A Personal Model of Leadership

Introduction Leadership involves organizing a group of people with a mission to achieve a common organizational goal. The leader shares a vision with the followers and strives to attain a better reality much to the expectations of his or her followers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Personal Model of Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A leader inspires and motivates followers towards achieving a shared dream; therefore, leadership is important in organizations in decision-making and implementation of organizational goals. Leadership styles involve traits of intelligence and personality, situational interaction between the leader and the need and the charisma to connect with the followers effectively. Many of the leadership models do not involve the leader collaborating and empowering the subjects. Servant leadership style takes into account the needs of the followers and collaborates with them to achi eve the organizational goals. The servant leader serves first, followed by the aspiration to lead. A servant leader allows two-way communication with the followers, practices empathy, stewardship, and self-awareness. In addition to all these skills of effective leadership, good knowledge of the many cultures will foster improved relationships and promote development. Other new concepts like emotional and social intelligence are also vital in leadership as they promote social interactions between the leader and other people. Servant-Leadership According to Greenleaf, a servant leader serves first before becoming a leader. According to Montana and Charnov, â€Å"the skills and capacities of a servant leader are different from a leader-servant leadership where serving is not the priority but comes after establishment of leadership† (43). The servant leader listens to other people’s opinions and excogitates upon them before responding to any problem. By first listening to other people’s opinion, the leader servant makes appropriate decisions that are not biased. Effective servant leaders listen to other people and pay attention to their own inner voice.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Servant leaders practice empathy to develop trust with others. By empathizing with others, a servant leader is able to understand and solve problems affecting his/her followers. The servant leader understands and accepts the other person and by that, he/she motivates them. A Servant leader persuades the followers to agree with his or her actions or beliefs while taking into account the well-being of others or the organization. Consensus building is another quality of a servant leader. The servant leader seeks the support of the followers in decision making through group discussions. The servant leader first listens to the different opinions that pertain to an issu e before seeking a mutual agreement and then makes an acceptable decision on the issue. Foresight is a fundamental skill for an effective servant-leadership as it allows the leader to make judgment at appropriate time to avoid future failures. Foresight, Greenleaf believes, ensures proper policy formulation that will ensure future prosperity in business, governance, and even social wellbeing. In addition, a servant leader has a keen sense of self-awareness, which allows him or her to live up to the expectations of the other people. Greenleaf describes a servant leader as one who is able to conceptualize dreams that allow him or her to make ideal goals. Greenleaf also believes a servant leader is leader-steward who cares not only of the well-being of the organization, but also the welfare of the other people. A servant leader ensures the growth of the people by facilitating the attainment of their full potential like ensuring students in an academic institution are motivated enough t o achieve the best results. A servant leader builds the community through various initiatives that give service to the community and investments in the community projects. Servant leaders understand their personal health as well as the health of the organization they are leading to make appropriate steps of healing, development, and/or recovery.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Personal Model of Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Importance of Leadership In an organization, effective leadership is one of the expectations of the employees. The staff of an organization expects confident and effective decision –making from the managers especially concerning major issues. Good leadership is supportive and is committed to the welfare of the employees (Northouse 87). This creates trust and loyalty between the leader and staff that improve the working relationships in the work place. Leadership provide s effective planning to improve productivity and promote faith in leaders during hard economic times. Poor leadership in organizations on the other hand creates distrust that affects the performance of employees. Leadership is important in the society as the decisions made by the leaders have far-reaching implications in the society. Leadership motivates and inspires the followers to work towards advancement of the society. Visionary leaders provide guidance and lead the people into the uncertain future. Leaders also contribute to the development of communities through helping others and coordinating activities within a society. â€Å"Effective leadership involves creating and sustaining good relationships with others founded on common purpose† (Fiedler147). To an individual, leadership ensures the development of integrity and honesty virtues that are important for moral growth of an individual. Moreover, good leadership provides inspiration and motivation that ensure the att ainment of full potential of the followers in the society. Models of Leadership I believe that besides servant-leader skills of self-awareness and collaboration with the others, understanding the group culture is important. An effective leader should learn to understand interactions of different group values and their effects in an organization. Cultural values have an impact on relationships and understanding them will lead to an improved working relations. The knowledge of group interactions will ensure the creation of a social system that is acceptable to all.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More New leadership paradigms available currently provide alternatives the traditional models (Vroom and Jago 54). Among them is the servant leader model, which is not power based and involves collaborating with the followers in achieving organizational goals. However, this can be difficult to attain in large and dispersed organizations. Emotional intelligence leadership model developed by Reuven Bar-on in 1980 entails a keen understanding of oneself and other people to be able to manage them effectively. Emotional intelligence is determined using self-report questionnaires to measure the levels of self-awareness. Authentic leadership model believes that the foundation of leadership is authenticity. An authentic expression, character, and adding value to social interactions are some of the foundations of this leadership concept. Social intelligence is necessary in leadership as it helps the leader to work through difficult social situations. It involves applying emotional intelligence to different people thus allows one to achieve a given level of social competence. Social intelligence allows a leader to interact well with others and be able to assess the prevailing situation, which is important in achieving appropriate solutions to a problem. Social and emotional intelligence helps the leader to understand the effects of social interactions on the other people and what changes to self-awareness that can benefit the leader and others as well. Conclusion New leadership models consider the emotional and social aspects of a person unlike the traditional leadership concepts that are power-based. Servant leadership concept involves leader collaboration with other people and the leader takes into account the needs of the followers in making any decision. Authentic leadership model focuses on genuine expression of values to the other people. Social and emotional intelligence concepts hold the view that, those individuals with high social and emotional intelligence are abl e to adjust comfortably to different social situations and they build sustainable social networks. Nevertheless, leadership models should also entail cultural diversity of the society. Understanding the cultural aspects of people and the cultural interactions will lead to improved working relations. Works Cited Fiedler, Fred. A theory of leadership effectiveness. McGraw-Hill: Harper and Row Publishers Inc., 1967. Montana, Patrick, and Charnov, Bruce Management: Leadership and Theory. New York. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, 2008. Northouse, Peter. Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice. London: SAGE Publications, 2009. Vroom, Victor, and Jago, Arthur. The New Leadership: Managing Participation in  Organizations. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1988. 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Mexican War.

Mexican War. The Mexican-American War was based on the Americans trying to expand their territory. They thought that some parts of Mexico was a good idea so they tried to buy the lands from Mexico, using an excuse that they want payback from the Mexico's owe to America during the Spanish War. The Mexicans refused, and when they surprisingly attacked a small American station, President James K. Polk of the United States wrote a letter to the Congress to declare war on Mexico. Thus the war starts, 1846. The Americans outflanked the Mexicans in most of the battles, and when the Americans occupied Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, the Mexicans decided that if they don't agree to America's demands, they might lose even more territory. And so they peace treaty was signed at the village of Guadalupe Hidalgo, near Mexico City. As a result, the United States acquired the region we now call the Mexican Cession.English: Battle of Veracruz during the Mexican-Ame...During the Mexican-American War, the Ameri can army was divided into two, the US Army and the militia, which is composed of militiamen. The US Army was the American's national army, while the militia is an army of several states. They had a total army of 116,119 men and a navy of 12,319 men (1846-1848). During the war, they were better equipped and better led, which gave them a big advantage. When the war ended, the total losses were 13,283 men dead and 4,152 men wounded.Zachary Taylor was a general in the US Army. He led his troops through various victories, including the occupations of Matamoras, Monterrey, Saltville and Victoria, and he also defeated the Mexican troops of Mexico City when the US armies almost lost there. Later he was elected president in 1848.Alexander W. Doniphan, a colonel, led 850 troops through...

Library research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Library research - Essay Example WoK provides bibliographic content as well as online tools for accessing, analyzing and managing information resources, wherein the search function can be perform simultaneously within multiple databases (ISI Web of Knowledge, 2005) Nexis is a Website which offers resources from thousands of news organizations, intelligence reports in the company and industry levels, reference and bibliographic sources, and intellectual property and public records, as well as legislations and regulations filings and legal resources. Information provided by Nexis apply to the accounting, academic, corporate, government, law enforcement, legal and risk management context (LexisNexis UK, 2011). Full text databases are those in which the complete content of the source of information is provided. For example, if the source is a dissertation, the complete material is provided and not just the abstract or a condensed version of the dissertation (Gravetter and Forzano, 2009). A citation database is a repository of bibliographic citations which enables a researcher to locate and get details about a certain work such as author, title, publisher, date, volume number, issue number, and number of pages (Benedictine University, 2006). The factors to be considered when evaluating a Web source include: (1) authoritativeness and authenticity, which may be verified from the URL or the source of information and the credentials of the person / organization publishing the content; (2) reliability of information, where editorial and referencing procedures and the basis of the information are the best validators; (3) content, which may be compared from similar Web pages for notable omissions and other indicators of accuracy of information (Ely and Scott, 2007; Donyai, 2009). As a rule of thumb, if a statement or a fact is not common knowledge, or if the researcher is unsure, it is best to cite the source of the information (Marquez, 2011).

Liability for Negligent Misstatement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Liability for Negligent Misstatement - Essay Example It has been said that the critical point regarding liability for negligent misstatement is not the expertise of the adviser, but the dual requirements of assumption of responsibility by the adviser and reasonable reliance upon that advice by the other party. Changes have been happening in the last decade in Australian negligence law, both in respect to negligent advice and negligence causing pure economic loss (Baker and Manderson 2001). These are reflected in the nuances in the decisions arrived at by the High Court of Australia of the following cases. Case 1: San Sebastian Pty. Ltd. v. The Minister (1986) 68 ALR 161 (Database HCA/1986/68.html). Appellant companies in the High Court of Australia are business developers who sued respondents in the Supreme Court of New South Wales for their loss from alleged negligence of the State Planning Authority and the Council of the City of Sydney, in the preparation and publication of a plan for the redevelopment of the Woolloomooloo area of Sydney City, and also for failing to warn the appellants of the subsequent abandonment of the plan. In giving advice or information, a representor is said to be under a duty of care if the following are satisfied: 1) The representor realizes or ought to realize that the representee will trust in his especial competence to give that information or advice; 2) If it would be reasonable for the representee to accept and rely on that information or advice; and 3) If it is reasonably foreseeable that the representee is likely to suffer loss should the information turn out to be incorrect or the advice turn out to be unsound. (Database HCA/1986/68.html). The decision of the High Court which ended with a dismissal of the appeal said that the condition of reasonable reliance is unsatisfied and that even both parties believed falsely that the plan was feasible, if there is no fraud, the defendants not liable to compensate the plaintiffs for the losses they incurred in relying on the feasibility of the plan. The representation or that which caused the loss complained of is limited, the court said. The Council and the Authority did not induce any developer to buy property in simply saying "this plan is feasible," the High Court said. In the case at bar, such duty of care did not result between the giver of information and the intended user because it could reasonably be expected that the recipient would seek independent advice before relying on the statement, especially for a serious business purpose. The case is relevant and supports the proposition. The proximity relationship (second requirement) was all the more appreciated because distinctions were made between private and public officials and their functions. Case 2: Tepko Pty Ltd and Others v Water Board, High Court of Australia, 5 April 2001 [2001] HCA 19; (2001) 178 ALR 634 (In Sykes 2001). By a 4 to 3 majority, the High Court upheld the trial judge's finding that there was no duty of care owed in making a particular costs estimate. The three plaintiffs and appellants to this appeal were Tepko Pty Ltd, Mr. Neal's company and Mr, Neal himself, who was one of three shareholders in Tepko, and the defendant was the Water Board. As recorded in Stykes (2001) - In the early to middle 1980s the plaintiffs were involved in a proposal to subdivide for residential development dairy farmland owned either by Tepko or Mr. Neal which

Mythology and Modern Stories Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mythology and Modern Stories - Case Study Example Even with some religious barriers the western cultures are spreading all around the world. Along with the routine growth, the western countries themselves are trying to influence other countries to spread their culture1. One attempt to spread their culture can be seen through the media and many literary figures. But before getting into the details of these attempts there is one unanswered question, what exactly can be understood by the word "myth" and what are the theories that create a "myth"' Myth can be described as a folktale, a legend, a traditional tale. A main feature that a myth has is that myths are stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity. Myths are basically created to teach the upcoming generation what to expect from the world and possibly how to protect them selves (Greek mythology on the other hand are based on religious believes which helps them create a more religious approach in the young's)2. Myths are created on the basis of four basic theories: the rational myth theory, functional myth theory, structural myth theory, and th... The type of myths that keep god in consideration are called creation myths, these myths tend to discuss religious believes and try to explain the facts of existence. Rational myth theory explains the understanding of natural and every day events, as for the functional myth theory, it talks about the lessons taught to people about morality and social behaviors. In other words it means that it teaches people what is right and what is wrong. These types of myths are created in order to form a more controlled and a stable society. If these types of myths were not exposed to the people then that will cause feuds between people due to different norms and believes of people. An example of this type myth would be the story of the Mahatma Gandhi; his acts of non-violence and ignorance have taught people not to fight and be patient about every step they take in their lives, this has helped the people to create a non-violent society. The third theory of myth is called the structural myth theory, this theory is based on human emotions and how the human mind has two sides, the good side and the bad side. The Chinese yin and yang symbol also explain the structural behavior of the human mind, it shows that within every good there is evil and within every evil there is good present. The structural myth theory also explains the same thing; these types of myths are called structural myths. An example of these structural myths could be the story of Romeo and Juliet. The story shows that how Romeo feels guilty about Juliet's death that he decides to punish himself by attempting suicide. This act shows that every human being has guilt inside (termed as legitimate conscience) of them for every wrong thing they

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay Soft power was a term first coined by Joseph Nye in 1990 to recognise that nations had power resources other than the more readily conceived hard power of economic and military power. In his 2004 book Soft Power Nye attempts to expand upon the term and provide a tighter definition of soft power. His definition It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments  [1]  is general and needs substantial qualification and explanation to provide utility to statesmen and academics alike. Soft power has therefore generated significant debate as to its existence and utility. It has been argued that soft power is merely an argument for the merits of public diplomacy.  [2]  Nye himself argues that soft power is a resource that is underappreciated.  [3]  Increasingly the term soft power is being used by politicians and academics alike to portray a warmer less aggressive approach to international relations in the contemporary connected world. Eme rging powers such as China and India have been applauded for their use of soft power to attract outcomes they desire.  [4]  The US under Obama has distanced itself from President Bushs unilateral approach and has re-emphasised the utility and power of soft power to influence the world.  [5]   Despite the increased use of the term soft power, questions still remain as to the validity of soft power as an actual usable form of political power. Criticisms of soft power abound and include recognition that soft power is too fickle and generated from factors many of which are outside the direct control of a government. Soft power can have a positive effect on one group but have a polar opposite effect on another group within the same nation. Realist thinking in particular finds it difficult to reconcile so called soft power against a much more tangible hard power such as military might. But images such as a lone protester standing in front of a column of Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square do have a tangible affect on how the world reacts to situations. The protester certainly had less hard power, yet world opinion was certainly not attracted to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on that day. If not hard power, what sort of power is that then? The world today is increasingly connected. Images and opinions on crises and conflict can quickly be dispersed throughout the global community. The privilege of information superiority enjoyed by the leaders of nations in the past is increasingly threatened today. The governed can now get access to events and information much quicker and much more accurately than at any other time in human history. Measures of national power have to therefore take account of how a nation is perceived by the emerging global consciousness enabled by the information age. International relations is an ever changing tapestry of competition, cooperation and conflict but increasingly the interactions between states is becoming much more personal, much more deeper and much more diverse. While interactions between states remain dominant no state, particularly democratic states, can ignore the views of its citizens and their values. Much as violence is seen as distasteful within societies, there is now a great er threshold for justification of violence between states in the mind of the global community. Actions perceived as aggressive and without sufficient justification suffer a backlash of public opinion that undermines the ability of a regime to pursue a policy. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to better define the concept of soft power as a tool of international relations and establish the critical importance of soft power within the contemporary world. The research question as such, is as follows: What is soft power and why is it important in the world today? This will be answered by firmly establishing that the foundation of all political power, international or domestic, is the will of people and that power is becoming more dissipated throughout a globalised world. To aid in the understanding of soft power a number of questions need to be addressed. First and foremost is the question of where power comes from. To understand from where political power is derived we need to investigate power from its base form in human society. By understanding the basis of political power we can begin to understand why or how the nature of power may begin to manifest itself in different ways. Soft power is different from hard power. How and why this is the case is necessary to better understand what soft power actually is. Yet power is power and therefore at some, if not all, levels hard and soft power must interact and effect each other. The question of the relationship between hard and soft power must be addressed to gain greater insight into what soft power is and how to employ it. Hard power is the more easily recognisable and traditional manifestation of national power such as armed might and economic capability. Next is the question of how do we measure soft power. National power has always been perceived within a context of raw power potential shaped and melded into international effect by a nations leaders to achieve their international objectives. Does a nation therefore have a raw soft power potential and if so how can it best be cultivated and employed? Hard power can often be perceived as finite and expendable. Once you expend a resource you no longer have it. Is this true of soft power also? Or can soft power be re-used over and over? Finally an understanding of the trends and phenomenon of the world today is fundamental to determining the importance of soft power today and into the future. The importance and relevance of soft power is growing as more of humanity becomes connected. As people become more connected so the complexity of human interaction increases. This dramatically enhanced presence everywhere on the globe has the potential to generate a surge of global opinion. Increased connectivity however does not only provide presence everywhere for opinions to form on significant world events. People can now connect with a more diverse and more numerous audience throughout the world. The international relations implications are profound. As the complexity of human interaction increases so too does the complexity of international relations and politics. LITERATURE REVIEW This paper is on soft power. However to properly ground this concept in International relations this paper will cover a number of interrelated topics. Therefore, a variety of writings, including some on International relations, International relations theory and globalisation will be used to define what soft power is. Contemporary articles and media will update current discussions on soft power and aid in determining its relevance and utility. Joseph Nyes 2004 book Soft Power is dedicated to the subject of soft power and attempts to establish firmly through contemporary examples and discussion what soft power is and how it is generated and used. Nye defines soft power as It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments.  [6]  Nye has attempted to expand upon the concept after first coining the term in 1990. In many regards he has not adequately achieved this and has in many regards muddied the waters and propogated confusion about what soft power is. Nye has not anchored this concept in any theoretical framework. Hans Morganthau book Politics Among Nations, first published in 1948 and then updated with eleven further editions up to 2005 will provide a basis for analysis of what national power is. Morganthaus chapters on political power, the struggle for power and the essence of power all provide insights into the enduring nature of power and a framework for determining what the basis of power is and therefore how relevant soft power is as a concept. Kenneth Waltzs book Realism and International Politics was published in 2008 and is a compilation of Waltzs earlier works. Waltzs works span six decades from 1959 until 2002 and will be used to provide a more contemporary understanding of international relations and a barometer to show how international relations, and more specifically political power, are evolving as the world changes. The theme of globalisation and issues associated with it is fundamental to the rising awareness and importance of soft power. Thomas Friedmans The Lexus and the Olive Tree published in 2000 provides an excellent discussion of globalisation and its effects on the world. Friedmans early chapters provide a good description of what globalization is and how it has arisen. Friedman also touches upon the impact of globalisation on how power is employed in the emerging world. Friedman has expanded on his previous work on globalisation with his 2006 book The World is Flat. Now in its third expanded and updated edition within three years, the publishing history of this book is testament to the increasing speed of globalisation within the world today. In this book Friedman highlights three phases of gloablisation that he terms Globilisation 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. The idea that in Globalisation 1.0 nations gloablised, Globalisation 2.0 organisations globalised and in Globalisation 3.0 that we are seeing every individual globalised is central to understanding the importance of soft power in the contemporary world. If Friedman is to be even half believed, soft power is only going to become even more critical in coming years. The relationship between globalization and international politics is further enhanced with The Globalization of World Politics, An Introduction to International Relations by John Baylis and Steve Smith, first published in 2001 and updated in 2005. While providing a comprehensive and detailed understanding of contemporary international relations overall it is striking to note that this work offers only the barest mention of the concept of soft power. Likewise Charles Kegleys 12th edition of World Politics: Trend and Transformation, published in 2009 is a comprehensive text that charts the evolution of international relations from a theoretical perspective but mentions soft power only as an aside. Malcom Gladwells now famous The Tipping Point, first published in 2000 and now in its fifteenth reprint, provides a discussion on how the little things can make a big difference in a globalised connected world. Gladwells work does not specifically deal with international politics or power but his central concept provides food for thought on why soft power is now so critical. RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH The 2003 US invasion of Iraq has highlighted both the unstoppable military might of the worlds only superpower and the limitations of operating solely in a hard power domain of international relations. While it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the merits or not of the decision to invade Iraq, it is clear that the US found that it suffered a significant backlash from the way in which it did approach this issue on the global stage. Understanding soft power is more critical with every passing day as the world continues to connect. The concept of soft power is fuzzy and ambiguous. Skeptics will always be found for any subject. Proponents of the concept have varying interpretations of what it actually is. Many use the term from a simplistic point of view that helps undermine the importance of soft power. Nye has done well in articulating the concept but confusion and misunderstanding persists. This paper endeavors to contribute in even the smallest measure to a better understa nding of soft power and why it is critical in the world today and into the future. METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS This research paper will focus on a theory review from the library resources available at the Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentura (MTAT), Malaysian Armed Forces Ministry of Defence, the University of Malaya, Malaysian and New Zealand Bookshops. In addition to this various journals and articles sourced from on-line databases will also be used. The intention of this paper is to bring together theoretical international power and globalisation concepts with Nyes concept of soft power, in order to provide a better understanding of soft power, its relationship to other elements of national power and its growing importance. Due to time constraints and resource limitations, research for this paper is based on a limited number of secondary sources. Some books obtained are not the most recent editions however internet resources have been used where possible to ensure ideas gained from older editions have not been superseded. CHAPTERISATION This paper is divided into five chapters. Chapter one provides an introduction to the study to be undertaken including background information and a review of the literature available in compiling this research. Chapter one also outlines the methodology undertaken in order to obtain the required information. Chapter two focuses on the theoretical concept of power. The chapter discusses power from its fundamental principles recognising that in todays world that . Chapter three introduces the concept of soft power as defined by Joeseph Nye and the transnational crime threats and regional security mechanisms within the South Pacific, describes the current security environment and a summary of transnational crime and security issues. The chapter will then discuss the factors contributing towards transnational crime in the South Pacific within the framework of political, military, societal, economic and environmental security concerns. Chapter three then discusses the regional security mechanisms by outlining the Pacific Islands Forum, The Pacific Plan, the Forum Regional Security Committee, and then concludes. Chapter four introduces the responses to threats in the South Pacific and discusses the approach being taken by regional and global governments, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies to combat transnational crime within the South Pacific region. Chapter five concludes the paper by drawing together the concepts of transnational crime and security, the transnational crime and security threats in the South Pacific and the responses to them, and concludes that in order to overcome the threats of transnational crime to a states national security, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies must understand the complexity of transnational crime, the contributing factors, the challenges associated with combating it and focus their efforts in a joint approach to address the threats to the benefit of the state, its population and the global community.

Marina Warners The Dragon Empress Essay -- Marina Warner The Dragon E

Marina Warner's The Dragon Empress At the age of sixteen, the beautiful and elegant T’zu-hsi entered the Forbidden City in Peking. The daunting walls, enormous buildings and massive pillars loomed around her as she walked deeper and deeper into its confines. She entered the palace as a timid young girl, but it was from within these walls that she would keep her claws around all of China. Marina Warner describes the life of this ruthless enchantress in The Dragon Empress, an essential read for understanding Chinese culture during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Tz’u-hsi, also known as the empress dowager, ruled all of China from 1861 to 1908. It is amazing that a woman ruled over 400 million people during this time. She began as a courtesan in the emperor’s court, but after bearing a male heir she quickly gained power. After the death of the emperor and the death of her son, Tz’u-hsi appointed her nephew to the throne. She quickly became dissatisfied with him, however, and took all the power for herself. Tz’u-hsi hated the outside powers who were carving up China for themselves, so she encouraged the Boxer Rebellion. The Boxers attacked foreigners in an attempt to get them to leave. Tz’u-hsi also tried to keep China traditional and hated modernization. She was a very powerful and cunning woman who manipulated those around her. The book begins with the birth of Tz’u-hsi in 1835 and goes on to explain her family situation. It describes her path to power and how she manipulated the eunuchs in the palace to act as her spies and personal confidants. From the circumstances of her birth to her fatal fight with dysentery, Tz’u-hsi’s life is described in great detail within the... ...cited, so it is a great tool in understanding Tz’u-hsi. However, I would have believed Marina more if she cited personal accounts of Chinese people who lived during Tz’u-hsi’s time. I would like to know how the people of China really felt, and if it is how Marina describes it. Despite any inherent weaknesses in the book, Marina Warner has done an incredible job bringing the story of Tz’u-hsi and a vivid image of China to the world. The photographs that she placed in this book depict court life and compliment the book well. Marina’s mastery of words allows her to paint the scenes of Tz’u-hsi’s life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in discovering the intimate details of Tz’u-hsi’s life, her road to power, and China at the turn of the century. Works Cited Warner, Marina. The Dragon Empress. New York: Atheneum, 1986.