American Presidents, Religious Cultural Heritage, and Nuclear Weapons Dissertation

American Presidents, Religious Cultural Heritage, and Nuclear Weapons Decisions - Dissertation Example In 1945, nuclear bomb was dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and it showed the extent of the devastation and death, which resulted from the use of nuclear bomb. Through it, people became aware of the magnitude of destruction because of the nuclear bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In turn, these events ushered a new phase in war and military armaments –nuclear warfare and nuclear weapons. It changed the manner in which international relationship among countries was conducted and it altered the view of international politics as the international community adapted to the reality of the threat of nuclear war. In this context, the necessity of understanding the threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear war falls not only from the perspective of politics, but also from the view of religion. Since, religion plays an important role in the shaping and defining of the values and beliefs of the society and then individual. However, this research will focus on the effect of religion pertinen t to nuclear decision-making of some Presidents of the United States. Although war has long been part of human story, WW II is different from all other wars noted in history. It is not because technology is adopted in the development of war armaments. In fact, technological innovations are applied in war regardless of the period. For instance, this shows that idea of applying technology in war is not a distinguishing attribute of WW II. Rather what distinguishes it from other wars in history is the reality of nuclear atomic bomb. The determination of the potential of nuclear atomic bomb and the first nuclear atomic bomb was established by the Manhattan Project at a cost of $2 billion. This project was known only to a few people and the intention was to build an atomic bomb. The scientists under the direction of Robert Oppenheimer were in a race against the Nazis who they thought were also building atomic bombs.6 When it was first tested and was exploded in the desert of Alamogordo, New Mexico on July 16, 1945, it was described as â€Å"flashing with t he brightness of several suns at Midday† 7 The nuclear atomic bomb was first used during WWII. It was dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to stop the Japanese onslaught in Asia. 8 On August 6, 1945, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola gay dropped

Overuse of Acronyms in Professional Writing Research Paper

Overuse of Acronyms in Professional Writing - Research Paper Example cronyms which may be seen in scientific literature include ACE for Angiostensin Coverting Enzyme, BUN for Blood Urea Nitrogen, and CAT for Computerized Axial Tomography. On the other hand, intialisms like ACTH for Adreno-CorticoTrophic Hormone, PTST for Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and RT-CR for Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction are also frequently used in the same field. Acronyms are used in the highly technical world for the following purposes: However, acronyms may be overused in scientific writing to the point that the advantages are overshadowed by confusion (Ibrahim 27). This paper will examine the extent by which acronyms are being used in the scientific field with recommendations to prevent the overuse of acronyms in scientific writing Two studies were conducted to investigate the extent to which acronyms are overused in scientific literature: one by researchers Hong Yu, George Hripcsack, and Carol Friedman at Columbia University, and another by Dr. Everett Shocket, from the University of South Florida and the Bay Pines VA Medical Center. Using a computer program they developed, Yu, Hripcsack, and Friedman mapped acronyms in scientific journals to their respective long forms. Results revealed that only 25% of acronyms were defined in scientific articles. The remaining 75% of undefined acronyms were mapped to one of four online acronym databases. The study found that the acronyms had different meanings in each database (Yu, Hripesack, and Friedman 262). An acronym which stands for various meanings in the same field of expertise is a clear indication of irresponsible use and overuse of acronyms even in scholarly works. Findings of the study suggest that concerns about the prevalence of the overuse of acronyms are founded. The fact that an automated intervention to help readers match an acronym in a scientific journal to its correct long form had not been very successful implies the gravity of the problem on the overuse of

Job Satisfaction Ratings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Job Satisfaction Ratings - Essay Example His innovative ideas have shaped the music and film-making industries (The trouble, 2008). As an innovative leader, he reportedly co-invented 103 inventions (e.g. Ipod interface) patented by Apple (The trouble, 2008). Steve Jobs has a vision and goals for the company and pursues them until they are realized. He applies a hands-on approach to management (The trouble, 2008). He has such a magnetic influence in the business circle that his presence in Apple affects the market value of the company. As a person, he can be viewed as persistent and determined on his goals that despite his previous unpleasant experience with Apple (removed from the company), he did not allow that experience affect him but instead, upon his return to Apple, he transformed it into a billion dollar venture with new product line-up. His leadership approach of working with more than a hundred employees (out of 25,000) from the cross-section of the organization for key ideas (Steve Jobs speaks, 2008) is a manifestation of a democratic or participative leadership (Leadership styles, 2009). These ideas are passed around for their comments and inputs wherein all angles of the ideas are explored and debated upon (Steve Jobs speaks, 2008). He can also be classified as a transformational leader that inspires his team to share his vision and sought out initiatives that can add a new value or input (Leadership styles, 2009). His infectious vision for innovation is shown with iPhone wherein he told his team to throw away what it was doing the previous year, start all over and work harder that caused his subordinates to rally behind him and sign them up for the new project (Steve Jobs speaks, 2008). Taylor (2009) characterizes him to belong to the Great Man Theory of Leadership because of his â€Å"CEO-centric model of ex ecutive power† which is archaic and inapplicable in the current state of business (para.

Response to Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Response to Hurricane Katrina Essay On 29 August, 2005 the category 5 huge Hurricane, Hurricane Katrina hit USA land. This natural disaster brought massive flood, damaging the property and resulted into high death toll. Although the projects related to the protection of areas by Hurricane were constructed 60 years ago but this exceptional unexpected disaster was the most terrible one in USA history (GAO-06-934, 2006). The disaster of Hurricane Katrina was beyond the expectation of the officials of the emergency management, which resulted into delay in supporting the effected people and the area by the guards and military. This uncontrolled situation showed the absence of management and lack of the ability to take a quick action by the people responsible to handle the problem because of their unawareness of handling the situation (Cooper Block, 2005). Bureaucratic/ Hierarchical model vs. Network model Professor Charles Wise asserts that effective and efficient running of organizations can be achieved through a combination of strategies and techniques. He further states that the organization must utilize all its resources in order to achieve business goals (Wise, 2006). Wise laid importance for the implication of network model rather than the hierarchical model. He explains that in hierarchical model, the decisions take place at the top level without communicating all the levels of organization and there is no evaluation of the progress. Due to this, flaws and unfavorable situations results at the end. In network model, there is continuous flow of information between the different levels of organization, which brings good results in managing any emergency. Waugh and Streib also laid emphasis on the change in the hierarchical model in which only top management contributes in making the decision (2006). The failure in handling the hurricane Katrina showed the inability and flaw in the decision making of the hierarchical management (Takeda Helms, 2006). Adaptive Management Approach The approach of government organizations of dealing with the natural disaster created a negative impact on the people of America. It showed that serious steps need to be taken in managing any kind of disaster (Schneider, 2005). Applying adaptive management hypothetically following steps should be followed: †¢ All the problems should be discussed with the stakeholders. †¢ There should be no communication gap and the flow of the data should be continuous between all the levels of the organization. †¢ The strategies should be followed and monitored to get positive outcome. †¢ There should be monitored resources. †¢ Policies and procedure should be there and should be consistent. †¢ Activities for the future should be planned and communicated at all level of the organization and different ideas by all should be encouraged. The management approach to deal with the hurricane Katrina should be a strategic approach. People of the effected area should be informed and educated to deal with the situation. They should be moved to the safe place. Instruction should be communicated by the organization through T. V and other mode of communication before the occurrence of the hurricane. There should be a complete planning. Measures and goal should be set to deal with such natural disaster. There should be training provided to the people, responsible to handle the situation. The programs for the affected people and victims to overcome the situation and so that they can get back get back in normal condition should be introduced to deal with any emergency created by natural disaster. Recommended Management Approach An effective management approach utilizes different strategies and tactics in order to reduce or mitigate the impact of a natural disaster. The first step is that adequate preparations must be made for any emergency by the presence of specific contingency plans. Governments must devise long term and short term solutions that can assist in reducing the impact of natural disaster (Wisner, 2004). This could be through the use of technology and administrative regulations that could help and assist people during times of natural disaster. Emergency and civil services must be adequate and competent enough to effectively and efficiently respond to any natural disaster. They must ensure the provision of vital services for people who trapped or injured because of the natural disaster. Stockpiles of essential items and goods must be performed by the local government in order to provide urgent relief to disaster zones. Successful disaster management plans utilize a competent and trained force of volunteers (Wisner, 2004). These volunteers can be instrumental in saving lives and delivering services. Response is the last stage of the disaster management plan as it consists of the provision of emergency and rescue services for people who have been hit by the natural disaster. Conclusion Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster that severely impacted the people of New Orleans. The poor and slow response by the Bush administration was extensively criticized by the public. The disaster shows the necessity of effective and efficient disaster management programs. These plans must be adequate and competent enough to prevent death and destruction caused by the natural disaster. These programs should effectively utilize a number of rapid emergency and civil services in order to provide relief and aid in the disaster zone. Empirical studies have found evidence that the hierarchical model of organizational change leads to inefficiency and inflexibility. It retards the ability of organizations to effectively respond to emergencies and contingency plans. The network model of organizational change on the other has been found to give autonomy and freedom. This allows staff members to use their creativity and innovation in order to devise solutions for problems. Adaptive management takes a proactive and dynamic approach in resolving problems. It seeks to divide tasks into smaller goals which are distributed to team members. It can be used for disaster management because it efficiently and effectively utilizes and allocates resources. Disaster management must be systematically and methodically planned and arranged by the government. It is essential that reducing or mitigating the threat take place at the first level. Similarly rapid response should be developed by speedy and reliable delivery of services to people living in the disaster zone. References GAO-06934, (2006, September). Hurricane Katrina: Strategic Planning Needed to Guide Future Enhancements Beyond Interim Levee Repairs. Retrieved April, Saturday, 2009, from http://www. gao. gov/new. items/d06934. pdf. Cooper, Christopher, and Robert Jeffrey Block. Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the failure of Homeland Security. New York: Times Books, 2006. Wise, C. (2006). Organizing for Homeland Security after Katrina: Is Adaptive management Whats Missing? Public Administration Review, 66(302-318). Waugh, W. , Streib, G. (2006). Collaboration and Leadership for Effective Emergency Management. Public Administration Review, 66(p 131- 140). Takeda, Margaret B. , Marilyn M. Helms (2006). Bureaucracy, meet catastrophe: Analysis of the tsunami disaster relief efforts and their implications for global emergency governance. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 19 (204- 217). Schneider, S. (2009). Administrative Breakdowns in the Governmental Response to Hurricane Katrina. Public Administration Review, 65(515-516). Wisner, Ben; P. Blaikie, T. Cannon, and I. Davis (2004). At Risk Natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters Wiltshire: Routledge

Britannias Market Strategy and Competitive Strategy

Britannias Market Strategy and Competitive Strategy In this document, an in-depth analysis on the Britannias Marketing Strategy and Competitive Strategy is illustrated. In detail this report contains the different marketing strategies adopted by Britannia to help them grow and succeed in the market. This paper covers many sections such as; PEST-G analysis, SWOT analysis, Growth strategy and Marketing Mix. In view of the fact that Britannia Industries Limited is a food based organization which produces a large variety of Biscuits, Diary products, Rusk, Bread and Cakes, it is evident that they have now excelled in their business. Within this document the evidence of companys current position and success is at hand with a concentration on the marketing mix and the SWOT analysis of Britannia. In brief, we see that Britannia Industries Limited, continues to improve the quality of their products to meet the consumers demands and prevail over the competitive edge. Britannia Biscuits was set up in 1892, in a very plain and ordinary house in Kolkata with the initial investments of Rs. 295. By 1978, Britannia biscuits had crossed 60% of the shares of the firm, followed by renaming the company to Britannia Industries Limited(BIL) and in 1983 it crossed Rs 100 crores revenue margin. Then as we know, in 1992 it celebrated its Platinum Jubilee. Eat Healthy, Think Better was revealed in 1997. It was gaining the status of quality and value and in 1999, the Britannia Khao, World Cup Jao promotion made the consumers even more aware then before which helped them even more prominent in the market. In the 21st century it came out as Indias largest and most famous brand of biscuit. Now Britannia is no more just another ordinary biscuit but it is one of the most renowned and well known biscuit in the world. From a small fairy tale it reached new standards and from a small investment it has got a high margin of profit which has been very positive for the company investors. They have a variety of biscuits even considering the health and economy to the life-style oriented types. THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT Business Sector And Geographical Market. Britannia Industries Limited is a public food industry, with its headquarters located in Banglore, well-known for its Britannia and Tiger biscuits. It now has around 300 stores spread, owned by Danone and Kalabakan Investments in India. As we know, they deal in Biscuits, Rusk, Diary products, Bread and Cakes. The company, in 2007 formed a Joint Venture with Khimji Ramdas Group to expand and sell biscuits to the Middle East countries, as its the most respected business and the key district players in selling biscuits. It now provides a large range of commodities under the brand Nutro, which is the primary brand name in Middle East. PEST G Analysis Political Factors: The Food regulations were put into practice at the State Central level. Severe TAX rules had been started. Several other Government Regulations were put into action. Economic Factors: The Gross Domestic Products started rising at 8-9% A raise in the disposable returns took place. Rupee Appreciation was a great concern. Social Factors: 70% inhabitants are lower than 35 years of age. Good knowledge among the individuals of various things. Technological Factors: Process improvement and Product Innovation played a great role. Innovative techniques were thought to be adopted. THE COMPETITION Competitors Parle Glucose also known as Parle-G (G for Genius) is manufactured in India by the Parle Products which is one of the oldest brand names and the biggest selling biscuits in India. Market Share Parle-G has a market share of 70% in the biscuit industry in India followed by Britannia, Tiger with 17-18%, and Sunfeast of 8-9% share. Sales/Profit Trend More than 50% of the companys turnover is estimated at around Rs 20 billion. It has started expanding to areas such as Western Europe, USA, UK, UAE and Canada. Target Market Parle has a target market which is focused in India, consisting of people of all category groups such as children, teenagers, family members and even old aged people as it is a popular biscuit eaten during Tea-time snack. THE COMPANY Market Share and Sales and Profit Trend Britannia market position is very high due to factors relating to its pricing strategies, distribution channels and variety of products. They commence new products to satisfy the consumers needs giving them new and alternative products to choose, which in turn benefit the company by having more potential for growth. So we understand that the company is not only growing, but also gaining profits. Their estimated market share is 38%. In the early years of the company, they received sales at an annual rate of 16% in market and their operational proceeds were nearly 18%. But now it has been increased to 27%, giving Britannia annual revenue of Rs 2,200 crore only from their biscuits. 10% is contributed by the diary products. They have an annual capacity of 433,000 tones of biscuits with sale while exporting up to $150.75 million. Swot Analysis Strengths Widely Distributed network and accepted by all age groups. Innovative products like-Little Hearts, 50-50 Chakkar, and Nice Time. Celebrity endorsements Sachin Tendulkar, Aamir Khan. The Brand Slogan of Britannia Eat Healthy Think Better is the key asset of the firm. It is available in various different forms of packages. The variety of products is an added advantage as they not only focus on assorted biscuits but also cakes, breads, Rusk and diary products. Weaknesses Faces stiff competition from their rival Parle and Nestle on the basis of Price and Distribution channels. The industry and technology requires high investments. As too many different types of brands enter the market, they might loose focus. Even though the prices are affordable, they might not be easily available to the lower income groups. Opportunities People are willing to try newer variants and hence it satisfies the taste buds by its newer variants. It generates employment opportunities. As consumers are very concerned about their health, it helps them to strengthen brands NutriChoice, Milk Bikis, and Tiger biscuits. Competition increases. This helps to enhance mergers. Threats They might sometimes be unable to utilize all the resources efficiently. They may provide poor quality of biscuits for more profits. As there are a number of biscuits in the existing market, they have large number of challengers. Consumer demands may alter impulsively. Government might come up with new restrictions without notices. THE COMPANYS MARKETING STRATEGY Marketing Strategy include anything from facts, events, procedures, values and personalities. Britannia nearly sells all their products all over India and even exports it other few countries. Their market rate kept growing every year in the Indian market. Therefore, BIL has implemented a Diversification strategy, so that it becomes the market leader in the food and biscuits industry. But they made sure that when they diversify, they make similar kinds of products such as cheese, diary products and even more bakery items. So the company can realize their marketing strategies by underlining the opportunities in the market. There are a various different strategies they adopted. Segmentation They believed in the best quality of products for the consumers as they are health conscious and so they fulfil this need of the consumers. Targeting The Company focussed on building a good relationship with the customers as they are they play the most important part in the sale of products. Not only did they keep up to the old customers expectation, but they also try to make new customers as their retention plays a major role for the growth of their business. Positioning While manufacturing new products, they dont fail to remember their competitors way of fighting against them, instead they pay even more attention to each and every step they take towards success as they want to be ahead of them and succeed. Growth Strategy Even though Britannia biscuits started off by selling their products in India, they slowly expanded and started to export it to other parts of the world. By doing so, they adapted to the different cultures of those countries and made plans for those neighbouring areas and researched and analyzed which product has more demand than the others and ways to improve their sales. Promoting their brands is a very essential idea for their marketing strategy as it helps understand the consumers the variety of benefits they get while purchasing the product. They should advertise and publicize their message clearly stating the facts. Based on the marketing strategies, we understand that building a brand is an important part of the company. They understand how to increase sales and profits in a short span of time while continuing to promote its variety of brands to create loyal consumers. THE MARKETING MIX Product Britannia have a large variety of products to choose from, not only do they manufacture Biscuits, but they also make different types of Diary items, Breads and Rusk. They launch products which in gets good returns for the company through building a good brand and quality products which are supplied across different countries. The main streamline of Britannia products include: Biscuits such as: Marie Gold Treat Milk Bikis Time Pass Tiger 50-50 NutriChoice also available for Diabetic people. Dairy Delights include few products like: Cheese Milk Dahi (Yoghurt) Ghee Butter Bread types have: Sandwiches Coffee Confectionary Assorted Breads Benefits of Branding As we all know, Britannia biscuits still have higher growth potential in the market as its one of the best-known brands in India and popular among other countries as well. Even though they have come up with new variety of biscuits, they still emphasis on their initial biscuit brands such as Tiger, Good Day, Marie, Treat and even more. Britannia has diversified by also making Breads, Cakes and other Diary products. Its brands are considered to be an excellent value by Indias price-conscious consumers. Tiger Biscuit is one of the most distinguished brands and is extremely popular among the rural areas and consumers. Sports and sporting events also are a key channel for promotions. The companys Britannia khao, World Cup jao (Eat Britannia, travel to see the World Cup) campaign in 2003 was the most recognized sales promotion among all Cricket World Cup-related sales activity. Place Britannia had started selling products in India, but now it has expanded overseas to places like Middle East and Sri Lanka. They have even started to export their goods to places such as: USA Ghana Saudi Arabia Kuwait Bahrain Qatar UAE Oman Seychelles Singapore Price Britannia has adopted the Market Penetration Method of pricing. It focuses on the quality of the products keeping in mind the pricing strategy. This helps improve and generate large sale volume for their products. It aims at maximizing the market share and to produce new product lines. A few examples are: Vegetarian Cakes are available at Rs. 15/- for a 75 gm pack. Nutrichoice Health Starter Kit is for Rs 100. Britannia Tiger Banana packed with IRON ZOR priced at Rs.2, Rs.4 and Rs.10. Promotions To attract the consumers of Britannia, they very innovatively came up with ideas to promote their brand in numerous different ways, and now they have leveraged Indias two most successful passions of all times: Cricket Movies Nearly every Indians dream was to be present at a stadium while India is playing cricket, during the World Cup, so Britannia created the Britannia Khao, World Cup Jao contest in 1999. They made it very simple for their target market to enter this contest, which was to purchase more products to win a scratch and win lucky card and winning an all expenses paid trip to England to watch the World Cup Match. They held it again in 2002-2003 held in South Africa which successfully set a unique trend of their own. They even came up with another creative promotion of Britannia Khao, Cricketer Ban Jao that was fuelled by the need of every Indian to be a part of the passion called Cricket followed by a promotion called Britannia Lagaan Match in 2001 that revolved around a movie called Lagaan was based on a cricket match. This promotion gave the consumers a chance to interact with the film stars and also get to pay cricket with them. The match had over 40,000 spectators and made the headlines of leading newspapers and news channels and was found to be the most unbeaten promotional act of that year. So we understand that sports and the sporting events are the key promotional tools of Britannia. Therefore we now know that Britannia promotes their products through various medias such as Events, Television, Magazines and Sales Promotions too. EVALUATION OF THE COMPANYS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS Companys current position/success Britannia Company releases on November 10th, 2010 that BIL obtained sales of Rs 10,948 MM with growth of 27.5% which shows an increase. The company also releases that they received sales worth of Rs 9,128 MM during the year end, with a growth of 24.8% followed by a boost of 20% in the volume. Conclusion Now that we have an in-depth view of the companys profile, marketing strategy and marketing mix, it shows the different methods used to adapt to promote and publicize their products across India and other countries. Based on the information researched, we find that they focus on consumer needs to a very large extent. This is shown by the fact that, since consumers are more health conscious nowadays, they have introduced NutriChoice Diabetic Biscuits. It is also proven by their tagline, Eat Healthy, Think Better. In conclusion, we see that how a small sized company has grown to be one of the largest biscuit selling brands across India and many other countries world-wide.

The Deeper Meanings of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young

The Deeper Meanings of Young Goodman Brown "Young Goodman Brown," a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, should be interpreted on a psychoanalytical level rather than a religious one. It is my observation that "Young Goodman Brown" may very well be the first published work alluding to divisions of the mind and personality theory. Although religion is a direct theme throughout the story, "Young Goodman Brown" appears to be an allegory with deeper meanings. To explore properly my position concerning the dynamics of "Young Goodman Brown," it is necessary to understand Freud's structural model. The development of Freud's structural model presents an understanding of the struggles between the conscious and unconscious forces of the mind. The structural model indicates three powerful forces that dictate conscious behavior, or binders of reality. These three forces consist of the id, superego, and ego. When Young Goodman Brown begins his journey down the path of the haunted forest, he quickly meets a fellow-traveler that I interpret as the irrational guide lurking inside himself. The guide repeatedly urges Goodman Brown to continue the errand despite Brown's overwhelming reluctance; he assures him that "[W]e are but a little way in the forest yet" (Hawthorne 274). The traveler demonstrates a subconscious part of the psyche called the id. The id is that part of the psyche that is driven by pleasure and irrational wishing. The guide's insistence never seems to be in Brown's best interest. The traveler's motive was to do what feels good at the time, not putting into account any potential ramification that could result, which in this story turns out to be the loss of Goodman Brown's wife, Faith. His reckless behavior is ap... ...ind may be found within Hawthorne's story. If the reader will only look past its literal interpretation and explore the rich symbols and hidden meanings laden throughout the text, she or he will be rewarded with a work of fiction that was way before its time. Works Cited Carpenter, Richard. "Hawthorne's Polar Explorations: Young Goodman Brown and My Kinsman, Major Molineux." Nineteenth Century Fiction 24 (1969): 45-56. Gay, Peter. Freud: A Life for Our Time. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw & Hill, 1998. 272-280. Hurley, Paul. "Young Goodman Brown's 'Heart of Darkness.'" American Literature 37 (1966): 410-419. Paulits, Walter. "Ambivalence in 'Young Goodman Brown.'" American Literature 41 (1970): 577-584.

The Great Shah Abbas Essay -- Isfahan Ali Qapu Interior Design Essays

The Great Shah Abbas The Great Shah Abbas I reigned from 1588-1629. He was a ruler who relocated the capital from Saljuq to Isfahan, in the center of the country. This was his attempt to centralize political and religious authority, develop capital, and institute Safavid Iran as a world power, both economically and politically. Shah Abbas began his renovations with the transformation of the little Timurid palace into the Ali Qapu, or ‘sublime port’ an entrance to the royal gardens. Abbas made it his headquarters while his architects began the creation, under his direction and often under his personal supervision, of his new capital. Abbas built the Ali Qapu with a balcony from which he was able to observe the activities in the court below him. The columned porch provided an elevated reviewing stand for royalty and guests. The interior is decorated with hanging plaster vaults that are decorated like Chinese porcelains, similar to Persian lusterware. The rooms are decorated in red, white, blue and gold, the walls painted with landscapes and Hunting scenes, the floors covered with carpets of silk and gold. There are figure paintings on the walls of the upper rooms that are blandly erotic. In front of the Ali Qapu there is a rectangular shaped pool filled with water. The water was transp orted to the pool by means of hydraulic machines worked by oxen. The upper level contained a music room at the very top of the building. The Music room was intricately decorated with small niches that were filled with glass, pottery, enameled metal and semi-precious stones, this may have been an attempt to improve the acoustics of the room. The threshold of the main gateway was regarded with high respect during Safavid times... ...utifully decorated with a wide range of colors. The entrance portal is covered with a mosaic of many colored pieces cut from larger pieces and fitted together to form complex patterns. It has been estimated that 18 million bricks and half a million tiles were used in the building of the Shah Mosque. These were the principal buildings of Shah Abbas’s reign. In the short span of his reign, Isfahan had been transformed into a great metropolis of its time. Abbas was successful in his attempt to create a city that could compare to the great cities of Christendom, and the beauty of Isfahan and the buildings he constructed will be studied and admired forever. Bibliography Blunt, Wilfrid. Isfahan, Pearl of Persia. (New York: Stein and Day Publishers, 1966.) 208 pgs. Bloom, Jonathan and Sheila Blair. Islamic Arts. (London: Phaidon Press, 1997.) 446 Pgs.