http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/business/branding/the-seven-part-plan-to-building-a-brand.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/branding/the-seven-part-plan-to-building-a-brand.html Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600
While a seller cannot create the public’s perception of their product, the seller must influence opinion using strategic suggestions. This is called positioning, and to do it properly the seller must first identify the advantages of using the product or service. These benefits must align with the customer’s needs, wants, and desires.

If you are lucky enough to be the first on the market to offer a particular product or service you may have an advantage—initially. If your product is successful you can be sure competition will arrive shortly; however, it is possible for the first successful brand to create a clear position in the minds of customers before the competition enters the market. Whether or not your product is the first of its kind, your first challenge is to establish credibility. Consumers must take your product seriously if they are to develop trust and loyalty to your brand.

Of course, before customers will buy a product, they must know about it. Communications play a critical role in building brand. Initial effort will focus on building brand awareness. As awareness increases, brand personality will be important to develop. Reinforcing position will be an on-going challenge.

This is where the next factor of brand-building comes into play. No amount of hustling can cover for quality. Statistically, higher quality brands always outplay their inferior counterparts in the marketing arena. Part of building a brand is communicating to consumers the benefits of using your brand—and consistently delivering on that promise.

Brand values must be understood and accepted internally as well as externally. This means that brand building involves a certain amount of internal marketing and training, so that any face-to-face contact customers have with the product is consistent and positive.

Even with the best of marketing, brand loyalty takes time to secure. Therefore, a long-term perspective is required when investing in a brand. Initially building up the brand will be an expense. Any business venture is a risk. If there comes a time when a brand has become tired or its market has gone into decline, the business may need to work at repositioning the product to reflect the change in consumers taste. Repositioning is an important, and none too easy factor, in brand building.

These seven factors: positioning, credibility, communications, quality, internal marketing, long-term perspective, and repositioning, are critical to building brand value. A proper marketing plan will address each factor. In addition, the marketing strategy should be evaluated and updated at regular intervals.

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About the Author:
Francesca Black is an artist and works on content and designs for Logo Search http://www.logo-search.com and is a photographer for Photo Wizard http://www.photo-wizard.net a royalty free stock photo directory.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/hobbies/space-travel-science-or-fiction.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/hobbies/space-travel-science-or-fiction.html Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
If interstellular travel requires traveling at light speed, the situation is not promising. The biggest hurdles against such travel are g-forces and time. G-forces are the force exerted on your body when undergoing high accelerations. Accelerating to the speed of light would have to be done gradually or the body would be torn apart. It would take about 2 ½ months to get to just half the speed of light! This explains the need for inertial dampers—the cosmic shock absorbers created by the writers of Star Trek. Inertial dampers somehow cancel out the force responding to the accelerating force. While this solves the problem for script writers, there is no such tool in the real world of physics.

Which takes us to the problem of time in space travel. Theoretically, two things happen when objects travel at the speed of light. First, time becomes relative and “slows down” for the objects in motion. A ten year journey on a star craft would correspond to 25,000 earth years—making any communication impossible. In addition to this, objects get heavier the faster they travel. When approaching the speed of light they become infinitely heavy, which is why only massless objects, like waves, can travel at such speeds.

Hence, space travel at light speed or faster is probably not feasible; however, space travel could still become reality. Imagine you are a microscopic mite on a flat piece of paper. Your world would seem to be flat; and indeed, all experimentation on your immediate environment would lead you to that conclusion. If your world was flat, the fastest way to get from your position to a point at the other end of the page would be a straight line. However, if the page was to bend, and you could drill a hole through the page, you would find a shortcut. This is the idea behind wormholes. Unfortunately, geometric equations show wormholes to be impossibly unstable. Before they could be used as viable bridges to new star systems or galaxies, one would have to find a way to keep them from pinching off the moment a speck of matter entered its throat. Still, wormholes are our greatest hope for space travel. While wormholes are still only hypothetical (there is no experimental evidence for them), they are great theoretical fun, and valid solutions of the Einstein equations. It’s no wonder that they are a topic of interest among scientists and writers science fiction alike.

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About the Author
Francesca Black has always enjoyed Science Fiction and she manages the content at: Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/celebrate-valentines-with-friends-and-family.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/celebrate-valentines-with-friends-and-family.html Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Classic Movie Night

What better movie than Casablanca to tug at your heart strings on Valentine's day. Set the stage with invites designed with a film strip theme. Other suggestions include; 1) have everyone dress up in 1940's clothes 2) cover the table with paper and write Casablanca famous movie quotes all over it 3) play "As Time Goes By" as guests arrive 4) serve traditional movie snacks during the show- popcorn, soda in glass bottles, Raisinets and Sugar Babies.

A Chocolate Fondue Party

Nothing celebrates Valentine's Day like chocolate! A chocolate party is one that anyone would be happy to attend. A chocolate fountain can be your center piece and there are a variety of items to serve that are great dipped in chocolate. Try some bananas, gram crackers, coconut covered marshmallow's, strawberries, black and red berries, and the list goes on! Start your party a littler later, after everyone has already had dinner. This is a great way to socialize and enjoy friends. There are even known health benefits to eating and even smelling chocolate. Chalk this party up as a way to increase every ones health- if not in body, then certainly in mind!

Formal Dinner
You don't just have to have candle lit dinners with romantic partners, have a formal dinner with family or friends. Pull out the nice china, silver and crystal, and of course, the candles! This is a great time of year to let the important people in your life know that you care about them. Each place setting name card can be a valentine with a special message. Have a four course meal ending with a fabulous dessert of your choice.

Charity Party

There are a lot of people and causes that could use a little love. Host a party for your neighborhood, family or just a bunch of friends to raise money for something near and dear to your heart. A few suggestions are; animal shelters, breast cancer research, local parks, food bank, Make A Wish Foundation, American Red Cross and the list goes on. Perhaps something has happened in your life to turn your heart toward a particular need or cause. Use Valentine's day as a day to reach out, make a difference and spread some love in the world. No donation is too small, no time spent is too little to help make the world a better place. Let everyone know the month before with invitations. If you have a story that you can share about what has encouraged you to have this event, include that in the invitation. Donations could be placed in an envelope near the door or on a table and then given directly to the organization of choice. Guests could anonymously donate any amount and you won't have to know. Have the donation basket open for any point of the evening and when guests arrive enjoy friendship and conversation. If you host it in the summer you could have appetizers and even enjoy an outdoor game of croquet. Not only will you help out an important cause, but your friends and family will be closer and receive more than they give.

All Red Dinner
Red is the theme for dinner and it can be casual. This is especially a great idea for families and children. Print the invitations on red paper, ask guests to wear red and serve red food. Red punch, red potatoes, red sauce or lasagna are some ideas. Have your guests make their own banana splits, complete with a red cherry on top. Have construction paper out on a table to make homemade valentines, adults and kids alike will love celebrating this holiday red style.

Whether you are currently not involved with a special someone, or they simply are not with you on Valentine's Day, you don't have to feel alone when surrounded with friends and family. Hosting a party will get you in the spirit of fun and could even be just the thing that someone else needs. Good food, good neighbors and friends, make for a good time. Enjoy Valentine's day this year and celebrate big!

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About the Author

Francesca Black a romantic at heart, writes for Valentine Shop http://www.valentine-shop.com and Angel Gifts http://www.angel-gifts.net




Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/historical-view-of-chess.html http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/historical-view-of-chess.html Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Between evenly matched opponents, chess games will often end in draws. Essentially, a draw is a game in which nobody wins. In tournaments, draws are recorded as ½ - ½, basically half a point rather than a full point for a win. There are six kinds of draws to discuss briefly.

Draws by agreement are perhaps the most common in chess. At any time in the game, you can offer a draw to your opponent. However, be mindful, and of good etiquette. Don't offer a draw on every move, for this is considered very rude. And be sure to offer the draw correctly: make your move, offer the draw, and only then press your clock (assuming that you are using a chess clock). An offer of a draw without making a move is not a legal offer and can be ignored.

In a famous grandmaster game, the opponents drew the game rather quickly. This game was famous because the Grandmaster Tal already had 12 points in the 1960 World Championship Match. The draw resulted in his crowning of a new world chess champion! Grandmaster Tal had steered the game into a position in which Grandmaster Black has no meaningful chances to win. Tal rather large lead also played an effect in the match.

Another type of draw is known as a stalemate. In a chess game, each side must move. Stalemates occur if the opponent (or yourself) is not in check and must move one of his/her pieces. However, there is a twist to this: if the player has no legal move, the game ends as a draw, referred to as a stalemate.

There are multiple stalemate situations that are quite common. Here's an example of a king and a pawn. At the end of the game, the opposing king is not in check, is trapped in a corner, with a queen surrounding all possible moves for the king. Many examples are much more complicated and can be quite exciting.

Draws by perpetual check occur when one player, usually, though not always with a queen, can deliver check regardless of the square chosen by the opponent's king. There's simply no escape from the checks.

Threefold repetition is when you or your opponent claim a draw if the same position occurs three times in the same game, all with the same player to move. Such repetitions can easily occur in endgames when one player is checking another. To claim such a draw, you need to have an accurate score sheet and demonstrate to the tournament director that the claim is valid. In one game between Fischer and Spassky, Fischer incorrectly claimed such a draw but Spassky, sure that Fischer must have been correct, agreed to the draw!

If neither side has sufficient material to win, either player can claim a draw. For example, suppose that each side has a king and a bishop. Try as you will, there's no way to force a win. You can win force checkmate with a king plus a bishop and a knight, but there is no way to force checkmate with a king and two knights.

This last rule is rather harsh. If after 50 consecutive moves by both players, no pawn moves or captures have occurred, either player can claim a draw. Obviously, you will need to have kept an accurate score sheet to make this claim!

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About the Author
Francesca Black works in marketing at the Puzzle Place http://www.puzzle-place.net and Chess Strategies http://www.chess-strategies.net leading puzzle and strategy portals.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/teaching-a-child-chess.html http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/teaching-a-child-chess.html Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Benjamin Franklin said, “Chess teaches foresight, by having to plan ahead; vigilance, by having to keep watch over the whole chess board; caution, by having to restrain ourselves from making hasty moves; and finally, we learn from chess the greatest maxim in life - that even when everything seems to be going badly for us we should not lose heart, but always hoping for a change for the better, steadfastly continue searching for the solutions to our problems.” Some say chess is just a game, after all, but what it teaches seems to put its position higher.

The traits that chess develops not only effect the game, but help develop the skills to be applied to all of life. There is not just one skill required to play chess, but several working together. With a game lasting at times hours, chess teaches focus. Many things want a person's attention and the ability to focus on what is before you allows for the problem to receive full attention and to be solved. One move can lose the game and before a piece is moved a player needs to think about the possible effects that move will have, this teaches thinking ahead. Concentration is required to play chess. Each choice needs to be made consciously and deliberately, not just making a move to make it, but deciding the best move. There is no force of a choice or move to be made in a certain amount of time and this teaches responsibility of choice and consequences. Chess not only requires these skills, but allows for them to be developed. With the complexities involved in chess some may wonder if it really is a game for children.

Learning chess is a natural progression, and as a child grows and matures their skills will develop and the complexity of the game will increase for them. A child can start to learn the pieces, points and direction of movement as young as 4 or 5. There are many ways to help a child learn strategies, understand the effects of their choices and be able to see things from their opponent's view. One important tool for an adult to use to teach chess is asking questions. For example, as you are contemplating a move, ask the child the value of that piece, explain why are you doing something or ask what might happen if that piece is moved. Another helpful thing to do is to turn the board once, or more during a game. This not only allows for a child to gain back the advantage and help them be successful, but it also allows for them to learn perspective and how a move or placement of pieces looks to the other player. They need to not only see the possible moves they can make on their side, but their opponents as well. Another helpful skill is to encourage them think forward to how a move will effect the board, and how will the board look after their move. Encourage them to make two to three moves in their mind before moving a piece instead of doing the first one that they see. This will help them look forward to the consequence of their choice and train their minds to think before they act. Encourage them to gain ownership of their game by asking questions about why they did something and getting them to explain their thought process out loud. This will allow them to feel responsible for their own decisions. Never throw the game. Winning needs to be earned to allow for feelings of accomplishment, it does not help a child to be given the win. They should also sometimes play against someone their level, they will win sometimes, lose sometimes, but will learn to be gracious in both instances.

Just a game? Perhaps, but the skills developed will benefit a player beyond the scope of the game. Their mind is sharper, their thinking more complex and their ability to make choices and feel responsible for those choices has increased. Who better to benefit from learning these skills than a child?

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About the Author
Francesca Black works in marketing at the Puzzle Place http://www.puzzle-place.net and Chess Strategies http://www.chess-strategies.net leading puzzle and strategy portals.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/all-about-mensa.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/all-about-mensa.html Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
In fact, on February 14, 2005 the Mensa confirmed that a three-year-old boy had become the youngest current member of Mensa. Toddler Mikhail Ali of Bramley, Leeds in the UK has an IQ of 137 a level of intelligence which puts him in the top 2% of the population for his age. A mensa spokeswoman confirmed Mikhail was its current youngest member and said the organization only has 30 members under the age of 10. Mikhail was three years and six weeks old when he joined Mensa. The organization's youngest member ever was two years and 10 months old when he joined in the mid 1990's. These records are a meaningful only from a public-relations standpoint however, since IQ changes very little with age. That is, people who are smart in adulthood were just as smart as children and vice versa, regardless of whether or not they join Mensa.

The name Mensa comes from the Latin word for table and indicates a group of equals sharing ideas, like a roundtable discussion.

Mensa's stated purpose is to identify and encourage human intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to foster research in nature, characteristic and uses of intelligence; and to promote stimulating social and intellectual opportunities for society members.

Famous mensa currently include Isaac Asimov, and Gena Davis. Mensa sets a measured intelligence level in the upper two percent of the population. This is its only requirement for membership. Statistically, about six million people in the United States alone qualify for Mensa, of whom 50,000 have actually joined. Worldwide, about 120 million people qualify for mensa of whom 100,000 have joined.

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About the Author:

Francesca Black works in marketing at the Puzzle Place http://www.puzzle-place.net and Chess Strategies http://www.chess-strategies.net leading puzzle and strategy portals.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/innovative-portrait-photographers.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/innovative-portrait-photographers.html Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
One of the all time great portrait photographers was Don Blair. He was known as a master in the field of portrait photography where he used lighting and composition to create timeless images. His interest in photography came when he was in sixth grade, when he went to work for a photography studio carrying equipment and helping in the lab. He learned all he could from the owner of the studio and eventually took it over and named it Don Blair Photo Studio. He was an advocate of continued learning and growth. He was known for his kindness to amateur and professional alike, and was willing to share what he knew with everyone, if they had the desire to learn. He was a mentor to many contemporary photographers.

One couple that he mentored is Joseph and Louise Simone out of Quebec, Canada. They learned the skills of seeing light and paying attention to composition and use this to not just take pictures, but create art with their photography. They met while working at Don Blair's photo studio in the 70's. The experience they had at his studio and the things they learned set them on their photographic path and they are still creating beautiful photography today. They are unique in their photography in that Louise "paints" their portraits after they have been photographed. She uses both Corel Painter and Photoshop tools to do her painting digitally, creating timeless, lasting portraiture.

Anne Geddes is another photographer who has chosen a different subject and path for her art, with a very successful outcome. It wasn't until age 25 that she really started into photography. She had always loved looking at images and when she finally started capturing them, the results were spectacular. She specializes in infant and childhood photography and keeps the prints simple and clean. She often times uses props or adds in props digitally after the shoot. Her style is innovative in that she is the first to pose infants in such simplistic, unique poses. As a mother herself she knows and understands children and her photography reflects this. Each of Anne Geddes photos capture more than just a stunning image, it is difficult to look at Anne Geddes photos and not feel an emotional connection to the image.

Capturing portrait photographs of individuals is more than just capturing an image, it is about capturing facets of the subject's character and those subtleties that make them a unique individual. Great portrait photographs speak volumes about the person. Great portrait photographers capture not just the likeness of the individual, but also preserves the person's personality.

Portrait photographs are cherished because they capture and preserve an individual at a specific point in their life.

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About the Author:

Francesca Black enjoys photography as a hobby and manages content at Future Photo http://www.future-photo.com and Digital Photo Tips http://www.digital-photo-tips.com/

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/the-great-things-about-photography.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/the-great-things-about-photography.html Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
1. The Challenge of Getting the Perfect Picture
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Sometimes a hundred shots have to be taken and you have to try for several days to get just the picture you want. An individual must have patience, but at the end of the day a great sense of accomplishment is felt from capturing the best part.

2. Tell A Story
From beginning to end of a snowball fight, with people throwing their first snowball and eventually rolling in the snow and then dusting off, you can see the event and it tells the story of friendship, fun and joy of life. Looking at pictures of an old family farm from its humble beginnings to the growth and increase over a hundred years it tells a story of family, hard work and sacrifice. Everyone has a story, photos can share that story and bring it to life.

3. Express Individuality
A photographer subject matter will reflect their interests, likes and preferences. A photo can also reflect the individuality of a subject. The clothes they choose to wear and the location they want the pictures shot all show who they are and their personality.

4. Joy and Laughter Increase
Anyone who looks at their first grade picture can attest to this fact. What is more fun than looking back at your younger years or seeing the awkwardness of adolescence? In your later years of life, seeing a picture of your family working or playing together warms your heart and lets you remember good times and better health. A photo lets us travel over the decades and brings back moments that make us laugh and carries us through the hard times.

5. See Things Truly As They Are
Somethings are so perfect- the petals of a flower, the height of a Redwood, the still calm of the lake at dawn. They draw you in to the grace of nature and life in purity and simplicity. The sweet smile of a child reflects the goodness of life and all the hope for what we can become and achieve. This is what life is and who we are in it.

6. Solitude of the Dark Room
The magical atmosphere of the dark room leads you to discover the potential of the photograph. Lightness, darkness, shadows all are in the control of the photographer. It is a work done alone with your ideas and skills combined to bring out the story of the photo before you.

7. Understand the Emotions of Others
As you look over the events of history and witness the faces of those who endured the depression or see victims of the Holocaust you can see in their eyes what they have endured. Their faces portray their hearts and hurts and although you were not there, you understand what they carry with them a little more.

8. A Gift to Others of Their Most Precious Moments
After the couple returns from the honeymoon one of the first priorities is to get the wedding photos. One of the happiest days of their lives is recorded forever. When someone does something for you that you can't do for yourself you feel indebted and forever grateful. It is a special gift to give someone their special memories and most cherished events.

9. Once You Capture a Moment You Can Display it
From the famous to the personal, photographs reveal lives of people. Some are placed in history books, some on the walls of a museum and some in the home. When they are displayed they are able to reach into the lives of others and stir emotion and thought. Photos are meant to be shared and seen.

10. The Only Way You Can Freeze Time
A photo is a moment frozen in time for a person to enjoy and remember whenever they want. The look, the expression, the emotion only happen for an instant. Although someone might carry it in their heart, with time the memory fades. If a photo is taken a child is able to see the happiness of their parents on their wedding day, a parent can see how small their child was the day they brought them home for the first time and all the years after as they grew to adulthood. All the birthdays, first days of school, vacations and friends can be captured and with you always. Time and space do not take a loved one from us when we can see them and the moments we share together, always.

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About the Author:

Francesca Black enjoys photography as a hobby and manages content at Future Photo http://www.future-photo.com and Photo Wizard http://www.photo-wizard.net

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/trekker-versus-trekkie-the-controversy.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/trekker-versus-trekkie-the-controversy.html Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
The Star Trek fan base is, after all a widely diverse group. Attending a convention, you will see young and old, male and female, from all walks of life. The ideology of Star Trek captures the interest of more than science and technology “geeks.” I’ve known well-educated professionals to don a uniform and attend a convention as enthusiastically as the pop-culture groupie. Can one term describe them all?

Apparently not. In the late 1960s, science fiction editor Art Saha used the word “Trekkies” to describe a group of early fans who were wearing pointy Vulcan ears at a science fiction convention. The label caught on, although some devotees felt it sounded too much like “crazies” and preferred to call themselves trekkers. To a trekker, the term trekkies creates images of fanatics struggling to distinguish between reality and fiction.

Our friends at the USS Dauntless (http://members.tripod.com/~learnb/dauntless/recdeck.htm), a web-site devoted to Star Trek trivia, makes these comparisons between the two:

A Trekker wears a STARFLEET uniform to a convention because its fun…
A Trekkie wears a uniform to a convention because s/he has heard that it is in style at the academy.

A Trekker has a STARFLEET Academy window sticker on his car…
A Trekkie is cramming for the entrance exams.

A Trekker thinks Wil Wheaton was a lucky kid who got to play a kid on Star Trek…
A Trekkie thinks that Wesley Crusher was a lucky kid who got to sit on the bridge.

A Trekker thinks that it is a shame that the show is coming to an end…
A Trekkie thinks that it is a shame that the crew is being reassigned and the Enterprise is being decommissioned.

A Trekker knows that there are gaping holes in the technology, but ignores them and enjoys the show…
A Trekkie can't wait for the price to come down on those home food replicator units.”

Those self-identified trekkies, however, have their own fodder to fling. They associate the term trekkers with pretentious nuts obsessed over minutiae and details. Moreover, they accuse ‘trekkers’ of being too ashamed to admit they are ‘trekkies.’ Apparently this camp has the good graces of Gene Roddenbury, the creator of Star Trek. According to his former assistant, Richard Arnold, Gene Roddenbury spoke during a convention and used the term trekkie. Someone attempted to correct him, to which he responded, “Excuse me, did you say 'TrekkER?' The word is 'TrekkIE.' I should know, I created them." (http://www.trekdoc.com/database/fanfeed/1.htm)

And so the question still rings, trekkers or trekkies? What is the correct term of usage? My advice? When labeling any group of people, political correctness rules the day. Just to play it safe, maybe use “Star Trek enthusiast.”

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About the Author
Francesca Black has always enjoyed Science Fiction and she manages the content at: Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/hobbies/the-ender-saga-a-noteworthy-science-fiction-series.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/hobbies/the-ender-saga-a-noteworthy-science-fiction-series.html Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Orson Scott Card saw potential in his young protagonist and instantly set to work developing the short fiction into a longer work. Already he had two novels in mind, Ender’s Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead, published the following year in 1986. Card made history by winning both the prestigious Nebula and Hugo Awards in both consecutive years. No other author has managed this feat to date (2006.) Since that time, Ender’s Game has been translated into sixteen languages, and spawned two series.

The first series includes Ender’s Game (1985), Speaker for the Dead (1986), Xenocide (1991), Children of the Mind (1996), and First Meetings (2002). The saga follows Ender as he grows into adulthood and deals with the moral and ethical issues presented in his childhood.

The second series starts with a parallel telling of the original Ender’s Game, but from the eyes of Bean. Titled Ender’s Shadow (1999), it is the first of the Shadow Series, followed by Shadow of the Hegemon (2001), Shadow Puppets (2002), and Shadow of the Giant (2005).

Ender’s Game has been called “the science fiction novel for people who don’t think they like science fiction.” Truly it appeals to a vast audience. It is on the list of top books for college-bound students, and has been adopted as required reading in numerous secondary schools and university classes. Card explains that the focus on the human story as it unravels, rather than the science fiction elements, is what gives the novel power among its readers. Essentially, Card says, readers must relate and care deeply about the characters. Beyond that, he admits that the use of computer networks and the “mind game” are features in the book that appeal to many readers.

Ender claimed the spotlight again in the late 1990s when rumor caught wind that a film was slated. Indeed, Warner Brothers announced in 2002 its plans to produce the film. Director Wolfgang Peterson, known for his most recent films Poseidon, Troy and The Perfect Storm, is joined by screenwriter David Benieff (Troy). The movie is expected to hit the theaters in 2008. After winning the top prizes offered in science fiction literature, one wonders what is still in store for Ender Wiggen.

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About the Author
Francesca Black is a fan of science fiction. She is a freelance writer and writes articles for Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com and UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com .

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>