Determination of the California Bearing Ratio CBR of an Engineering Lab Report

Determination of the California Bearing Ratio CBR of an Engineering Soil sample - Lab Report Example This value serves as a recommendation for the usage of the engineering soil in subgrades and base courses in pavements. The CBR value is a Rating or percentage which is calculated by comparing the measured pressure with the standard pressure. Then compared with the recommendation given by different engineering practicing bodies and authorities. The test is carried according to BS 1377: Part 4: 1990. As the procedure is already discussed in detail in the Laboratory Manual and the BSI Standard. Whereas the brief outline is that the first step is to prepare the sample to be tested, then the soil sample is compacted using the standard method. Then the sample is placed in the compression machine and after applying the seating load, the test is initiated and reading is taken for every 0.25 mm interval. Lastly the value of 2.5 mm and 5.0 mm penetration is recorded, and finally, the CBR value is calculated. But the results our test show that the curve for the bottom is above the curve of the standard this is not correct. Hence there is some source of error. These errors can be due to any reason; this could be due to the faulty apparatus, and there might be a permanent error in the dial gauges. There might be some initial reading that could have been considered and not eliminated later. There is a large error seen in the readings of the bottom of the CBR test, the result shows that the CBR value is more than 100% that is not possible. So these reading are not considered and discarded. Therefore the CBR value of 5% is found as an appropriate value. Then there are certain considerations to be taken while the experiment to have accurate readings. Firstly the face of the plunger must be leveled onto the sample face and no kern should be there. Then the surcharge plate must also be placed which will restrict from the heaving of the soil.

Biochemistry and Technology Essay Example for Free

Biochemistry and Technology Essay What specific topic did you choose to research and evaluate? (2 points) -I chose genetic engineering/recombinant DNA technology/transgenesis of biotechnology to research and evaluate because that interests me the most, personally. List the resources that you used in your research of your topic. (3 points) I used sites such as, wikipedia.org, and slideshare.net. Describe, in a few paragraphs, the biotechnology that you researched. How is it currently being used and/or what are the hopes for its use in the future? (10 points) -Genetic engineering is an area in biotechnology that induces cell alterations in any kind of organism. It is based on artificial manipulation and transfer of genetic material from one organism to another. Basically the cells coded in with the new genetic information will pass those selected traits on to their offspring. Genetic combinations might be useful but not often found in nature. Genetic engineering now a days, is used in medicine to produce insulin and growth hormones, for those who lack it. The genes in humans are isolated using enzymes produced by bacteria which cleave DNA at specific base pairs, and then inserted into a a virus. The virus then is inserted into the bacteria DNA, ten the bacteria produces the hormones, which are then collected and given to patients who most need them. The hope for genetic engineering is soon a cure can be found for diseases by either inserting a corrected gene or even performing a genetic surgery. Currently many pregnant women like to have the fetuses screened for genetic defects so it can allow them and there physician to prepare for the arrival of the child who may need to have special needs. Describe the positive aspects of this biotechnology, being as specific as possible. (5 points) -One possible benefit for genetic engineering is is that with gene therapy, a fetus a genetic defect could be treated and even cured before it is born. Specific traits or characteristics can be inserted in a species, for example pest resistant genes inserted into crops to enable more crops to be harvested. Artificially produce vital hormones or proteins that are essential by inserting the coding genes into bacteria cells.†¨ Describe the negative aspects of this biotechnology, being as specific as possible. (5 points) -Genetic pollution occurs where the artificially produced species reproduce at a higher rate compared to the wild species present and cause extinction. Species that are produced have side effects such as a short life span, prone to diseases and mutations and physical defects. Expensive and advance technologies need to produce and maintain genetically engineered species. Hybrid species created may harbor new statins of diseases or viruses that is produced from the altered genes. Based on your research, what is your conclusion about whether or not this biotechnology should be used? Be sure to explain your answer. (5 points) In my opinion, I think biotechnology can benefit us all in a lot of different ways, but only if we use it right and only if we are really in need of it. For example, I think genetic engineering could help actually save a lot of lives and troubles that one might have when born. If treated right, a disease or disorder can be cured before one is born.

Analysis of a Business Problem Essay -- Business Management

Nature of the Problem: The purpose of this paper is to briefly analyze why burrs and rough spots suddenly started to appear on quarter panel parts at an automotive company. Three out of four production lines at an automotive plant facility experienced defects of manufactured panel parts. Also, an analysis of how the panel problem is related to organizational sub-culture, organizational politics and job stress. Although there are several implications of various issues related to organizational culture, organizational politics and job stress is important because it determines how human capital within an organization will demonstrate the capacity to cope with working for the organization, thus determining the success of the organization. â€Å"To illustrate, studies have shown that job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of the workplace, i.e., the culture (Vigoda, 2002).† â€Å"Likewise, there are studies conducted that found organizational politics to have an advers e effect on psychological issues such as job stress (Ferris, Russ, & Fandt,1989).† Therefore, an organizations most valued asset is its employees. Analysis and Evaluation: In an effort to address the burred and rough spots found by Quality Control on several defective panels, upper management uncovered several poor managerial decisions and employee relations issues. In order to stay competitive within the automotive industry, the company must make some major decisions. A decision to support one of their line supervisors’ decisions of disciplining an employee could cause a potential strike. Although, a decision of not supporting their line supervisor could potentially avoid a strike and paint a positive image in the company. In essence, m... ...d to evaluate this issue. My analysis did not include the new alloy of the material change in the Zenith sheets for this information was not discovered until careful analyzing of the issue by the management team in part two. The management team discovered that there had been a material change in the Zenith sheets which was the root cause of their problem. As stated by the author, this was a very puzzling situation. Works Cited Ferris, G.R., Russ, G.S., and Fandt, P.M. (1989), Politics in organizations. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Robbins, S., and Judge, T. (2008), Organizational behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Vigoda, E. (2002), Stress-related aftermaths to workplace politics: the relationships among politics, job distress, and aggressive behavior in organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23: 571–591. doi: 10.1002/job.160.

Osteology: Estimating Femur Length from the Diameter of the Femoral Shaft

School of Biological & Earth Sciences BIEGN3005 Honours Project March 2010 Student name: Stephen Dempsey Supervisor name: Professor Alan Turner Estimating femur length from the diameter of the femoral shaft Stephen Dempsey BIEGN300 Honours Project Person Number: 343106 Submission Date: 5th March 2010 Abstract Bone lengths can be used to provide stature estimations in case of unidentified skeletal remains, an important tool in forensic and bioarchaelogical cases. Where the bones are broken or fragmented, regression equations can be used to estimate total bone length from its fragments, which in turn can be used to estimate stature.The aim of this study was to test 2 new measurements of the femoral shaft to see if they could be used as predictors of maximum femoral length. The minimum transverse femoral shaft diameter and the minimum anterior-posterior femoral shaft where measured on a small sample of an archaeological population from Poulton, Cheshire, along with the maximum femur len gth for each sample. Simple linear regression analysis was performed and the results showed that the minimum transverse femoral shaft diameter correlated significantly in both males (R2=. 635, p=0. 006) and females (R2=0. 8, p=? 0. 001) with maximum femur length. The minimum anterior-posterior femoral shaft diameter showed no significant correlation with maximum femur length. Subsequently, regression equations were presented for the significant correlations. Further research is needed to validate the results and to improve the accuracy of the method. 1. Introduction The role of a forensic anthropologist in forensic and archaeological cases is to establish demographics (population affinity, age, sex and stature), time since death and cause of death from an individual’s remains (Chibba et al, 2006).The use of stature as a biological characteristic of identity can significantly contribute to the identification of unknown skeletal remains. Numerous areas of the skeleton have been used to try and determine an individual’s living height such as the upper limb bones (Rao et al. 1989), lower limb bones (Trotter and Gleeson, 1952), the metatarsals (Cordiero et al, 2009) and the skull (Ryan and Bidmos, 2007). Hauser et al. (2005) provide a good review of the past research in the area of stature estimation. One of the methods used in the estimation of stature is the formulation of regression equations from measurements of various bone lengths.Pearson (1899) was the first to derive regression equations for estimating stature, and since then it has grown to be the method of choice among most anthropologists. Many of the methods used to approximate stature require complete or near complete bones, so consequently few studies have been done on incomplete or fragmentary bones (Bidmos, 2008). Forensic anthropologists are often confronted with fragmented bones and in these cases it is impossible to derive regression equations directly from bone length (Rao et al. 9 89). Wright and Vasquez (2003) state the problems they faced in Guatemala in which they were often unable to estimate stature from bone length due to the rapid deterioration of bone in the tropical environment. This is only one of many factors that lead to the all too frequent recovery of broken or fragmented remains. Therefore it is beneficial to have equations available for bone length or stature derived from measurements of smaller segments or landmarks on the chosen bone.The femur is the favoured bone of use among anthropologists in estimating stature, due to its high correlation with height in addition to the fact that it is one of bones most often recovered (Simmons et al. 1990). A number of measurements of the femur have already been reported to have good correlations with femur length. Many of these measurements focus on the proximal and distal ends of the femur such as the upper epicondylar length, epicondylar breath, vertical neck diameter and the bicondylar breathe (Braue r, 1988), yet few have focused on measurements of the femoral shaft.This pilot study looks to test the validity of 2 measurements from the femoral shaft as predictors of maximum femoral length. The points of reference chose on the femur are the minimum transverse femoral shaft diameter (TRD) and the minimum anterior-posterior diameter (APD) of the femoral shaft. The samples being used are that of an archaeological population recovered from a medieval cemetery in Poulton, Cheshire. The aim is to use linear regression analysis to test the assumption that there is a significant correlation between these measurements and the maximum femoral length.A further aim is to produce regression equations that can be used on other skeletal remains from the Poulton collection for estimating maximum femur length. 2. Materials and Methods 2. 1 Samples The samples used in this study were obtained from the Poulton collection housed at Liverpool John Morres University. Due to the small size of the coll ection at present and the poor condition of some of the bones, a total number of 18 left sided femora were selected for use in the study. These femora were chosen on the basis of completeness and measurability.All the samples were obtained from adults skeletal remains and the number of male and females femora was 10 and 8 respectively. 2. 2 Measurements The following 3 measurements were taken on each of the 18 samples: i. Maximum length of the femur (MAXL) ii. Minimum anterior-posterior femoral shaft diameter (APD) iii. Minimum transverse femoral shaft diameter (TRD) The MAXL measurement was taken as described by Brauer (1988). The APD and TRD measurements were taken as described by Ziylin and Mursid (2002). The MAXL was measured using an osteometric board.The APD and TRD were measured using a sliding callipers with an accuracy of 0. 1 mm. Linear regression analysis was carried using the SPSS statistic program to see if any correlation existed between the measurements taken of the f emoral shaft (APD and TRD) and the maximum length of the femur. All analysis was carried out separately for males and females on the advice of Trotter and Gleser (1952) who state the specificity of such measurements in relation to sex. 3. Results The descriptive statistics for males and females are shown in Table 1. Males showed the highest mean values of each of the 3 measurements taken.Males also showed the higher standard deviations in respect to MAXL and APD, with females showing a higher standard deviation for TRD. Table 1 Descriptive statistics for measurements of male and female left femora. All descriptive values are given in mm. Measurements| Male| Female| | N| Mean| Std. dev| N| Mean | Std. dev| MAXL| 10| 466. 60| 16. 965| 8| 429. 13| 11. 643| TRD| 10| 27. 910| 1. 365| 8| 24. 725| 1. 752| APD| 10| 28. 190| 2. 497| 8| 27. 138| 1. 840| Table 2 shows the results of the linear regression analysis that was performed. Both APD and TRD were regressed against MAXL according to sex .The analysis showed that the variable APD showed no significant correlation to MAXL for males (R2=0. 154, P=0. 262) or females (R2=0. 044, P=0. 619). TRD provided more positive results showing a moderate significant correlation in respect to males (R2=0. 635, P=0. 006), and a strong significant correlation in respect to females (R2=0. 88, P=0. 01 (Table 2) and the standard error of the estimated being

Ecotourism in Ecuador

On behalf on the Quichua nation organisation I have been asked to write a report on whether ecotourism is the way forward for countries such as Ecuador. The Quichua people are a native group who live in Napo. In this report I will look at whether Commercial tourism or ecotourism would be best for Napo. Commercial tourism is the traditional tourism that the western world knows. Ecotourism is a way of travelling while improving the welfare of the local people. Ecuador is a republic in north-western South America. It has an area of 272,045 sq km which is roughly the same as the United Kingdom. Ecuador has a pollution of 11 million with a growth rate of 3% per year. It has a diverse population composed of people of European, Native American and African descent. The main language spoken is Spanish but many Indian languages are also spoken. Most Native Americans in Ecuador have become converts to the Roman Catholic faith. Agriculture dominated the economy of Ecuador until the 1970s, when the discovery of petroleum deposits brought added income to the nation. The influx of cash resulted in price increases for many goods and because Ecuador had a limited manufacturing base, people spent the new oil money on goods imported from abroad, therefore increasing Ecuador's foreign debt. Ecuador is a developing and poverty stricken country. There is only one nurse per 2,320 patients which does not help the child mortality rate at 82 deaths per 1000 births. Only 44% of the rural population have access to safe drinking water and the GNP is $1000. Ecuador would benefit from attracting tourists because it would bring money into the country, improving the quality of life. As Ecuador is an LEDC (Less Economically Developed Country), tourism may be its last option and a quick way of bringing money into the country. Commercial Tourism LEDCs promote tourism because it is a very large source of money. LEDCs that do not have any other sources of money coming into the country can turn to tourism for a reliable and steady income unlike farming and other sources which are unreliable. Tourism brings much needed money into the country to help with clean water, electricity, health care, schooling and housing. Tourism creates direct employment at hotels, bars and shops and it creates indirect employment, for example the local farmers growing produce for nearby hotels. Local people would be able to produce and sell their souvenirs to tourists opening up the souvenir trade. Local unskilled people would be trained to work in hotels, and as tour guides. Commercial tourism creates many more jobs than ecotourism due to the number of facilities and hotels and because of this unemployment in the region would be very low. Tourism encourages overseas investment into airports and roads, improving transport systems. This would then encourage more tourists to come to that country. The profit and improvements made from tourism would stop migration of people from the country as there would be many jobs available and an incentive to stay. Tourism can have very positive effects on a country while at the same time ruining the culture, traditions and lives of native people. The sight of hotels and planes can spoil the appearance of the once untouched surroundings creating air and noise pollution. Usually only between 10 and 20% of all profits made stays in the country. As most hotels are foreign owned and most tourists spend their money in the hotels all of the profits go out of the country. As the tourism industry is seasonal, people may not be earning an income for some parts of the year. As the hotels are foreign owned most of the high paid jobs for example ‘manager' would be filled by foreign people. The money earned by these people would not stay in the country. Local craft industries would be destroyed due to the need for mass produced cheap souvenirs unlike their hand made quality pieces. Foreign companies may seize the souvenir monopoly by selling very cheap mass produced goods. Again this profit would be leaving the country. The farming economy is damaged as land is sold off to developers to build hotels. The hotels would prefer to buy food from overseas as the food grown in Ecuador would not meet the demands of European style foods for the tourists. All the new facilities, for example, airports and other transport services would not benefit the native people as they could not afford to use them. The borrowed money from overseas would increase the country's national debt which would not help the overall economy. Tourists expect unlimited water supplies into hotels and attractions. Their supply is ten times greater than the local people's demand. This could cause water shortages for local people's domestic and farmland use. If farmers do not have enough water to grow their crops, they could lose their entire harvest for the year which can have devastating effects. Local cultures and traditions can be destroyed by the new problems that are only due to tourism for example crime, prostitution and drugs. This is because they have never before had any contact from the western world. Tourists do not have any respect for the local people's customs and beliefs by walking into mosques and temples inappropriately dressed. The building of hotels, airports and other facilities means local people lose their homes, land and traditional means of livelihood. For example fishermen are no longer able to fish, because overseas companies have closed off parts of the beach and sea to only allow their hotel customers to use it. There can also be many risks in commercial tourism. Commercial tourism can be greatly affected by political events such as terrorism. Tourism trends can change. Places where tourists used to go can become unwanted travel destinations, leaving many people unemployed. People are unemployed, as businesses have failed as there are not any customers. This can have a great effect on a country's economic structure. The people who would be in favour of this type of tourism would be overseas companies who want to invest in LEDCs. The land in LEDCs is very cheap so it would not cost companies that much to build hotels. These companies could then discriminate employees by paying them a very low wage and charging tourists a lot to stay in them. They also know that there is a large willing workforce to use and would be able to take advantage of this. Overseas tour operators would prefer commercial tourism as it attracts many more tourists. Tour operators would make more money from selling commercial holidays rather than eco holidays. Local businesses would also like commercial tourism as it brings more customers, along with good transport links such as, roads, trains and airports. This also opens up the rest of the world to businesses who want to export goods internationally. Local farmers may also be in favour of commercial tourism as it opens up a large market to sell their produce. The people who would be opposed to this tourism would be local native people who would not want airports, roads and other facilities to ruin their culture and natural way of life. Commercial tourism creates a lot of jobs, but most of the profits go out of the country to large companies who own the hotels and other facilities. Their natural ways of life would be taken away by the invasion of foreign cultures and traditions. Local people who sell souvenirs would not like commercial tourism as this would bring in mass produced cheap souvenirs crushing the local people's businesses. Foreign companies would have more money to set up shops unlike local people attracting more customers. A lot of the money earned from commercial tourism would leave the country for large foreign companies and does not benefit everyone. People's cultures and traditions are ruined, and with that their jobs and lives. Below are some quotes from people who have been employed and disrupted by commercial tourism. â€Å"Commercial tourism has been in Napo for a long time but it's benefited only the tour companies and not us. It also brought crime into the area† â€Å"Commercial guides brought tourists to our villages and paid us hardly anything, not even enough for a bus fare to Tena. The tourists walked around our villages, into houses, and took photos without asking† â€Å"We want to continue existing according to our own culture and alongside our natural mother, the jungle† Ecotourism Ecotourism is a responsible type of travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people Ecotourism is a way of travelling while improving the welfare of the local people. This means that in ecotourism areas, there are not any hotels or airports that ruin the landscape. People stay in the same facilities as the local people. This means there is not air or noise pollution. All the income made by this type of tourism stays in the country with the local people helping towards schooling, clean water and healthcare. No money leaves the country to go to large overseas companies. Local craft industries can grow as there are not any large companies mass producing cheap souvenirs. People will pay for the time and effort that a local person has put into making that souvenir. No land is taken over for development of hotels and airports so farmland is not lost. No food is imported from abroad as all the food eaten by the tourists is locally grown. Ecotourism costs a lot less than commercial tourism so it does not increase national debt. Local cultures and traditions are not destroyed as local people are allowed to carry on living normally. The type of people going on eco holidays are not the same people who go on commercial holidays. This means that in eco areas, they will not get any drug abuse, prostitution or crime. The people who go on eco holidays respect the local people's ways of life, try and help the local people and will not try and get in their way. Farmers and people do not lose their land or houses to ecotourism or their traditional way of life as there are not any large companies taking over parts of land or beaches for foreign use only. The local people let tourists into their way of life instead of adapting to foreign ways. Also the local people and the environment is respected and cared for in ecotourism unlike commercial tourism. The disadvantages of ecotourism are that a lot less money is made from ecotourism than commercial tourism. As a lot less people go on eco holidays the countries get less money, but all the money is going straight to the local people instead of out of the country. Ecotourism does not create as much employment as commercial tourism as it is not on a large scale. It is based around the local people and not always for the tourist's benefit. Due to this there are not any attractions or many facilities which in commercial tourism would create a lot of jobs. The people who would be in favour for ecotourism are the Quichua people in Napo who would not want commercial tourism in their area. Here is a quote from the Quichua people about ecotourism: â€Å"Our way of life, traditions and culture are being preserved. Some people who left our village to find work are now returning to work in ecotourism. Our community is becoming stronger† They would not want commercial tourism as the hotels, airports, roads and other facilities would spoil the natural environment and ruin their cultures and natural ways of life. They would prefer ecotourism which would invite tourists into the area, generating money for the country without spoiling the natural environment or disturbing their native way of life. The Quichua people earn a living from making souvenirs and farming. With commercial tourism, their farmland would be taken away and their souvenir industries ruined. All the money created would stay in the country and be used directly to improve their way of life. Below are some quotes from people who have been employed and benefited from ecotourism. â€Å"We work as guides and decide who we invite to our village. We grow food and make handicraft to sell to the tourists† â€Å"The profits we earn from ecotourism are invested to improve our community, by building schools and a health centre for our children† â€Å"Now we can make a living preserving the forest and not destroying it† The people who would not be in favour of ecotourism are companies and businesses in Napo and Ecuador. Companies and businesses in Napo would prefer commercial tourism as it brings in more customers. Ecotourism has a lot less tourists entering the country which would not benefit them. Commercial tourism also brings good transport links such as airports, roads and trains unlike ecotourism. These transport links would create international customers, expanding the business and recovering Ecuador's debt. Ecotourism limits companies expanding by the low number of tourists and transport links. Local hunters and loggers in Napo may also be against ecotourism. This is because ecotourism enforces many rules on local people, preventing any more destruction of the rainforest. Hunters and loggers could be out of work and find it very hard to earn a living as they are unskilled in others areas of employment. Conclusion I have looked at Commercial Tourism and Ecotourism for possible tourism solutions in Napo on behalf of the Quichua people. Both have advantages and disadvantages but in my opinion the most important factors are preserving the Quichua culture and traditions, keeping the Quichua people happy. The advantages of ecotourism are, it protects the people's traditions and native ways of life, it helps the local people instead of using them, it creates money directly for the native people and is a more respective and friendly type of tourism. Although there are some advantages to Commercial tourism such as more customers, more money and more overseas investment, these things can sometimes be a disadvantage to the native people. Overall I would choose ecotourism for the Napo region as this type of tourism fills the needs of the Quichua people. I would also choose this type of tourism for LEDCs similar to Ecuador.

Huck Finns Journey to Morality essays

Huck Finns Journey to Morality essays Huckleberry Finns Journey to Morality In Mark Twains novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn we see through the eyes of a brilliant child, the prejudice world he lives in, and the reality that is thrown at him in his journey down the Mississippi River. He learns to see the true society he is a part of by encountering many different characters. These characters will unknowingly turn this innocent and perceptive young boy into a moral-based and caring young man. Miss Watson tries to show Huck the good of Christianity, while the King and Duke prove to him that there are always some people left in the world who are inhumane. With both of these influences, Hucks morals become as strong as they possibly can. He goes against society to save a man whom he never considered would be a friend for life. Huck is unable to grasp Miss Watsons religion. He does not care for the past and takes ...no stock in dead people(Twain 4). Miss Watson tells Huck that if he prays for something, he will get it. Huck tests the theory and is let down. He says, It warnt so. I tried it. Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. I tried for the hooks three times, but somehow I couldnt make it work (Twain 12). The hypocrisy is that Huck prays for the hooks, does not receive them, and wonders why. What he does not realize is that he cannot pretend to act like he understands the whole concept, and expect to receive the hooks. After Huck is taken by his father and escapes down the river, he gets hungry, and bread reaches him down the river. Huck thinks the bread is sent to him because of Miss Watsons prayers. He realizes he may not understand it all but says, ...theres something in it when a body like the widow or the parson prays, but it dont work for me, and I reckon it dont work for only just the ri ght kind(Twain 37). Continuing on his way with Jim, Huck ...

4 Successful Review Writers That Students Have to Look up to

4 Successful Review Writers That Students Have to Look up to 4 Successful Review Writers That Students Have to Look up to Throughout our lives, we find people who inspire us. Some of them help us work harder, some inspire us to make wise choices, and there are even some people who can inspire us to become better writers. Some of the best review writers are among those exalted few, and their works make us want to improve ourselves by bettering our writing abilities. Here are some of the best essay writers of all times and why they can make you want to become more amazing writers too. 1. Joan Didion Didion began her writing career when she was only five years old reminding us that we are never too young to begin. If you are new to Didion, a Year of Magical Thinking is a particularly good choice. If you have ever dismayed by the decay of morality and the decadence of culture, Didion knows what you’re thinking, and she’s written it down in sharp prose that pierces to the very heart. She once famously said â€Å"The willingness to accept responsibility for ones own life is the source from which self-respect springs.† Don’t make excuses for not moving forward with becoming a stronger writer; Didion wouldn’t approve. 2. Annie Dillard They have said, â€Å"write what you know† and Annie Dillard is a flawless example who follows that advice. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author is famous for her collected essays in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek in which she explores the beauty and horror of the natural world near her home in Roanoke, Virginia. She conveys a sense of unhurried wonder and discovery, which is difficult for experienced writers to maintain. If you have found yourself feeling jaded and struggling for the words to come, try to take a look at her essays and gain your own set of fresh eyes to view the world. 3. David Foster Wallace If you’re a bibliophile, it is possible that you already know and love David Foster Wallace. He’s fighting back against mental illness every day to keep writing down what’s the most important for him. He called writing both â€Å"nourishing and redemptive,† and although Wallace ultimately committed a suicide. His work lives on in his most famous 1000+ page stream-of-consciousness novel Infinite Jest. The chief book critic once said of him, â€Å"He can do sad, funny, silly, heartbreaking and absurd with equal ease; he can even do them all at once.† It is hard to come up with excuses about how a certain style of writing just does not suit you when you consider the odds, which Wallace was dealing with every day, and how he bravely overcame them. 4. Brian Doyle If you’ve never read the essayist Brian Doyle before, you’re in for a real treat. No other essayist so deftly can bring tears to your eyes or smiles to your faces. He is one moment dryly hysterical; next, he is delving into the beauty and tragedy of deepest sorrow. Perhaps, it is unrealistic to imagine that any of us could reach into someone’s heart and yank it right out of their chest with his piercing and perfect command of language, but it is certainly worth a lifetime of trying to get there. As we can see, there are a lot of review writers who had a lot of troubles to tackle, but still they coped with them. Thus, remember that there is nothing impossible, just believe and make some efforts.