Kodak and Fujifilm Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kodak and Fujifilm - Research Paper Example Kodak, however, would retreat into 327th in the year 2011, filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in 2012. Kodak’s failure to adapt to the digital age was cited as a major cause for this. However, Kodak had invented the first digital camera in 1975 and aggressively immersed itself into this new business, promoting M&A, but was unable to use the strategies for profit. Kodak began struggling with numerous problems from the late 70s; this included the challenge brought by the instant camera and increased competition in the Polaroid camera with Fujifilm. While a succession of CEOs attempted to deal with these problems in order to improve the company’s business, they were largely unsuccessful (Elkins, 2011). This can be explained by Clayton Christensen’s â€Å"innovator’s dilemma†. Fujifilm Co. Ltd. began, on the other hand, as a producer of cinematic film and grew into a manufacturer and marketer of information and imaging products. It grew into t he largest photographic filmmaker for the Japanese market and competed with Eastman Kodak for market share on the global stage. Fujifilm, on top of pushing a variety of still camera film, color paper, photo-finishing equipment, motion picture film, and color paper chemicals, also entered the digital sphere, making flat panel display materials, medical imaging products, media for digital recording, office printers and copiers, as well as digital cameras (Elkins, 2011). They derived approximately a half of their revenues from Japan with 20% in North America, 14% in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region and another 14% in Africa (Elkins, 2011). However, the company’s focus diversified greatly from negatives, with its imaging solutions unit being the smallest. Its photographic paper chemicals, photofinishing equipment, digital cameras, as well as photographic papers and films, are its biggest investment in the last 20 years. The main business in Fujifilm that accounts for over 40% of sales includes; information related services and products as well as document operations. Its document business involves a joint venture with Xerox to offer printers, copy machines, and production services. Its information unit handles flat panel and optical display components, recording media, large scale printing, and medical imaging (Elkins, 2011). Comparing and contrasting the approach to management that each company has pursued in order to embrace innovation. Kodak faced criticism for its slow response to the digital age because of a conservative culture, coupled to a complacent monopolist nature that affected its ability to embrace its own innovations, like the digital camera that it invented in the mid-70s (Baron, 2010). Clay Chandler, the CEO at that time promoted a culture of innovative diversification. However, CEOs that came after him denied the policy and did away with many promising ventures for the future by taking to resource selection and concentration. By stickin g to film, they ignored the innovation of digital printers and cameras, categorizing itself as an imaging company. The main reason that Kodak faced bankruptcy had to do with its concentration on narrow business field that prevented it from developing on innovations (Baron, 2010). Fujifilm, in many aspects, had a common business trajectory to Kodak on its founding. However, the major changes that came with the digital age and the dangers portended by this innovation to the film industry saw Fujifilm attempt to find new businesses, especially as it was vertically oriented,

Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor Essay Example for Free

Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor Essay Recently the spotlight has been set on renewable energies to assist with weaning off of greenhouse gas emissions, solving issues with energy independence, and to exploit their inherent renewability. Unfortunately our technology is not quite up to speed economically with our wish to rely completely on renewable energy, thus many non- renewable energies are recognized as viable options to power our economy (Fraser, 2011). The United States current position on diversifying with non-renewables onsists of oil, natural gas, coal, and the less spoken of, nuclear power. Nuclear power is the process by which a reactor contains a slow explosion called fission, which gives Offa positive net amount of energy that can be harvested. Of course the social stigma around nuclear is so strong that even if there were an undiscovered completely safe type of nuclear power plant, Justifying the complex science would be challenging. After events such as Fukushima, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island, the vast majority of society believes nuclear energy is nothing more than a death wish. Contrary to popular belief, a safer alternative in nuclear energy has been discovered and has been gaining popularity over the past few years despite the recent tragedy in Japan (Sorensen, 2011). Though newly rekindled, the non-mainstream nuclear power known as Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) was discovered in the 1960s and had been proved to be a very attractive option to the more popular Light Water Reactor (LWR). It all began with nuclear physicist Alvin Weinberg, who would graduate from the University of Chicago soon become research director at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Weinberg was given the freedom to experiment with designing multiple types of nuclear reactors including the prominent LWRs that are in commercial use today. Subsequently Weinberg had noted the potential danger of a LWR and moved on to designing a safer nuclear power technology that he would end up supporting for the rest of his life. His research team at ORNL created a fluid fuel in a MSR, opposed to the traditional solid fuel in LWRs, in order to decrease the pressure and overall danger of the system. To Weinbergs delight, although this rototype MSR had corrosive issues because of the salt involved, Weinberg deemed this technology far more superior to LWR. Furthermore, the worst part about current hatred for LWRs is that although it can be a dangerous process, the technology is revolutionary and its power has potential that we are seriously unaware of. For now with our current state of knowledge about nuclear power combined with our worlds predicament with how we generate power so ineffectively, MSRs must be and should have always been the governments number one priority (Sorensen, 2011). This pecific type of nuclear reactor is certainly on the minds of at least China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, and Australia (Furukawa, 2008). Since these countries showed interest at least by 2008 it can be assumed that they are already in the process of construction. An example for our worst-case scenario would be for the United States to simply stand back and watch as the rest ot the world capi talizes on the best power generating technology known to man. A technology that of course the United States developed and had in operation fifty years ago, but the idea simply aded away. As the majority of the US would like to go green, it may not be too early to claim the MSR as green nuclear power. Nuclear reactors do not emit greenhouse gases taking care of one of the three major concerns with the future of energy. Though observing an entire life cycle of Thorium and materials to make the power plant, there are transportation emissions involved. It turns out however, that Thorium is extremely accessible in the US as it is already mined concurrently with other rare earth minerals but is typically discarded for lack of utility. The United States has omewhere in the order of 15% of the worlds total Thorium stockpile at around 15 million tons (Bonometti, 2008). Even if we were to run out of Thorium, the Moon has even greater amounts that by the time we begin to hit peak Thorium it will surely be so far in the future that extracting moon materials would not be a challenge. As an investor this further assures a safe bet, but what is so safe about the LFTR design is that a meltdown or explosion is so much more unlikely to occur than in LWR systems. Since the carrier of thorium is a liquid, liquid fluoride, it allows standard pressure at igh temperatures. Traditionally, in LWR, water had to cool down the solid fuel since it couldnt handle the high temperatures because of high pressure, which had always been a fine line behind meltdowns (Sorensen, 2011). In the LFTR, the system can naturally correct an over heated system by melting a frozen salt plug at the base of the system to enter into an emergency cooling tank. If LFTR technology has already been proved, proved to be safe, proved to be powerful, and proved to be available and cheap, then why doesnt the world run on it? The technology itself seems to be a it mysterious itself or maybe doubtful since it has already been ignored once before. What it comes down to is the timescale that nuclear reactors had been created. Back at Oak Ridge Laboratory where Weinberg had designed nuclear power he first designed the LWR, which happened to be more dangerous, but nevertheless reported his results. Quickly academics and politicians alike were astounded by the amount of power that could be generated through nuclear fission. Academics such as Weinberg understood the dangerous design of the LWR and proceeded to design afer alternatives, hence the MSR. Politicians on the other hand, had deadlines to meet, people to please, Jobs to create, and the LWR went commercial. There is even a specific phone call between President Nixon and a California LWR director expressing swift actions to commercialize the technology before elections (Sorensen, 2011). As Weinberg fought the Nixon administration to stop continuing with LWRs he was soon fired from the Oak Ridge Lab and so did the MSR department. Thus many scientists have since seen and admired his work and have finally had reason to express its arious benefits once the inevitable failures of LWR ensued, for example, Fukushima. In addition, it is important to note how resultant issues with LWR nuclear plants in the past have all been due to the intrinsic difficulty with handling a solid fuel at its required high pressure for fission to take place. In other words, none of those accidents would have happened if they would have simply listened to their founder, Weinberg, and chose to go with an MSR design. As the public is informed with this somewhat difficult science I imagine it will take about as long to understand the itterence in types ot nuclear reactors as it did tor the majority ot the population to understand the science behind the greenhouse effect. This is based on the fact that the same oil and coal industries will be threatened along with ill-educated environmentalists who will viciously support only renewable energy.

Four Functions Of Management At Fedex

Four Functions Of Management At Fedex Originally FedEx Corporation is recognized as FDX Corporation. It is a well-known logistics services company. The company was founded in the United States in 1971. FedEx furnishes customers and businesses all over the world with an all-inclusive portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services (About FedEx, 2010). The company offer incorporated business applications through functioning companies competing conjointly and managed collaboratively, under the well-thought-of FedEx brand. FedEx had attained significant position among the worlds most accepted and committed employers. It operates with more than 275,000 employees and contractors. It motivates all its employees and contractors to remain perfectly, positively concentrated on safety, the highest ethical and practised measures and the demands of their customers and communities. The company operates all over the world with its following segments: FedEx Express: This segment of the company offers numerous shipping services for the deliverance of packages and freight. FedEx Ground: This segment of the company offers business and residential ground package delivery services. FedEx Freight: This segment extends less-than-truckload freight services, as well as shipment carrier services. FedEx Services: This segment of the company offers sales, marketing, information technology support, customer service support, document solutions and business services and many other advanced services (FedEx Corporation, 2010). The significant functions of management that managers at all the levels of FedEx perform in order to achieve its organizational objectives, are as follows: Planning: This function of management is the conscious determination of future course of action. This involves why an action, what action, how to take action and when to take action. Thus, planning includes determination of specific objectives, determining projects and programs, setting policies and strategies, setting rules and procedures and preparing budgets. Organizing: Another significant function of FedEx management is organizing. Organizing is the process of dividing work into convenient tasks or duties, grouping such duties in the form of positions, grouping of various positions into departments and sections, assigning duties to individual positions, and delegating authority to each position so that the work is carried out as planned (Montana Charnov, 2000). Leading: The nest crucial function of management is leading. In this function of management a proper direction is determined by the company managers that help the employees in the proper understanding of their role to attain the goals and targets effectively. Leading is the process of influencing the behaviour of others to work willingly and enthusiastically for achieving predetermined goals. Controlling: The last significant function of management is controlling. This function involves identification of actual results, comparison of actual results with expected results as set by planning process, identification of deviation between the two, if any, and taking of corrective action so that actual results match with expected results (Harris Hartman, 2001). It brings to light all bottlenecks in work performance and fulfils the needs of the situation. Globalisations and its Impact on FedEx four Functions of Management Globalization is a procedure of interaction and compounding among the people, companies and governments of diverse nations. It is a procedure determined by international trade and investment and assisted by international technology. This procedure has its consequences on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity and as well as on the human physical well-being in associations all around the world (FedEx and Key Industry Drivers, n.d.). This external factor is making a prominent impact on the operations and functions of management of FedEx. Increasing globalization of its business had make a prominent impact on its planning function of FedEx management as now it had become more complex and requires more crucial analysis of international markets. In addition to this the function of organizing and leading business operations and all resources is also become difficult as now the company involves a diverse workforce and diverse customer base with different needs and demands. The last function of management controlling is also evolved as a difficult task due to the involvement of different type of international risks. Technology and its Impact on FedExs Four Functions of Management Technology is the employment and cognition of tools, proficiencies and crafts. It had made life of human beings more easier as it involves advanced know-hows in the form of tools and techniques. At FedEx emerging technology is playing an increasing role in offering critical information at any point in time about the location of a customers product and the time of delivery (FedEx and Key Industry Drivers, n.d.). With the increasing effect of technology the four functions of FedExs management is significantly affected. With the use of advanced technology, the companys planning and organizing function had been affected greatly as now its planning is done by making use of advanced technology and IT tools. For organizing all its operations and resources the company make use of up-to-date tools and techniques like for giving training to its employees now it make use of electronic sources (Huff, Maher Munro, 2004). Increasing use of technology and electronic means of communication also make a significant impact on companys leading and controlling function of management. With advanced tools and techniques both of these functions of FedExs management had become more easy and effective. E-Business and its Impact on FedExs four Functions of Management E-business is a term that can be used to delineate businesses run on the Internet, or employing Internet technologies to ameliorate the productivity or profitability of a business. In a more universal sense, the term could be used to explain any form of electronic business (Sharif, Ching, Bakri Zakaria, 2005). In present more and more companies are adopting this practice of doing business and similar is the situation with FedEx that is also making use of electronic sources and internet for communicating with its client and doing business. This e-business practice of the company had made tremendous impact on its four functions of management as now company does not have to indulge in complex planning as now it performs all its functions with the help of web, which makes everything simple and speedy (FedEx and Key Industry Drivers, n.d.). The organizing and leading function of management are also affected with this practice of e-business as now company can track performance of its employees and operations through web rather indulging in more formal procedures. The use of web had made everything very easy and quick and now the controlling of business operations had also become very easy. Conclusion With the detailed discussion of company operations and functions of management, it could be said, that the management of all these functions is essential as otherwise it could not direct the company towards its pre-determined goals. With the discussion of globalization, technology and e-business it could be conferred that these entire factors make a prominent impact on companys four functions of management because as time had changed this functions of company management is also changed. The impact of globalization, technology and e-business had advanced these functions in a significant manner, which in turn facilitates FedEx in managing its business.

Physics of Lightning :: lightning physics

Lightning can be defined as a transient, high current electric discharge whose path length is generally measured in kilometers. Lightning occurs when some region of the atmosphere attains an electric charge sufficiently large that the electric fields associated with the charge cause electrical breakdown of the air. However lighting has been reported in snowstorms, sandstorms, in clouds over erupting volcanoes, and been reported to occur in the clear air. Such lightning can take place entirely within a cloud (intra cloud), between two clouds, between cloud and the earth, or between a cloud and the surrounding air. There really aren't differrent 'types' of lightning, almost all lightning discharges occur in basically the same way. However, varying conditions and situations that lightning occurs in make the flash look

Paul Poiret Biography

Name: Paul Poiret [pic] Born April 20, 1879— April 30, 1944 Biography: †¢ Born in Paris to a wealthy family an attended a Catholic lycee. †¢ After school he started an apprenticeship with an umbrella maker, which did not suit him. †¢ In 1896, as a teenager, he began working for Jacques Doucet, a prominent Parisian couturier of the time. †¢ In four years Poiret worked up the ranks to become head of the tailoring department for Jacques Doucet. †¢ Poiret designed for many actresses of the time, while working on the play L'Aiglon, he snuck into a dress rehearsal and his harsh critique of the sets and costumes got him fired from the movie.But, that did not stop actresses from requesting his designs. †¢ Joined the House of Worth in 1901 as an assistant designer, there he deigned clothes in a stark contrast to the opulent garments from Worth; his were more for the everyday woman. While he felt himself that his fellow designers looked down on him for his more simplistic designs, they were commercially very successful. †¢ While at the House of Worth, Poiret designed his first Asian-inspired piece, which was a simple Chinese-style cloak called Confucius.It offended a Russian princess, who though it was too simple, and not grand enough for anybody but peasants to wear. After opening his House of fashion the mandarin-robe-style cloaks were best sellers. †¢ In 1903 he opened his own couture house, in 1909 he relocated to a very large and spectacular location with a parterre garden. †¢ In the October 1908 publication of Les Robes de Paul Poiret, it featured Poiret’s designs using the pochoir method of printing, giving the images brilliantly saturated areas of color. Poiret worked with artist Paul Iribe to achieve this.Who juxtaposed Poiret’s graphically striking clothes to stylishly arranged backgrounds. With this they helped fuse fashion and art even further. †¢ Also, in 1908 Poiret introduced his lean, high-waisted silhouette. Featuring narrow lines, high waists, covered arms, and low decolletes, making the hourglass silhouette passe. †¢ Poiret’s designs removed the corset, which interfered with his narrow lines, and with that many other designers followed and corsets started to become a thing of the past. †¢ The Poiret Rose became a trademark for the designer after a hree-dimensional silk chiffon rose was sewn to the empire bodice of Josephine, one of the 1907 dresses that was featured in Les Robes de Paul Poiret. †¢ While producing his second album of designs, Les Choses de Paul Poiret (1911), Poiret asked artist Georges Lapape for inspiration for a new look. But Mme. Lepape was the one who inspired one of his most iconic designs, the jupe-culotte, with her sketch. †¢ In April of 1911 Poiret opened Martine, named after one of his daughters, which was a school where creativity could flourish and not be stifled by discipline or only being taught one way. Also, in the same year, 1911, the house of Poiret introduced their first fragrance, Rosine, named after another daughter. Poiret was involved in every aspect of the production of the fragrance. He expanded the fragrance to include soaps and lotions, which was then replicated by other designers. †¢ Poiret was a military tailor throughout the war and had to relaunch his business in 1919 after the war was over. †¢ But by 1929 the House was doing poorly and he sold his business, it is due to this that he lost the rights to his name. Poiret passed away on April 28th 1944 from Parkinson’s disease. Signature looks: [pic] [pic] [pic] Significance: Paul Poiret was incredibly significant because he pushed the boundaries on what was then considered fashion. He changed the shape of the femal body with his daring silhouettes. Poiret revolutionized the way fashion photography was done and essentially created editorials. Poiret also is a great example of a â€Å"spirit of the ti mes† with his lavish lifestyle and designs; he very much captured the spirit of the 1910’s and 20’s.Poiret was influenced by many other cultures and would often bring it in to his designs, especially Asian and Persian. The softly ballooning legs, turbans, and tunic effect become Poiret signature looks. Poiret is regarded by many as the first genius of fashion; he himself proclaims that he is the â€Å"King of Fashion† in his autobiography of the same name. He is also the first designer to have come out with a beauty line, which has since set the standard for fashion houses. Signature Looks Today: [pic] [pic] Works Cited †¢ Caroline Milbank, A-Z Fashion, Berg Fashion Library, Berg Publishers, online, 10/21/12.Images Cited †¢ Online Image, Timeless Fashion and Art, 2007, 10/21/12 †¢ Online Image, Sun Sentinel: Fashion and Style, December 15th, 2011. †¢ Online Image, FIDM Museum Blog, FIDM, August 19, 2009 †¢ Online Image, Zappos. com , Zappos, 10/21/12 Online Image, Styleite. com, Styleite Paris Couture Week, July 6th, 2011 ———————– Poiret’s jupe-culotte and tunic, 1913. Poiret’s fragrance, featuring trademark rose. Asian influenced designs, 1913. Modern couture take on Asian-influence fashion. Baggy trouser pants similar to Poiret’s jupe-culotte.

How is Stanhope Represented in the First Two Acts of ‘Journey’s End’?

Stanhope is the captain in command of an infantry company on the front line. Although he is a highly ranked officer, Stanhope is still only a boy. He has been out in the trenches for nearly three years, (having come straight form school at he age of eighteen) and has commanded his company for a year. The character of Stanhope is fundamental to the play as a whole; we learn this almost straight away as he is spoken about before he appears on stage. The play begins with a conversation between two officers – Osborne and Hardy – and it is from them that the reader gains a first impression of Stanhope. His drink problem is immediately addressed as Hardy asks, ‘Drinking like a fish, as usual? ‘ This presents him in a fairly negative light however; this feeling is soon displaced as Osborne begins to defend him and offers some reasoning as to why Stanhope seeks solace in alcohol. We learn that he is in fact an extremely competent and well respected commander – ‘He's a long way the best company commander we've got' and this point is emphasised in Act two as Raleigh writes in his letter, ‘He's the finest officer in the battalion, and the men simply love him. Sherriff presents Stanhope as hard working, and this is mentioned various times throughout the two acts. Osborne says (when defending him against Hardy) – ‘He's commanded this company or a year – in and out of the front line. He's never had a rest. Other men come over here and go home again ill, and young Stanhope goes on sticking it, month in, month out. ‘ He is precise and meticulous in his duties as captain. When Trotter asks if he can go on duty half an hour later so he can finish his meal Stanhope refuses, unwilling to risk upsetting the schedule. He is also horrified at the state in which Hardy leaves the trenches, commenting that they smell like cess pits; all this adding to the image that Sherriff creates of him as a fine officer. Stanhope is extremely worried about Raleigh's appearance as he is frightened he will write to his sister and tell her what he has become. His quick temper becomes apparent as he demands Raleigh hands his letter over – he shouts, ‘Don't ‘Dennis' me! Stanhope's my name! ‘ and even snaps at Osborne. Raleigh describes an incident at school, ‘I remember once at school he caught some chaps in a study with a bottle of whisky. Lord! the roof nearly blew off. He gave them a dozen each with a cricket stump. ‘ This is ironic considering what Stanhope has become, yet it gives the reader an insight into what he was like before the war and how it has affected him. It quickly becomes apparent that Mason is scared of Stanhope; we see an example of this when Mason accidently gets apricots instead of pineapples – he is extremely concerned about what the captains reaction may be. This further enforces the idea of Stanhope having a short temper. Stanhope has a close relationship with Osborne, much like that of a father and son. Being twice his age, calm and level headed, Osborne is there to look after Stanhope when he gets too ‘tight' or to comfort him when he fears for his sanity. The scene where Osborne tucks Stanhope into bed shows his vulnerability. He is only a boy after all, and this is demonstrated effectively as he says, ‘Yes – I go sleep. ‘ Osborne defends Stanhope against Hardy and says, ‘I love that fellow. I'd go to hell with him. ‘ Stanhope is a deep thinker – ‘It's a habit that's grown on me lately – to look right through things, and on and on – til I get frightened and stop. He see's beneath the surface of things, one of the qualities that make him a fantastic captain. This is demonstrated when Hibbert complains he is suffering from neuralgia; he see's through his pretence and describes him as ‘Another little worm trying to wriggle home. ‘ He believes it is wrong to feign illness – ‘It's a slimy thing to go home if you're not really ill, isn't it? ‘ Despite his disliking for Hibbert, after his initial threat to shoot him he is understanding and comforting, even offering to accompany him on patrol. He has a real sense of decency, evident throughout the two acts. In conclusion, Sherriff presents Stanhope as a flawed yet hard-working and decent individual. Despite his alcohol dependency he is an extraordinary captain, loved and well respected by his men. The reader learns all this through Stanhope's actions, stage directions, what the other characters tell us about him and their responses to him. Sherriff presents him as a tragic hero, troubled and hardened by his experiences.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Popular Book Series With Cartoons

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Popular Book Series With Cartoons The Diary of a Wimpy Kid  series is  a big hit with both boys and girls, ages 8 to 12. Billed as a novel in cartoons, Book One is the diary of protagonist Greg Heffley. (Greg is upfront in wanting readers to know, This is a JOURNAL, not a diary and ...this was MOMs idea, not mine.)  Diary of a Wimpy Kid, with its combination of words and cartoons, is particularly appealing to reluctant readers. Summary of the Story Greg is one of three children. According to Greg, his little brother, Manny, never gets in trouble, even if he really deserves it, and his older brother Rodrick is always getting the best of Greg. In his diary, Greg details his daily activities, starting with the first day of middle school and his warnings to readers about choosing where to sit in class. How does Greg feel about middle school? He thinks its dumb because  You got kids like me who havent hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with these gorillas who need to shave twice a day. Whether its dealing with bullying, his friend Rowley, homework, or family life, Greg is always busy trying to figure out the angle that will make things work out best for him. Author Jeff Kinney does a great job, in words and pictures, of illustrating the general goofiness that comes with being a self-centered adolescent, and the hilarious things that happen as a result. Author and Illustrator Overview Diary of a Wimpy Kid is Jeff Kinneys first book. While a student at the University of Maryland, Kinney had his own comic strip, Igdoof, in the school newspaper. After college, he began writing Diary of a Wimpy Kid and putting it online in daily installments on FunBrain.com. Then, publisher Harry N. Abrams signed Kinney to a multi-book deal to create a Diary of a Wimpy Kid series for the Amulet Books imprint. Despite the success of his books, Kinney has kept his day job working for an Internet publishing company. As far as how much the series is based on his life, Kinney said in an interview. that the books are a mix of his own family stories growing up, but with his own comedic spin on them. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Recommendation The books lined pages, plus Gregs writing and his pen and ink sketches and cartoons, make it seem like an authentic diary which adds greatly to the readers enjoyment and relatability. If you are looking for a book with a main character who is a perfect role model for your child, this isnt it. But if you are looking for a funny book your kids will enjoy and identify with, grab a copy. Diary of a Wimpy Kid  is best suited for tweens and younger teens. (Amulet Books, An Imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2007. ISBN: 9780810993136) More Diary of a Wimpy Kid Books As of February 2017, there were eleven books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, including titles like  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. In addition, if Gregs diary has inspired your kids to try writing and drawing, they will enjoy Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book, which includes writing and drawing prompts, with lots of space for kids to fill. Sources ComicMix, Interview: Jeff KinneyWimpyKid.com, About the Author