Abstract The paper describes "The Conquest of Everest" that tells the story of two men who reached the top of Mount Everest in 1953, the first men to reach the summit of the world's tallest mountain. The paper looks at how Sir John Hunt shows the difficulty of preparing for an expedition of this kind and the grave dangers the climbers faced. The paper recommends this book to anyone who is interested in adventure or history.
From the Paper "Author Hunt chronicles the 1953 expedition thoroughly, from the preparations the team made before the expedition, to the studies and attempts made by other teams trying to scale the mountain. He also discusses the problems with climbing the mountain, which now do not seem as difficult as they were over 50 years ago. For example, he writes, "These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber" (Hunt 12). However, today, it is not unusual for many parties to attempt to climb and conquer Mt. Everest every climbing season, and while there are still injuries and deaths on the mountain, equipment, and knowledge have helped create more opportunities for more people to climb the mountain than ever before, so some of these problems have at least been tamed."
Abstract This paper discusses how the role women play in American society has changed since the beginning of the twentieth century. The writer compares the behavior of men and women a gym environment in order to study whether or not certain stereotypes can be found while both sexes are working out. The author interviews two athletes, one male and one female about their opinions regarding how men and women exercise, what equipment they use and why. This is followed by the author's observation of how hard men and women workout while using the cardio equipment in the gym. The author observes both the level of intensity and the interaction between the sexes in order to reach the conclusions presented in the paper.
From the Paper "Melanctha, Gail Collins? editorial, Lindsey's book on gender roles, and my anthropological study at the gym all suggest that women, in actuality, haven?t done as much in breaking the barriers of gender roles that they perhaps promised to do in the early 20th century. As further evidence for this, one can look at a study conducted by Michael A. Messner in which he extensively interviewed thirty male athletes over a period of two years. He claims that these athletes all claim that their "earliest experiences in sports are stories of an exclusively male world" (1999, p.101). He also claims that, even today, many girls tend to shy away from competitive sports because they "define themselves primarily through connection with others, [and] experience highly competitive situations (whether in organized sports or in other hierarchical institutions) as threats to relationships, and thus to their identities" (1999, p. 106). Thus, my idea that gender roles of women are so stringent that they must even follow them in the gym is not too far fetched. If both magazines and schools tell women that they need to be a certain way, its no wonder that there is so much uproar when a woman tries to get an education or tries to play of sports. Of course, there still are the Lisa Gillises of the world, but these women are still marginal to modern American culture. Yes, they are becoming less so, but these women still have a lot of work to do if they ever want to create a gender equal society."
Abstract This paper explains that mountaineering, as depicted in Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air", can be a set of goals and ideas that need to be achieved using your experience and skills to further your ambition, similar to what drives the mountaineers to reach the top and return safely. The author points out that the perils of the mountain that challenges the climbers can be perceived in direct relation to today's market, where there is much uncertainty and fluctuation in the business cycle. The paper stresses that, in order to overcome the challenges, it is strategic to resort to teamwork and team spirit.
From the Paper "If we analyze the challenges faced by the author in his expedition we begin to see parallels to that of the challenges that the manager face in today's business world. All the aspects of a manager's business ordeal are encompassed in his climb to the top and his descent. A good manager seeks to minimize costs while not affecting quality. Hence, we see the exploitation of human resources in the example of the Sherpa porters, who are paid an insignificant bare minimum amount to risk their lives which is a direct parallel to the cost minimizing decisions made by managers of multi national companies of today that take advantage of the third world countries to produce their products cheaply and efficiently. Such efficiency combined with advertising takes us into the realm of branding."
Abstract The paper discusses the book "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. The writer analyzes the character of Scarlett O Hara, comparing Scarlett's character with a modern-day social climber. The writer further explains how Margaret Mitchell's experiences in Post-World War I America shaped her perceptions of the role of women in society, and shows how this impacted on the characters she wrote about in the book.
From the Paper "During the war, traits that Scarlett had been told to repress becomes her salvation, as her masculine qualities emerge. Early in the novel, she had said that she wished she was a man, and by the war's end, "her reactions were all masculine" (Mitchell pp). Faust notes that Mitchell "chooses to make the gradual emergence of her stereotypically masculine traits a significant aspect of Scarlett's growth and maturation" (Faust pp)"
Abstract In this essay, the writer deals with the related ethical considerations when human endeavor, combined with the acceptance of the danger and risks involved in the endeavor, turn into a tourist outing. The writer notes that a quest for Everest involves a strong statistical chance of loss of life and discusses whether climbing Mount Everest should be considered a tourist venture. This essay alludes to the problems with too many climbers making the attempt at the same time resulting in over-crowding. The writer believes, as Krakauer does, that there should be a set of guidelines to prevent over crowding on the summit to assure a safe climb and return, or at least as much as is possible. The writer concludes that a fine balance between economic and ethical considerations, a healthy respect for a culture different from Western sensibilities, and a desire to take personal responsibility will ensure that there are fewer tragedies on Mount Everest.
From the Paper "Better equipment, better organization, experienced guides have made attempts on Everest easier. While in the above 8000 meter altitude, also know as the Death Zone, rescue is almost impossible, with the odds of medical problems exponentially higher, better communication facilities and satellite-based weather services have improved odds of making it up and down the mountain. This has resulted in a sense of complacency among would-be adventurers who often attempt to climb the highest peak in the world with little or no mountaineering skills and even lesser respect for the mountain."
