The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1731 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Sleep Deprivation Essay Did you like this example? Sleep is an important biological necessity that all people need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It helps people work at an optimum level and is critical for brain functioning, helping with all the cognitive functions such as memory, learning, decision making, and critical thinking. This makes sleep extremely important for academic performance. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance" essay for you Create order However, research shows that not everyone is getting enough sleep to function properly, especially college students. Researchers state that sleep deprivation is one of the main reasons college students receive low academic scores aside from stress which contributes to sleep deprivation. The purpose of this research proposal is to examine what contributes to sleep deprivation and see how it then affects academic performance. The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance Sleep is a vital necessity for people to live a healthy lifestyle in which they can function well and think properly. It helps with memory consolidation, learning, decision-making, and critical thinking (Gilbert Weaver, 2010). Therefore, sleep deprivation is necessary for keeping these cognitive functions at an optimal level for performance wherever the person may be, whether it be at work, home, or even school. Unfortunately, not everyone receives adequate amounts of sleep in order to function properly throughout the day. These poor performances as a result of poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation is especially evident among college students. Since college students have such busy work, school, and social schedules to keep up with, their sleep cycles become negatively affected by it. They tend to have irregular sleep-cycles depending on the day of the week and report dissatisfaction with sleep as a result of poor sleep quality (Gilbert Weaver, 2010). Causes of Sleep Deprivation There are many causes as to why sleep deprivation occurs in college students. In a study done by Ahrberg and his colleagues (2012), they found that different modes of stress affect the circadian sleep rhythms of the students. OF these modes of stress, stress from work and school are the most prevalent. A working student can feel stress from going to school, then working to hard at their job, and then having to come home to do more schoolwork until the early hours of the day. Students who do not have a job may also feel the same stresses as working students if they spend too much time procrastinating and have to spend time working on schoolwork until the early morning as well. Ahrberg and his colleagues (2012) also state that as a result of sleeping this late, sleep deprivation acts as another stressor on the student. More causes of sleep deprivation as stated by Tsai and Li (2004), are gender and grade differences. In Tsai and Lis study, they found that female students tend to receive lesser sleep with poorer sleep quality and more awakenings in the middle of the night compared to male students. The male students would receive more sleep with better quality. This is because women went to bed later but rose earlier. According to Tsai and Li (2004), younger students such as college freshmen also tended to sleep less than college seniors no matter what their gender. This may be because of fewer workloads and the more relaxed attitude of college seniors since they have their life more balanced out as opposed to the incoming freshmen that are just trying to figure things out. The college freshmen may feel more stress as they try to balance having a social life and keeping up with their academics at the same time. As a result, sleep deprivation can be caused by both gender differences and grade differe nces. Sleep Deprivation and Academic Performance Many studies in the past have shown that sleep deprivation does correlate with poor academic performance because of lower abilities in cognition as a result of poor sleep quality. In the study done by Gilbert and Weaver (2010), the two researchers found that sleep loss interferes with a students academic, extracurricular and vocational choices. They also found that the amount of hours students sleep in a 24-hour period has greatly decreased over the years while sleep dissatisfaction has increased. Another study done by Medeiros and three other colleagues (2001), found a correlation between poor academic performances and sleep deprivation but in this study, they analyzed how irregular sleep cycles can be the result of different days of the week. For example, their participants tended to have prolonged sleep during the weekends because of their loss of sleep during the weekdays because of school (Medeiros et al., 2001). Since humans have the tendency to continue sleeping late as the re sult of their human circadian rhythm, sleep deprivation is further worsened (Medeiros et al., 2001). As stated before by Ahrberg and his colleagues (2012), stress can also worsen the desynchronization of circadian rhythms and make people moody and cause them to not be as alert as they should be. In a similar study done by Kelly, W. and two other colleagues (2001), they also found that sleep deprivation greatly affects a students ability to perform well in their classes. This is evident through the students GPAs. Kelly and colleagues reported that people who slept 9 hours or more in a 24-hour period had significantly higher GPAs than short sleepers who sleep 6 hours or less in a 24-hour period. These short sleepers also tended to show signs of anxiousness, were less creative, more neurotic, and more prone to hallucinate as well (Kelly, Kelly, Clanton, 2001). Hypothesis/Rationale The purpose of this research is to examine what contributes to sleep deprivation and see how it then affects academic performance. Past research has shown the effects of stress, gender, and grade differences on sleep deprivation. It would also be interesting to see if there are other factors that worsen sleep deprivation. Hypothesis: Participants who are female, have high amounts of stress, and are college freshmen are more likely to experience more sleep deprivation and as a result perform poorly academically. Method Participants The data will be collected from undergraduate psychology students at the California State University of Long Beach. The expected students ages would range between 18 and 23. Around 150 participants are expected to be selected through a cluster sampling procedure, where 75 participants would be males and 75 participants would be females. These students would be chosen in an introductory psychology class after taking a test. The participants would be asked to complete a survey regarding their sleep patterns, stress levels during the semester, pre-test, and post-test, and their academic performance such as GPA and how they perform in class. Materials and Measures Materials. Paper and pencils would be needed to distribute the surveys to the participants in the classroom. Measures. Demographics such as gender and grade level will be collected because past research has shown that females are more likely to become victims of poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation while it also depends on their grade level differences (Tsai Li, 2004). It would also be interesting to see whether or not ethnicity correlates with sleep deprivation in any way and how it affects their academic performance. For this experiment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) will be used to measure the subjective sleep quality in participants (Ahrberg, Dresler, Niedermaier, Steiger, Genzel, 2012). The 6-point Kunins faces scale will also be used to measure stress in the participants, along with a survey of five questions regarding their thoughts on their academic performance in the class. Procedure Before the day the survey will be taking place, the professor of the introduction to psychology class will be asked for permission to have the survey take place in their classroom after the students have completed one of the midterm exams for the class. After getting the professors consent to work in his classroom, a schedule would be set for the day the survey will take place. On the day of the survey, one of the researchers for this study will enter the classroom to greet the students before their midterm exam and to inform them of the survey that will be taking place after the exam if the students choose to participate. The participants would be informed by the researcher that the results would be confidential and anonymous, and if he or she feels the need to leave at any time during the survey they may do so without feeling uncomfortable in any way and without receiving any penalties. The students would be asked to stay behind after they have completed their exams to complete the survey. Once a student has completed his or her midterm exam, they student would bring up their exam to the front of the classroom to hand their exam in. Then the researcher supervising that classroom would hand the student a survey for them to complete if they choose to. On the first page of the survey, the participant would be given a consent form to read and sign regarding the experiment. After reading and signing the consent forms, he or she would understand that the experiment is investigating what causes sleep deprivation and how sleep deprivation affects academic performance. In the survey the participant would be asked a total of 18 questions regarding their sleep patterns, stress levels during the semester, pre-test, and post-test, and their academic performance. The first section of the survey, which would be a PSQI, would be made up of 10 questions related to sleep habits over a one-month period and includes subscales assessing sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep distur bances, and daytime-dysfunction (Ahrberg, Dresler, Niedermaier, Steiger, Genzel, 2012). This section should take about 5 minutes. The second section of the survey would consist of three of Kunins faces scale to measure stress levels during the semester, pre-test, and post-test. This section should take about 1 minute. The final section of the survey would consist of five questions asking about the participants academic performance. These questions would pertain to the participants GPA, their ability to focus in class, how they work with other students in the class, their ability to stay awake in class, and their overall mood during class. After completing the survey, the participant will be thanked for participating in the study and will be given a cup of coffee or hot chocolate as a reward and to keep them awake in the rest of their classes, and they will finally be dismissed. References Ahrberg, K., Dresler, M., Niedermaier, S., Steiger, A., Genzel, L. (2012). The interaction between sleep quality and academic performance. Journal of Psychiatric Research. Advance online publication. https://dx.doi.org.mcc1.ilbrary.csulb.edu/10.1016/j.jpsychires

Philosophy of Nursing - 1024 Words

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Satan The True Hero Of Paradise Lost Essay Paper Example For Students

Satan: The True Hero Of Paradise Lost Essay Paper The argument over who is the true protagonist of Paradise Lost, has been brewing for centuries. One would gather that Milton, a Puritan, would have no problem casting God as the hero, and Satan as the antagonist. But looking back in history, Milton saw that most epic heroes had conflicts that prevented them from accomplishing their goals. God and his Son have no conflict, and Adams story doesnt really begin until the Fall of Man. Therefore, Milton was forced to select Satan as the hero of Paradise Lost because he adheres to the guidelines of epic poetry set by Homer, Vergil and others. There many examples of how Milton uses and edits the tradition of these previous epics in the formation of the Devil as a hero. One of the most basic examples of heroism in epic poetry is the exhortation of the leader to his followers. In The Odyssey, Homer lets Odysseus give a speech that would convince anyone they could survive the journey to the Strait of Messina,Then we die with our eyes open , if we are going to die, or know what death we baffle if we can.(ln.1243-1245) After passing the Sirens, the ship approaches the Strait, and the crew sees the twin terrors of Scylla and Charybdis, they are mortified. Odysseus again lifts their spirits with this speech,Garcia 2Friends, have we ever been in danger before this? More fearsome, is it now, than when the Cyclops penned us in his cave? What power he had! Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits to find a way out for us? Heads up, lads! We must now obey orders as I give them.(1294-1302)Here Odysseus shows the true ability of a hero to lead in the face of adversity. Of course Odysseus had the assurance that he would survive the journey and his crew will not, but that does not stop him from leading them. In Paradise Lost, this device is used in the opening scene. After suffering a major defeat at the hands of the Almighty and his angels, Satan awakens in a lake of fire. He first speaks to Beelzebub, his second in command, telling him,All is not lost, the unconquerable Will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and courage never to submit or yield: and what else is not to be overcome? Since by Fate the strength of Gods and Empyreal substance cannot fail, Since though experience of this great event in Arms not worse, in foresight much advances, We may with more successful hope resolve to wage by force or guile eternal War irreconcilable, to our grand Foe, who now triumphs, and in thexcess of joy sole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heavn.(106-109,116-124) Beelzebub, perhaps showing signs of little faith in his leader (like Odysseus crew), raises some important questions. What if he our Conqueror, (whom I now of force believe Almighty, since no less than such could have oerpowrd such force as ours) have Garcia 3left us this our spirit and strength entire strongly to suffer and support our pains, that we may so suffice his vengeful ire, or do him mightier service as his thralls by right of War, whateer his business be, here in the heart of Hell to work in Fire, Or to do his errands in the gloomy Deep; What can it then avail though yet we feel Strength undiminisht, or eternal being to undergo eternal punishment?(143-155) Satan, as any good leader would, quickly allays his companions fear with more speech. During the speech, Satan casts doubts about Gods supremacy and boldly states that they are better off where they are, Here at least we shall be free Here we may reign secureBetter to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.(258-263) Beelzebub is taken aback by Satans words and awakens all of the fallen angels. Once Satan has their attention, he rouses thes e fallen angels with another speech, askingHow such united force of Gods, how such stood like these, could ever know repulse? For who can yet believe, though after loss, that all these puissant Legions, whose exile hath emptied Heavn, shall fail to re-ascend self-raised, and repossess their native seat.(629-634)Finally, at the end his speech, Satan sets them all on their course of conflict, Peace is despaired, for who can think of Submission? War then, War open or understood, must be resolved.(660-662) The fallen angels respond with a rowdy confirmation, waving their swords in the and hurling defiance at Heaven. .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b , .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .postImageUrl , .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b , .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b:hover , .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b:visited , .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b:active { border:0!important; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b:active , .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1fb277182558750587d3ac7a08a7522b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Woodrow Wilson Argumentative EssayMilton has given you Satan in the tradition of the epic hero. Even though he knows Satan is not the good-guy, he does possess some of the qualities of a hero. Garcia 4He is the pinnacle of the assembled crew, hailed even by enemies as the strongest of the lot. All the angels face a bad situation (exile in Hell) and yet Satan exhorts them all with a speech. He recounts how they survived some bad encounters in the past, and then says they will survive their present predicament. His speech also spurns the angels into some positive action. The action of war against God sets a task out in front of Satan. This quest allows Satan to fulfill anoth er quintessential element of the epic hero. In almost every epic ever written the hero has to overcome obstacles that stand in their way to complete their daunting task. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is away from his home 20 years, 10 fighting the Trojan War and another 10 years trying desperately to get back home. Odysseus quest or journey is to travel against the will of Poseidon to get back home to Ithaca. The invocation of the muses, describes most but not all of the trials and tribulations of Odysseus. Tell me the story of a man skilled in all ways of contending the wanderer, harried for years on end after he plundered the stronghold of Troy. He saw the townlands and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home. But not by will or valor could he save them(1-10)Odysseus obstacles can be traced back to a mistake he made when he blinded Polyphemos and let his pride get the best of him, announcing to the Cyclops his real name. This allowed Poseidon to enact Polyphemos wrath on Odysseus, vowing that he Garcia 5would never see his home again. But Odysseus does conquer those obstacles and finally makes it home. Satan can be said to have the same flaw as Odysseus. He, in part, is the cause of his own demise. Had Satan served God willfully, the war never would have raged in Heaven, and Satan and his Army never wouldve been thrown in the fiery pits of Hell. However, without that action Satan would not be a hero. His being in Hell leads to him realize his purpose, to corrupt the new type of being God has created on Earth. Satans journey can be said to be some of Miltons most original piece of writing, because nobody had ever written about Satans journey so intricately as Milton. To quote Isabel MacCaffrey,The voyage of Books II and III is Miltons greatest original creation. There was precedent for the journey motif in epic tradition, but no real parallel to a voyage by Satan in the Christian literature on which Milton drew.(29)Unlike most epic heroes, Satan does not necessarily come out on top at the end of his journey/quest. This is where many are quick to judge and point out that since Satan losses, he can not be an epic hero. Milton intended for Satan to lose, after all, the epic is based on the Bible and is meant to justify the ways of God to man.(26) Milton was merely explaining that Satan both won and lost. He won in the hero sense by completing his task of corrupting Adam Eve, which allowed Sin and Death to enter the world. But he lost in more ways than one. One of Miltons central themes is that God knows what Garcia 6Satan will do before he actually does it. This is where Miltons poetic side and his religious side clash. It creates a hypocritical division because Milton wants to show that God is All-Knowing(Satan is just hunk of mass with no free will) and that Satan is our epic hero(Satan is head the rebel angels). Satan also loses because of the fact that 1)due to his trickery he would be a snake forever and 2)The Son was going to come down to earth and die to save Adam Eve, so that Satans action would be eliminated. .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d , .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .postImageUrl , .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d , .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d:hover , .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d:visited , .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d:active { border:0!important; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d:active , .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u18f6d6088b5d923ac4fffb4c44e3f17d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How To Buy A Home EssayBreak down Paradise Lost to it bare bones, removing all religious overtones, and you have yourself an epic poem, plain and simple. The hero of this poem is a man named Satan who is banished for challenging the leadership of the clan. This man Satan makes a vow to destroy or corrupt anything created by the clan. This Satan was resourceful, making the best of what he had, very little, and accomplishing his goal. Satan may just be the nonconformist who couldnt abide by what was considered normal. In any case one must show their admiration for Satan in his unwillingness to serve in Heaven, and then in the way he accepted his resulting role in Hell.

American President free essay sample

The president plays a wide variety of key roles in this movie. He demonstrates legislative leadership by working to pass a crime bill. Another role he demonstrated is commander and chief when he gives the order to bomb Libya. The president also exercises his role as a foreign policy leader by having a dinner with the French president. During the movie, the presidential election is coming up soon, so the president attends fundraising parties, which is an example of political party leader. Interest group are groups of people with a common interest that seek to influence political leaders that affect laws. In the movie, the interest group GDC hires Sydney Ellen Wade to lobby the government for a reduction in fossil fuels by 20%. She does this by providing compelling statistics that may persuade congressmen and cabinet members towards increased regulation on fossil fuels. If successful, interest groups and lobbyist have a significant affect on the American culture. We will write a custom essay sample on American President or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the movie, the media plays an important role by exposing the president’s personal life. As the president starts to fall in love with Sydney, the opposing party uses this to hopefully gain votes. They do this by finding anything and everything that Sydney has done wrong in her life. After a few days of searching, they finally find Sydney taking part in a protest where she was caught burning an American Flag. The opposing political party exposes this to the media. The media makes it known to the public that Sydney committed such an act. Once the American people realize this, they change their opinion based on someone involved in his personal ife. As a result, the president’s popularity declines dramatically which affects his political influence. In movies such as The American President, aspects of our political system are depicted accurately. The president in the movie demonstrates many key roles of our president today. The GDC, an interest group, is trying to have legislators approve a bill in-favor of their beliefs. There is also the media that exposes the presid ent’s personal life to the public. All of these elements represent our modern political system.

Negative effects of putting up a home shelter in the neighborhood

The Rwandan Genocide essays

The Rwandan Genocide essays Sacrifice as Terror is witnessed from an anthropologist's perspective. This book, by Christopher C. Taylor, attempts to find reasoning for such a horrible consequence of genocide. He struggles to interpret the meaning of terror in another cultures eyes. What grounds could lead a culture to the genocide of another, especially two that are so relatively close? Taylor challenges this question by writing on his experiences during his two-year visit to (1993-1994) Rwanda. Genocide is not uncommon, he discovers. It is something that the Jews, Gypsies, and Bosnians have experienced. The author introduces the book by telling his personal experiences in efforts to share the terror that he encountered. After the introduction, in a non-biased fashion, Taylor is trying to capture and explain the concept of mass violence. The atrocities that took place during the Rwandan genocide showed how sacrifice and terror are culturally defined. This topic is appropriate because it helps gain insig ht of conflict within culture. This story of ethnic conflict begins with two small African countries of Rwanda and Burundi. About 80-85% were Hutu, 15-20% were Tutsi, and less than 1% were Twa. The Twa was the lowest class, and they were often short or stocky. Above the Twa were the Hutu. The Hutu were of mid-height and average weight. The reigning class was the Tutsi. The Tutsi were very tall, thin, and small featured. Taylor discusses the ideology of the Rwandan extremist, which is the 'Hamitic hypothesis.' The Hamatic Hypothesis, which was a European influence made way for radicals to create ethnic stereotypes. Hutu and the Tutsi began to conceive and carry out these thoughts. German Colonists decided to rule (Ruanda-Urundi) Rwanda and Burundi by means of the Tutsi. This went on for 20 years. The Europeans helped in the rise of the Tutsi. This oppressed the two lower classes, the Hutu and the Twa. The Hutu reformed their way of th...

The importance of car designing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The importance of car designing - Case Study Example The key problem underlying the dilemma that is facing the company is the possibility of being sued for not assuring the quality of its product, which subsequently led to the death of one of the users and the serious injury of two others in the accident. The stakeholders, in this case scenario, the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), owner of company, the mangers, Mr. I. M. Good, the Vice President of Car Engineering, and Mrs. Lovely. All these stakeholders are responsible for all the events leading to the accident that caused the death of the customer and the injury of her or his young boy. This means that a decision processes was missed or ignorantly assumed at a certain point through the production stage of the car, Zinger. I believe the utmost and dire sole responsibility of the company is to keep the customers satisfied and ensure their safety while using the product. All the information about the flaws of the car was kept under secrecy due to the need to earn revenue fast due to the increased competition kin the market. The stakeholders in the firm have a great social responsibility of maintain the company’s image regarding their professionalism and provision of quality products in the market. Their esteemed customers need to be well informed about the goods they use and be cautioned on any flaws that might hurt them physically. They should make this resolution even if the decision making would mean the recalling back of all the flawed cars from the car dealerships around the whole market. This will go a long way in ensuring and restoring their clients trust in the product. Otherwise, subsequent accidents would see the firm receiving multiple law suits for their flawed products, thus they would lose their esteemed clients, subsequently resulting to a lot of money spent in settling cases. The company should maintain a positive image with their clients. Advisable, the one ethical decision to be made would be to halt the selling of the Zinger car till a fur ther time after improvisation and repairs on the flaws. The sole and most viable decision that company should make is to halt the production of the car and work on its improvisation to prevent any further accidents that have led to fatalities. One would consider it moral to keep clients informed about the goods they use. They should do this even if it means that this will reduce their profit margin over some period of time. Earning customer trust is essential in maintaining a client base for future of the company. The effective management of the control process supports the system for the production of quality goods. The top managers in the organization, that is the CEO and the other board of governors and stakeholders need to be informed all the tasks carried out in the company. Essential information like the assumption made for the Zinger car should not have been ignored since the wrong decision made not to convey information appropriately led to the death of an individual. The ha stiness for the firm to seek approval of the car’s introduction to the market might cause a bad reputation for the company due to the faults that were not addressed during the production stage. The consequences of all these decisions are for the betterment of the firm’s reputation on the market. Well, if word gets out to its competitors about this flaw, then this would mean that their competitive edge is doomed since their rivals in the market would use this information for marketing and promotional market share competition. If they lost customers their profit margins might fall to even losses. Ultimately this leads to company fallout due to negligence of prior events that would have been prevented before product launch. Closing from

Aspects Of Connected Speech Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Aspects Of Connected Speech - Research Paper Example Preceding the conclusion, findings will be accrued in relation to the three particular characters providing the dialogues (Chapter 3), in an attempt to determine whether particular phonetic features and/or phonological rules pertain to each individual accent or whether the same occur across the connected speech of all three people. Hypothesis: it is expected that results will show similar occurrences in terms of pronunciation and phonological rules across all three characters. Apart from the fact that all three actors are of British descent this assertion is made on the basis that all three are portraying a British accent in a British movie, so it is to be expected that similar phonetic and phonological occurrences will be evident. Chapter 1: Simplification Assimilation An important aspect of connected speech is that of assimilation, wherein the articulation of words is altered in accordance with phonetic characteristics in their immediate environment; in other words sounds are influ enced by other immediate sounds and thus assimilated (Davenport & Hannahs, 2005, p.25). It largely depends upon context, with speakers who are speaking slowly and carefully using it less, and speakers who speak rapidly using it more (Roach, 1998, p.123), and is the reason why mechanized speech, where each word is recorded in isolation, does not work (Roach, 1998, p.123). Roach (1998, p.124) states there are two basic types of assimilation, namely progressive and regressive. Progressive assimilation is where the affected word comes after the word that affects it, as in ‘did you’ [did ju]; for example, in connected speech many speakers would assimilate the approximant /j/ with the alveolar /d/ and articulate it as [did?u] or [did] (Tyrode, 2008, p.2)....   An important aspect of connected speech is that of assimilation, wherein the articulation of words is altered in accordance with phonetic characteristics in their immediate environment; in other words, sounds are influenced by other immediate sounds and thus assimilated (Davenport & Hannahs, 2005, p.25).   It largely depends upon context, with speakers who are speaking slowly and carefully using it less, and speakers who speak rapidly using it more (Roach, 1998, p.123), and is the reason why mechanized speech, where each word is recorded in isolation, does not work   (Roach, 1998, p.123).   Roach (1998, p.124) states there are two basic types of assimilation, namely progressive and regressive.   Progressive assimilation is where the affected word comes after the word that affects it, as in ‘did you’ [did ju]; for example, in connected speech many speakers would assimilate the approximant /j/ with the alveolar /d/ and articulate it as [didÆ ·u] or [didÆ ·Ã‡ ] (Tyrode, 2008, p.2).  Regressive assimilation, on the other hand, is where the affected word precedes the word that affects it, as in ‘is she’, where in isolation the word ‘is’ ends with a voiced alveolar fricative /z/ [É ªz] not its voiceless counterpart.   In connected speech, however, the final articulation of ‘is' /z/ assimilates with the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ÊÆ'/ to and becomes devoiced [É ªs ÊÆ'i] (Tyrode, 2008, p.1).

Reason Behind Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reason Behind Democracy - Essay Example Human reason is central to humanity and people who believe in it also consider that it is critical in making rational decisions, where rationality is related to what is right. Milton believes in Reason that allows people to make rational choices (Lim 44). Human reason enables people to think in a moral, organized, and productive manner. Cicero highlights that speech makes relations among humans more â€Å"delightful† and that of writing enables â€Å"conversations to be carried on with people who were far away† geographically and in time (R III.3 qtd. in Hauben). Human reason guides communication processes and products, which is critical in forming understandings about the world and organizing themselves, so that they can attain common ends. Milton emphasizes the importance of Reason in making moral choices (Lim 44). Cicero argues too that common Reason allows each individual to scrutinize nature and come to comprehend what nature urges him/her to do (qtd. in Hauben). T hese understandings produce the Natural Law. Cicero calls it: â€Å"The highest reason, inherent in nature which enjoins what ought to be done and forbids the opposite† (L I.18 qtd. in Hauben). The Natural Law enables people to provide certainty and order in their lives. To follow natural law in one’s life is what Cicero refers to as justice and thus â€Å"justice comes from nature† (L I.33 qtd. in Hauben). He understands that corruption comes from â€Å"bad habits† and can be â€Å"so great that it extinguishes, so to speak, the sparks given by nature and allows

The Need for Change Management in Coca Cola

The Need for Change Management in Coca Cola The company was established by Dr. John Stith Pemberton -a local pharmacist in Atlanta on May 8, 1886. It was first sold in Jacobs pharmacy for 5 cents per glass. Initially, Coca-cola was sold as a drug for curing minor diseases like dyspepsia, morphine addiction, and headache. Asa Griggs Candler acquired a stake in Pembertons company in 1887 and incorporated it as the Coca-Cola Company in 1888. Now, Coco-cola is one of the largest manufacturer, distributer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. Coca Cola products bearing the companys trademark are now being sold in more than 200 countries around the world. The company owns or licence more than 450 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, enhanced waters, juice, teas, coffees, and energy and sports drinks. The company step on blending raw material, packaging in canisters and shipping the finished products to bottlers. The bottling partners of coco-cola range from international and publ icly traded business to small, family owned operations. The bottling partners hold 90,500 associates to carry on the product to more than 200 million customers. The company had introduced at least 29 new lines of products from October 2004-August 2007 alone In 2009, the company generated revenue of $31billion with $6.8 billion net income. This company has fully understands the importance of innovation in business is the Coca-Cola Company Introduction Change management is a continuous process and it is followed by many organisations on a routine basis (Schroeder and Self, 2008). This process aims at attaining successful strategies, manpower and process for an organisation. The management of an organisation usually goes for a change mainly because of its stiff competition in market due to globalisation factor, technological innovation and demographic trend. Quite few people disagree with the concept but few say that the organisation is performing well by managing the major changes inside the organisation. Greenwood Hinings, 1988 state that organization needs to survive and in order to do so they anticipate and adapt to these changes through strategies including organizational redesign. This adoption of strategies leads to the change in the culture of the organisation. (Schroeder and Self, 2008 cite Collins, 2001) stating that organizations which fail to adapt or do not respond to the changes required in a timely fashion are prone to the risk of losing their market share to competitors, the further implications could be that they might lose key employees or lose the support of the shareholders and in extreme situations even demise. They also outlined two major challenges that the organisations face. The first would be to recognize the need for change and the second which is more significant is how to deploy strategies formulated to implement the changes recognised. If the change implementation is planned properly, then the chances of the failures are reduced a lot and it could also prevent the aftermaths of the failed change process such as reduced employee morale or diminished commitment. Need for strategic change in an organisation Coco-cola Company is one of the popular manufacturer and distributor of Non-alcoholic beverages.   It operates in many parts of the world and provides services to different customers. Today, many companies are using new approach for their products to reach more target market and to ensure that they can survive with the globalisation challenge. For this, the company needs to develop a new change process for sustaining in world market and facing the stiff competitors. The current state of Coca Cola stores in Hong Kong is pretty good and it is still one of the top distributors of soft drinks in Hong Kong. However, if it will be compared to other Coca Cola convenience stores in the world the marketing, inventory, and performance of workforce is not equivalent to other Coca Cola company. For that, the company decides to increase the efficiency of the marketing and inventory, as well as the productiveness of workforce through implementing change management programmes for maintaining stan dards and sustaining in world market. If the changes are applied within the management then in future there would be an increase in the company output. Factors driving the change: The main aim of Coca-Cola is to meet and satisfy the needs of customers with excellent product manufacturing and distribution.   The change management of this company is very fragile since they predicted that there are some marketing challenges in the near future that they need to face.  In-order to access the changes in Coca-Cola Company, there should a concrete identification of issues attached with company. The radical change process will affect the employees and other stakeholders of Coca-Cola Company. Basically, the route of the change is towards the development of workforce and not on the services. Since, the company has already established a reputation of delivering good services in the market. The change is also about the possible financial problems that the company may face in the near future.   From this discussion, the following figure shows the force-field analysis of the change management procedures suggested to the application of change management within Coca Cola Company. Force-Field Analysis From this analysis, it is clearly seen that the computed forces to change is much higher compared to the forces against change.   Force-field analysis is one of the most important tools used in change management (Bass, I. 2009). Meaning to say, the plan is quite logical with respect to possible opposition.   Actually, change management is basically defined as the formulation and assimilation of change in a methodical process (Kotter, J. P., Schlesinger, L.A. 1979). Meaning, the major objective of change management which is the introduction of new systems in the work organisation therefore the change project is normal to companies engaged in change management. Similarly, this can be compared to the adoption of new marketing strategies. Businesses like Coca-Cola Company must normally undergo change in order to evolve to a higher level of for instance, stability, management or production. Coca- Cola Company always wanted to have an extreme development. The Chief Executive Officer o f Coca-Cola may include changing the companys mission, reforming business operations, application of new technologies, major group efforts, or adoption of new programs.   Usually, the organisation is encouraged on settling on change management due to external influences, usually termed as the environment (Nickols, 2004). Thus, change management can alternately be defined as the response of different business to changes brought about by environmental influences in which organisations have minimal or absolutely no control over. Perhaps the space between the new organisation design and implementing it into reality is the whole coverage of organisation change and development. However, certain skills must be present from the initiators of change so as to successfully implement their project. Thus, managers need to have the necessary abilities not only on detecting what needs to be changed but also how to introduce the change effectively. System to involve stake holders The change process are relied on the whole organisation, which means various parties likely affected by change involving the increase in efficiency of marketing and inventory, as well as the effective work-force of employees. Stakeholders pertain to the parties linked to the business firm who stand to experience benefits or adverse effects from the change (Friedmand, 2007, p. 172). Identifying the stakeholders and the respective interests is important to develop ways of wining over these various stakeholders who are likely to contribute to the success of the planned change. Determining stakeholders or the parties affected by the change together with the impact of the change to these parties is also important in prioritizing stakeholder interests as well as the resolution of issues faced by the stakeholders. (French Delahaye, 1996, p. 22) Involving stake holders in change management strategies There are a number of stakeholders in the planned change falling under either internal or external stakeholders. First is top management of the organization who decide on the change, direct strategy implementation, and carry accountability for the outcomes of the change. Second are middle managers who are minimal affected by the change and comprise implementers of the tasks constituting change. Third are employees also affected by the change and serve as the movers in process of change. These three stakeholders also constitute internal stakeholders as they form part of the organization and directly experience and participate in the change process. Fourth are bottlers associates of the company who could be affected by the change of product. Fifth are investors and investment parts providing capital needed in the change process. Sixth are customers for whom the change is directed and from whom the impact of change is assessed. These last three stakeholders comprise external stakeholders by not being part of the organization. These stakeholders influence the change indirectly but could influence the success of the change management activity. The most important tool is the analytical tool is the resource dependence theory (Frooman, 1999, p. 191) that classified the relationship between the firm and stakeholders into four types, which are 1) firm power, 2) high interdependence, 3) low interdependence, and 4) stakeholder power. The nature of the relationship determines the issues requiring resolution to manage effectively stakeholders. The core idea of this analytical tool is the recognition of the limited self-sufficiency of business firms so that they have to rely on their environment to address difficulties. Firm-Stakeholder Relationship Stakeholders Firm Power Middle Managers, Employees, Stakeholder Power Customers, Top Management High Interdependence Investors and Investment Parties Low Interdependence Suppliers The implementation of this analytical tool shows the stakeholder priority of the organization in achieving the planned change in the context of resource accumulation. Since the company has strong dependence on investors and investment parties as source of capital and investors also rely on the company to experience returns. This means that the company should develop mutual positive relationship with investors and investment parties. Since the power of stakeholder is high in the case of customers and top management, which means that the company should consider the important roles of top management in directing change policy and customers in justifying the area of change.    Resistance to change The main success of implementation the change is achieved by identifying and understanding the factors which block the implementation process. Kotter (1996, p. 3) described blocks as the entirety of the hindrances and issues experienced by business firms in the course of implementing change. The unaddressed resistance may lead to severe delays, accumulation of additional costs and even failure in implementing the change. Resistance finds explanation through the transition curve (Fisher, 2001). The resistance for establishing the changes in marketing, inventory and performance of personal in Coco-cola Hong-Kong will rely entirely on managers and employees of the organisation. It also restructures the organisation by making some changes in the management by removing some employees or position or by adding some more employees or reassignment employees. This situation builds up a fear in the minds of employees and managers. The change also includes in hiring new employees, which can be perceived as a threat by existing employees. In particular, there are many sources which could resist the planned change. The employees have some fear on their employment status if any changes are implemented. So, the initial response of employees will be on fighting against the change to prevent their actual positions. On the other hand, it can create a positive attitude on employees that the new change will secure their position after implementing the changes. Employees experience more safety by improving their skills and knowledge and in order to finish their work effectively. Still another is the different perspectives of managers and employees towards the purpose and impact of the planned change. The different in opinion could divide support for the change. Last is the adverse perception towards the change because of lack of consultation. The implementation of change without sufficient consultation, based on the perspective of managers and employees, could develop negative regard towards the change. Kotters model of change Kotters model provides eight reasons why process of change in an organization fails. It means that if these eight reasons for failure is removed or their impact is minimized a successful change process is possible. These eight steps can broadly divided into three categories as preparation (steps 1-4), action (steps 5-7) and grounding (step 8). So Kotters model can be used to assess the change process in Coco-cola Company: 1.) Establish a sense of urgency: The senior management of coco-cola realised that a change in their system of operations was necessary in order for them to grow in business. Hence the coco-cola Hong-Kong firm did not delay in addressing the issue and realised the need for technological innovation and new marketing strategies required in the company operations. These were the internal factors that the company was sorting out after reviewing the financial report of the convenience stores. All in all, it can be said that the sense of urgency was established. 2.) Form a powerful guiding coalition: The second step is to create a strong guiding coalition. The management of coco-cola formed a team of experts to help in guiding the change process of the management. 3.) Creating a vision: The expert team appointed by the management presented a new vision for favouring the success and growth of the organisation. They also suggested some strategies to achieve the vision on a short period of time. 4.) Communicating the Vision: The management created a vision for the change and it is very important for the company to communicate the vision to its employees. The company planned to increase the productiveness of work force. So, this may create a conflicts or misunderstanding between management and employees of the company in communicating vision. The top management should properly guide the employees in how to respond that change. 5.) Empowering others to act on the vision: In this step the Coco-cola management was completely failed because they didnt empower employees to implement that vision. Employees werent encouraged to take any risks without the approval of the management and they were not allowed to take decisions at their own. Even management never used to welcome any new ideas from the employees during the branch meetings. 6.) Planning for and creating short term wins: Here management needed to motivate its staff members by creating short-term targets for them with a degree of low failure. But this wasnt the case. There was no short-term win strategy planned by the management and it was more focused on achieving the yearly targets of profit. So employees were totally neglected in the change process and nothing was done to motivate them like salary increase, bonuses, etc 7.) Consolidating improvements and producing still more change: For implementation of new vision the top management needs to change the systems and policies of coco-cola which didnt support that change. But this wasnt done. The employees who were more responsible to implement change were neither promoted or the company didnt hire any additional people for carrying on the vision. Coco-cola tried to execute change with help of the existing employees 8.) Institutionalizing new approaches: Coco-cola had realised the need of new strategies to implement change and also introduced incentives for the employees who would implement the change successfully. The company also saw to it that they communicated what they wanted from the employees successfully through conferences, emails and meetings. Overcoming Resistance to change In change management, the resistance of employees in firm is usual expected. However, overcoming the resistance is important in order to implement the required changes in the management strategies. According to Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) there are six approaches that an organisation can use in dealing with the resistance by the workforce and these are: Education and Communication- In order to overcome the resistance in Coca-Cola the employees should be educated and informed regarding the changes within the company before implementation and also to prevent incorrect information that will surround the work area. Participation and Involvement- employees should be involved with planned changes in management programmes of the company because once they become involved the employees will not resist but instead will participate in the changes that will be undertaken. Facilitation and Support- Some employees will resist the changes because they are unable to adjust with the new programmes implemented by the management to avoid resistance the management must support the employees that are having a hard time with the changes, establishing a support system will help and assist the employees to adjust quickly. Negotiation and Agreement- Coca-Cola should talk and negotiate with employees, and during the talks the management must discuss the incentives they will receive once they accepted the changes in the management strategies. Manipulation and Co-option- if the other approaches didnt work inviting the union leader to participate and be a representation in the change process will aid in overcoming the resistance to change. Explicit and Implicit Coercion- if all approaches didnt work then the last step would be forcing them to accept the implemented changes and threaten them that if they will not comply the employees will lose their jobs.   Conclusion Change management is basically defined as the formulation and assimilation of change in a methodical process. The major objective of change management is the introduction of innovative means and systems in the work organisation. This can similarly be compared to the application of certain information technologies in the company or the adoption of new marketing strategies. Businesses must normally undergo change in order to evolve to a higher level of for instance, stability, management or production. Appointing a new head officer, for example, can greatly enhance his subordinates based on his management principles and personality.   From these discussions, we may conclude that change management is a process in which all companies undergo. This is an important procedure because it enables the organisation to make decisions that will be advantageous and beneficial to the company. In addition, organisations that are open to change are generally more successful compare to companies tha t resist it. In a globalise market, new technologies and procedure are emerging rapidly, in order to keep up with this progress a company must be willing to adapt to management changes. The international, as well as, the local market has a very stiff competition, therefore in order to be on top change management must be utilised by companies. Coca-Cola is one of the best examples of companies that utilised change management efficiently and have yielded positive results. The evidence is the dominance of Coca-Cola in the soft drink industry not just in Asia but all over the world.

Reasons to wear a seatbelt :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"August 2000, our family of six was on the way to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a wedding. It was a rainy day, and Gregg was not   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  familiar with the area. The car hit standing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  water in the high-way, and started hydro-planing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greg lost control of the car. Then, the car went   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  backwards down into a ditch and started sliding on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  its wheels sideways. After sliding for 100 feet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  or so, the car flipped, at least once. After   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  flipping, the car came to rest on its wheels, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the passenger window broke out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In the front seat was Gregg, driving, Sarah, in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the middle, and Robyn, on the passenger side. In   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the rear seat was Jeff, behind the driver, Haley,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  in the middle, and Rachel, on the passenger side.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EVERYONE was wearing their SEAT BELTS, as is our   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  family habit. EVERYONE walked away from this   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  accident with only bruises. The only blood was   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robyn had small nicks from glass in a couple of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  places on her right arm and right leg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"After being examined at the ER, we continued on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  to the wedding reception. Where, less than 3 hour   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  after this accident, Rachel, Jeff, Sarah, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Haley were able to dance and have a great time!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If they had not been wearing their seat belts,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  they could have been dead. So Please Buckle Up   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  your Seat Belts every time you get in the car!† (www.geocities.com/gargn6/seatbelts.html?200522).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This woman’s story may not be one that will ever happen to many people, but if it did a seatbelt is one of the only defenses one has against it. A seatbelt is not a new development and seatbelt laws are not new either and refusing to wear a seatbelt is disregard for the law and one’s own safety. Everyone has to wear a seatbelt, no one is picked, and people from celebrities down to a common sixteen-year-old driver have to wear one. No one is exempt from the law and no one should be aloud to break it. It’s not hard to do and shouldn’t be hard to remember because all it takes is a click and even though some have come up with many reasons not to wear them the benefits of wearing a seatbelt outweigh the disadvantages by far.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people may choose not to wear a seatbelt because they don’t understand how and why they work. To begin with seatbelts are the first line of defense one has against an injury in a crash.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 21-23

CHAPTER 21 The Mona Lisa. For an instant, standing in the exit stairwell, Sophie forgot all about trying to leave the Louvre. Her shock over the anagram was matched only by her embarrassment at not having deciphered the message herself. Sophie's expertise in complex cryptanalysis had caused her to overlook simplistic word games, and yet she knew she should have seen it. After all, she was no stranger to anagrams – especially in English. When she was young, often her grandfather would use anagram games to hone her English spelling. Once he had written the English word† planets† and told Sophie that an astonishing sixty-two other English words of varying lengths could be formed using those same letters. Sophie had spent three days with an English dictionary until she found them all. â€Å"I can't imagine,† Langdon said, staring at the printout,† how your grandfather created such an intricate anagram in the minutes before he died.† Sophie knew the explanation, and the realization made her feel even worse. I should have seen this!She now recalled that her grandfather – a wordplay aficionado and art lover – had entertained himself as a young man by creating anagrams of famous works of art. In fact, one of his anagrams had gotten him in trouble once when Sophie was a little girl. While being interviewed by an American art magazine, Sauniere had expressed his distaste for the modernist Cubist movement by noting that Picasso's masterpiece Les Demoiselles d'Avignon was a perfect anagram of vile meaningless doodles.Picasso fans were not amused. â€Å"My grandfather probably created this Mona Lisa anagram long ago,† Sophie said, glancing up at Langdon. And tonight he was forced to use it as a makeshift code.Her grandfather's voice had called out from beyond with chilling precision. Leonardo Da Vinci! The Mona Lisa!Why his final words to her referenced the famous painting, Sophie had no idea, but she could think of only one possibility. A disturbing one. Those were not his final words†¦ . Was she supposed to visit the Mona Lisa? Had her grandfather left her a message there? The idea seemed perfectly plausible. After all, the famous painting hung in the Salle des Etats – a private viewing chamber accessible only from the Grand Gallery. In fact, Sophie now realized, the doors that opened into the chamber were situated only twenty meters from where her grandfather had been found dead. He easily could have visited the Mona Lisa before he died. Sophie gazed back up the emergency stairwell and felt torn. She knew she should usher Langdon from the museum immediately, and yet instinct urged her to the contrary. As Sophie recalled her first childhood visit to the Denon Wing, she realized that if her grandfather had a secret to tell her, few places on earth made a more apt rendezvous than Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. â€Å"She's just a little bit farther,† her grandfather had whispered, clutching Sophie's tiny hand as he led her through the deserted museum after hours. Sophie was six years old. She felt small and insignificant as she gazed up at the enormous ceilings and down at the dizzying floor. The empty museum frightened her, although she was not about to let her grandfather know that. She set her jaw firmly and let go of his hand. â€Å"Up ahead is the Salle des Etats,† her grandfather said as they approached the Louvre's most famous room. Despite her grandfather's obvious excitement, Sophie wanted to go home. She had seen pictures of the Mona Lisa in books and didn't like it at all. She couldn't understand why everyone made such a fuss. â€Å"C'est ennuyeux,† Sophie grumbled. â€Å"Boring,† he corrected. â€Å"French at school. English at home.† â€Å"Le Louvre, c'est pas chez moi!† she challenged. He gave her a tired laugh. â€Å"Right you are. Then let's speak English just for fun.† Sophie pouted and kept walking. As they entered the Salle des Etats, her eyes scanned the narrow room and settled on the obvious spot of honor – the center of the right-hand wall, where a lone portrait hung behind a protective Plexiglas wall. Her grandfather paused in the doorway and motioned toward the painting. â€Å"Go ahead, Sophie. Not many people get a chance to visit her alone.† Swallowing her apprehension, Sophie moved slowly across the room. After everything she'd heard about the Mona Lisa, she felt as if she were approaching royalty. Arriving in front of the protective Plexiglas, Sophie held her breath and looked up, taking it in all at once. Sophie was not sure what she had expected to feel, but it most certainly was not this. No jolt of amazement. No instant of wonder. The famous face looked as it did in books. She stood in silence for what felt like forever, waiting for something to happen. â€Å"So what do you think?† her grandfather whispered, arriving behind her. â€Å"Beautiful, yes?† â€Å"She's too little.† Sauniere smiled. â€Å"You're little and you're beautiful.† I am not beautiful, she thought. Sophie hated her red hair and freckles, and she was bigger than all the boys in her class. She looked back at the Mona Lisa and shook her head. â€Å"She's even worse than in the books. Her face is†¦ brumeux.† â€Å"Foggy,† her grandfather tutored. â€Å"Foggy,† Sophie repeated, knowing the conversation would not continue until she repeated her new vocabulary word. â€Å"That's called the sfumato style of painting,† he told her,† and it's very hard to do. Leonardo Da Vinci was better at it than anyone.† Sophie still didn't like the painting. â€Å"She looks like she knows something†¦ like when kids at school have a secret.† Her grandfather laughed. â€Å"That's part of why she is so famous. People like to guess why she is smiling.† â€Å"Do you know why she's smiling?† â€Å"Maybe.† Her grandfather winked. â€Å"Someday I'll tell you all about it.† Sophie stamped her foot. â€Å"I told you I don't like secrets!† â€Å"Princess,† he smiled. â€Å"Life is filled with secrets. You can't learn them all at once.† â€Å"I'm going back up,† Sophie declared, her voice hollow in the stairwell. â€Å"To the Mona Lisa?† Langdon recoiled. â€Å"Now?† Sophie considered the risk. â€Å"I'm not a murder suspect. I'll take my chances. I need to understand what my grandfather was trying to tell me.† â€Å"What about the embassy?† Sophie felt guilty turning Langdon into a fugitive only to abandon him, but she saw no other option. She pointed down the stairs to a metal door. â€Å"Go through that door, and follow the illuminated exit signs. My grandfather used to bring me down here. The signs will lead you to a security turnstile. It's monodirectional and opens out.† She handed Langdon her car keys. â€Å"Mine is the red SmartCar in the employee lot. Directly outside this bulkhead. Do you know how to get to the embassy?† Langdon nodded, eyeing the keys in his hand. â€Å"Listen,† Sophie said, her voice softening. â€Å"I think my grandfather may have left me a message at the Mona Lisa – some kind of clue as to who killed him. Or why I'm in danger.† Or what happenedto my family. â€Å"I have to go see.† â€Å"But if he wanted to tell you why you were in danger, why wouldn't he simply write it on the floor where he died? Why this complicated word game?† â€Å"Whatever my grandfather was trying to tell me, I don't think he wanted anyone else to hear it. Not even the police.† Clearly, her grandfather had done everything in his power to send a confidential transmission directly to her.He had written it in code, included her secret initials, and told her to find Robert Langdon – a wise command, considering the American symbologist had deciphered his code. â€Å"As strange as it may sound,† Sophie said,† I think he wants me to get to the Mona Lisabefore anyone else does.† â€Å"I'll come.† â€Å"No! We don't know how long the Grand Gallery will stay empty. You have to go.† Langdon seemed hesitant, as if his own academic curiosity were threatening to override sound judgment and drag him back into Fache's hands. â€Å"Go. Now.† Sophie gave him a grateful smile. â€Å"I'll see you at the embassy, Mr. Langdon.† Langdon looked displeased. â€Å"I'll meet you there on one condition,† he replied, his voice stern. She paused, startled. â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"That you stop calling me Mr.Langdon.† Sophie detected the faint hint of a lopsided grin growing across Langdon's face, and she felt herself smile back. â€Å"Good luck, Robert.† When Langdon reached the landing at the bottom of the stairs, the unmistakable smell of linseed oil and plaster dust assaulted his nostrils. Ahead, an illuminated SORTIE/EXIT displayed an arrow pointing down a long corridor. Langdon stepped into the hallway. To the right gaped a murky restoration studio out of which peered an army of statues in various states of repair. To the left, Langdon saw a suite of studios that resembled Harvard art classrooms – rows of easels, paintings, palettes, framing tools – an art assembly line. As he moved down the hallway, Langdon wondered if at any moment he might awake with a start in his bed in Cambridge. The entire evening had felt like a bizarre dream. I'm about to dash out of the Louvre†¦a fugitive. Sauniere's clever anagrammatic message was still on his mind, and Langdon wondered what Sophie would find at the Mona Lisa†¦if anything. She had seemed certain her grandfather meant for her to visit the famous painting one more time. As plausible an interpretation as this seemed, Langdon felt haunted now by a troubling paradox. P. S. Find Robert Langdon. Sauniere had written Langdon's name on the floor, commanding Sophie to find him. But why? Merely so Langdon could help her break an anagram? It seemed quite unlikely. After all, Sauniere had no reason to think Langdon was especially skilled at anagrams. We've never even met.More important, Sophie had stated flat out that she should have broken the anagram on her own. It had been Sophie who spotted the Fibonacci sequence, and, no doubt, Sophie who, if given a little more time, would have deciphered the message with no help from Langdon. Sophie was supposed to break that anagram on her own.Langdon was suddenly feeling more certain about this, and yet the conclusion left an obvious gaping lapse in the logic of Sauniere's actions. Why me? Langdon wondered, heading down the hall. Why was Sauniere's dying wish that his estranged granddaughter find me? What is it that Sauniere thinks I know? With an unexpected jolt, Langdon stopped short. Eyes wide, he dug in his pocket and yanked out the computer printout. He stared at the last line of Sauniere's message. P. S. Find Robert Langdon. He fixated on two letters. P. S. In that instant, Langdon felt Sauniere's puzzling mix of symbolism fall into stark focus. Like a peal of thunder, a career's worth of symbology and history came crashing down around him. Everything Jacques Sauniere had done tonight suddenly made perfect sense. Langdon's thoughts raced as he tried to assemble the implications of what this all meant. Wheeling, he stared back in the direction from which he had come. Is there time? He knew it didn't matter. Without hesitation, Langdon broke into a sprint back toward the stairs. CHAPTER 22 Kneeling in the first pew, Silas pretended to pray as he scanned the layout of the sanctuary. Saint- Sulpice, like most churches, had been built in the shape of a giant Roman cross. Its long central section – the nave – led directly to the main altar, where it was transversely intersected by a shorter section, known as the transept. The intersection of nave and transept occurred directly beneath the main cupola and was considered the heart of the church†¦ her most sacred and mystical point. Not tonight, Silas thought. Saint-Sulpice hides her secrets elsewhere. Turning his head to the right, he gazed into the south transept, toward the open area of floor beyond the end of the pews, to the object his victims had described. There it is. Embedded in the gray granite floor, a thin polished strip of brass glistened in the stone†¦ a golden line slanting across the church's floor. The line bore graduated markings, like a ruler. It was a gnomon, Silas had been told, a pagan astronomical device like a sundial. Tourists, scientists, historians, and pagans from around the world came to Saint-Sulpice to gaze upon this famous line. The Rose Line. Slowly, Silas let his eyes trace the path of the brass strip as it made its way across the floor from his right to left, slanting in front of him at an awkward angle, entirely at odds with the symmetry of the church. Slicing across the main altar itself, the line looked to Silas like a slash wound across a beautiful face. The strip cleaved the communion rail in two and then crossed the entire width of the church, finally reaching the corner of the north transept, where it arrived at the base of a most unexpected structure. A colossal Egyptian obelisk. Here, the glistening Rose Line took a ninety-degree vertical turn and continued directly up the face of the obelisk itself, ascending thirty-three feet to the very tip of the pyramidical apex, where it finally ceased. The Rose Line, Silas thought. The brotherhood hid the keystone at the Rose Line. Earlier tonight, when Silas told the Teacher that the Priory keystone was hidden inside Saint- Sulpice, the Teacher had sounded doubtful. But when Silas added that the brothers had all given him a precise location, with relation to a brass line running through Saint-Sulpice, the Teacher had gasped with revelation. â€Å"You speak of the Rose Line!† The Teacher quickly told Silas of Saint-Sulpice's famed architectural oddity – a strip of brass that segmented the sanctuary on a perfect north-south axis. It was an ancient sundial of sorts, a vestige of the pagan temple that had once stood on this very spot. The sun's rays, shining through the oculus on the south wall, moved farther down the line every day, indicating the passage of time, from solstice to solstice. The north-south stripe had been known as the Rose Line. For centuries, the symbol of the Rose had been associated with maps and guiding souls in the proper direction. The Compass Rose – drawn on almost every map – indicated North, East, South, and West. Originally known as the Wind Rose, it denoted the directions of the thirty-two winds, blowing from the directions of eight major winds, eight half-winds, and sixteen quarter-winds. When diagrammed inside a circle, these thirty-two points of the compass perfectly resembled a traditional thirty-two petal rose bloom. To this day, the fundamental navigational tool was still known as a Compass Rose, its northernmost direction still marked by an arrowhead†¦ or, more commonly, the symbol of the fleur-de-lis. On a globe, a Rose Line – also called a meridian or longitude – was any imaginary line drawn from the North Pole to the South Pole. There were, of course, an infinite number of Rose Lines because every point on the globe could have a longitude drawn through it connecting north and south poles. The question for early navigators was which of these lines would be called the Rose Line – the zero longitude – the line from which all other longitudes on earth would be measured. Today that line was in Greenwich, England. But it had not always been. Long before the establishment of Greenwich as the prime meridian, the zero longitude of the entire world had passed directly through Paris, and through the Church of Saint-Sulpice. The brass marker in Saint-Sulpice was a memorial to the world's first prime meridian, and although Greenwich had stripped Paris of the honor in 1888, the original Rose Line was still visible today. â€Å"And so the legend is true,† the Teacher had told Silas. â€Å"The Priory keystone has been said to lie' beneath the Sign of the Rose.† Now, still on his knees in a pew, Silas glanced around the church and listened to make sure no one was there. For a moment, he thought he heard a rustling in the choir balcony. He turned and gazed up for several seconds. Nothing. I am alone. Standing now, he faced the altar and genuflected three times. Then he turned left and followed the brass line due north toward the obelisk. At that moment, at Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Rome, the jolt of tires hitting the runway startled Bishop Aringarosa from his slumber. I drifted off, he thought, impressed he was relaxed enough to sleep. â€Å"Benvenuto a Roma,†the intercom announced. Sitting up, Aringarosa straightened his black cassock and allowed himself a rare smile. This was one trip he had been happy to make. I have been on the defensive for too long.Tonight, however, the rules had changed. Only five months ago, Aringarosa had feared for the future of the Faith. Now, as if by the will of God, the solution had presented itself. Divine intervention. If all went as planned tonight in Paris, Aringarosa would soon be in possession of something that would make him the most powerful man in Christendom. CHAPTER 23 Sophie arrived breathless outside the large wooden doors of the Salle des Etats – the room that housed the Mona Lisa.Before entering, she gazed reluctantly farther down the hall, twenty yards or so, to the spot where her grandfather's body still lay under the spotlight. The remorse that gripped her was powerful and sudden, a deep sadness laced with guilt. The man had reached out to her so many times over the past ten years, and yet Sophie had remained immovable – leaving his letters and packages unopened in a bottom drawer and denying his efforts to see her. He lied to me! Kept appalling secrets! What was I supposed to do? And so she had blocked him out. Completely. Now her grandfather was dead, and he was talking to her from the grave. The Mona Lisa. She reached for the huge wooden doors, and pushed. The entryway yawned open. Sophie stood on the threshold a moment, scanning the large rectangular chamber beyond. It too was bathed in a soft red light. The Salle des Etats was one of this museum's rare culs-de-sac – a dead end and the only room off the middle of the Grand Gallery. This door, the chamber's sole point of entry, faced a dominating fifteen-foot Botticelli on the far wall. Beneath it, centered on the parquet floor, an immense octagonal viewing divan served as a welcome respite for thousands of visitors to rest their legs while they admired the Louvre's most valuable asset. Even before Sophie entered, though, she knew she was missing something. A black light.She gazed down the hall at her grandfather under the lights in the distance, surrounded by electronic gear. If he had written anything in here, he almost certainly would have written it with the watermark stylus. Taking a deep breath, Sophie hurried down to the well-lit crime scene. Unable to look at her grandfather, she focused solely on the PTS tools. Finding a small ultraviolet penlight, she slipped it in the pocket of her sweater and hurried back up the hallway toward the open doors of the Salle des Etats. Sophie turned the corner and stepped over the threshold. Her entrance, however, was met by an unexpected sound of muffled footsteps racing toward her from inside the chamber. There'ssomeone in here! A ghostly figure emerged suddenly from out of the reddish haze. Sophie jumped back. â€Å"There you are!† Langdon's hoarse whisper cut the air as his silhouette slid to a stop in front of her. Her relief was only momentary. â€Å"Robert, I told you to get out of here! If Fache – â€Å"Where were you?† â€Å"I had to get the black light,† she whispered, holding it up. â€Å"If my grandfather left me a message – â€Å"Sophie, listen.† Langdon caught his breath as his blue eyes held her firmly. â€Å"The letters P. S†¦ . do they mean anything else to you? Anything at all?† Afraid their voices might echo down the hall, Sophie pulled him into the Salle des Etats and closed the enormous twin doors silently, sealing them inside. â€Å"I told you, the initials mean Princess Sophie.† â€Å"I know, but did you ever see them anywhere else? Did your grandfather ever use P. S. in any other way? As a monogram, or maybe on stationery or a personal item?† The question startled her. How would Robert know that? Sophie had indeed seen the initials P. S. once before, in a kind of monogram. It was the day before her ninth birthday. She was secretly combing the house, searching for hidden birthday presents. Even then, she could not bear secrets kept from her. What did Grand-pere get for me this year? She dug through cupboards and drawers. Did he get me the doll I wanted? Where would he hide it? Finding nothing in the entire house, Sophie mustered the courage to sneak into her grandfather's bedroom. The room was off-limits to her, but her grandfather was downstairs asleep on the couch. I'll just take a fast peek! Tiptoeing across the creaky wood floor to his closet, Sophie peered on the shelves behind his clothing. Nothing. Next she looked under the bed. Still nothing. Moving to his bureau, she opened the drawers and one by one began pawing carefully through them. There must be something for me here! As she reached the bottom drawer, she still had not found any hint of a doll. Dejected, she opened the final drawer and pulled aside some black clothes she had never seen him wear. She was about to close the drawer when her eyes caught a glint of gold in the back of the drawer. It looked like a pocket watch chain, but she knew he didn't wear one. Her heart raced as she realized what it must be. A necklace! Sophie carefully pulled the chain from the drawer. To her surprise, on the end was a brilliant gold key. Heavy and shimmering. Spellbound, she held it up. It looked like no key she had ever seen. Most keys were flat with jagged teeth, but this one had a triangular column with little pockmarks all over it. Its large golden head was in the shape of a cross, but not a normal cross. This was an even-armed one, like a plus sign. Embossed in the middle of the cross was a strange symbol – two letters intertwined with some kind of flowery design. â€Å"P. S. ,† she whispered, scowling as she read the letters. Whatever could this be? â€Å"Sophie?† her grandfather spoke from the doorway. Startled, she spun, dropping the key on the floor with a loud clang. She stared down at the key, afraid to look up at her grandfather's face. â€Å"I†¦ was looking for my birthday present,† she said, hanging her head, knowing she had betrayed his trust. For what seemed like an eternity, her grandfather stood silently in the doorway. Finally, he let out a long troubled breath. â€Å"Pick up the key, Sophie.† Sophie retrieved the key. Her grandfather walked in. â€Å"Sophie, you need to respect other people's privacy.† Gently, he knelt down and took the key from her. â€Å"This key is very special. If you had lost it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her grandfather's quiet voice made Sophie feel even worse. â€Å"I'm sorry, Grand-pere.I really am.† She paused. â€Å"I thought it was a necklace for my birthday.† He gazed at her for several seconds. â€Å"I'll say this once more, Sophie, because it's important. You need to learn to respect other people's privacy.† â€Å"Yes, Grand-pere.† â€Å"We'll talk about this some other time. Right now, the garden needs to be weeded.† Sophie hurried outside to do her chores. The next morning, Sophie received no birthday present from her grandfather. She hadn't expected one, not after what she had done. But he didn't even wish her happy birthday all day. Sadly, she trudged up to bed that night. As she climbed in, though, she found a note card lying on her pillow. On the card was written a simple riddle. Even before she solved the riddle, she was smiling. I know what this is! Her grandfather had done this for her last Christmas morning. A treasure hunt! Eagerly, she pored over the riddle until she solved it. The solution pointed her to another part of the house, where she found another card and another riddle. She solved this one too, racing on to the next card. Running wildly, she darted back and forth across the house, from clue to clue, until at last she found a clue that directed her back to her own bedroom. Sophie dashed up the stairs, rushed into her room, and stopped in her tracks. There in the middle of the room sat a shining red bicycle with a ribbon tied to the handlebars. Sophie shrieked with delight. â€Å"I know you asked for a doll,† her grandfather said, smiling in the corner. â€Å"I thought you might like this even better.† The next day, her grandfather taught her to ride, running beside her down the walkway. When Sophie steered out over the thick lawn and lost her balance, they both went tumbling onto the grass, rolling and laughing. â€Å"Grand-pere,†Sophie said, hugging him. â€Å"I'm really sorry about the key.† â€Å"I know, sweetie. You're forgiven. I can't possibly stay mad at you. Grandfathers and granddaughters always forgive each other.† Sophie knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help it. â€Å"What does it open? I never saw a key like that. It was very pretty.† Her grandfather was silent a long moment, and Sophie could see he was uncertain how to answer. Grand-pere never lies. â€Å"It opens a box,† he finally said. â€Å"Where I keep many secrets.† Sophie pouted. â€Å"I hate secrets!† â€Å"I know, but these are important secrets. And someday, you'll learn to appreciate them as much as I do.† â€Å"I saw letters on the key, and a flower.† â€Å"Yes, that's my favorite flower. It's called a fleur-de-lis. We have them in the garden. The white ones. In English we call that kind of flower a lily.† â€Å"I know those! They're my favorite too!† â€Å"Then I'll make a deal with you.† Her grandfather's eyebrows raised the way they always did when he was about to give her a challenge. â€Å"If you can keep my key a secret, and never talk about it ever again, to me or anybody, then someday I will give it to you.† Sophie couldn't believe her ears. â€Å"You will?† â€Å"I promise. When the time comes, the key will be yours. It has your name on it.† Sophie scowled. â€Å"No it doesn't. It said P. S. My name isn't P. S. !† Her grandfather lowered his voice and looked around as if to make sure no one was listening. â€Å"Okay, Sophie, if you must know, P. S. is a code. It's your secret initials.† Her eyes went wide. â€Å"I have secret initials?† â€Å"Of course. Granddaughters always have secret initials that only their grandfathers know.† â€Å"P. S. ?† He tickled her. â€Å"Princesse Sophie.† She giggled. â€Å"I'm not a princess!† He winked. â€Å"You are to me.† From that day on, they never again spoke of the key. And she became his Princess Sophie. Inside the Salle des Etats, Sophie stood in silence and endured the sharp pang of loss. â€Å"The initials,† Langdon whispered, eyeing her strangely. â€Å"Have you seen them?† Sophie sensed her grandfather's voice whispering in the corridors of the museum. Never speak ofthis key, Sophie.To me or to anyone.She knew she had failed him in forgiveness, and she wondered if she could break his trust again. P. S. Find Robert Langdon.Her grandfather wanted Langdon to help. Sophie nodded. â€Å"Yes, I saw the initials P. S. once. When I was very young.† â€Å"Where?† Sophie hesitated. â€Å"On something very important to him.† Langdon locked eyes with her. â€Å"Sophie, this is crucial. Can you tell me if the initials appeared with a symbol? A fleur-de-lis?† Sophie felt herself staggering backward in amazement. â€Å"But†¦ how could you possibly know that!† Langdon exhaled and lowered his voice. â€Å"I'm fairly certain your grandfather was a member of a secret society. A very old covert brotherhood.† Sophie felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She was certain of it too. For ten years she had tried to forget the incident that had confirmed that horrifying fact for her. She had witnessed something unthinkable. Unforgivable. â€Å"The fleur-de-lis,† Langdon said,† combined with the initials P. S. , that is the brotherhood's official device. Their coat of arms. Their logo.† â€Å"How do you know this?† Sophie was praying Langdon was not going to tell her that he himselfwas a member. â€Å"I've written about this group,† he said, his voice tremulous with excitement. â€Å"Researching the symbols of secret societies is a specialty of mine. They call themselves the Prieure de Sion – the Priory of Sion. They're based here in France and attract powerful members from all over Europe. In fact, they are one of the oldest surviving secret societies on earth.† Sophie had never heard of them. Langdon was talking in rapid bursts now. â€Å"The Priory's membership has included some of history's most cultured individuals: men like Botticelli, Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo.† He paused, his voice brimming now with academic zeal. â€Å"And, Leonardo Da Vinci.† Sophie stared. â€Å"Da Vinci was in a secret society?† â€Å"Da Vinci presided over the Priory between 1510 and 1519 as the brotherhood's Grand Master, which might help explain your grandfather's passion for Leonardo's work. The two men share a historical fraternal bond. And it all fits perfectly with their fascination for goddess iconology, paganism, feminine deities, and contempt for the Church. The Priory has a well-documented history of reverence for the sacred feminine.† â€Å"You're telling me this group is a pagan goddess worship cult?† â€Å"More like the pagan goddess worship cult. But more important, they are known as the guardians of an ancient secret. One that made them immeasurably powerful.† Despite the total conviction in Langdon's eyes, Sophie's gut reaction was one of stark disbelief. Asecret pagan cult? Once headed by Leonardo Da Vinci? It all sounded utterly absurd. And yet, even as she dismissed it, she felt her mind reeling back ten years – to the night she had mistakenly surprised her grandfather and witnessed what she still could not accept. Could that explain – ? â€Å"The identities of living Priory members are kept extremely secret,† Langdon said,† but the P. S. and fleur-de-lis that you saw as a child are proof. It could only have been related to the Priory.† Sophie realized now that Langdon knew far more about her grandfather than she had previously imagined. This American obviously had volumes to share with her, but this was not the place. â€Å"I can't afford to let them catch you, Robert. There's a lot we need to discuss. You need to go!† Langdon heard only the faint murmur of her voice. He wasn't going anywhere. He was lost in another place now. A place where ancient secrets rose to the surface. A place where forgotten histories emerged from the shadows. Slowly, as if moving underwater, Langdon turned his head and gazed through the reddish haze toward the Mona Lisa. The fleur-de-lis†¦ the flower of Lisa†¦ the Mona Lisa. It was all intertwined, a silent symphony echoing the deepest secrets of the Priory of Sion and Leonardo Da Vinci. A few miles away, on the riverbank beyond Les Invalides, the bewildered driver of a twin-bed Trailor truck stood at gunpoint and watched as the captain of the Judicial Police let out a guttural roar of rage and heaved a bar of soap out into the turgid waters of the Seine.