health Care,13(suppl 1), i85-i90. Maguire, P., Pitceathly, C. (2012). Key communication skills and how to acquire them.Bmj,325(7366), 697-700. Moscardo, G. (2009).Making visitors mindful: principles for creating quality sustainable visitor experiences through effective communication. Sagamore publishing. Robbins, S. P. (2009).Organizational Behavior, 13/E. Pearson Education India. Sageev, P., Romanowski, C. J. (2011). A message from recent engineering graduates in the workplace: Results of a survey on technical communication skills.Journal of Engineering Education,90(4), 685-693. Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2014).Fundamentals of organizational communication. Pearson. Suter, E., Arndt, J., Arthur, N., Parboosingh, J., Taylor, E., Deutschlander, S. (2009). Role understanding and effective communication as core competencies for collaborative practice.Journal of interprofessional care,23(1), 41-51. Townsend, A. M., DeMarie, S. M., Hendrickson, A. R. (2013). Virtual teams: Technology and the workplace of the future.The Academy of Management Executive,12(3), 17-29. Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L., Seeger, M. W. (2013).Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity. Sage Publications. Yule, G. (2013).Referential communication tasks. Routledge.

Travels of a T-Shirt Book Report free essay sample

Often, when we think of a t-shirt, not much consideration goes past throwing it on and walking out the door. We discover in The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, author Pietra Rivoli conveys the story of a t-shirt she purchased in Florida for just $5. 99. Beginning with core element of the t-shirt, she describes the cotton boom in the United States and why we have reigned supreme as the leading cotton producer. She even meets with a Texan farmer who warms your heart from the very beginning of the chapter. Next, the cotton goes on to textile mills and factories, and Rivoli explains the history of the textile industry. With this lesson, she demonstrates how the textile industry boom was a leading contributor of the Industrial Revolution in many countries. From this point, we see the t-shirt waiting to be stitched together and awaiting its entrance into the global economy. We will write a custom essay sample on Travels of a T-Shirt Book Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rivoli then outlines how the garment finally enters U. S. franchises through a labyrinth of politics, quotas, slave labor, and activism. After it is purchased, worn, and discarded it enters a completely new market the small entrepreneurial clothing market in Africa, which according to Rivoli, is the only true free market. She illustrates how underdeveloped countries finally catch a break by capitalizing on another country’s garbage, ending the t-shirt’s international journey. Fundamentally, this book forces you to ask yourself some very important questions about our history as a nation, the exploitation of slave and labor, and the state of free trade as a whole. Question 2: What is this book’s main idea? With this comprehensive, economical, and historical depiction, Rivoli sincerely strives to present why. She insists the reader knows why the international textile industry functions the way it does, and shines a revealing light on the truth by conveying the good, the not-so-good, and especially the ugly. It is clear that Rivoli is striving to educate about global economics and allows for the reader to formulate their own conclusion about the industry. Her writing style takes into consideration those with very little economic awareness and fluidly phrases things into laymans terms. She is able to expand on the most complex ideas, such as quotas and tariffs in the textile industry, and still paint a complete picture in the mind of the reader. The relevance of this book can be measured by its ability to speak to the everyday individual, who may or may not know anything about economics, and plant the seed toward global economic education. It provides a keen social awareness to people who may or may not ordinarily care about international economics and can have an eye-opening effect toward what really happens in the textile industry. Rivoli also raises some substantial points about free trade and protectionism. After the facts are presented, she identifies that most of these alleged free markets aren’t actually free at all. She explains that quotas, political relationships, and labor issues make these markets restricted from being completely free. She writes a story of the wealth enhancing possibilities of globalization in some settings but a ‘cant win trap in others, a trap where power imbalances and poorly functioning politics and markets seem to doom the economic future. Question 3: Is the author arguing for free trade or protectionism? Explain. Rivoli is not making an argument for either side of protectionism or free trade. Of course, as an avid economist, Rivoli advocates free trade, as do all of her peers and colleagues unanimously. Nevertheless, she does not lean toward either side, but instead demonstrates that both sides can inadvertently stimulate economic development. She supplies us with an in-depth history of the protectionism of textiles in the United States up until the Multi-fiber Arrangement expired in 2005. She further emphasises the convolution, and even the ridiculousness, of the quotas, tariffs, and other restrictions that political lobbyists and U. S. manufacturers have enforced to protect the textile industry. Rivoli reveals that the t-shirt doesn’t enter into a free market until it becomes a discarded â€Å"castoff† and ends up in Salvation Army bin postmarked for Africa: America’s castoffs have customers the world over and clothing thrown away by Americans forms the backbone of a highly successful global industry. She argues, the policies of free markets are demanding that the American textile industry realize that international competitors from low-cost labor countries able to produce cheaper clothing, are forcing them to reconsider business strategies. She also points out that protectionism and lobbying has provided life to the American textile industry â€Å"only by unnatural acts of life support†. Moreover, Rivoli presents that most measures of protectionism have actually hindered American industries for the future. Question 4: According to Rivoli, what is the role of politics in international trade? The role of politics is very important within international trade. From the cotton slaves in the nineteenth-century, to the present crop insurance and subsidies paid by the taxpayer, cotton farmers of America have discovered a myriad of ways to escape the fires of the labor market. Primarily in China, freedom of movement is restricted internally to accomplish a parallel end result. Protectionism creates worldwide employment for the officials and bureaucrats administering the quotas, but simply delays the loss of lower-ranking jobs in the textile industry. Concurrently, it increases the price consumers pay for clothing and squelches textile manufacturing innovations in America. The cost of downstream industries increases and enhances foreign financiers who trade in quotas to determine market value. This tarnishes the efforts of freer trade in the United States with hypocrisy. Rivoli establishes the means behind the inefficiencies as the billions of dollars in costs are widely spread out, but the benefits are highly condensed. Rivoli touches briefly on the protection of property rights and insufficient rule of law in many countries. Furthermore, she suggests that the dilemma in underdeveloped countries is not the â€Å"cruelty of market forces†, but primarily an issue of politics. Since trade in used clothing is not as widely publicized as textile trade, this has given countries a leg up in improving their situation over the dominating economies. Question 5: What was the most intriguing idea or analysis you found in this book? The main point Rivoli derives from her t-shirt encounters is that the free markets aren’t as free as the name would suggest. Her findings about the restrictions, quotas, and politics of free trade made me realize it isn’t free at all. I liked that Rivoli allows the reader to come to this conclusion on their own and doesn’t bludgeon the facts with biased opinions. While reading this book, it was difficult for me to weigh the pros and cons of things like child labor and slavery. I found Rivoli’s optimistic outlook toward making the best out of terrible situations to be refreshing. By carefully interpreting the costs and benefits, I can see now that some of these sacrifices were worth it in the long run to enhance the industry. While providing an extensive history lesson about cotton, the politics of free trade, and worldwide Industrial Revolutions, I felt she may have left out a solid chunk of details about China. The details she included began with China’s Cultural Revolution but not much is offered before that. Since China is such a powerhouse in the global market, I would like to have encountered a stronger back-story. Overall, this book was educational and opened my eyes to how global trade really works. Not only did I gain a basic knowledge about the global economy as a whole, but I learned what a free trade market really means. Above all, Rivoli forced me to ask myself some very important questions about the history of cotton and the textile industry, the exploitation of labor and struggling underdeveloped countries, and the state of free trade on an international scale.