eBooks
Monday, June 4, 2012
KISAH KEINSAFAN: Jutawan, Pengasas Bank Al-Rajhi Yang Memilih Untuk ‘Miskin’
Jutawan Arab Saudi yang berjaya mengubah hidup beliau daripada seorang rakyat miskin hingga berjaya mengumpul kekayaan, Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, merupakan seorang dermawan yang terkenal di dunia.
Beliau adalah pengasas Bank Al-Rajhi, bank Islam terbesar di dunia, dan salah satu daripada syarikat terbesar di Arab Saudi.
Sehingga 2011, kekayaan beliau telah dianggarkan oleh majalah Forbes, bernilai sebanyak AS$ 7.7 bilion sekali gus disenaraikan sebagai orang ke-120 yang terkaya di dunia.
Yayasan Saar milik beliau adalah sebuah organisasi amal yang terkenal di negara tersebut.
Keluarga Al-Rajhi dianggap sebagai salah satu daripada keluarga kaya yang BUKAN daripada keluarga diraja, dan mereka adalah antara dermawan terkemuka di dunia.
Walaupun Al-Rajhi adalah seorang jutawan, tetapi beliau memilih untuk menjadi ‘miskin’ sehinggakan beliau tidak mempunyai sebarang wang dan juga saham yang dimiliki beliau sebelum ini.
Keadaan tersebut terjadi apabila beliau memindahkan kesemua aset yang dimiliki kepada anak-anak beliau dan mendermakan aset-aset yang selebihnya.
Bagi menghargai jasa beliau terhadap dunia Islam, termasuk mengasaskan bank Islam terbesar dunia dan juga segala usaha yang dijalankan untuk membasmi kemiskinan, Al-Rajhi telah dipilih untuk menerima Anugerah Antarabangsa Raja Faisal atas jasa beliau kepada Islam
.
Dalam satu wawancara yang dibuat oleh Muhammad Al-Harbi dari Al-Eqtisadiah Business Daily, Al-Rajhi menceritakan tentang bagaimana beliau mampu meyakinkan ketua-ketua bank di dunia, termasuk Bank of England, hampir 30 tahun lalu, bahawa bayaran ‘faedah’ adalah sesuatu yang haram bagi kedua-dua agama iaitu Islam dan Kristian, dan bank secara Islam adalah penyelesaian yang terbaik bagi menaikkan taraf ekonomi dunia.
Kisah Al-Rajhi berkisarkan tentang bagaimana seseorang itu meraih kekayaan dari bawah.
Beliau terpaksa melalui kesusahan ketika beliau kecil sebelum menjadi kaya, dan kemudiannya meninggalkan segala harta yang ada setelah mengecapi kejayaan.
Al-Rajhi masih lagi aktif dalam bekerja walaupun usia beliau telah mencecah lebih daripada 80 tahun.
Beliau memulakan tugas harian sejurus selepas solat Subuh dan terus bekerja hingga selepas solat Isyak.
Beliau kini sedang memberikan tumpuan terhadap Yayasan SAAR, dengan berulang-alik di negara-negara Arab bagi menguruskan segala hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan yayasan tersebut.
Beliau sering membawa diari kecil untuk mencatatkan aktiviti harian beliau dan sentiasa memastikan tidak akan terlepas dari satu aktiviti pun.
Al-Rajhi juga merupakan seorang yang amat berjaya dalam apa jua bidang yang beliau ceburi.
Selain daripada mengusahakan bank Islam terbesar dunia, beliau juga telah mengasaskan ladang binatang ternakan yang terbesar di Timur Tengah.
Daripada segi perladangan, beliau telah menjalankan banyak eksperimen ternakan secara organik di negara-negara Arab, termasuk perladangan udang Al-Laith. Beliau juga turut mengasaskan perniagaan hartanah dan juga beberapa lagi pelaburan.
Temubual:
Sheikh Suleiman, adakah anda kini telah menjadi miskin semula?
Ya. Kini apa yang saya miliki hanyalah pakaian-pakaian saya. Saya telah membahagikan harta saya kepada anak-anak dan juga mendermakan selebihnya untuk menjalankan projek-projek amal. Ini bukanlah sesuatu yang aneh bagi saya. Kedudukan kewangan saya kini telah menjadi kosong sebanyak dua kali dalam hidup saya. Jadi, saya amat faham akan keadaan ini. Namun, kini perasaan itu dipenuhi dengan kegembiraan dan juga ketenangan. Sememangnya saya yang memilih untuk menjadi miskin.
Mengapa berbuat begitu?
Segala kekayaan dimiliki oleh Allah s.w.t, kita hanyalah ditugaskan untuk menjaga kekayaan tersebut. Ada beberapa sebab mengapa saya memilih untuk memilih jalan ini. Antara sebab-sebab utamanya adalah saya perlu menjaga sahabat-sahabat Islam dan juga anak-anak saya. Ia adalah antara perkara yang paling penting dalam hidup. Saya juga tidak suka untuk membuang masa di mahkamah hanya kerana ada antara mereka yang tidak bersetuju dengan jumlah harta yang diwariskan kepada mereka. Terdapat banyak contoh di mana anak-anak mula berpecah hanya kerana harta yang kemudiannya menghancurkan syarikat. Negara ini telah banyak kehilangan syarikat-syarikat besar kerana perbalahan harta yang boleh diselesaikan jika kita mencari jalan penyelesaian yang lebih berkesan. Selain daripada itu, setiap umat Islam perlu bersedekah sebagai bekalan pahala di akhirat kelak, Jadi, saya lebih suka jika anak-anak saya mencari kekayaan sendiri daripada bergantung dengan saya.
Adakah Sheikh mempunyai banyak masa terluang setelah membahagikan kesemua harta?
Seperti yang telah saya maklumkan tadi, saya masih lagi bekerja keras untuk mendapatkan lebih derma. Saya telah bekerjasama dengan pelbagai agensi bagi menjayakan projek ini. Secara kebiasaanya, umat Islam sering membahagikan satu per tiga ataupun suku daripada kekayaan mereka untuk bersedekah yang hanya akan diberikan setelah mereka meninggal dunia. Namun, bagi saya, saya mahu mula bersedekah ketika saya masih hidup. Jadi, saya telah membawa anak-anak saya ke Mekah pada hujung bulan Ramadhan dan memberitahu mereka idea saya. Mereka bersetuju terhadap idea tersebut. Saya telah meminta bantuan daripada agensi-agensi yang berkaitan untuk membahagikan kesemua harta saya termasuk saham dan juga hartanah kepada anak-anak dan juga untuk didermakan. Kesemua anak-anak saya berpuas hati terhadap inisiatif saya dan mereka kini sedang menguruskan segala harta yang saya berikan kepada mereka.
Berapa banyak harta yang dibahagikan kepada anak-anak dan juga untuk didermakan?
Beliau tergelak tanpa memberi sebarang jawapan.
Apakah perasaan Sheikh terhadap kesemua projek yang sedang dijalankan?
Saya ingin menegaskan bahawa terdapat beberapa faktor yang saya ambil sebelum melakukan sebarang pelaburan. Eksperimen yang saya lakukan terhadap pertukaran wang adalah salah satu daripada sebab mengapa saya mengasaskan bank. Ketiadaan bank Islam juga menjadi antara sebab mengapa saya mula mengasaskan Bank Al-Rajhi, yang kini merupakan bank Islam terbesar di dunia. Saya mulakan eksperimen saya dengan membuka pejabat di Britain dimana kami mula memperkenalkan sistem perbankan Islam ke peringkat yang lebih besar. Eksperimen tersebut kemudiannya mula berkembang dan ia mula mendapat sokongan daripada ulama-ulama Saudi pada ketika itu. Saya masih ingat lagi bagaimana permohonan saya untuk mendapatkan lesen untuk membuka bank tidak diterima pada mulanya. Ini adalah kerana pihak British tidak memahami apa-apa pun tentang sistem perbankan Islam. Saya kemudiannya pergi ke London dan berjumpa dengan Pengurus Bank of England dan dua daripada pegawai kanan beliau. Saya memberitahu mereka bahawa penggunaan faedah adalah haram bagi Islam dan juga Kristian dan kebanyakan daripada mereka sanggup menyimpan wang mereka di dalam kotak di rumah daripada menyimpan di dalam bank. Saya cuba untuk meyakinkan mereka bahawa (jika mereka mula membuka bank Islam) ini mampu menaikkan taraf ekonomi dunia. Mereka akhirnya bersetuju untuk mula membuka bank-bank Islam. Saya kemudiannya mula mengembara ke serata dunia di bahagian Timur dan Barat, dan berjumpa dengan ketua-ketua bank negara di beberapa buah negara dan memberitahu mereka bagaimana ciri-ciri yang terdapat dalam dunia ekonomi Islam. Kami mula bekerja dan mencapai kejayaan di negara-negara Arab dan melaksanakan perbankan Islam di London, saya kemudiannya berjumpa dengan Mufti Besar Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz dan Sheikh Abdullah bin Humaid, dan memberitahu mereka tentang rancangan saya bahawa : ‘Kita mampu, dengan izin Allah, memajukan perbankan Islam. Mereka memuji saya atas inisiatif yang saya jalankan. Dari situlah kami mula mengusahakan Bank Al-Rajhi seperti mana yang anda dapat lihat hari ini. Bagi projek Ladang Ternakan Al-Watania pula, saya mula mendapat inspirasi untuk menjalankan projek tersebut apabila melawat ladang ternakan di luar negara. Saya dapati bahawa cara mereka menyembelih adalah salah. Saya kemudiannya mengambil keputusan untuk melabur dalam bidang ternakan atas nama Islam dan negara. Saya tetap menjalankan projek tersebut walaupun membuat pelaburan dalam industri ternakan adalah sesuatu yang agak berisiko pada masa tersebut. Kini, Al-Watania telah menjadi salah satu daripada projek mega di Saudi. Syarikat tersebut mendapat 40 peratus daripada saham di negara-negara Arab, dan ayam-ayam Al-Watania diberikan makanan yang cukup dan disembelih dengan cara yang halal menurut undang-undang syariah.
Walaupun dengan semua kekayaan yang dimiliki, mengapa syeikh tidak mempunyai satu pun kapal terbang sendiri?
Saya ada banyak kapal terbang, tetapi kesemuanya dimiliki oleh syarikat-syarikat penerbangan tertentu. Saya memilikinya setiap kali saya membayar tiket penerbangan untuk ke satu-satu destinasi (gurauan). Saya sering terbang dengan kadar kelas ekonomi kerana Allah tidak memberikan kita harta untuk ditunjuk-tunjuk.
Bagaimana pula dengan hobi syeikh?
Saya tidak mempunyai sebarang hobi yang khusus. Bagaimanapun, saya suka mengembara di padang pasir. Saya tidak pernah mengambil pakej percutian di negara-negara lain selain dari Saudi.
Ketepatan masa Al-Rajhi
Wawancara ini telah menunjukkan bagaimana disiplin Al-Rajhi dalam menepati masa. “Pada awal karier saya dalam industri, saya mempunyai beberapa perjumpaan dengan beberapa syarikat besar di Eropah. Saya masih ingat lagi kisah dimana saya terlambat selama beberapa minit dalam satu perjumpaan dengan salah seorang pegawai besar sebuah syarikat. Walaupun hanya beberapa minit, beliau tidak mahu meneruskan perjumpaan tersebut. Selepas kejadian tersebut, setelah projek kami mula berkembang, pegawai yang sama pula lambat untuk berjumpa dengan saya, jadi, saya pula yang tidak mahu meneruskan perjumpaan tersebut. Saya sering membawa kertas untuk menulis segala perjumpaan dan urusan dan sentiasa memastikan agar saya sering menepati masa walau apa pun.”
Al-Rajhi berkata lagi: Saya amat menepati segala perkara yang diterapkan dalam Islam sepanjang hidup saya. Saya pernah mendapat undangan daripada kerajaan Arab untuk menghadiri satu persidangan yang berkaitan dengan pelaburan. Kemudiannya, dalam persidangan yang sama, saya dijemput untuk mengambil bahagian dalam majlis makan malam mereka, saya dapati bahawa antara aktiviti yang dijalankan ketika majlis tersebut adalah bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam. Saya kemudiannya keluar dari majlis makan malam tersebut. Kemudian, Abdul Aziz Al-Ghorair dari UAE turut serta bersama saya. Tidak lama selepas itu, menteri yang bertanggungjawab terhadap persidangan tersebut datang kepada kami dan kami mula menerangkan kepada beliau bahawa aktiviti yang dijalankan di majlis tersebut adalah bertentangan dengan budaya Islam. Beliau kemudiannya berkata bahawa aktiviti-aktiviti di majlis tersebut akan dibatalkan. Apabila mereka membatalkan aktiviti tersebut, kami kembali menyertai majlis tersebut.
Penyelesaian Masalah
Al-Rajhi berkata: Pada satu masa, salah satu daripada kilang yang diuruskan oleh anak saya habis dijilat api. Apabila dia datang untuk memaklumkan perkara tersebut kepada saya, saya memberitahu: Sebut Alhamdulillah. Saya meminta anak saya supaya tidak membuat sebarang laporan tentang kerugian yang dialami bagi meminta pampasan daripada pihak berkuasa. Sebaliknya, pampasan yang diberikan oleh Allah adalah lebih penting bagi kita. Assam Al-Hodaithy, Pengurus Kewangan bagi syarikat Ternakan Al-Watania berkata: “Apabila kilang tersebut terbakar, kami telah membuat keputusan untuk tidak menyakiti hati Al-Rajhi dengan memberitahu beliau tentang apa yang terjadi. Kami kemudiannya berjumpa dengan beliau keesokan harinya dan memberitahu akan perkara yang terjadi, beliau mengarahkan kami untuk berpindah ke tempat lain dan membersihkan segala kerosakan sehingga semuanya dibaiki.” Perkara yang sama terjadi di satu lagi projek Al-Watania di Mesir. Syarikat tersebut kerugian kira-kira SR10 juta Pound Mesir. Apabila pegawai projek tersebut menghubungi Al-Rajhi untuk memberitahu perkara tersebut, beliau terkejut apabila Al-Rajhi menjawab dengan menyebut: “Alhamdulillah.” – Mynewshub.my
Sumber atikel: http://mynewshub.my/2012/06/01/kisah-keinsafan-jutawan-arab-pengasas-bank-al-rajhi-yang-memilih-untuk-miskin/
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games is a young adult novel written by American
television writer and novelist Suzanne Collins. It was first published on
September 14, 2008, by Scholastic, in hardcover. It is written in the voice of
16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the
country of Panem where the countries of North America once existed. The
Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds hegemony over the rest of the
nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged
12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by
lottery to compete in a televised battle until only one person is left.
The book has been released as a paperback and also as an
audiobook and e-book. The Hunger Games had an initial print of 200,000 – twice
doubled from the original 50,000. Since its initial release, the novel has been
translated into 26 languages and rights of production have been sold in 38
countries. The book received mostly positive feedback from major reviewers and
authors. The Hunger Games is the first novel in The Hunger Games trilogy, followed
by Catching Fire, published on September 1, 2009, and Mockingjay, published on
August 24, 2010.
A film adaptation, co-written and co-produced by Collins
herself and directed by Gary Ross, was released worldwide on March 23, 2012.
Contents
Inspiration and origins
Collins says that the inspiration to write The Hunger Games
came from channel surfing on television. On one channel she observed people competing
on a reality show and on another she saw footage of the invasion of Iraq. The
two "began to blur in this very unsettling way" and the idea for the
book was formed. The Greek myth of Theseus served as the basis for the story,
with Collins describing Katniss as a futuristic Theseus, and that Roman
gladiatorial games formed the framework. The sense of loss that Collins
developed through her father's service in the Vietnam War also affected the
story, whose heroine lost her father at age 11, five years before the story
begins. Collins stated that the deaths of the young characters and other
"dark passages" were the hardest parts of the book to write, but she
had accepted passages such as these were necessary to the story. She considered
the moments where Katniss reflects on happier moments in her past to be the
more enjoyable.
Plot
The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem,
after the destruction of North America by some unknown apocalyptic event. Panem
consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts under
the Capitol's hegemony. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the
coal-rich region that was formerly Appalachia.
As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol
in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages
of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate
in the Hunger Games. This is an event in which the participants (or
"tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol,
until only one individual remains. The story is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss
Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger
Games in place of her younger sister, Prim. Also selected from District 12 is
Peeta Mellark, a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school, and who once gave
her bread when her family was starving.
Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol where their
drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs
them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes. They are then
publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in a televised session with
interviewer Caesar Flickerman. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his
longtime unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to
gain audience support for him in the Games, which can be crucial for survival,
as audience members are encouraged to send gifts such as food, medicine, and
tools to favored tributes during the Games. While nearly half the tributes are
killed in the first day of the Games alone, Katniss relies on her
well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. A few days into the
games, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, a 12-year-old girl from the
agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her sister, Primrose. The
alliance is short-lived; Rue is killed by another tribute. At Rue's request
Katniss sings to her, then spreads flowers over her body as a sign of
respect—and of disgust towards the Capitol.
Supposedly due to Katniss and Peeta's beloved image in the
minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is
announced midway through the Games, stating that two tributes from the same
district can win the Hunger Games as a pair. Upon hearing this, Katniss searches
for Peeta and eventually finds him wounded. As she nurses him back to health,
she acts the part of a young girl falling in love to gain more favor with the
audience and consequently gifts from her sponsors. When the couple remain as
the last two surviving tributes, the Gamemakers reverse the rule change in an
attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, where one must kill the other to
win. Katniss, knowing that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than
none, retrieves highly poisonous berries known as "nightlock" from
her pouch and offers some to Peeta. Realizing that Katniss and Peeta intend to
commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that both will be the victors of the
74th Hunger Games.
Although she survives the ordeal in the arena and is treated
to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has
now become a political target after defying her society's authoritarian leaders
so publicly. Afterwards, Peeta is heartbroken when he learns that Katniss's
actions in the arena were part of a calculated ploy to earn sympathy from the
audience. However, Katniss is unsure of her own feelings and realizes that she
is dreading the moment when she and Peeta will go their separate ways.
Themes
In an interview with Collins, it was noted that the books
"[tackle] issues like severe poverty, starvation, oppression, and the effects
of war among others. The book deals with the struggle for self-preservation
that the people of Panem face in their districts and the Hunger Games in which
they must participate. The starvation and need for resources that the citizens
encounter both in and outside of the arena create an atmosphere of helplessness
that the main characters try to overcome in their fight for survival. Katniss's
proficiency with the bow and arrow stems from her need to hunt in order to
provide food for her family—this necessity results in the development of skills
that are useful to her in the Games, and represents her rejection of the
Capitol's rules in the face of life-threatening situations.
The choices the characters make and the strategies they use
are often morally complex. The tributes build a personality they want the
audience to see throughout the Games. Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) names the
major themes of The Hunger Games as "government control, 'big brother',
and personal independence." The Capitol makes watching the games required
viewing. The theme of power and downfall, similar to that of Shakespeare's
Julius Caesar, was pointed out by Scholastic. Laura Miller of the New Yorker
finds that the author's stated premise of the Games -- an exercise in
propaganda and a “humiliating as well as torturous .... punishment” for a
failed uprising against the Capitol many years earlier -- unconvincing.
"You don’t demoralize and dehumanize a subject people by turning them into
celebrities and coaching them on how to craft an appealing persona for a mass
audience." But the story works much better if the theme is vicissitudes of
high school and "the adolescent social experience".
"The rules
are arbitrary, unfathomable, and subject to sudden change. A brutal social
hierarchy prevails, with the rich, the good-looking, and the athletic lording
their advantages over everyone else. To survive you have to be totally fake.
Adults don’t seem to understand how high the stakes are; your whole life could
be over, and they act like it’s just some “phase”! Everyone’s always watching
you, scrutinizing your clothes or your friends and obsessing over whether
you’re having sex or taking drugs or getting good enough grades, but no one
cares who you really are or how you really feel about anything."
Donald Brake from The Washington Times, as well as Andy
Langford, a senior pastor at Central United Methodist Church, states that the
story has Christian themes, such as that of self-sacrifice, which is found in
Katniss' substitution for her younger sister, analogous to the sacrifice of
Jesus as a substitute for the atonement of sins. Brake, as well as another
reviewer, Amy Simpson, both find that the story also revolves around the theme
of hope, which is exemplified in the "incorruptible goodness of Katniss'
sister, Primrose." She also states that Peeta Mellark is "a Christ
figure" in the story. Similar to the events in Passion of Jesus, in the
Games, Peeta is stabbed and left for dead after saving Katniss' life—taking the
wound that was initially meant for her—and is then buried in the ground and
placed in a cave for three days before emerging with a new lease on life. Moreover,
the Christian image of the Bread of Life is used throughout The Hunger Games;
in the story Peeta shows up "bearing a warm loaf of bread," and
Katniss slowly comes "back to life." A news video starring Fr.
Jonathan Morris aired on Fox News discussed the religious themes in the story
further. In addition, some pastors have written Bible studies discussing the
Christian allegories in the story.
Publication history
The Hunger Games was first published as a hardcover in the
United States on September 14, 2008. An audiobook version was released in
December 2008, and is read by Carolyn McCormick. A trade paperback edition of
the book was released on July 6, 2010.
Audiobook
An audiobook version of The Hunger Games was released in
December 2008, which is read by Carolyn McCormick, and runs at about eleven
hours, ten minutes. The magazine AudioFile said: "Carolyn McCormick gives
a detailed and attentive narration. However, she may rely too much on the
strength of the prose without providing the drama young adult listeners often
enjoy." School Library Journal also praised her performance: "Carolyn
McCormick ably voices the action-packed sequences and Katniss's every fear and
strength shines through, along with her doomed growing attraction to one of her
fellow Tributes."
Sales
After writing the novel, Collins signed a six-figure deal
for three books with Scholastic in 2006. The first book originally had a 50,000
first printing, which was then bumped up twice to 200,000 copies. By February
11, 2010, The Hunger Games had sold 800,000 copies and rights to the novel had
been sold in 38 territories.By November 2008, The Hunger Games became a The New
York Times Best Seller.By September 2010, The Hunger Games was on The New York
Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks, though it subsequently fell from the
list. By the time the movie for The Hunger Games was released, the book had
been on USA Today's best-selling books list for 135 consecutive weeks, and the
publisher reported 26 million Hunger Games trilogy books in print, including
movie tie-in books.
The Hunger Games trilogy has sold exceptionally well in
ebook format. Suzanne Collins is the first children's or young adult author to
sell over one million Kindle ebooks, making her the sixth author to join the
"Kindle Million Club", which recognizes authors who have sold over 1
million paid units in the Amazon Kindle store. In March 2012, Amazon announced
that Collins had become the best-selling Kindle author of all time. Amazon also
revealed that Collins had written 29 of the 100 most-highlighted passages in
Kindle ebooks—and on a separate Amazon list of recently-highlighted passages,
Collins had written 17 of the top 20.
Cover
The cover of The Hunger Games is black, featuring a gold
mockingjay —a crossbreed born from genetically engineered male jabberjays, and
female mockingbirds— with an arrow inscribed in a circle. This is an image of
the pin given to Katniss by the District 12 mayor's daughter, Madge Undersee,
which Katniss wears in the arena. The image matches the description of the pin
that is given in the book, except for the arrow: "It's as if someone
fashioned a small golden bird and then attached a ring around it. The bird is
connected to the ring only by its wing tips."
Critical reception
The Hunger Games has been well-received by critics. In
Stephen King's review for Entertainment Weekly, he praised the book's addictive
quality and also compared it to "shoot-it-if-it-moves videogames in the
lobby of the local eightplex; you know it's not real, but you keep plugging in
quarters anyway." However, he stated that there were "displays of
authorial laziness that kids will accept more readily than adults" and
that the love triangle was standard for the genre. He gave the book an overall
B grade. Elizabeth Bird of School Library Journal praised the novel, saying it
is "exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns". The
review also called it one of the best books of 2008. Booklist also gave a
positive review, praising the character violence and romance involved in the
book. In a review for The New York Times, John Green wrote that the novel was
"brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced", and that "the
considerable strength of the novel comes in Collins's convincingly detailed
world-building and her memorably complex and fascinating heroine."
However, he also noted that sometimes the book does not realize the allegorical
potential that the plot has to offer and that the writing "described the
action and little else." Kirkus Reviews gave a positive review, praising
the action and world-building, but pointed out that "poor copyediting in
the first printing will distract careful readers—a crying shame". Time magazine
was positive and praised the hypnotic quality of the violence. Rick Riordan,
author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, claims it is the
"closest thing to a perfect adventure novel" he has ever read.
Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight series) endorsed the book on her
website, saying, "I was so obsessed with this book ...The Hunger Games is
amazing."
The Hunger Games has been criticized for its similarities to
the 1999 novel Battle Royale, by Koushun Takami. Collins has stated, "I
had never heard of that book or that author until my book was turned in. At
that point, it was mentioned to me, and I asked my editor if I should read it.
He said: 'No, I don't want that world in your head. Just continue with what
you're doing.' " Susan Dominus of The New York Times reports that
"the parallels are striking enough that Collins's work has been savaged on
the blogosphere as a baldfaced ripoff," but argued that "there are
enough possible sources for the plot line that the two authors might well have
hit on the same basic setup independently." King noted that the reality TV
"badlands" were similar to Battle Royale, as well as his own The Running
Man and The Long Walk. Green also pointed out that the premise of the novel was
"nearly identical" to Battle Royale. Eric Eisenberg wrote that The
Hunger Games was "not a rip off [of Battle Royale], but simply a different
usage of a similar idea", pointing out various differences in both story
and themes. Robert Nishimura wrote that "it would be a waste of time to
defend Battle Royale from plagiarism, since The Hunger Games has an entirely
different set of cultural baggage, as well as being a disservice to countless
other source material that deal with the exact same subject matter. Collins
just happened to tap in to the creative collective consciousness, drawing on
ideas that have played out many times before, in addition to her intentional reference
to Greek mythology."
The novel has also been controversial; it ranked in fifth place on the American
Library Association's list of frequently challenged books for 2010, with the
reasons: "sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence."
Awards
The Hunger Games received a number of awards and honors. It
was named one of Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year" in 2008
and a The New York Times "Notable Children's Book of 2008". It was
the 2009 winner of the Golden Duck Award in the Young Adult Fiction Category.
The Hunger Games was also a "2008 Cybil Winner" for fantasy and
science-fiction books along with The Graveyard Book. It is also one of School
Library Journal's "Best Books 2008" and a "Booklist Editors'
Choice" in 2008. In 2011, the book won the California Young Reader Medal.
In the 2012 edition of Scholastic's Parent and Child magazine, The Hunger Games
was listed as the 33rd best book for children, with the award for "Most
Exciting Ending".
Article Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Menjana Pendapatan Tambahan Melalui Google Adsense Program
6 Modul Percuma Membantu Anda Menjana Pendapatan Tambahan Secara Online Melalui Google Adsense Program Dengan Mudah.
Anda akan pelajari:-
1. Apakah Google Adsense Program
2. Keyword Research
3. Keyword Brainstorming
4. Membina Laman Blog
5. Memohon Google AdSense Account
6. Meletakkan Code AdSense DiBlog Anda
Ebooks Ditulis Oleh Ahmad Munawwar (Percuma)
Sila klik di SINI atau layari:
http://www.jana-wang-adsense.com/ebook/6ModulAdsense.pdf utk download ebook ini.
Anda akan pelajari:-
1. Apakah Google Adsense Program
2. Keyword Research
3. Keyword Brainstorming
4. Membina Laman Blog
5. Memohon Google AdSense Account
6. Meletakkan Code AdSense DiBlog Anda
Ebooks Ditulis Oleh Ahmad Munawwar (Percuma)
Sila klik di SINI atau layari:
http://www.jana-wang-adsense.com/ebook/6ModulAdsense.pdf utk download ebook ini.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
HTML
Article: Wikipedia
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages.
HTML is written in the form of HTML elements consisting of tags, enclosed in angle brackets (like <html>), within the web page content. HTML tags most commonly come in pairs like <h1> and </h1>, although some tags, known as empty elements, are unpaired, for example <img>. The first tag in a pair is the start tag, the second tag is the end tag (they are also called opening tags and closing tags). In between these tags web designers can add text, tags, comments, and other types of text-based content.
The purpose of a web browser is to read HTML documents and compose them into visible or audible web pages. The browser does not display the HTML tags, but uses the tags to interpret the content of the page.
HTML elements form the building blocks of all websites. HTML allows images and objects to be embedded and can be used to create interactive forms. It provides a means to create structured documents by denoting structural semantics for text such as headings, paragraphs, lists, links, quotes and other items. It can embed scripts in languages such as JavaScript which affect the behavior of HTML webpages.
Web browsers can also refer to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to define the appearance and layout of text and other material. The W3C, maintainer of both the HTML and the CSS standards, encourages the use of CSS over explicitly presentational HTML markup.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages.
HTML is written in the form of HTML elements consisting of tags, enclosed in angle brackets (like <html>), within the web page content. HTML tags most commonly come in pairs like <h1> and </h1>, although some tags, known as empty elements, are unpaired, for example <img>. The first tag in a pair is the start tag, the second tag is the end tag (they are also called opening tags and closing tags). In between these tags web designers can add text, tags, comments, and other types of text-based content.
The purpose of a web browser is to read HTML documents and compose them into visible or audible web pages. The browser does not display the HTML tags, but uses the tags to interpret the content of the page.
HTML elements form the building blocks of all websites. HTML allows images and objects to be embedded and can be used to create interactive forms. It provides a means to create structured documents by denoting structural semantics for text such as headings, paragraphs, lists, links, quotes and other items. It can embed scripts in languages such as JavaScript which affect the behavior of HTML webpages.
Web browsers can also refer to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to define the appearance and layout of text and other material. The W3C, maintainer of both the HTML and the CSS standards, encourages the use of CSS over explicitly presentational HTML markup.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
20 Best Websites To Download Free EBooks
Article from: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/20-best-websites-to-download-free-e-books/
Free-eBooks
Free-eBooks is an online source for free ebook downloads, ebook resources and ebook authors. Besides free ebooks, you also download free magazines or submit your own ebook.
You need to become a Free-EBooks.Net member to access their library. Registration is free.
ManyBooks
ManyBooks provides free ebooks for your PDA, iPod or eBook Reader. You can randomly browse for a ebook through the most popular titles, recommendations or recent reviews for visitors. There are 21,282 eBooks available here and they’re all free!
GetFreeEBooks
GetFreeEBooks is a free ebooks site where you can download free books totally free. All the ebooks within the site are legal downloadable free ebooks.
FreeComputerBooks
FreeComputerBooks consists of a huge collection of free online Computer, Programming, Mathematics, Technical Books, Lecture Notes and Tutorials. It is very well categorized by topics, with 12 top level categories, and over 150 sub-categories.
FreeTechBooks
FreeTechBooks lists free online computer science, engineering and programming books, textbooks and lecture notes, all of which are legally and freely available over the Internet. Throughout FreeTechBooks, other terms are used to refer to a book, such as ebook, text, document, monogram or notes.
Scribd
Scribd, the online document sharing site which supports Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and other popular formats. You can download a document or embed it in your blog or web page.
Globusz
Globusz is a unique ePublishing house, specializing in free eBook downloads. They also provide an excellent Star Rating Showcase for new and evolving authors.
KnowFree
KnowFree is a web portal where users are able to exchange freely e-books, video training and other materials for educational purposes and self-practice.
OnlineFreeEBooks
OnlineFreeEBooks provides links to various ebooks (mostly in pdf) spanning in 9 big categories which are: Automotive Ebooks, Business Ebooks, Engineering Ebooks, Gadget Ebooks, Hardware Ebooks, Health & Medical Ebooks, Hobbies Ebooks, Programming & Technology Ebooks, Sport & Martial Art Ebooks.
MemoWare
MemoWare has a unique collection of thousands of documents (databases, literature, maps, technical references, lists, etc.) specially formatted to be easily added to your PalmOS device, Pocket PC, Windows CE, EPOC, Symbian or other handheld device.
BluePortal
OnlineComputerBooks
OnlineComputerBooks contains details about free computer books, free ebooks, free online books and sample chapters related to Information Technology, Computer Science, Internet, Business, Marketing, Maths, Physics and Science which are provided by publishers or authors.
SnipFiles
SnipFiles offers you free ebooks and software legally by brought or attained PLR, resale or master rights to all the products on their page.
BookYards
BookYards is a web portal in which books, education materials, information, and content will be freely to anyone who has an internet connection.
The Online Books Page
The Online Books Page is a Listing over 30,000 free books on the Web.
AskSam Ebooks
AskSam Ebooks has a collection of free e-books like Shakespeare, and assorted legal & governmental texts.
Baen Free Library
Baen Free Library is an online library of downloadable science fiction novels.
eBookLobby
Free ebooks in eBookLobby are divided into different categories. Categorys range from business, art, computing and education. Select the category appropriate to the e-book you’re looking for.
Free-eBooks
Free-eBooks is an online source for free ebook downloads, ebook resources and ebook authors. Besides free ebooks, you also download free magazines or submit your own ebook.
You need to become a Free-EBooks.Net member to access their library. Registration is free.
ManyBooks
ManyBooks provides free ebooks for your PDA, iPod or eBook Reader. You can randomly browse for a ebook through the most popular titles, recommendations or recent reviews for visitors. There are 21,282 eBooks available here and they’re all free!
GetFreeEBooks
GetFreeEBooks is a free ebooks site where you can download free books totally free. All the ebooks within the site are legal downloadable free ebooks.
FreeComputerBooks
FreeComputerBooks consists of a huge collection of free online Computer, Programming, Mathematics, Technical Books, Lecture Notes and Tutorials. It is very well categorized by topics, with 12 top level categories, and over 150 sub-categories.
FreeTechBooks
FreeTechBooks lists free online computer science, engineering and programming books, textbooks and lecture notes, all of which are legally and freely available over the Internet. Throughout FreeTechBooks, other terms are used to refer to a book, such as ebook, text, document, monogram or notes.
Scribd
Scribd, the online document sharing site which supports Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and other popular formats. You can download a document or embed it in your blog or web page.
Globusz
Globusz is a unique ePublishing house, specializing in free eBook downloads. They also provide an excellent Star Rating Showcase for new and evolving authors.
KnowFree
KnowFree is a web portal where users are able to exchange freely e-books, video training and other materials for educational purposes and self-practice.
OnlineFreeEBooks
OnlineFreeEBooks provides links to various ebooks (mostly in pdf) spanning in 9 big categories which are: Automotive Ebooks, Business Ebooks, Engineering Ebooks, Gadget Ebooks, Hardware Ebooks, Health & Medical Ebooks, Hobbies Ebooks, Programming & Technology Ebooks, Sport & Martial Art Ebooks.
MemoWare
MemoWare has a unique collection of thousands of documents (databases, literature, maps, technical references, lists, etc.) specially formatted to be easily added to your PalmOS device, Pocket PC, Windows CE, EPOC, Symbian or other handheld device.
BluePortal
OnlineComputerBooks
OnlineComputerBooks contains details about free computer books, free ebooks, free online books and sample chapters related to Information Technology, Computer Science, Internet, Business, Marketing, Maths, Physics and Science which are provided by publishers or authors.
SnipFiles
SnipFiles offers you free ebooks and software legally by brought or attained PLR, resale or master rights to all the products on their page.
BookYards
BookYards is a web portal in which books, education materials, information, and content will be freely to anyone who has an internet connection.
The Online Books Page
The Online Books Page is a Listing over 30,000 free books on the Web.
AskSam Ebooks
AskSam Ebooks has a collection of free e-books like Shakespeare, and assorted legal & governmental texts.
Baen Free Library
Baen Free Library is an online library of downloadable science fiction novels.
eBookLobby
Free ebooks in eBookLobby are divided into different categories. Categorys range from business, art, computing and education. Select the category appropriate to the e-book you’re looking for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)