Frank Gilbreth and his contributions to Management History Research Paper

Frank Gilbreth and his contributions to Management History - Research Paper Example Secondly, Lillian Gilberth made major contributions to the psychology of management. Thirdly, both before and after the death of her husband, Lillian was an active teacher – she trained some of the most significant figures in the world of business. Additionally, she was a significant role model for women in management in her later years (Witzel, 145). After graduating from Boston English High School, Gilbreth later worked for Whidden and Company Construction as a bricklayer’s apprentice. Later, beginning 1895, he founded Frank Gilbreth construction and became its president until 1911. The company put up projects throughout the US. Beginning the year 1912, Gilbreth and his wife formed Gilbreth Consulting Incorporated. While he was working at Whidden Construction, Gilbreth did not find satisfaction with simply learning a skill but yearned to get to know the reason as to why his instructors used different motions as they taught him to lay a brick while when working alone, they used only one set of motion to lay a brick (Witzel, 209). He also realized that the bricklayers were using three dissimilar sets of motions – one for teaching bricklaying to others, a second while working at a slow speed, and a third while working at a quickly (Nelson.com, 9). These observations saw the start of Gilbreth’s groundbreaking work in the study of motion as well as ergonomics (the scientific workplace layout that reduces fatigue and improves work performance at the same time) and brought about his invention. While he was only 24, Gilbreth received the first of numerous patents for what he referred to as his â€Å"non-stooping scaffold†. He designed the scaffold with the aim of improving the rate at which workers laid bricks. As he observed bricklayer’s movements, Gilbreth came to the realization that it was possible to reduce the number of individual movements that workers made while moving every brick to the wall they were building from t he pallet. This would culminate into a double impact of reducing the amount of energy that they would have to use in addition to accelerating the work (Witzel, 209 & Witzel, 144-145). He started studying the various approaches and started doing away with those motions that were not necessary. For instance, he designed a stand that workers could raise to waist height, which eliminated the motion of stooping to lift each brick (Nelson.com, 9). Witzel explains that before Gilbreth’s design, bricklayers used most of their time stooping to lift bricks and then mortar, which they kept beside their feet. Gilbreth’s invention added a second level at the waist height of the workers to aid in storing materials. The scaffold would be hoisted in such a way that the top of the wall that workers were building was even with their torsos at all times. Instead of bending down now and then, workers would only turn and grab the bricks and this was easier and faster (Nelson.com, 9). The m ost significant fact was that the design deliberately decreased the amount of fatigue as well as stress on the backs of the workers – they were able to lay more bricks daily, with less exhaustion, chiefly in terms of back strain (Witzel, 209). Additionally, by giving those workers whose salaries were low the duty of putting all the bricks with their most attractive side facing

Mental Illness Analysis of Film Session 9 (2001)

Mental Illness Analysis of Film Session 9 (2001) Erica Moghtader Session 9: Mental Illness Analysis Deemed as one of the major cult films of all time, Session 9 invokes terror in the most realistic way possible- through abnormal psychology. In the end of the story, the character Mary Hobbes’ evil personality alternate, Simon, chillingly states when asked where he lives to the psychologist: â€Å"I live in the weak and the wounded, Doc (Anderson, 2001). Statements such as this lead to the notion that anyone could end up in a situation with, or actually like, the main character Gordon. In this paper I will discuss the various characters’ mental illnesses shown in Session 9 along with their symptoms, portrayal, and treatment amongst peers. This intense psychological horror film, directed by Brad Anderson, is centered on the restoration of a large mental asylum, built in 1871 and closed in 1985. Gordon Fleming (Peter Mullan), owner of an asbestos removal company, agrees to restore the building in an impossible turnaround time of one week. Gordon hires a crew: Phil (David Carusoe), Hank (Josh Lucas), Jeff (Brandon Sexton III), and Mike (Stephen Gevedon). Mike, secretly listens to nine old recorded therapy sessions that he found, which focused on patient #444 Mary Hobbes. Each employee has personal issues that get in the way of the job, and in combination with stress, it leads to the pinnacle of the story. The movie ends with all characters dead except Gordon, who has made patient room #444 his home. Considering the aforementioned synopsis, there are three characters that portray mental illness throughout the movie. Gordon, the main character, seems disturbed from the beginning of the movie. As the scenes unfold, symptoms of schizophrenia begin to arise. In one of the first scenes as Gordon and Phil tour the asylum for an asbestos removal bid, Gordon has his first auditory and visual hallucination. As Gordon intently focuses on a specific room, #444, he sees a shadow move across his face while hearing â€Å"Hello, Gordon† (Anderson, 2001). Both kinds of hallucinations go on throughout the movie, in particular when his hallucination eggs him on to kill his wife and baby: â€Å"Do it, Gordon!† (Anderson, 2001). In the final scenes of the movie, the voice reappears repeating the same statement as he murders all the employees. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (2011) deliberates that schizophrenic auditory hallucination such as these â€Å"often have a negative quality, criticizing or threatening the individuals or telling them to hurt themselves or others† (p. 223). Persecutory delusion for ms towards the end of the movie when Gordon believes that Phil is lying about a certain phone call because he thinks Phil killed/hurt Hank. Catanotic excitement is also displayed as Gordon runs aimlessly throughout the asylum looking for Hank, whom had been missing for days. There were several scenes that contained avolition. Many times Gordon sat â€Å"daydreaming† in the cemetery, room 444, and in front of his home. Gordon also presented a symptom of sleepwalking, or somnambulism, when he gave Hank a frontal lobotomy. Dr. Prakash Masand (1995) associated sleepwalking with schizophrenia: â€Å"The prevalence of somnambulism is 1 to 6 percent in the general adult population, although a higher incidence has been reported in patients with schizophrenia, hysteria and anxiety neuroses.† Not only did Gordon suffer from a mental illness, so did his nephew Jeff. Jeff, a young chap who needed a job, suffered from situational phobia. In particular he suffered from nyctophobia or in layman’s terms, fear of the dark. On his first day in the asylum, the breaker flips and in turn Mike asks Jeff to go down in the basement to turn it on. Jeff directly tells him he has nyctophobia and will not go down. When he is forced to go down in the basement the first time and has to walk through a slightly dark room, he hurriedly remedies the problem. At the end of the movie in the tunnels, as the lights slowly go out putting Jeff in complete darkness, he has a severe panic attack. The DSM-5 states that Specific Phobia disorder can be diagnosed if the individual shows immediate fear, avoidance and out of proportion reaction to the phobic situation (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011, p. 119). By the same token, patient Mary Hobbes also displays mental illness in the film. Although former, deceased patient Mary Hobbes never physically appears in Session 9, she makes quite an impression. Mary Hobbes was admitted into the asylum and diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. She had been traumatized by her brother Peter after he scared her causing her to fall on her porcelain doll, which in turn severely cut up her chest. At this point Simon took over Mary and killed Peter with his new hunting knife. In the taped sessions of Mary’s therapy, she does not remember anything that happened, even hysterically stating: â€Å"Nothing happened! No! I can’t remember!† (Anderson, 2001). Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (2011) explains that people suffering from dissociative identity disorder usually report significant periods of amnesia when the other personalities are in control (p. 163). Mary displayed three different identities: the Princess as the child alter, which is often associated with the development of dissociative identity disorder; Billy, the protector alter, who protects the individual from trauma; and Simon, the persecutor alter, who often inflicts pain or punishment (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011, p. 162). Subsequently, the treatment amongst the mentally ill characters was different than the sane characters. Depending on the situation, characters Gordon, Jeff and Mary were stigmatized or treated with compassion, At first Phil empathizes with Gordon over his fight with his wife. Phil then quickly takes advantage of the situation to get a bigger bonus; he discusses with Mike that they should force Gordon off the project due to his behavior/health. Phil knows Gordon is not in the state of mind to handle being removed, and even says so when he’s smiling to himself on the roof: â€Å"It’s gonna get ugly† (Anderson, 2001). Jeff is stigmatized from the moment he announced his phobia. Mike was irritated and called him names like â€Å"Mullet Head.† Phil completely disregarded Jeff’s phobia, which forced him to go down into the basement to fix the breaker in the dark. Though Jeff’s mistreatment did exasperate his illness, the mistreatment of Gordon by Phil led the persecutory delusions of Phil hurting Hank. Though I do not condone the mistreatment, there are several other aspects I do enjoy about Session 9. Session 9 is one of the best independent horror movies, winning best director at the Catalonian International Film Festival in 2001. Considering myself a horror buff since my early twenties, this is one of my favorites. In my opinion, movies are the scariest if they could really happen. The realistic production and general plot make this movie even scarier. As I compared the mental illnesses of the characters to factual data, I realized that the symptoms portrayed were very close to being true to form. Every time I have watched Session 9 I find different aspects to debate or admire. Now that I added abnormal psychology to my mental list, there are even more to ponder! In conclusion, various mental illnesses symptoms, portrayal, and treatment amongst peers were shown in Session 9. From Gordon’s schizophrenia to Mary’s dissociative identity disorder, to Jeff’s nyctophobia, Session 9 accurately portrays the symptoms and typical mistreatment of the mentally ill. Many fans of the movie think that Mary Hobbes was possessed by Genius Loci, an ancient ideology that a spirit is attached to a place, and in turn possessed Gordon. And in all actuality, who is to say something like a Genius Loci does not exist? Maybe one day science will mesh with the supernatural, or at least get along with each other. References Anderson, B. (Director). (2001).Session 9[DVD]. Masand, Prakash. (1995). Sleep Walking.American Family Physician. http://www.drplace.com/Sleepwalking_-_includes_patient_notes.16.21241.htm Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2011). Abnormal psychology (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Car Safety Essay -- essays papers

Car Safety Automobile Safety It’s a dark rainy night. You and your family are coming home from a late night family party. As a car is coming through an intersection another car cut in front of it. The driver decides to hit the brakes so you can avoid the car, but as he presses the brakes, the car loses control on the slick wet road. He is not able to gain control and at that point he has endangered the lives of himself and many others on the road. This is just one example of the many types of things that occur in our streets everyday. All that would have been needed to avoid this situation would have been a traction control system in his car, which would have detected that the car was skidding and would have applied the brakes to the necessary wheels, therefore correcting the skid. Automotive companies must mandate the installation and improvement of specific safety devices to make our vehicles safer. The opposing forces are against my argument mainly because of one reason, money. These are mainly uninformed people who are more concerned with monetary issues rather than the safety and well being of every of everyone on our streets. They see things differently, for example, instead of mandating some things such as a traction control system in a car, which costs no more than $200-600 (Krebs 30), could in the long run lower their insurance costs, and prevent them from a potentially harmful accident. They would much rather have $200-600 worth of accessories. It goes to show you that these people chose style and comfort over their lives and the live of others. Most of the automotive accident statistics are quite overwhelming, and they show for themselves why today’s cars must be made safer. 6,289,000 reported crashes, 3,200,000 people injured, and 41,345 deaths (car accident statistics). These are some of the statistics as of 1999 and they are expected to rise, due to the large number of automobile we are buying. By mandating the installation of certain safety devices in cars we can reduce these numbers drastically. Most car accidents occur at intersection, when someone makes a left turn in front of an oncoming car. The result of this is that the car turning gets broadsided on the right door of his car, also the weakest point of his car. So if most accidents are side impact collision why haven’t car manufacturers mandated the installation of s... ...†. Available http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/brain_injury_ lawyers.html. Bush, James W. Motor Vehicle Facts an Figures: Wards Communication, 1999. 10, 11, 84-89. â€Å"Car Accident Statistics†. Available http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/ stats.html. â€Å"Convictions Quashed in Fatal Road-Sign Crash†. Chachere Vickie. The Miami Herald. 26 March.2001. Available http://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/local/ dade/digdocs/091369 .htm. Krebs, Michelle. â€Å"How to Buy a Safe Car†. Auto World Weekly. 10, April. 2001. 29-30. â€Å"Road Rage Endangers Innocent Drivers Too†. The Sun Sentinel. 25, March. 2001. Available http://sunsentinel.com/features/sfi-25mabbymar25.story. â€Å"Seat Belts†. Available http://www.car_accidents.com/pages/seat_belts.html. Smith, Steven Cole. â€Å"Swerving Car Hits Bus then runs Into Two Fort Lauderdale Homes.† Tzortzis, Andreas. The Sun Sentinel. 25 March. 2001. Available http://www. sunsentinel.com/news/local /broward/search/sfl-cbus250mar 25.story. â€Å"Volvo SCC. Is this the Worlds Safest Car†. Auto World Weekly. 10, April. 2001. 31. â€Å"Whiplash Injuries†. Available http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/whiplash. html

Big Business Dbq

Ryan Burgett Document A Source: Historical Statistics of the United States. Document Information †¢ Food prices declined significantly between 1870 and 1899. †¢ Fuel and lighting prices declined significantly between 1870 and 1899. †¢ Cost of living declined slightly between 1870 and 1899. Document Inferences †¢ Improved agricultural innovations led to reduced food prices. †¢ Mining and lighting innovations reduced prices for fuel and lighting. †¢ Falling prices for agricultural goods led to discontent among farmers. †¢ Mass production resulted in a decline in the cost of living. Electric lighting allowed for 24-hour production, night shifts and possibly longer hours. Potential Outside Information Consolidation Coxey’s Army Economies of scale Edison, Thomas (incandescent lightbulb) Farmers’ Alliances (Northern, Southern, Colored) â€Å"Farmers should raise less corn and more hell† Lease, Mary Elizabeth Sub-Treasury plan Document B Source: George E. McNeill, labor leader, The Labor Movement: The Problem of Today, 1887. Document Information †¢ Railroad presidents are similar to kings. †¢ Railroad presidents can discharge workers without cause and withhold wages. Railroad presidents can delay lawsuits. †¢ Railroad presidents control both the government and the people. †¢ Railroad presidents controlled freight prices and monopolized food and fuel industries. †¢ Railroad presidents corrupt communities and control the press. Document Inferences †¢ The financial clout of railroads leaves employees helpless. †¢ Railroad labor and farm unrest is likely. †¢ Railroads dictate government policy. †¢ The Senate is controlled by wealthy interests because senators are not popularly elected. †¢ The legal system favors railroad interests. Potential Outside Information Blacklisting Munn v.Illinois Credit Mobilier scandal National Labor Union Fisk, Jim Patrons of Husbandry (Gr ange) Government ownership of railroads Railway Strikes of 1877 Gould, Jay Sylvis, William Granger laws United States v. E. C. Knight Interstate Commerce Act Vanderbilt, Cornelius Kelley, Oliver Hudson Wabash v. Illinois Long-haul/short-haul differentials yellow dog contracts AP ® Document C Source: David A. Wells, engineer and economist, Recent Economic Changes and Their Effect on the Document Information †¢ Workers no longer work independently but as if they were part of a military organization. Workers are taught to perform one simple task. †¢ Manufacturing has largely taken away workers’ pride in their work. Document Inferences †¢ Mass production techniques led to specialization of labor. †¢ Specialization of labor decreases workers’ pride in their craft. †¢ Specialization of labor leaves workers largely unskilled. †¢ Unskilled labor is relatively easy to replace. Potential Outside Information Specialization of labor Sweatshops Unski lled/skilled labor Document D Source: Joseph Keppler, â€Å"The Bosses of the Senate,† Puck, January 23, 1889. Document Information †¢ Shows trusts as oversized. Shows public entrance to the Senate closed. †¢ Shows monopolists lined up at monopolists’ entrance. †¢ Shows some senators looking back toward the trusts. †¢ Shows sign saying â€Å"This is a Senate of the monopolists by the monopolists and for the monopolists. † Document Inferences †¢ The Senate (government) is controlled by big business. †¢ People have no control over the Senate because senators are not directly elected. †¢ Monopolists (trusts) are wealthy and powerful. †¢ Trusts control a great many industries. Potential Outside Information Billion Dollar Congress Bland-Allison ActCivil Service (Pendleton) Act Crime of ’73 Dingley Tariff Direct election of senators (Populist platform, not Seventeenth Amendment) Gold Standard Act/Currency Act of 1900 Inte rstate Commerce Commission McKinley Tariff Monopolies Nast, Thomas Reed, Thomas Sherman Antitrust Act Sherman Silver Purchase Act Wilson-Gorman Tariff Document E Source: Andrew Carnegie, â€Å"Wealth,† North American Review, June 1889. Document Information †¢ Wealthy people should lead a modest, unpretentious existence. †¢ Surplus revenues are to be used as a trust fund for what the wealthy see as community good. The wealthy are trustees for the poor. †¢ The judgment of the wealthy will lead to better decisions than the poor would make for themselves. †¢ Philanthropy justifies business owners’ wealth. Document Inferences †¢ Some business leaders believed in charity. †¢ The wealthy saw themselves as superior to the masses. †¢ Social obligation is a responsibility that comes with wealth. Potential Outside Information Carnegie libraries Carnegie Steel Corporation Gospel of Wealth â€Å"He who dies rich dies disgraced† Homestead St rike Social Darwinism Social Gospel Veblen, Thorstein, Theory of the Leisure ClassVertical integration Document F Source: â€Å"People’s Party Platform,† Omaha Morning World-Herald, July 5, 1892. Document Information †¢ Seeks to restore government to plain people. †¢ Power of the people (government) should be expanded. †¢ Seeks to end oppression, injustice, and poverty. Document Inferences †¢ The Populist Party was dedicated to political and social reform. †¢ Government should be strengthened and made more responsible to the people. †¢ The Populist Party nominated its own presidential candidate in 1892. Potential Outside Information Bryan, William Jennings Cross of Gold speechDirect election of senators (Populist platform, not Seventeenth Amendment) Farmers’ Alliances (Northern, Southern, Colored) Free and unlimited coinage of silver Government ownership of railroads (utilities) Income tax Initiative Lease, Mary Elizabeth Ocala Dema nds Omaha Platform Populist Party Referendum Sub- Treasury Plan Weaver, James B. Document G Source: Samuel Gompers, What Does Labor Want? , an address before the International Labor Congress in Chicago, August 28, 1893. Document Information †¢ People should not be considered property. †¢ Labor seeks shorter hours. Shorter labor hours will reduce jail and almshouse populations. †¢ Labor insists on the right to organize. †¢ Negligence or maliciousness should not leave the worker without recourse. †¢ Labor insists on adequate wages. Document Inferences †¢ Mass production techniques are dehumanizing. †¢ Bread-and-butter unionism grew with the trade union movement (shorter hours, better working conditions, increased wages). †¢ Workers’ compensation laws should be passed. †¢ Labor unions must organize to protect the interests of workers. †¢ Companies can and should help out communities by reducing unemployment ranks.Potential Outsid e Information American Federation of Labor Powderly, Terence bread-and-butter unionism Stephens, Uriah Knights of Labor Sylvis, William National Labor Union workers’ compensation Document H Document Information †¢ Says he is a victim of Rockefeller’s combination. †¢ Says Standard Oil offered the same quality of oil for one to three cents less than he could. †¢ Says he found railroads were in league with Rockefeller and charged discriminatory rates. Document Inferences †¢ Monopolists used ruthless tactics to put competitors out of business. Railroads gave big businesses rebates/kickbacks that helped them undercut their competition. †¢ Government must protect small businesses against unfair business practices. Potential Outside Information American Beauty Rose Theory Horizontal integration â€Å"just windward of the law† Long-haul/short-haul differentials Rebates/kickbacks Rockefeller, John D. Document I Source: Theodore Dreiser, Sister Ca rrie, a novel, 1900. Document Information †¢ Department stores were among the most efficient retail organizations. †¢ Department stores were appealing, with swarms of patrons. †¢ Carrie was much affected by the display of goods. The displays affected Carrie personally. Document Inferences †¢ Urban glamour drew rural people to the city. †¢ Improved urban transportation led to the development of department stores. †¢ Displays and advertising blurred the distinction between wants and needs. †¢ Consolidation in retail industry offered increased availability of consumer goods to society. Potential Outside Information Electric trolleys Macy’s Wanamaker’s (department store) Woolworth’s Great Five Cent Store YMCA YWCA Document J Source: Female typists, circa 1902. Courtesy of Library of Congress # LC-D4-42930Document Information †¢ Shows women typists in a large room. †¢ Shows women all dressed similarly. †¢ Shows the pr esence of electric lighting. Document Inferences †¢ Inventions like the typewriter and telephone increased employment for native-born, white women. †¢ There was sameness about working in a mass production environment. †¢ Industrialization created employment opportunities that often discriminated according to gender and race. Potential Outside Information Sholes, Christopher (invention of the typewriter) Sweatshops Taylor, Frederick Taylorism (scientific management) YWCA

A T-shirt Epic Essay

Pietra Rivoli’s delightful narrative, The Travels of A T-Shirt in the Global Economy, goes about a surprising journey around the global village to discover an entangled web of economic and political forces that move this piece of clothing around. The book is split into four parts of a t-shirt’s life.   Part one of the book deals with the cotton industry.   Rivoli’s own surprise at learning that the cotton used for her shirt comes from Texas opens up this chapter on the continuing dominance of the American cotton industry.   The book then continues to explain the reasons for these—aside from government subsidies, the larger part of America’s continuing competitive advantage is its â€Å"virtuous cycle† of governance.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"In the United States, the farms work, the market works, the government works, the science works, and the universities work.† (Rivoli 7). The second part of the book is about the textile industry’s so called â€Å"race to the bottom†.   Industrialization is ushered in by the textile industry, and Rivoli gives examples from 19th century England to the Asian economic powerhouses Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong in the 20th century.   The third part is about the complexity of getting a textile import into the United States, with all the confusing legislation brought about by decades of political control held by textile manufacturers in America.   In the final part of the book, Rivoli examines the global market for used t-shirts, which she concedes is the final place where markets actually determine its origin and destination. Free Trade or Protectionism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is not making an argument for either protectionism or free trade.   Obviously, as a trained economist, Rivoli favors free trade, as do all her colleagues in an almost unanimous voice.   However, the book does not argue for either side, and instead illustrates that both sides of this policy divide unwittingly spur economic development. Free trade policies encourage more â€Å"races to the bottom† as production shifts to low cost countries; however protectionist policies also contribute to another type of race.   In the battle for quota imports to the United States, for example, investment has flowed into areas where there is less restriction on trade with the world’s largest consumer of textiles and apparel.   In the modern-day case with China, the relatively low quota limits that China has for its exports to the US before the expiration of the Multifiber Agreement (MFA) (Rivoli 121) has encouraged investments in other developing countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and even Sub-Saharan Africa.   As the book notes, the exclusion of one creates opportunities for another, and the humble textile industry is the first step towards industrialization for many developing nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Rivoli further notes, when the MFA was scheduled to be taken down, a lot of other developing countries were scared of China eating everyone’s share of the textile pie.   It represents one of the few actually plausible pro-protectionist arguments in the book, which are not really argued for but just explained. The role of politics in international trade It’s a given fact that politicians will listen more often that not to their constituents first instead of to common sense.   Unfortunate as it may be, politics more often than not counter the market forces that power the global race to the bottom.   Rivoli puts it as â€Å"While the market forces powering the race to the bottom are strong, the political forces pushing back against the markets are strong as well, particularly in the United States.† (Rivoli 115) This clash between the two has made importation of textiles a very complicated business in the United States, and changes the face of international trade with it.   If an item cannot be imported from China, it is imported from Mexico instead, giving an artificial advantage to some countries that will not be there if market forces were solely in control.   The decisions that politicians like congressmen and senators in Washington make often influence the very futures of some countries in the world. Rivoli characterizes American industries that are aging as trying to escape market forces by clinging on to their political supports.   Instead of a paradise of no intervention and perfect competition, what happens is that more often politics exert a big unpredictable force that tilts the equation over completely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another example was 18th century England, where to no avail Parliament tried to pass acts that would protect their domestic wool producers.   Instead of having the intended consequences (i.e. eliminating imported cotton), it just pushed international trade to adapt to the circumstances. The â€Å"race to the bottom† phrase used so much in the book is one of the most intriguing ideas of Rivoli. Basically it says that the textile industry, like all industries is governed by market forces.   On the supply side, producers seek more and more productivity for lower costs—a reaction that sparked the original Industrial Revolution.   However, as wages go up along with production costs, producers are keen on reducing costs and preserving low prices with huge markets.   These trends doom an industrial country’s textile production after it becomes less competitive than another aspiring country who is not the leader in the â€Å"bottom† of production costs. The fire of the Industrial Revolution spread to the United States, and then in the last century to Asia, where during the past twenty or so years China has held the spot as top in this ubiquitous â€Å"race to the bottom†. The other side of the argument—those activists who bring about higher minimum wages and better labor standards, hasten the fall of a country from the â€Å"race to the bottom†, but at the same time also hasten industrialization and the development of other more value-added industries.   It also makes another country leader of the race to the bottom, ready to start the cycle all over again. This â€Å"history repeats itself† phenomenon—from Britain to Taiwan leaves the reader enthusiastic of the future, and of how economics will eventually make all the people of the world feel a little bit better. R E F E R E N C E Rivoli, Pietra. The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy. New Jersey :Wiley, 2005.