Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Annotated Bibliography On Human Trafficking - 1278 Words

Prospectus on Human Trafficking in the United States For my research paper, I will be explaining the issue of human trafficking in the United States and propose a course of action we can take to help combat the growth of this problem. Article 3, paragraph (a) of the United Nation s Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons essentially defines trafficking as the harboring or transportation of a person through any means, including force, threats, fraud, and coercion (42). The Trafficked Victims Protection Act is our nation s protocol on dealing with cases of human trafficking. Although it is a good place to start, the TVPA is in need of development because many victims are treated unfairly, criminalized, and†¦show more content†¦This source will help me clarify the immensity of the issue and the need for immediate change. I will also include the true story of two women s experiences being trafficked from the article Understanding Human Trafficking in the United States by T.K. Logan, Robert Walker, and Gretchen Hunt. The two women were brought to America on false promises of good work and fair pay as domestic workers in a home. However, their documents were confiscated upon arrival and the women were heavily abused and taken advantage of for five years in this home. Including this account in my essay will provide readers with a real example of the horrible reality of human trafficking. In the second section of my essay, I will propose mandatory training of law enforcement officials in order to identify victims and ensure that they are not labeled as criminals. I will also emphasize the importance of increasing awareness about the issue of human trafficking among the general public to help rescue victims and prevent trafficking situations. I will explain how victims come into contact with people other than their traffickers but are often unable to directly ask for help. Frequently, women trapped in trafficking have a crippli ng fear of their trafficker and would not dare to brave the unknown of calling for help, even ifShow MoreRelatedHuman Trafficking Annotated Bibliography Essay866 Words   |  4 PagesHuman trafficking An annotated bibliography Web Links Anti-Slavery International http://www.antislavery.org/ Anti-Slavery Internationals Trafficking Programme comprises three elements: campaigning to end human trafficking, lobbying for victim protection, and research on measures governments take to protect victims of trafficking, especially those who act as witnesses. The web site provides information about both current and historical slavery operations. The UN Global Programme Against TraffickingRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking859 Words   |  4 PagesAnnotated Bibliography: Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Clark County Washington. â€Å"Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) Commercially Sexually Exploited Children.† Clark County Washington. Juvenile Court. 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. This website is bringing awareness to domestic minor sex trafficking in Washington. They have identified that domestic minor sex trafficking is serious problem in their community. They have developed a year long training program to help equip their community so that theyRead Morehuman trafficking persuasive speech1002 Words   |  5 Pages 13 October 2013 Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery: An Annotated Bibliography Batstone, David B,. Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade-- and How We Can Fight It. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2010. Print. David Batstone is a professor of business and social responsibility at the University of San Francisco. He is also an author and journalist, writing regularly for newspapers such as the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and USA Today, and the magazines Wired and SpinRead MoreHuman Trafficking Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesAnnotated Bibliography including five citations in APA documentation format, each with a brief summary paragraph: in your own words, write a two-three sentence summary the source’s main point and identifying key expert views or evidence which will help support specific points in your outline. Human Trafficking in the United States of America I.Introduction I’ve chosen to cover this topic because now more than ever news specials are being broadcast and even though each story as similar as the nextRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Views Of Race And Inequality, Blacks And Whites Are Worlds Apart2021 Words   |  9 Pagesfeel this is a fact that should be obvious to everyone, perhaps it is difficult for some to understand things that they do not experience in their everyday lives. 2. How did the annotated bibliography articles discussed in class make you aware of the â€Å"isms† that prevail in our society today? The annotated bibliographies made me aware of how many different cases of â€Å"isms† happen every day. Over the semester we read/ talked about several articles about racism, sexism, discrimination, etc. that weRead More Legalize Prostitution Essay2912 Words   |  12 Pagesprostitution. The following questions should be addressed. Would legalization reduce some of the inequalities and abuse suffered by the women involved? On the other hand, by legitimizing prostitution, would society reverse decades of work to promote human rights and improve the status of women? On the surface, this looks like a rehashing of a timeless debate. However, it is not. The question is no longer about morality -- is prostitution a vice and are those involved evil or somehow lacking in judgementRead MorePoverty2826 Words   |  12 Pagescreative life and to enjoy a decent standard of living, freedom, dignity, self-esteem and the respect of others† (United Nations- Global Teaching and Learni ng Project, 2014, 1). Poverty makes other major problems worse including slave labour, human trafficking and the spread of diseases. However, the root cause of these global issues is the relationship between poverty and the lack of education. The big question is whether increased education will reduce poverty or, is a lack of education a result

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Shareholder Value and the Financial Crisis - 2682 Words

To what extent can the economic and financial crisis starting in 2007-8 be attributed to the flaws of the shareholder value principle of corporate governance? Intro Corporate governance is a critical concept in the commercial world of today with the idea originating initially from the U.S. The importance of corporate governance is made more considerable due to the increasing influence and consequences companies have on the daily lives of individuals and making up a large proportion of economic activity. Corporate governance can be shortly described as the whole framework within which companies operate. It is most likely the case that the shareholder value principle was not the only part of corporate governance which contributed to the†¦show more content†¦So instead of managers of top corporations constantly looking to internally and externally expand they would now put more importance into decreasing the size of the company and the total number of those they employ, this in turn would result in a higher dividend to be shared among shareholders as there is one or more less wage to pay. This process started occurring in 1980 when most c orporations in the U.S had adopted this new model, a consequence of this was the vast amount of jobs which had previously offered stable employment and decent pay to the economy which were now gone due to the reorganisation of the labour structures of these corporations which led to them cutting out many positions. The result for the economy may have been poor however for the corporations, after downsizing they could refocus the extra revenue towards improving the company s stock market performance. It should be noted that the model of retain and reinvest was beneficial to multiple stakeholders, it allowed workers to gradually be paid higher wages as the company grew and solidified job security, suppliers and distributors would also gain resulting in a higher number of orders and overall lower costs charged to the company which means that consumers in the relevant market could also benefit fromShow MoreRelatedShareholder Value and Current Financial Crisis: An Analysis of the Relatio nship4354 Words   |  18 PagesShareholder Value and Current Financial Crisis: An analysis of the Relationship INTRODUCTION Corporate governance in a particular firm is inevitable for its administration, policy making and overall health. In other words, ‘Corporate governance affects the development and functioning of capital markets and exerts a strong influence on resource allocation[1].’ Not only does it conduct the present running of a firm but it also has a futuristic outlook and a good corporate governance system encouragesRead MoreRanking the Key Principles of Corporate Governance1579 Words   |  7 Pagescauses of the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC). Stakeholder reactions to and perceptions about the standards of corporate governance in the lead up to the global financial crisis are also taken into account. In light of the global financial crisis, this essay proposes that the corporate governance principles be ranked based on four critical threads: risk management; board and executive remuneration processes; board performance; and finally the exercise of shareholder rights. The ASX CorporateRead MoreThe Industry Performance And The Firm s Performance877 Words   |  4 Pagesis called financial distress. The firms need to figure out new ways to generate income and cut costs. At the same time, the money borrowed to finance the assets could be more expensive. As the financial institutions and banks may increase the rate charged for borrowed assets when a company is in financial distress. According to the definition of the financial distress, due to the increasing of the risk, the debts value of debt holders would devalue. From the perspective that the firm value is the sumRead MoreFair Value Accounting Within Financial Crisis Essay1284 Words   |  6 Pagesnumerous number of disputes in the field of financial reporting among different professionals, regulators and theoretitions .most of these disputes are related to the valuation of financial reporting components.the current curve in the progress of valuation is the push for and against the fair value ap proach.the purpose of this research is to examine the arguments on the use of fair value accounting and to identify the issues related to implementation of fair value accounting standards. Further, the resultsRead MoreHow Failures in Financial Engineering Influenced the Recent Financial Crisis1303 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper, an analysis of how the failures in financial engineering and Corporate Governance have been closely related with the recent Global Financial Crisis is carried out. The Real Estate Bubble in 2006 leaded to the Subprime Mortgage Crisis in 2007 which expanded from the United States to the whole world generating the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. There are multiple factors that originate a crisis like this, and will be explained and analysed laterRead MoreInstitutional Markets : Institutional Investors1505 Words   |  7 Pageshighly specialized investors on behalf of others. For example, an employee will have a pension from his employer as the employer gives that person s pension contributions to a fund and the fund will be used to buy shares in a company, or some other financial product. Funds are greatly useful because they will hold a broad portfolio of investments in many companies. This spreads risk, so if one company fails, it will be only a small part of the whole fund s investment. 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They cannot possibly manage or have control over the business directly, therefore a separation of ownership and control is needed. A managing team will run the corporation and this will easily lead to conflicts between the interest of the management and the shareholders. In this essay we will look at howRead MoreExecutive Compensation And Shareholder Wealth Maximisation964 Words   |  4 PagesThis literature reviewed ‘executive compensation’ and shareholder wealth maximisation. Most studies produced mixed outcomes in relations to the matter. In producing a critical analysis on prior literature, the motive has been to converge a succinct view from different authors’ standpoint in relation to an effectiveness of executive compensation as a function of value deliberation. In addition, considered other alternatives, such as board structure in resolving this agent-problem henceforth. In summaryRead MoreCorporate Governance For A Future Economic Crisis Essay1288 Words   |  6 Pages-Can corporate governance prevent a future economic crisis. Ten years ago, corporate governance was still in the concept stage. There wasn’t a lot of information about corporate governance. After some big corporate failure that hit the economy, it has become obvious that corporate governance matters. After the collapse of Enron,Wordcom,..a new regulation was born (Sarbanes Oxley).The law was implement to increase transparency and to promote integrity and accuracy inside the companies. Unfortunately

Monday, December 9, 2019

Creativity and Innovation Management Managing Distributed Innovation

Question: Task Think of an example of an innovation (or innovations) developed by a company. Select at least three of the topics developed in class and listed below, and justify how they can be applied to this particular innovation and company. Discuss, illustrate and critically evaluate how the company you have chosen formulates and implements its innovation strategies, using inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ depth analysis of issues, supporting evidence, relevant theoretical arguments, and proper references.? Answer: Introduction Innovation management is the process of introducing a new and unique idea within a new or existing product in order to capture the market demand. Apple has been considered as the most innovative company as per the Forbes (Bogers and West, 2012). For a period of 12 years starting from 1998 to 2010, Apple has successfully introduced the most innovative products within the field of consumer electronics. Starting with iMac, iPod and Xserve, the company created a revolution in the computer market with the introduction of the Macbook PC and Macbook air. However the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 made Apple an unbeatable player in the telecommunication market. (BoÃÅ'ˆhle, BuÃÅ'ˆrgermeister and Porschen, 2012) Aim of the project The major aim of the project is to critically evaluate the implementation of the innovation strategies namely the standards battles and design dominance, Product vs. process innovation and protecting innovation for the Apples iPhone product ranges. Objectives of the project To evaluate the use of standards battles and design dominance innovation strategy in iPhone by Apple To identify the presence of product vs process innovation strategy in iPhone production To evaluate the use of innovation protection strategies in iPhone production by Apple Overview of the project In case of presence of network externalities, as in case of telecommunications and consumer electronic industries, the use of the dominant design strategy is important for the innovation management of a product (Lashinsky, 2012). With the introduction of the new technology like the GUI operating system, Apple incorporated the system within their Apple MAC and Apple iPhone to gain dominance within the consumer electronics market In order to implement the innovative technology Apple had to include both process and product innovation strategies and also the intellectual property rights in order to protect the innovations made within the iPhones. Methodology According to Kirkman, (2012) there are two types of data collection methods namely the primary data collection and the secondary data collection. The primary data are generally collected with the help of questionnaire surveys and face to face interviews or mail interviews. On the contrary the secondary data may be collected with the help of academic and relevant literature review concepts. In this case to analyze the innovation strategies adopted by the Apple in case of production of iPhone, the researcher can effectively take the help of the secondary data solely. For gathering of the information the researcher will effectively use the official websites of Apple and the other relevant news articles and journals in order to understand the imple4mentation of the innovation strategies. Considering the difficulties that may come up in the process of primary data collection from the Apple employees the project will rest upon the use of secondary data only. Analysis of the implementation of the innovation strategies Standards battles and design dominance The dominant product strategies are generally adopted in order to make the company dominant in the market. Dominant design is the strategy where the company wins the allegiance in the marketplace, which the other competitors and the contributors in the market need to follow in order to satisfy the customer demands. Clausen, Ten Hompel and Meier, (2014) opined that the dominant design may not be the best design for the product however the design becomes the benchmark and standard design for the product thereby forcing the other companies to adopt the same (Maine, Lubik and Garnsey, 2012). With the introduction of the iPhone in the year 2007 Apple marked the standards for the smart phones within the consumer electronic industry. Followed by the innovation of Apple, other mobile phone companies like Samsung, Sony and Motorola introduced their range of smart phones, however, the product design standard set by Apple was not overcome by any of the mobile companies. These made iPhone a domi nant product in the smart phone market. According to Jun and Sung Park, (2013) the only option for the other phone makers was to copy the major form and features and differentiate their products in some technological ways. For instance Samsung differentiated the smart phone by using android instead of IOS operating systems (Maital and Seshadri, 2012). Product vs. process innovation A product anatomy can be divided into three different dimensions namely the core benefits, the tangible specifications and the augmented features (PILKINGTON, 2013). The product innovation is related to either new product design innovation or innovation of an existing feature of the product. Thus in order to successfully ascertain the product innovations requirement it is necessary to analyze the product anatomy. According to Harmsen, (2013) generally a change in the customer requirements and addition of more features provokes the companies to engage into product innovation. The process innovation on the contrary is different to the concept of product innovation. The process innovation is actually a way of achieving a desired output with a new process (O'Connor, 2012). Protecting Innovation Innovation protection is an important matter for the companies engaging in innovative product designs. The product innovation is the generation of an idea which is different from the others. Thus, in order to keep the idea as a competitive advantage over the other companies, the innovating company needs to protect the idea. In this regard the use of Intellectual property right can be suitably used by all companies (Cruz and Paulino, 2013). The companies in this respect has the legal rights to acquire a patent against the innovative idea and product design that will give the company the monopoly right of using the product and will legally prohibit any other company or individual from using the product design or idea without the permission of the original inventor (Sharp and Jones, 2012). The patents are the tangible description of the product idea that the gives the idea a physical existence and gives the company a power to become an inventor in the field. Apple was the first company to invent the idea of iPhone and the idea of producing the smart phones followed after the initial release of the iPhones. Thus, in order to protect the right of the product design Apple had successfully taken a patent on the iPhone designs preventing from the competitors to use it within their products. Data findings The secondary data sources states that in the year 2007 Apple introduced the first iPhone which was one of the first smart phones in the consumer electronics market with the use of Apples own operating system IOS (Trott, 2012). The phone introduced the tech savvy customer to the features of touch screen navigation, user interface system, GPRS and GSM facilities and wifi connections (Volberda, Van Den Bosch and Heij, 2013). Although considered to be some of the basic features of a smart phone in the present scenario, the Apple iPhone was the first in the smart phone generation to introduce the features. As per the fibabcila reports of |Mintel in 2007 the new technological innovation and the introduction of the new range of phones were a breakthrough in the phone market and around 90% of the consumers were reported to have purchased iPhones in that year. Thus, Apple used the dominant product strategy successfully with respect to introduction of the new product design of iPhone in the m arket (D'Alvano and Hidalgo, 2011). The business model analysis of Apple shows that Apple not only concentrates on the product design innovation but also on the process innovation in order to achieve the product design innovation. The present business model of Apple has three major steps namely: Creation Delivery (Hamel, 2012) Capturing value In order to make the iPhones a success, Apple used the systematic innovation process and matched the features of iPhone with the previously introduced products like the iTunes and App stores (Wonglimpiyarat, 2012). The company had initially started with software and technological company but in order to invent new product Apple has mastered in hardware, entertainment and logistics. In this process Apple introduced the App store and connected it with the iPhones so that the users are provided with thousands of application choices in their phones making the phone a dominant product in the market (Dou, 2013). Further, Apple adopts the innovative value proposition strategy to make the product innovative and the design dominant in the market. The value proposition strategy of Apple includes creation of an experience with the product (Woronowicz, 2013). For instance the addition of the iTunes in the iPhones acted as a value proposition strategy for the phones. The introduction of the iTunes acted as youth icon for the iPhones and the younger group of customers could use the portal to download unlimited music sources with the help of the phone. Another successful strategy identified with respect to Apples products is the innovation of the product features to suit the needs of the business and corporate customers. This value proposition helped the brand loyal blackberry and PC customers switch over to Apple for the products (Yunus and Yang, 2012). As per the market survey and research on the Apples success it has been noted that 80% of Apples success depends upon the adoption of the product innovation and business model innovation or in simple words process innovation strategies (Elliot, 2012). On analyzing the product innovation protection, it has been seen that Apple has successfully taken separate patens on each and every product and sub product. The separate patents have helped Apple to fix the rights and protect the ideas from getting copied by the other phone makers (ZWECK, 2013). In this respect it has been seen that Samsung had been unsuccessful in its attempt to use the iOS as the operating system for the smart phones since Apple had a patent over the operating system. Thus the other phone companies have to incur a copyright on the product so that they can successfully use the product (Govindaraju, Krishnan and Pandiyan, 2012). Conclusions The evaluation of the secondary data sources and the qualitative analysis of the relevant academic articles and company websites show that Apple has successfully adopted the three major innovation strategies within the production of the iPhone which is still a market leader among the various smart phones available. The use of the strategies has helped Apple to project iPhone as successful dominant product in the consumer electronics market. Further the project also highlights the innovation protection strategy that has been adopted by Apple. The patent rights protection is the major strategy that should be adopted by all companies for protection of their innovative ideas. Finally the unbeatable position of the iPhone and the high market share and growing revenues of Apple from 2007 till date confirms that iPhone is still a dominant product in its category. References Bogers, M. and West, J. (2012). Managing Distributed Innovation: Strategic Utilization of Open and User Innovation. Creativity and Innovation Management, 21(1), pp.61-75. BoÃÅ'ˆhle, F., BuÃÅ'ˆrgermeister, M. and Porschen, S. (2012). Innovation management by promoting the informal. Berlin: Springer. Brem, A. and Viardot, E. (n.d.). Evolution of innovation management. Clausen, U., Ten Hompel, M. and Meier, J. (2014). Efficiency and innovation in logistics. Cham: Springer. Cruz, S. and Paulino, S. (2013). Public Service Innovation and Evaluation Indicators. Journal of Technology Management Innovation, 8, pp.51-52. D'Alvano, L. and Hidalgo, A. (2011). Innovation management techniques and development degree of innovation process in service organizations. RD Management, 42(1), pp.60-70. Dou, R. (2013). Proceedings of 2012 3rd International Asia Conference on Industrial Engineering and Management Innovation (IEMI2012). Berlin: Springer. Elliot, J. (2012). Leading Apple with Steve Jobs. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Govindaraju, V., Krishnan, G. and Pandiyan, V. (2012). PRODUCT AND PROCESS INNOVATION IN MALAYSIAN MANUFACTURING: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION AND EXPORTS. Innovation: Management, Policy Practice, pp.1862-1891. Hamel, G. (2012). What matters now. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Harmsen, J. (2013). Industrial process scale-up. Oxford: Elsevier. Jun, S. and Sung Park, S. (2013). Examining technological innovation of Apple using patent analysis. Industr Mngmnt Data Systems, 113(6), pp.890-907. Kirkman, D. (2012). Social Enterprises: An Multi-Level Framework of the Innovation Adoption Process. Innovation: Management, Policy Practice, pp.1156-1184. Lashinsky, A. (2012). Inside Apple. New York: Business Plus. Maine, E., Lubik, S. and Garnsey, E. (2012). Process-based vs. product-based innovation: Value creation by nanotech ventures. Technovation, 32(3-4), pp.179-192. Maital, S. and Seshadri, D. (2012). Innovation management. New Delhi: SAGE. O'Connor, G. (2012). Innovation: From Process to Function. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 29(3), pp.361-363. PILKINGTON, A. (2013). MODELING CITATION DIFFUSION: INNOVATION MANAGEMENT LITERATURE. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 10(01), p.1350004. Sharp, M. and Jones, K. (2012). Perceived inefficiency in social housing maintenance. Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management, 12(4), pp.414-428. Trott, P. (2012). Innovation management and new product development. Harlow, England: Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Volberda, H., Van Den Bosch, F. and Heij, C. (2013). Management Innovation: Management as Fertile Ground for Innovation. European Management Review, 10(1), pp.1-15. Wonglimpiyarat, J. (2012). Technology strategies and standard competition Comparative innovation cases of Apple and Microsoft. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 23(2), pp.90-102. Wonglimpiyarat, J. (2012). Technology strategies and standard competition Comparative innovation cases of Apple and Microsoft. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 23(2), pp.90-102. Woronowicz, T. (2013). Software process improvement and capability determination. Berlin: Springer. Yunus, R. and Yang, J. (2012). Critical sustainability factors in industrialised building systems. Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management, 12(4), pp.447-463. Zmud, R. and Apple, L. (1992). Measuring Technology Incorporation/Infusion. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 9(2), pp.148-155. ZWECK, A. (2013). TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 10(02), p.1340002.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Rise Of The Golden Horde Essays - Borjigin, Mongol Empire

The Rise of The Golden Horde May 4, 1997 HS123h--Liberty Block 3 Thesis: The Mongols rose to power because they were a highly advanced culture as seen through their military technology, their trade and preservation of elaborate art work, and their fair administrative policy. The Mongols were one of the most feared groups in history. The very mention of the name "Genghis Khan" struck terror into every king and every peasant. How did a scattered collection of goat herders, led by the fatherless child of a minor chieftain, build the largest empire in history? How were they able to build an empire that would eventually stretch across Asia, India, the Mid-East and Eastern Europe? The Mongols were able to rise to power because they were a highly advanced culture as seen through their military technology, their trade and preservation of elaborate art work, and their fair administrative policy. One of the greatest factors in the Mongol's favor was their highly advanced military technology. Mongols were so skilled at siege-craft that they rarely lost when besieging a castle. In order to use the latest in military siege craft, the Mongols contracted Chinese and Middle Eastern engineers who could design, build and use siege devices like catapults (Lemonick, 67). On one occasion the Mongols built their own wall outside the city's own walls so they could shoot missiles from relative safety. When the Mongols besieged a city, they also used many ingenious strategies. One of the most commonly used Mongol tactic was to besiege the city for a while, then fall back. The army inside the city walls, thinking the Mongols were retreating, would open the gates and come out in pursuit. From there the powerful Mongols would destroy the tired army, which was probably suffering water and food shortages inside the sealed-off walls. One very clever tactic used by the Mongols was the use of water. "On one occasion that the caliph's troops ventured forth, the Mongols broke a dike behind them, trapping them with flood waters." (Edwards, The Great Khans, 25) This quote refers to an incident when the city of Nishapur, capital of Shah Mohammed. The Mongols used almost the same strategy when attacking Xi Xia. The Mongols, unable to take the city by conventional means, looked to a nearby river and broke its levy. This flood either threatened to or did destroy the city's wall, and forced the city to surrender (Edwards, Lord of the Mongols, 37). The Mongols also had good weapons for non-siege warfare. Their greatest battlefield asset was their horse. The hardy Mongols ponies were treated with such care that many people today may think of it as pampering. Because of these ponies, the Mongol cavalry had the ability to advance on its enemy at astonishing speed. Mongols also made use of stirrups, which allowed them to ride standing up and to shoot arrows in any direction. The Mongols also had a well-developed communication system, called "orto" that involved riders carrying messages on horseback, similar to the pony express. This system was highly important in learning about and deterring any potential enemies (Kessier, 52). The Mongols also made a lasting contribution through their preservation and creation of superb art work. A great gift of the Mongols was their preservation of Chinese, Indian, and Mid- Eastern art styles. During the reign of Kublai Khan many Chinese works including porcelain and silk clothing were brought to his court. "Bejeweled and robed in silk, he [Kublai Khan] ruled from a palace whose walls were plated with gold and silver and decorated with the figures of dragons, beasts and birds" (Time, 26) Kublai obviously had a taste for Chinese luxuries. By bringing artworks to his court, he was able to preserve them. The Mongols also influenced the works of other countries, as seen here: "The discovery of Chinese and Indian inspired imagery on porcelain and sculpture confirm Mongolia's role in the cultural exchange between China and Eurasia." (Lemonick, 66) ]Much artwork that is today considered to be ancient Chinese was influenced or actually made by the Mongols. They were able to make such influences due to their control of the "silk road," the thousand mile long trade network linking Russia, Mongolia, China and India. On this trade route the Mongols also traded their own work. Their art, however, was much more practical. As opposed to making vases and paintings, the Mongols carved elaborate designs on their saddles and weapons like their bows and arrows. Although the Mongols are often portrayed as ruthless cannibals,