Civil Service Essay Topics - Sticks to the Ts and Cs of Essay Writing

<h1>Civil Service Essay Topics - Sticks to the T's and C's of Essay Writing</h1><p>The perfect common help exposition subjects are special and vital. All article points are in certainty unique in relation to one another however what they all share for all intents and purpose is that they should feature the instructive accomplishments of the candidate and present him as a pro or an expert.</p><p></p><p>It is consequently imperative to give a fascinating framework to your common help exposition. Nonetheless, this diagram won't help the common assistance analysts to decide whether you can compose on the specific point you picked. What they have to see is the way well you apply the thoughts and ideas you introduced in your paper, and their applications.</p><p></p><p>No matter what number of subjects you need to cover in your article, the most straightforward one to compose is your vocation review. You might have the option to include new zones of enthusiasm for the vocation rundown however without composing a different profession review will be extremely troublesome. They likewise anticipate that you should discover important subtleties in your resume.</p><p></p><p>Besides the vocation review there are two different things that you must be set up with when you are planning for your common help assessment. These are extremely significant components of your composed examination, they structure the foundation of your investigation. They guarantee that you don't get caught by over investigation, and that you can gain proficiency with the entirety of the most important parts of the point you are going to address.</p><p></p><p>In my conclusion, the absolute first thing you ought to consider while planning for your common help assessment is your scholarly foundation. While various candidates give extraordinary meetings, they have either not done their optional instruction or they didn't finish it acceptably. You ought to in this way guarantee you have a decent scholarly foundation and that you are totally fully informed regarding the entirety of the present patterns in your picked vocation field.</p><p></p><p>There are three separate segments that you ought to remember for your paper that manage the common help assessment. The exposition must give a background marked by the whole subject and its improvement from the ongoing past up to the current day. This will fill in as the establishment for your whole essay.</p><p></p><p>It is the second and the third critical bit of your composing that will decide your prosperity or disappointment in the article. Your exposition ought to be equipped for portraying the standards and guidelines that administer the candidate's new vocation. At the point when you give explicit data with respect to the standards of the new profession you will make it simpler for the inspectors to pass judgment on your insight into the subject.</p><p></p><p>The second and third piece of your paper are the subtleties of your application for the position that you are applying for. They should enable the inspectors to comprehend your expert abilities as a pro in the activity you are applying for. Your comprehension of this data will likewise enable the inspectors to decide if you are a decent author and in the event that you have the aptitude of articulating your insight into the issues you spread in your essay.</p>

Understanding Professional and Ethical Responsibility Essay Sample

Understanding Professional and Ethical Responsibility Essay SampleThere are a number of things that you can take from a qualified essay sample. It is always good to check with your professor as to whether or not you can use a certain academic writing sample. It is likely that he or she will tell you that the essay samples are not appropriate to use.The most common professional and ethical responsibility essay sample would be the argumentative essay. This is one form of an essay which should be carefully checked. Argumentative essays are generally good at helping to educate and convince the reader. They tend to be concise and detailed, and they do tend to convey one's thoughts.When preparing for a debate, you will need to write a well-developed argumentation with regard to a relevant topic. A qualified essay sample can help you develop a convincing argument that will make it very easy for you to persuade the audience. A proficient writer will know what kind of arguments will gain resp ect and what arguments will be ignored.In terms of English composition, you will need to learn how to organize your essay in order to present a coherent story. You must start with a good beginning that will give you a good start into the rest of the work. When creating your narrative, keep in mind that it must hold up over time. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility essay sample can help you develop your narrative.Next, you will need to examine each and every paragraph of your text, to ensure that each and every one of your main points are given due consideration. In particular, be sure that you really examine your essay, and that you read through each sentence and paragraph of your essay. If your essay does not make sense, you need to make sure that you have included all of the key information correctly. If you are unable to make this assessment, you may need to change your essay, and to include a great deal more detail.To conclude, to become a good student an d to make sure that you learn, you need to be dedicated and sincere. You also need to use an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility essay sample. No matter what essay style you choose, you will need to make sure that you are using a qualified essay sample.You can find several excellent resources online that will allow you to select essay samples from a large database. By comparing the sample to others, you will be able to determine which ones are your best choices. The internet has made this type of research much easier, as you can search by using a particular topic, topic area, category, or keyword.Practice makes perfect. In this case, practice will make perfect. You can always go back to the writing sample that you wrote, and you can use it as your reference throughout your entire professional and ethical responsibility essay. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility essay sample is a valuable tool that you can use to develop your academic writ ing skills.

Writing MSR Degree College Paper

Writing MSR Degree College PaperWriting MSR degree college exam paper is not a simple task, however writing a good MSR degree college paper should not be a problem at all. Therefore, the first thing that you need to do before writing your MSR degree college paper is to make sure that you have a clear idea about the concepts that are required for your paper.It is recommended that you start out with a thesis statement. You should start off by making an introduction and definition of the topics that you are going to discuss in your paper. This will help you write a well constructed MSR degree college paper that contains a coherent structure.Once you have made the introduction, you should list down the different areas that you will discuss in your paper. The different areas that you will discuss in your MSR degree college paper will vary according to the field of study that you are trying to get into. You can also make use of the chart included in the MSR course catalogue. In order to en hance your success rate, you need to learn about the different types of papers that are required for each area.One type of paper that is required in every field of study is the thesis paper. Thesis papers are also known as the written examination papers or the AP exams. Therefore, if you are interested in pursuing a different field of study, it would be better for you to include this paper in your MSR degree college paper. This is because these papers are mandatory for admission in all the schools in the country.The structure of your MSR degree college paper should reflect the structure of your thesis. The structure of the thesis will consist of an introduction, a definition, a discussion of some key areas, a conclusion, and a bibliography. The structure of the MSR degree college paper should also focus on the main point that you are trying to get across. The major point that you are trying to get across in your MSR degree college paper should be easy to understand for your readers and should also be in a concise manner.The second thing that you need to keep in mind while writing MSR exam papers is to avoid repetition. Many students tend to simply repeat the same point in their MSR degree college paper, which will only create a poor impression for them. Avoid repeating the same points that you discussed in your thesis. Instead, try to write short pieces that will be easier for your readers to comprehend.Finally, always remember that essay writing is all about the content. The content is all about what your main theme is. Themes are considered as the most important aspect in essay writing. Therefore, it is necessary for you to make sure that your main theme is written clearly in your MSR degree college paper.

New Questions About Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report

New Questions About Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report Want to Know More About Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples? Other schools might would like you to compose an extra essay that's specific to that school. The essay for Florida state university isn't required, but it's highly advised. Thus, it is not just the perfect place for me, it is the only place for me. Upcoming college students might also be requested to compose a college essay for a portion of their first requirements. If you wish to create a college essay which works, you will need to provide importance on the content which you will give the admissions officer of your intended university with. When you start to compose your college application essay, think about all the things which make you the person which you're. Just because you've already written a college essay for a single university doesn't mean that it may also apply on your next applications. Developing an amazing college essay may lose its purpose in the event the content of what you've written is not what the university is asking for. Once you brainstorm, you are going to know what you would like to say, but you have to decide how you're likely to say it. Map out what you're likely to write by creating an outline. There are a few things you can do in your essay to be noticed and get accepted. There's no place more important to generate a great first impression than on paper. The Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples Stories For instance, if the company school requested a DOC, that is what you need to send. For example, a medical school applicant should explore the capacity to work nicely with others and excel in advance science courses. If you have made the decision to apply, then you have to look to find out more on the admission procedure, so as to evaluate your likelihood for entering the program. The IB program is extremely hard and takes a great deal of efforts and time. Most schools also permit you to send in a paper program, which theoretically provides you increased control over your essay formatting. Right, it's about figuring out how to compose an application essay. The Honors Program application wants a set of certain essay questions along with the essays needed for the overall application to GW. It offers a competitive application process. Include information regarding how you will follow up. These instructions will provide you with some helpful hints on the best way to compose an honors application essay. The personal statement is among the most crucial parts of the application. It is the place where you have a chance to add a distinguishing ingredient that makes your application one that cannot be refused. Ok, I Think I Understand Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples, Now Tell Me About Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples! The duration of your essay is not what universities search for. Once you determine which schools require which essays, you can settle on the precise number of original essays that you'll actually should write. Before you commence writing your essays, you will want to confirm the length requirements on the essays for all your target schools. Your paper needs to be unique. When you think that it is totally finished, you're prepared to proofread and format the essay. If you can't say whatever you wish to say in a quick essay, you need to at least stay below three pages. Your introductory paragraph should also feature some type of thesis statement, or so the subject of your essay is clear. The rules for writing a great essay are the same. Stephen's essay is quite effective. Essay topic choice isn't that simple as you believe. Top Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples Secrets Public high schools have their very own fair share of issues and in the event the student isn't careful, they could wind up in a huge mess. Many college authorities ask that you compose an application essay before getting an admission. Advanced education application essay topics can revolve around the individual with meet unexpected challenges, including surviving an incident. Only the best students become accepted. The Ultimate Honors Society Application Essay Sports Samples Trick My essay writing took a practice of a couple of months. It's very useful to take writing apart so as to see just the way that it accomplishes its objectives. Ultimately, the detai l of true speech makes the scene pop. Do a little research before you begin writing.

The Constitution Best Suitable For Palestine - 2283 Words

The constitution best suitable for Palestine would be based upon the comparison of USA’s and UK’s constitutional models. However, this analysis would also include a third model for the purposes of proposing a more practical constitutional setup for Palestine, similar to the one in Pakistan. Following any of the two oldest constitutions, either it be of the USA’s or UK’s, may seem like a feasible option in theory and most academics seem to agree as well. However, in reality Palestine’s problems are much more niche and in order to practically deal with them, it may be necessary to devise a unique constitutional model. The United States constitutional model is the most influential throughout the world. Many countries have been inspired and†¦show more content†¦If this can be achieved in Palestine then the tyranny of the majority would cease to exist if the constitutional defence mechanism were such that it would set out checks and balances over other institutions of the state. The US model distinctly sets out the features of each limb of the state under Article 1, 2 and 3. Article 1 of the Constitution sets out the role of the legislative, i.e. the House and Senate. More importantly, in Article 3, the Supreme Court and the judicial body is set up. The framers of the constitution inspired by Montesquieu’s work favoured a strict separation of power. James Madison stated; ‘By which the majority...be rendered unable to...carry into effect schemes of oppression’. Palestine’s constitution must contain a strict separation of power like the USA’s model and this would be a featuring characteristic as religious and political liberty should be its direct aim. Moreover, the independent Judiciary in the USA was devised by the framers of the Constitution to do one primary thing, to prevent the majority from ruling with an iron fist and curtail abuse of power. The Judiciary in the USA can declare any law unconstitutional if it is deemed to go against the rights guaranteed in the constitution. Similarly, in Marbury v. Madison it was held by the US Supreme court that a ‘law repugnant to the Constitution is void’ . Furthermore, in Wallace v. Jaffree, the courts held that

Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry Essay Example For Students

Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry Essay Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry BY caracal Industrial Ecology Practices in the Fashion Industry Introduction The industrial revolution in the sass brought a paradigm shift to the way humans interacted with the environment. The increased capability of producing and manufacturing on a large scale, the rise of multiple industries, growing demand and proliferation of hedonistic consumption patterns, has created a culture of surplus, want and waste. (Fallacy-Companion, 2012) From an environmental point of view, this resource hungry trend is unsustainable and has detrimental ecological impacts, such as pollution and climate change. These problems have highlighted the consequence of our insatiable demand for resources and the need to rethink current practices and thoughts in order to maintain current living standards and ensure future growth. The ideas of environmental management, industrial ecology and ecological footprint have been proposed to allow for a meticulous look to the products that we manufacture and use, with emphasis on measuring the ecological impacts in hopes of reducing them. A multitude of tools have since been created to measure efficiency in hopes to highlight areas for improvement, of which the ISO standard and Life cycle assessment are part of. Undoubtedly, many companies have adopted life cycle analysis (LLC) in order to assess and reduce their products impact on the environment. The fashion industry, at its core, is based on the notion of continual consumption of the new and the discard of the old, especially with new seasonal lines coming out every 3 months. The industry celebrates creativity with the continuous turnover of trends, leading to the premature product replacement and fashion obsolescence. This constant change has major negative environmental and social impacts, particularly on those at the bottom of the supply chain. Ellwood et al, 2006; Whether and Leastwise, 2008) Moreover, delicates production, often all over the world, is commonly practiced in line with the competitive advantages of different locales (such as low-cost labor, less stringent standards/regulations, strength in technology etc). Studies of Ellwood et al (2006), Madsen et al (2007) and Fletcher (2008) have highlighted issues of apparel waste as the majority of textile waste are not recycled or reuse but usually ends up in landfills. In this report, Nikkei Inc. And Levi Strauss Co. Are chosen as case studies of the fashion industry for their efforts o apply LLC to their products. Life Cycle Assessment and IS014040 The International Organization for Standardization (SO) is an organization that aims to promote worldwide standards for proprietary, industrial and commercial purposes. SO, 2013) The ISO 14000 series is a family of standards that related to environmental management, which aims to help organizations measure and minimize operations that will negatively affect the environment and comply with environmental regulations and audits required in the country of operation. For example, the ISO 14001 is integral to the European Unions CEO-Management and Audit Scheme (AMASS). AMASS, 2011) Before the development of the ISO 14000 series, most organizations had to rely on internal environmental management systems that made comparisons between companies difficult. The ISO 14040 standard focuses on Life Cycle Assessment. LLC is a technique to assess environment impacts associated with all the stages of a products life from its raw material extraction to its processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair, recycle and disposal. It is believed to encompass a larger scope of environmental concerns as the compiled inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases includes the attention impacts associated with the identified inputs and releases, which can then be interpreted to help make informed decisions and build corporate environmental strategies. EPA, 2013) The method is most often used for the pinpointing potential for process improvements by assessing environmental impacts associated with all stages of a products life. (Securing Mueller, 2008) ISO 14040 standards shows how the LLC is to be carried out in four distinct phases as seen in Figure 1 before. Before any LLC can be carried out, an explicit goal and scope of the study, inclusive of technical details, has to be defined. This can then serve as a reference to guide the subsequent work. The functional unit, system boundaries, assumptions and limitations as well as the impact categories are identified and set in this first phase. The life cycle inventory analysis will then carry on from phase one by creating an inventory of all flows (input and output) between the stages of a product system, inclusive of all activities in the relevant supply chain and gives a clear picture of the system boundaries. Only when this is complete can the life cycle impact assessment be carried out. This is the most complex stage of the process as it aims to evaluate he significance of potential environmental impacts and calculate the input and output from the inventory. At the end of the assessment, the information gathered is evaluated and the assessment is objectively assessed before the identification of significant issues and problems, its evaluation and limitations are put forth. Figure 1 : The 4 phases of LLC (http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ File:PhasesOfLifeCycleAnalysis. Eng) Current Context and Trends Environmental Management has progressed significantly over the years with regulations becoming more stringent and accountability expectations higher. Figure taken from Penmans (1999) report shows a simple evolution of environmental policies and their primary characteristics from the sass to present, whereby attitudes towards the environment have changes from merely managing the problem in the early days to one that is more actively involved in trying to prevent problems. Figure 2: Evolution of environmental management (Seaman, 1999) Within the industry and companies, Lamming ; Hampton (1996) stresses the need for companies to engage in environmental management as public pressure is and will continue to be a major factor. In their study, 75% of customers state that they would consider a Meanys environmental reputation when purchasing and 80% of those would be willing to pay a premium for an environmentally friendlier product. Although there are limitations to their study, in that the sentiment may only be shared by the European community of consumers, there is a trend whereby consumers are becoming more green conscious. Hawked et al (1999) in the book Natural Capitalism also calls for companies to embrace a new industrialism that will create profits and jobs while saving the environment, through the creation of a closed-loop supply chain that will generate more value and profit. By aggressive recycling, there is the potential of reducing up to 90% of energy and materials consumption. Although individual organizations are recognizing the need and their responsibility to address environmental and sustainability issues, there remains a lack of systematic and coordinated effort across the board. At a larger and general scale, there has been an increase of government level interest and engagement to transition sustainability at the firm and facility level, to one that is more holistic and encompasses production sustainability throughout the value chain. Golden et al, 2011) President Obama issued Executive Order 13514 in 2009 that requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, obtain 50% diversion rates of solid waste, pursue opportunities with vendors to reduce greenhouse gas (GOGH) emissions, ensure procurement preferences for energy-efficient products, and reduce consumption of paper with low recycled content. Likewise the Securities Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission are driving the use of sustainable product design and supply chains by the i ssuance of directives and interpretive guidance. Golden et al, 2011) Since the fiasco of sweatshop labor in the sass, leading to public outcry and clash on the fashion industry, there has been unison of calls for greater accountability. (Whether and Leastwise, 2008; Clownish et al, 2012) Especially in an industry where the consumers are the largest stakeholders; public opinion is crucial and highly influential. This helps the environmental cause when more consumers become green conscious and demand for a smaller ecological footprint. There is a need to cater to these consumers and for companies to set themselves apart from their competitors. Kumar Amalgamate, 2006) Environmental consciousness has been worked into the corporate social responsibility (CAR) of many companies and increasingly, in the fashion industry, CEO-fashion is trying to capture a larger share of the mainstream market with fashionable and environmental apparel. Regions, 2006) There is also the emergence of industr y consortia such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Sustainability Consortium (TTS) and the Outdoor Industry Association (IA), all of which are multi-stakeholder organizations that are suited for establishing standardized metrics for regulation. A Changing Industry: Motion Picture Special Effect EssayFigure 10, taken from Nikkei. Com (2013) shows the corporate overview of the company in 2013. Part of the business strategy of the company for 2013 is to pursue growth that is sustainable, profitable, capital efficient and brand enhancing, whereby environmental responsibility is inbuilt into the companys goals, vision and culture. (Nikkei, 2013) It is important to note that Nikkei was a main target for unfair labor practices in the sass which greatly affected its public image. Since then, much have been done to manage such risks of which being a pioneer of sustainable practices is seen as integral to its environmental risk. There are no official accounts off published LLC according to the ISO 14040 standards, done on a Nikkei product. However, this is common as most companies may not necessarily want to publicity reveal its LLC. Nikkei however, in its sustainability reports, follows similar steps in qualifying its environmental impacts. In this case study, I will attempt to frame their goals and targets in the context of a traditional LLC. Figure 10: Corporate overview of Nikkei Inc (Nikkei, 2013) Shift towards Sustainable Business and Innovation (Phase 1 2) To support Nines strategic evolution and transition to sustainable business models, the Sustainable Business and Innovation (SUB;l) was set up with its mission to enable Nikkei to thrive in a sustainable economy. A matrix structure was step up to integrate retail, logistics and information technology well so as to foster new platforms and forms of collaboration. Nines value chain has also been re-envisioned to be a closed loop cycle. Figure 11 shows the distilled seven fundamental stages of the new value chain- plan, design, make, move, sell, use and reuse. (Nikkei, 2013) As dated before. Nikkei remains vague on the factors that are considered in their corporation and production processes that contribute to their environmental impact. In their release of public information, Nikkei uses a tool called the Material Assessment Tool (MAT) and analyses the life cycle of raw materials used in production. Henderson et al, 2009) The MAT allows Nikkei to view the impacts from the materials used across four categories: Chemistry, Energy/CA equivalence, Water/Land use and Waste with a total LLC score given. (See Figure 12) (Nikkei Considered Design, 2010) Products that are more sustainable would score higher on the MAT score. Figure 13 shows a snapshot of the different materials that go into the pr shoe. Figure 1 1: Overview of the Nikkei value chain ( Nikkei, 2013) Figure 12: Material Assessment Tool used by Nikkei (Nikkei, 2013) adduction of a Figure 13: Materials in a typical shoe (http://www. Lodestars. Net/bookings/copy-of- Semifinal-Presentation) Charting Progress and Changes in Environmental Impacts (Phase 3, 4 and beyond) Since the drive towards being more accountable started in the late sass, Nikkei has been tracking its progress based on its metrics in their corporate reports. Figure 14 ND 15 shows where the company is at with regard to meeting their 2011 targets set in 2009, where most objectives are largely on track. Figure 16 how implementing energy management strategies in retail stores in North America has allowed Nikkei to save 3. Million Kiss of electricity while giving a 20% return on investment, the partnership of how being environmentally conscious can help with operational savings. Nikkei has started a code of conduct for its suppliers to meet, to reduce their environmental impact, according to their MAT schem e. Suppliers are ranked and encouraged to improve on their operations, while their research and development am have been constantly looking into the development of lighter shoes and apparel in their new product design that utilizes less raw materials and more recycled materials. Nikkei also tried to reduce its waste by redesigning its packaging to use less material in its shoebox experiment (Figure 17). Although the results were not very successful, Nikkei continues to revamp and work on developing a sturdy prototype while reducing waste. Nikkei have also started several consumer-targeted initiative such as reuse-a-shoe campaign whereby old shoes are collected and dissembled to e reused in the manufacturing process, increasing recycling and lessening the dependency on raw materials. (Nikkei, 2013) Nikkei promises to commit to their environmental goals and work towards have a truly closed loop supply chain. However, Figure 18 shows that there is still much unaccounted areas in Nines internal assessment and much of their initiatives are focused on the American market. With a company who has great global presence, there is still much to be done, environmentally, in other markets. Figure 14: Progress in sustainable business models (http://www. Nikkei. Com/ creator/content/PDF/documents/en-useful-report. UDF) Figure 1 5: Progress in climate change targets (http://www. Nikkei. Com/creator/ content/PDF/documents/en-useful-report. UDF) Figure 16: Results of energy management systems on retail stores (Nikkei, 2013) Figure 17: Nikkei shoebox experiment (Nikkei, 2013) Figure 18: Nikkei Climate and Energy reporting landscape and roadman (http:// www. Incompressibility. Com/report/uploads/files/ NIKKEI_Len_ClimateEnergyLandscapeRoadmap. PDF) Evaluation of Levies and Nikkei Nikkei and Levies both belong to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) whose aim is to create an apparel and footwear index f or the industry, to 1 . Understand and quantify sustainability impacts of apparel and footwear products, 2. Reduce redundancy in measuring sustainability for the industry, 3. Drive business value through reducing risk and uncovering inefficiency and 4. Create a common meaner to communicate sustainability to stakeholders. (SAC, 2013) The SAC was formally launched in 2011 and its sustainable apparel index allows apparel retailers and brands to compare the performance of their upstream supply chain through a unified method and metrics. Their LLC is based on the AI_EGO CEO-index, Nines environmental design tool and SACs social and labor indicators for the manufacturing phase. There have been several criticisms of this tool as being too qualitative and the version that is being developed now is current designed to be more quantitative, life-cycle oriented. (Golden et al, 2011) The original intent of choosing these two companies was to highlight how environmental tools can be useful in such a wasteful industry such as fashion. In releasing that they both were part of the same industry consortium, whose aim was to provide a basis of comparison, I had assumed that there would be the possibility to have a clear comparison after evaluating both companies. However, further research did not yield any significant or comparable set of data or reports. In fact, the SAC website would redirect the user back to the sustainability pages of the individual companies. The fact that these two companies belong to the same industry consortium and yet cannot be compared, show the great limitation of LLC and current environmental management strategies. There are too many requirements and considerations in engaging in a holistic LLC and companies tend not to divulge too much information on their supply chains. As such, it is difficult to ensure that hey did not overlook particular flows in their operational process. On the other hand, it is heartening to see both companies engaging in similar trends to engage their customers to be part of the recycling and green process of returning Sears/ shoes back to the retailers so that they can be reused and/or recycled. Moreover, there seems to be a great sense of commitment by both companies towards corporate social responsibility and environmental accountability whereby active steps are being taken to reduce the environmental impact of the company, their facilities and their products.

John Steinbeck - The Author And His Times Essays - Dust Bowl

John Steinbeck - the Author and his Times He didn't know it at the time, but John Steinbeck started getting ready to write The Grapes of Wrath when he was a small boy in California. Much of what he saw and heard while growing up found its way into the novel. On weekends his father took John and his three sisters on long drives out into the broad and beautiful valleys south of Salinas, the town where John was born in 1902. John passed vast orchards, and endless fields green with lettuce and barley. He observed the workers and the run-down shacks in which they lived. And he saw, even before he was old enough to wear long pants, that the farmhands' lives differed from his own. Although the Steinbecks weren't wealthy (John's father ran a flour mill), they lived in a comfortable Victorian house. John grew up on three square meals a day. He never doubted that he would always have enough of life's necessities. He even got a pony for his 12th birthday. (The pony became the subject of one of Steinbeck's earliest successes, his novel The Red Pony.) But don't think John was pampered; his family expected him to work. He delivered newspapers and did odd jobs around town. Family came first in the Steinbeck household. While not everyone saw eye-to-eye all the time, parents and children got along well. His father saw that John had talent and encouraged him to become a writer. His mother at first wanted John to be a banker- a real irony when you consider what Steinbeck says about banks in The Grapes of Wrath- but she changed her mind when John began spending hours in his room scrawling stories and writing articles for the school paper. Later in life, Steinbeck denied that his family served as a model for the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath. But both families understood well the meaning of family unity. As a boy, John roamed the woods and meadows near his home and explored the caves. He swam in the creeks and water holes and became acquainted with the ways of nature. He developed a feel for the land. Each year the Salinas River flooded and then dried up, and John began to understand the cycles of seasons. He saw that weather was more than just something that might cancel a picnic. He saw that sunshine and clouds and rain and temperature readings were vital to farmers and growers. You can tell that John must have loved the out-of-doors. Otherwise, how could he have set four novels and several stories in the lush countryside where he spent his youth? During high school (1915-19) he worked as a hand on nearby ranches. There he saw migrant workers, men without futures, breaking their backs all day for paltry wages and at night throwing away their cash in card games and barrooms. Out of this experience came the novel Of Mice and Men. Yet he also developed a profound respect for the inner strength of many of these laborers. They owned little, moved fast, kept few friends, and led barren lives. But they endured. In spite of adversity, they stood tall and proud. They had self-respect. Their spirits could not be broken. In fact, Steinbeck developed so much admiration for these working "stiffs," as they called each other, that he took up their style of life. He was nineteen and had spent two unrewarding years at Stanford University. He tried to find work as a deckhand on a Pacific freighter, but ended up instead in the beet and barley fields of the Willoughby Ranch south of Salinas. Then he worked in a beet factory as a bench-chemist. All the while, he gathered material for writing. After each day's work he wrote- mostly stories and poems. Six months later he decided to return to the classroom and to study the writer's craft seriously. Some of his pieces ended up in the college newspaper; others showed up later as sections of The Long Valley, In Dubious Battle, The Grapes of Wrath, and East of Eden. Steinbeck's success as a writer coincided with the coming of the Great Depression. As many people around