Employee Empowerment Essay

Employee empowerment is one of the management practices in today’s corporate business environment. It is a habit of allocating ideas, profit, recognition and control the costs with employees. According to the management theory of Kanter, mentioned by Rodriguez (2011) that by sharing power it will not only improve personal job satisfaction but also benefit the organization as a whole. The involvement and participation will allow them to gain greater job satisfaction and more committed to the organization’s goal (Lashley 2001). However, this management style also has some drawbacks like all leadership styles. One of the most important benefits of employee empowerment is the improvement in productivity in an organization. Employees who are empowered are more dedicated to the organization because of their active engagement. They are more responsible for the outcomes of their action, and better able to achieve job demands in an effective manner. In fact, commitment, accounta bility and the intention of fulfilling job demands are the qualities of an empowered employee (Kelleher, 2013). A satisfied employee will do their job successfully and also meet their personal target. Furthermore their responsible actions will make the success for the company and fulfil mutual commitment. That means by meeting personal targets the organisations economy is also boosted (Watson 2012). Engaged employees are dedicated to their job and have enthusiasm about their responsibility that means they love to do their duty. Another benefit is that empowered employee can have a great contribution to reduce the costs for an organization.For example, when employees have the authority to deal with customer complaints when they occur, and have the freedom to suggest a solution to the problem, that makes the employees self sufficient. This is efficient as it has less reliance on higher management approval (The Saylor foundation 2014). As a result, the organization encourages the employees to think creatively and critically which will allow them to communicate with their colleagues regarding the related problems and share innovative ideas, so it can cuts the cost of training and any overhead costs in some cases (Lashley 2001). For instance, a problem which can be easily solved by an empo wered employee could in other circumstances end up in court or compensation which could cost a lot of money for the company. The efficient use of resources by the employees can also reduce the cost. Even so, the work environment has a significant effect on how effective the employees can use the resources (Lashley 2001). The  three main desired aspects of work environment are, namely: undisturbed environment, easy accessibility and sufficient appropriate equipment to perform their job. For instance, comparing to construction work where people need protective uniforms for their job, in business there must have a computer network with Wi-Fi. These will make the employees independent and maximize the productivity of the company. The employees fell valuable and important, so there will be long-term employees who are loyal to the organization and this will reducing employee turnover costs (Owen.et.al.2014). However, the three main areas of concern regarding employee empowerment are as follow. Firstly, in a time of changing ownership or uncertain situation, it could make the decision making process lengthy (HE ATHFIELD 2014) because the rules and regulations can be different from previous as either the new management is coming or the condition is unstable where company might close down. Secondly, it could drive to disorder because the empowered employees have different solutions (HEATHFIELD 2014) for the same problem which may breach conduct according to the company policy. Thirdly, by empowering the employees the private information of the company become unprotected, this could damage the company if exposes because of the personal greed of the employees (HAMLIN 2014) while the information might be valuable to the competitors or it can create embarrassment. Though there are some disadvantages of employee empowerment, the increasing productivity and cost effectiveness can make this management style desirable for employees to work and mangers to control. Throughout the following paragraph the roles of mangers in past and present , will be discussed and how modern managers can apply these roles to find a possible solution for the problems faced by empowered environment. The role of the manager varies from company to company and time to time. However, the main responsib ilities are planning, organising, delegating, observing and evaluating (MURRAY 2014). In the past, the traditional style of management was disciplined and strictly following a chain of command. It was driven by the power of order(Gollakota,2014),but it has been developed over time.The modern managers support empowerment because it develops product and services more effectively, increases the satisfaction with colleagues, and overall it leads to create a unique place of work with advanced performance capabilities. SOURCE By applying these management skills modern managers can be able to make solutions for the  problems of employee empowerment.Fon instance, in a case where the ownership due to change and the situation is unstable,the modern managers can assure the employees about management support to recover the difficulties.Also,the managers should be able to make an adjustment(Liraz,2014) about the changes so that the employees are always up to date with the situation and sufficient training has been given to manage the situation with confidence. In an empowered environment where the solutions from employees varies from customers to customers, a modern manager can be mor e communicative about sharing the innovative thoughts and ideas by organizing frequent staff meetings with feedback.As a result, the employees are known from their colleagues about all the possible solutions to complains made by customers and also customers will have a choice. Also, there will not have any misunderstanding between the customers about the received solution from a company.Furthermore,though it seems impossible to protect a company’s secret information modern managers can use their initiatives with the help of technology.Such as, a special type of software called â€Å"content management† allows the employees to access the data according to the length of employment, to add on, DLP-Data Loss Prevention can be used for inspecting sensitive outgoing data in a company’s network (FORD 2011). Overall, due to the protection of data managers can closely monitor the activities of the empowered employees and also can make a law which will not allow to bring the personal technologies at work so it could ensure the safety of company’s secret information. There are different ways of developing the employees. For example, Managers have to be passionate about their job (SCHAPPEL 2013) because if they do not show any attention or spirit, they will not be able to motivate the employees to contribute to the targets. Also, managers should always have appreciation for the employees so the employees feel they are valuable to the company.HEATHFIELD (2014) states, as an employee they wish respect and favour to support their thinking. So managers should give recognition for an achievement, but if employees are likely to follow a wrong direction managers can resolve that with a positive attitude. Furthermore, HEATHFIELD(2014) says, managers could involve the employees in the decision making.For example, promotions of new product, or improvement meetings, which will make them feel more involved than in their usual job responsibility.Furthermore Schappel (2013) emphasised on how the  mangers can make the work place comfortable for the employees t o work .After allocating the task managers can observe the progress, also give guidance and support if needed. The managers can share the target and forecast with the employees. As they could have a better idea not only to support and share the target but also a possible solution for overcoming any difficulties that could occur. Moreover, by sharing thoughts they can make it achievable as a team (HEATHFIELD 2014) (SCHAPPEL 2013). To empower the employees is not an easy task because it needs a atmosphere of belief and cooperation from the management of a company ( Quast,2011).Also management should have the practice of welcoming any failure from the employees so that the lessons will help others in future development. Employee empowerment is considered to be the best way to keep customers satisfied, because the employees have the authority to take a possible solution for a situation and their main priority to keep the customer satisfied 11 (Quast,2011).Though this management style can be time consuming for some organizations because of the traditional frame of management and also the dependenc e on managers for every instruction,however, the creativity, teamwork,communication and innovative ideas from an empowered employee can help to achieve success and challenges from competitors. No referencein conclusion Reference list: 1.RODRIGUEZ, P,F. , 2011. Management Theory of Rosabeth Moss Kanter: Understanding Kanter’s Change model to benefit your company [online]. [viewed 21 April 2011]. Available from: http://www.business.com/management/management-theory-of-rosabeth-moss-kanter/ 2.LASHLEY,C.2004.Empowerment.Burlington.Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann 3.Kelleher.B.2013.Who’s sinking your boat? [Online video].[Viewed 24 Aug 2014]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4nwoZ02AJM 4 Watson.K.,2012.How Employee Engagement Can Boost Profits[online].[viewed 23 march 2012].Available from: http://www.yoursmallbusiness.co.uk/how-employee-engagement-can-boost-profits.html 5. THE SAYLOR FOUNDATION.,The Benefits Of Empowering Employees [online].Available from: http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BUS208-5.2-The-Benefits-of-Empowering-Employees-FINAL.pdf 6 Owen E and Richason IV.2014. What Are the Benefits of Practicing Employee Involvement & Empowerment?[online]. Available from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-practicing-employee-involvement-empowerment-1842.html 7.Kristen Hamlin,2014.The Pro & Cons of Empowerment in an Organization.Available from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/pro-cons-empowerment-organization-13397.html 8. MURRY,A.2014. What do Managers do? (The wall street journal)[online](Europe Edition)Available from: http://guides.wsj.com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/what-do-managers-do/# 9. Gollakota.S.2014.Traditional Vs Mode rn Management – Matrix Organization [online].Available from: http://www.citehr.com/200930-traditional-vs-modern-management-matrix-organization.html 10. Liraz.M.2014. How To Develop A Strategic Plan.[Online].Available from: http://www.bizmove.com/general/m6c.htm 11.Ford,J.,2011.The Leaky Corporation.[Online].[Viewed 24th February].Available from: http://www.economist.com/node/18226961 12. Susan M. Heathfield(2014). Top 10 Principles of Employee Empowerment[online].Available from: http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementandleadership/tp/empowerment.htm 13. SCHAPPEL.C.2013. 7 actions that create more effective managers.[Online].[Accessed 24 December 2013]. Available from: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/12/24/7-actions-that-create-more-effective-managers/ 14.QUAST,L.2011. 6 Ways To Empower Others To Succeed. Online]. [Accessed:28 February 2011] .Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2011/02/28/6-ways-to-empower-others-to-succeed/ AUOBLC. 2012. Overview of Kanter’s Theory on Structural Empowerment [online]. Available from: http://structuralempowerment.weebly.com/kanters-theory.html FORD, J. 2011. The Leaky Corporation. [Online]. [Viewed 24th February]. Available from: http://www.economist.com/node/18226961 KELLEHER, B. 2013. Who’s sinking your boat? [Online video].[Viewed 24 Aug 2014]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4nwoZ02AJM LASHLEY, C . 2004. Empowerment.Burlington.Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann HEATHFIELD, S, M. 2014. Top 10 Principles of Employee Empowerment [online]. Available from: http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementandleadership/tp/empowerment.htm

Ancient Celtics essays

Ancient Celtics essays The Celtic peoples existence can be traced over more than twenty-five centuries. Celts occupied vast lands currently known as Eastern Europe, Greece, Northern Italy, Western Europe, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. By about 500 BC, the Celts had spread to France, Portugal, Spain, the British Isles, and Northern Italy. The history and literature of the non-literate culture was preserved through spoken tradition. The texts left by classical authors were the only written records of their civilization, the first of which appeared in 500 BC. These accounts, inaccurate as they may be, show that the Celts came into cultural contact, and sometimes competition, with the Romans and the Greeks. The Celts impressed the Greeks and Romans not only with their bold dress but also with their powerful appearance, particularly their tall stature. Ancient observers generally characterized them as people with fair hair, usually red or blonde, and light complexions. Most Celtic ladies usually towered over the average Roman citizen. Celtic women, upon maturing, caught on to braided hair, and colorful embroidered dresses were very popular. Plaids and wrapped woven cloaks were popular for women and men, and gold and silver toques, arm rills and rings decorated rich Celts. Gaelic men most likely spiked their hair and bleached it to a light blonde with chalky water, and had long beards, while the Bretons and Picts had blue tattoos on their arms and faces. Celtic art originated with sculpture making and carving and metal work. Coptic Christian Manuscripts later introduced knot works to Celtic art. It wasnt until the 15th century that the spinning wheel was invented. Before the spinning wheel was invented the only way was to use a distaff and spindle. The left hand held the distaff while the spindle was held in the right hand. Celts spun both wool and flax. Women always carried out the craft of spinning. To be...

Louis Armstrong Essay Example

Louis Armstrong Essay Example Louis Armstrong Paper Louis Armstrong Paper Ryan Au Duong Angulo ELA Honors 24, April 2012 Life of the King of Jazz â€Å"My whole musical success goes back to the time I was arrested†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Old 28). Louis Armstrong started off as a normal kid who lived in a poor family and environment, but ended up as one of the most influential entertainers in history all because of one mistake he made as a child, which changed his life. Louis Armstrong’s life was filled with events that built his musical skills, fame, and his well-being even though he did not start off very well. The environment he lived in as a child was not well suited and he had family problems.He was arrested as a child and was sent to the Home for Colored Waifs which made an enormous impact on his life (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). His fame and musical skills began to grow when he joined the Creole Jazz Band in his adulthood. He made recordings of his songs, which some of them became big hits, to expand his fame even more. Louis Armstrong’s chi ldhood was difficult, but made him what he was later in life. Louis was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). New Orleans was a poor city (Old 17). His father was Louis Daniel Armstrong and his mother was Mayann Armstrong.Louis also had a brother, William Armstrong, and a sister, Beatrice Armstrong (â€Å"Armstrong, Louis†). His father abandoned the family when Louis was just an infant (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). His mother had to turn to prostitution often to make money so she can support the family (â€Å"Louis Armstrong Biography†). The environment Louis had lived in had hookers, gangs, children playing on the streets, and musicians. He was surrounded by music when he was young (Old 16). He began to work for the Karnofsky family when he was seven years old (â€Å"Armstrong, Louis†).He also attended the Fisk School for Boys as a child. At the age of eleven on New Year’s Eve, Louis fired a gun which got hi m arrested (â€Å"Louis Armstrong Biography†). Who would have guessed that his arrest was the start of Louis Armstrong’s famous career? Louis was put in the Home for Colored Waifs where he fell in love with music and learned how to play a cornet from his music teacher, Peter Davis (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). As an adult Louis Armstrong’s life and fame improved dramatically. Armstrong cherished his memories from the Home for Colored Waifs (Old 27).He married Daisy parker from Gretna, Louisiana, but got divorced after a few years (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). He spent the rest of his life taking care of a mentally disabled child named Clarence, whose mother had died during child birth and whom Armstrong had adopted (â€Å"Louis Armstrong Biography†). In 1922, Joe Oliver invited Armstrong to the Creole Jazz band where Armstrong married the pianist Lil Hardin (â€Å"Armstrong, Louis† The). Oliver’s band was the most popular band in Chica go (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). Joe Oliver became Louis Armstrong’s mentor and gave him his first real cornet (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†).Armstrong eventually switched to the trumpet though and featured in extended trumpet solos in their performances (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). After 2 years, Armstrong left the Creole Jazz Band to join Fletcher Henderson’s band in 1924 (â€Å"Armstrong, Louis† The). Armstrong’s time with Fletcher Henderson’s band really expanded his music beyond traditional New Orleans style (â€Å"Armstrong, Louis†). Louis Armstrong played in Henderson’s band and on many recordings (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). He also became the ambassador for jazz (â€Å"Armstrong, Louis†). Eventually, Armstrong started his own band called the â€Å"Hot Five† for recording purposes only (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). Heebie Jeebies† was their first recording of scat singing (Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five†). Louis Armstrong recorded his last hit â€Å"What a Wonderful World† before he died of a heart attack in July 6, 1971 (â€Å"Louis Armstrong†). Among Louis Armstrong’s greatest contributions are his skills with the trumpet and cornet, and his idea for improvisation which changed the world of jazz. He made some great accomplishments in his life like joining Fletcher Henderson’s band, becoming the ambassador for jazz, starting the â€Å"Hot Five Band† and making recordings of his songs.The Creole Jazz Band really helped Armstrong’s fame grow because more people were able to listen to how he played on the cornet and trumpet. His greatest accomplishments were when he changed the course of jazz with the idea of improvisation and he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Louis Armstrong was very much appreciated by society in his days. People recognized him as the world’s greatest trumpet and cornet player in the early 1920’s and 1930’s (Armstrong, Louis† The). Louis Armstrong was one of the most famous and influential performers in the history of jazz (Armstrong, Louis† The).He was even awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his genius idea of improvisation (â€Å"Armstrong, Louis† The). Louis Armstrong is remembered because of his skills with the trumpet and cornet, and for his great idea of improvisation which changed the world of jazz. His accomplishments revolutionized the world of jazz and how people thought about jazz. He will always be remembered as the king of jazz. Getting arrested was the best mistake Louis Armstrong has ever made in his lifetime.

RATEOFDECOMPOSITIONOFHYDROGENPEROXIDE Lab Report

RATEOFDECOMPOSITIONOFHYDROGENPEROXIDE - Lab Report Example Therefore, hydrogen peroxide appears to exhibit a metastable characteristic in solution or its pure state (Egan and Nills, 2005). Oxygen evolution is rapid at room temperature and in concentrated solutions the released heat may increase the temperature so that an explosion occurs. On heating, hydrogen peroxide decomposes and it may be explosive. The stability of hydrogen peroxide at room temperature is attributed to the fact that the first step in its thermolysis involves the splitting of the molecule into hydroxide radicals whose formation demands much heat. Catalysts such as silver, gold, platinum, manganese dioxide act as heterogeneous catalysts whereas ions such as I-, IO-, OH-,Fe3+ or copper act as homogenous catalysts. Catalysis of hydrogen peroxide decomposition by iron ions is an important in redox catalysis. The steps in the process as demonstrated by Evgenil, Oleg and Gerts (2005), gives data on the mechanisms of redox catalysis. This decomposition is also important in processes in living organisms. The decomposition may be represented as below; 25 mL of the ten†volume hydrogen peroxide was dilute to about 200 ml with distilled water. A Dewar flask was rinsed with distilled water and then with a few mL of the dilute H2O2 solution. Hydrogen peroxide solution was added into the Dewar flask, and the solution temperature noted at a constant value. 10 ml of Fe3+(a) catalyst solution was added into the beaker while stirring gently. A stop watch was used to keep track of time. Thirty seconds after the addition of the catalyst, 10 mL aliquot of the reaction solution was pipetted and transferred into an Erlenmeyer flask containing 18 mL of 2 M H2SO4. The acid provides an acid medium for the titration and also quenches the decomposition reaction. 10 mL samples were draw from the reaction mixture at 5 min intervals and titrated with potassium permanganate. The titration reaction follows the

Knowledge Economy in The UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Knowledge Economy in The UK - Essay Example Knowledge as a 'product' has acquired many management executives to research it in a broad spectrum where its governance has become a major concern in building international strategy, innovation and performance. Knowledge as a 'tool' examines the outcomes of knowledge processes, and what we mean by knowledge economy is to make the best out of this 'tool'. Knowledge economy is a product of strategical organisational fields that possess the capability to fulfill human capital inputs by increasing number of technologies (Brusoni et al, 2001). At an institutional level knowledge economy defines various levels to which regional or organisational policies are shaped in context with economic regimes. With knowledge comes innovation and a knowledge-enabled organisational environment adopts and implements knowledge strategies and develops knowledge culture in order to sustain competitiveness in the long term. However, the extent to which a knowledge economy is possible depends upon the organisation's primary levels of knowledge and innovation it can sustain (Hyde & Mitchell, 2000). Under the heading of knowledge economy lies increasing competitive pressures which are the outcomes of deregulation and internalisation. Governing knowledge under strategic management has bee... of knowledge not limited in a specific cultural context, but entails cross-cultural origins where integrating effects within and between organisations are managed. Gratton et al (1999) suggests that various research measures on a knowledge economy are dependent upon the influences that are acquired through appropriate use of knowledge with expertise that brings credibility to the HR department (Gratton et al, 1999: 13). Strategic HRM Perspective of the Organisation The SHRM focuses on four main perspectives that question existence of the organisation for resource allocation, in-house limitations governed through market relations, internal organisation and labor markets and competitive advantage (Foss, 2005: 24-25). Though performance management (PM) initiates knowledge management (KM) by controlling and aligning the most competent individuals to deploy other workforce in the interests of organisations, but it follows some views to regulate performance. Firstly, it closely monitors employee performance and competencies to specify behaviors, skills and knowledge for employees. Then there are monitoring outputs that allows employers to decentralise control and finally there are high-velocity environments to assess employees contribution in various components of the PM system like goal setting, evaluation, training and development etc (Gratton et al, 1999: 61). The resource based perspective of SHRM is to visualise the capabilities of organisation in the light of a bundle of tangible and intangible resources required to sustain in the market competition. It is the management that analyses the accumulated stock of knowledge, skills and abilities that the organisation possess in terms of human resource (Mabey et al, 1998: 76). Since KM varies according to spatial

You may have to design an online form from scratch in the future Assignment

You may have to design an online form from scratch in the future - Assignment Example â€Å"Customizing the ribbon enables the developer to choose from a number of content control features such as plain text, drop-down list, combo box and date picker† (Shelly & Vermaat, 2012). Based on the type of data you wish to enter in the form, the desired content controls will be chosen and their properties changed to suit the needs and purpose of the design. To design content controls for entering names, it would be wise to choose plain text. This allows the end user enter text but may not allow formatting. The same applies to content controls for e-mails and phone numbers. However, the type of controls that would be used for department is a combo box. This is particularly important as it allows the user to select one item from a list of items. In this case, the user can only select one item because it may not be possible to be a member of two different departments. Content controls for gender may be a check box that allows one to check one of the items from the list given. Lastly, a date picker will be used for purposes of designing a place holder where the user will be able to choose the date through a direct interaction with the

First Tuesday Book Club Essay Example for Free

First Tuesday Book Club Essay The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ranks number two on a list of â€Å"Ten Aussie Books to Read Before You Die† voted for by viewers of the ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club. Discuss the Significant Features of the novel that have contributed to its success, analysing and evaluating their contribution. The novel, â€Å"The Book Thief† by Markus Zusak was first published in 2005. The story is set in Germany, 1939, the time of World War Two. Many significant characters are revealed though out the novel such as Death, Hans Hubermann, and Liesel Meminger. These characters are memorable as well as lovable, but also bring out the idea’s and style of the Novel. Death is one of the major characters in The Book Thief as not only does he give the book a certain style but also the book is set from his perspective. â€Å"It’s the story of one of those perpetual survivors.† (Markus 2005, p.6) Death is shown as impatient and spills in the beginning the main events in the book such as the bombing raid the takes place, the death of the American fighter pilot as well as the fate of important characters. Death even notices it and apologises. By him being exposed as impatient, Zusak has been able to use the literary style of foreshadowing. Markus Zusak mentions in one of his interviews, â€Å"I deliberately made Death let the plot out of the bag. It lends to the idea of his knowingness, and that he is not human. He does not function exactly how a human would in his story-telling There was also the idea that knowing what would happen in advance might soften the blow, and its also a challenge to myself.† (Little Willow 2006) Death uses colours to not only describe certain moments, but also the colour of the sky when people are dying. There are three moments in the book where Death comes across Liesel and he uses three colours to describe these moments, when her brother died it was white, â€Å"It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow.† (Markus 2005, p.7) When the American fighter pilot died it was black, â€Å"It was the darkest moment before the dawn.†(Markus 2005, p.10) There was the last time when he encountered Liesel, when the sky was red, â€Å"The sky was like soup boiling and stirring. In some places it was burnt.†(Markus 2005, p.13) the use of colours creates a style which sets the mood. Whether the mood should be silent, soft and still, or it should make you angry. Death isn’t given a gender in the the novel and although he has feelings, it gives the idea as well as shows he is not human. There are other ways that Death shows he is not human. He clearly states â€Å"I am haunted by humans† which separates him from humanity. â€Å"To prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it.† (Markus 2005, p.16) Death acknowledges the idea of whether humans are worth it. Throughout the Book Thief it is noticed that there are many characters that truely are worthy such as Hans and clearly Liesel. Death illustrates that through all the ugliness that is happening at that time, even though the story is set at the time of the Holocaust as well as World War Two, that there is beauty that shines. It makes a difference. â€Å" He had the ability to appear in the background He was always just there. Not noticeable There was most definitely a value in him† (Markus 2005, p.34) Hans wasn’t a main character within The Book Thief, but was an important character. He creates the love and joy within The Book Thief. â€Å"I nearly wrote you a reply and signed your mother’s name I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself.† Hans is a caring, and gentle. This stands out as the book thief has many sad moments by him being caring and gentle it gives you another view of what life was like in World War two as Hans is an average German man, but he disagrees with what is currently happening in Germany. â€Å"When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear notes.† Hans’s accordion was not only a symbol of his kindness, but also is a part of him. Markus Zusak has carefully placed this in the book by writing about Rosa clinging to it at night when Hans works for the military and Liesel mentioning that she sometimes imagines Hans as an accordion when he plays. Liesel is the main character who still finds happiness out of an awful situation. â€Å"The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing. There would be no limping prisoners, no need for consolation or worldly tricks to make us feel better.† (Markus 2005, p.521) Although at age 9 Liesel is illiterate she soon learns the power that words have to heal and save such as Liesel reading books to Frau Holtzapel to heal the pain she felt. â€Å"It’s the story of one of those perpetual survivors- an expert at being left behind.†(Markus 2005, p.6) Liesel is seen as a â€Å"perpetual survivor† because despite many people dying and all the suffering she manages to still have pure happiness. The style and ideas are shown through the characters and the book is unusual in so many ways as it tackles ideas most don’t want to think about such as the ugliness and beauty of humans and whether some deserve to live. It also shows the power humans have through words and what we believe in. It looks at a different perspective of death so instead of humans being afraid of death, Death is afraid of humans. It’s a sad, depressing story where many good characters die, but it shows lightness. Good people who stand out even if not important. The novel is beautifully written as it flows like a poem with such power. These are the significant features that have contributed to its success. Zusak, M 2005, The Book Thief, PanMacillan, Sydney. Little Willow 2006, ‘Interview: Markus Zusak’, Blog post, interview, 4 June, accessed 22 May 2013, .