Community assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Community assessment - Assignment Example Approximately 79% of the learners in the Kingsbridge Heights schools qualify from the state funded or free lunch program. Majority of the schools are good; this is because they realize the Adequate Yearly Progress performance level, which is determined by the New York State Department of Education. The individual school report card for all the schools in the Kingsbridge are illustrated in the education website, http://schools.nyc.gov/daa. The Fellows, who work in the Kingsbridge schools, live within the neighborhoods of entire West and South Bronx, Inwood region of Manhattan, and the upper east and west areas of Manhattan. There are five high schools in the Kingsbridge area. These schools are; Bronx High School of Science, De Witt Clinton High School, High School for Teaching and the Professions, Bronx high School of Music and Discovery High School. Bronx High School of Science has a learners and Fellows population of population of 335 and 8 respectively. The proportion of students who qualify for the free lunch program is 22.4%. De Witt Clinton High School has population of 2,502 and 27 Fellows. 90.8% of the students qualify for the free lunch program; thus majority of learners come from poor backgrounds (Banchero, 2013). High School for Teaching and the professions has the highest student population at 4,410, and the fellows number only 8. The education standards at the school are relatively low because of the overworked teaching staffs. 74.5% of the learners benefit from the free lunch program.364 students learn at Bronx High School of Music, which has a teaching staff numbering 4, and eligibility for free lunch program at 74.5%. Discovery High School has a population of 540, and the teacher number is 9. 25.6% of the students are eligible for the free lunch program. The only secondary school in the region is Walton High School that has 1,067 students and 6 Fellows. 81.2% of the

Business Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Decision Making - Essay Example The price for the terrace house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is ?395,000. The average price for 2-bedroom terrace house with 1 bathroom is ?364,999.67 with median ?370,000 which is not far from the mean. In this case, the ultimate basis for the decision as to how much will be the budget for the terrace house with 4 bedrooms and 4 toilets will be the mean and median. Notice how much increase was incurred from the mean of 2-bedroom terrace house with 1 bathroom to 3-bedroom terrace house with 2 bathrooms. The difference in the mean is ?30,000 and the difference in the median is ?25,000. In this case, there is a remarkable basis to approximate how much will be the probable price for a 4-bedroom terrace house with 4 toilets. Adding these remarkable differences to ?395,000, then the average price-mean for a 4 bedroom terrace will be 420,000 and the average median-price will be approximately ?425,000. These are all approximate values, but the trend for the actual employed values is take n into account. 2.3 There are many ways on how to analyse data using measures of dispersion. The measure of dispersion will inform us whether a distribution is normal or abnormal (Rachev et al., 2005; Rubin, 2012). For this reason, a statistical analyst can generate this idea by solving the value of skewness and kurtosis using the following formula (Basu, 2009; Celsi et al., 2011). Sk = [3(x – Md)/SD, where x is the mean, Md is the median and SD is the standard deviation. Ku = Q/(P90 – P10) where Q = (Q3-Q1)/2, and P90 and P10 are corresponding percentile ranks. Below are the computed values for dispersion using the given data. Property type Skewness Kurtosis 2 bedroom flat 1.19 2.89 3 bedroom flat 0.69 1.85 2 bedroom terrace house -0.59 1.50 3 bedroom terrace house 0 0 3 bedroom semi-detached house 0.60 1.80 The rule states that if the skewness is equal to zero and kurtosis equals 0.265, then the distribution is normal or the dispersion is most likely following a norm al distribution. The data are equally distributed from its central location like mean or median. In the above given data, it seems that most data are highly dispersed to the right, and with high vertical dispersion because each kurtosis tends to be leptokurtic in nature because of the positive value. On the other hand, a correlation coefficient cannot only test the relationship between the data sets, but the degree of their variation, and at some point this will have meaningful implication on their actual dispersion. The table below shows the correlation values generated from the data sets concerning the price, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Correlation Number of bedrooms Number of bathrooms Price 0.42 0.13 The generated values as shown in the above table only shows that there is a significant point to justify the information generated on the data’s skewness and kurtosis, because the poor correlation signifies that the given values are varied and most likely not to follow a certain pattern or trend. 2.4 Based on the information from 2.3, skewness and kurtosis are obtained by employing the values for quartiles and percentiles. These means that quartiles and percentiles have strong role to play to help us identify the actual level of dispersion of the data, because they all have the necessary information to tell us something about the distribution of the data sets and the actual variation. In other words, they have the credibility to inform us of

Deviation in the process metric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Deviation in the process metric - Essay Example So attempts to remove or replicate a deviation that occurred in the past are being made as a reaction to those changes. In the reactive state, the team looked at cause and effect. In proactive mode, attention shifts to the "likely cause" and "likely effect." Lean teams in this phase spend time shaping the future: looking for potential problems and opportunities and ways to avoid or exploit them. After the potential problem analysis, the team addresses the likely cause of a process performance decline by taking preventive actions. If, despite preventive actions, the likely cause does occur, the team is prepared for damage control with planned contingency actions. Potential opportunity analysis helps teams explore the future for better-than-planned process performance, helping them promote the likely cause so process performance exceeds expectations. They take promoting actions to capitalize on the potential positive effect. When things do go better, they are prepared to take full advantage of the opportunity. For example, a company has Support Departments which reacts on users' complains about network performance. Reactive approach is to react on each user's request asking him or her to wait while network be unloaded. Proactive approach in this case is to purchase and install new network equipment that is more costly and takes more time. But proactive approach advantages in strategic outlook because as a result number of users' complains in Support Departments decreases. 3. Illustrate how an organization could use outsourcing to gain a competitive edge on competition. An organization could use outsourcing for managing network security. When this part of work is entrusted to professionals they do it in qualitative manner and for lesser money, what really gives a competitive advantage to the organization. Schweitzer (2004) writes that for some organizations, network management operations may be better served through outsourcing. Freeing up some of staff's administrative duties may merit farming out perhaps a portion of the company's network management tasks. With so many vendors now offering a plenty of services, including remote monitoring and management of networks, it's not difficult to find prices that fall within a range of budgetary parameters. The outsourcing alternative can ease the sometimes perplexing burden of network management. In the end, an effective network security team will exercise a comprehensive management approach that applies both proactive and reactive elements. Individual businesses should engage knowledgeable managers to examine the needs of the company and make choices as to the best courses of action to ensure the highest level of network security available, whether via proactive or reactive means. (Schweitzer 2004) 5. Analyze the assertion that "Security is as much a human problem as a technical problem." When the personal information of hundreds of thousands of individuals comes upon swindlers, many people think that careless computer or

Distracted Driving Statistics

Distracted Driving Statistics Kaitlyn DAgati   According to the website, Distraction.gov, distracted driving is defined as any activity that could divert a persons attention away from the primary task of driving. In 2015, the State of Florida recorded a total of 45,740 traffic accidents that were a direct result of distracted driving. Of the total number of distracted driving accidents recorded, a total of 39,396 injuries were reported and, sadly, 214 people lost their lives as a result of distracted driving accidents. With astounding statistics as these, some would ask, is the State of Florida doing enough to prevent distracted driving? Given the statistics, the answer appears to be that the state is not doing enough to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving although some may argue that it has. In order to make a proper determination, it is important to fully understand what distracted driving is, examine the statistics of distracted driving, and explore what more can be done in order to bring awareness to th e dangers of distracted driving. First, in order to properly discuss the topic of distracted driving, it is important to fully understand what distracted driving actually is. As defined earlier, distracted driving involves any activity that would cause the driver of vehicle to divert their attention (Distraction.gov). According the article entitled, Focus on Driving Florida distracted driving can be further broken down into three different categories: visual, manual, and cognitive (Focus on Driving Florida). Any activity that would require a driver to take their eyes off the road is would be a visual distraction. Manual distractions would require that the driver take their hands off the wheel; whereas, cognitive distractions involve the driver thinking about things other than driving (Focus on Driving Florida). Examples of distracted driving include: eating, grooming, unsecure pets, adjusting vehicle control. One of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving is texting because it involves all three categories of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive. Next, in order to better grasp the growing problem of distracted driving, it is important to examine the statistics. In 2014, it was reported that 3,179 people were killed and another 431,000 people were injured in accidents that involved distracted drivers (distraction.gov). However, just the following year, the State of Florida reported that 214 people lost their lives in accidents due to distracted driving. When averaged out among the different states, the statistics provided in 2015 by the State of Florida appear to be an increase in the amount of injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving. It is reported that in any given month, 169.3 billon text messages are sent across the US territories and approximately 660,000 drivers are using their cell phones or electronic devices at any given moment (distraction.gov). Additionally, it has been noted that the amount of drivers observed texting has increased from 1.7 percent in 2013 to 2.2 percent in 2014 (distraction.gov). Fina lly, and perhaps most scary of all, is that it only takes 5 seconds for a distracted driver going about 55 mph to cover approximately 100 yards, which equals the length of a football field (distraction.gov)! Finally, in order to begin to reverse the statistics discussed above, it is important to explore what more can be done in order to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving. In 2013, the State of Florida began issuing traffic citations for distracted driving and the number of citations issued since the start has steadily climbed. Currently, texting while driving is considered a secondary offense, which means an officer has to pull a driver over for another reason before the driver can be issued for texting while driving. The fine for the first offense for texting and driving is thirty dollars and isnt considered a moving violation. A second offense within a five-year period could result in a sixty dollar fine and would be considered a moving violation which would add points to the drivers license (Isger, S., 2013). At this time, drivers are allowed to use their phones while stopped at a light or stuck in traffic. In addition, drivers are allowed to speak on their phone whi le driving and can use their phone while driving to check maps, use voice commands, or for other programming (Isger, S., 2013). The State of Florida has attempted to bring awareness to the danger of distracted driving by releasing radio public service announcement ads and launching a social media campaign using the hashtag of FocusonDrivingFL on Twitter and Facebook (Focus on Driving FL). However, according to the article entitled, Brutally Honest: How to keep your teens from texting and driving that was published in August of 2016, 55% of young adult drivers believed that texting and driving was easy while 34% of teens admitted that they had texted while driving even though forty-four states passed laws making it illegal to text and drive (Wallace, 2016). Teens interviewed for the story admitted that they had seen their parents driving while they were distracted including texting while driving. With this knowledge, it soon becomes apparent that the State of Florida has failed to ad equately do enough to educate drivers both young and old so this begs the question, what more can the state do? First, it appears that the campaigns to bring awareness to this issue either need to be more consistent or need to reach a greater audience. The social media campaign stopped with just two platforms: Facebook and Twitter. Although more adults are on Facebook than ever before, most teens have fled that social networking site just for that reason. Instagram has quickly overtaken Twitter as the choice among many teens, yet the State hasnt attempted to launch campaigns on the social networking site. Additionally, tougher penalties need to be considered when a driver is caught texting and driving. In reality, most people will pay more for their designer coffee in a week than they will if they were ticketed for distracted driving! Finally, the state should consider more in-school campaigns, including those that have been injured or caused the injury of someone else because of di stracted driving. It seems as though these type of visual demonstrations have a major impact on teens. In conclusion, distracted driving is defined as any act that would require the driver to divert their attention from the task of driving. Distracted driving can fall into three different categories: visual, manual, and cognitive with some behaviors, such as texting falling into all three categories. The statistics have shown that the incidents of accidents, injuries, and deaths have continued to rise over the last couple of years. Given this information, it soon becomes apparent that the State of Florida has failed to do enough to educate drivers to the dangers of distracted driving. In order to begin to reverse these statistics, it is necessary for drivers, both young and older, to become more educated about the dangers of distracted driving. Works Cited Facts and Statistics. Distracted Driving : Facts And Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Florida Distracted Driving Awareness. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Sonja Isger Palm Beach Post Staff Writers 10:18 P.m Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 Florida and Legislature News. Texting While Driving Illegal in Florida Starting Tuesday. Texting and Driving in Florida Illegal Tuesday. Palm Beach Post, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Wallace, Kelly. Brutally Honest: How To Keep Your Teens From Texting and Driving. CNN. Cable News Network, 1 Aug. 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. .

An Analysis of the Term Actually Incurred in Section 11(a) of Income Tax Action :: Accounting Education Finances Taxes Essays

An Analysis of the Term Actually Incurred in Section 11(a) of Income Tax Action Act No. 58 of 1962 1.SYNOPSIS Generally Accepted Accounting Practice includes statement AC000: Framework for the preparation and presentation of financial statements. This sets out broad and definitive rules governing the recognition of liabilities and income and expenditure in financial statements. Specifically the following paragraphs need to be considered: Recognition of liabilities: 91. A liability is recognised in the balance sheet when it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will result from the settlement of a present obligation and the amount at which the settlement will take place can be measured reliably... Recognition of expenses: 94. Expenses are recognised in the income statement when a decrease in future economic benefits related to a decrease in an asset or an increase of a liability has arisen that can be measured reliably. This means in effect that recognition of expenses occurs simultaneously with the recognition of an increase or a decrease in assets 95. Expenses are recognised in the income statement on the basis of a direct association between the costs incurred and the and the earning of specific items of income. This process, commonly referred to as the matching of costs with revenues, involves the simultaneous or combined recognition of revenues and expenses that result directly and jointly from the same transaction or other events; The fisc takes little notice of these rules when it comes to the recognition of expenditure for the purposes of taxation. It is the part of these rules that govern the general deduction provision that this report will examine. Section 11(a) of the South African Income Tax Act No. 58 of 1962 (as amended) reads as follows: 11. General deductions allowed in the determination of taxable income.- For the purpose of determining the taxable income derived by any person from the carrying on of any trade within the Republic, there shall be allowed as deductions from the income of such person so derived- (a) expenditure and losses actually incurred in the Republic in the production of the income, provided such expenditure and losses are not of a capital nature. The section defines the conditions that must be met for expenditure and losses to be allowed as deductions from income. The expenditure or losses must have been: Actu ssme nt In the Republic of South Africa. In the production of the income. Such expenditure or losses must not be of a capital nature. The section has to be read together with s23(g) 23. Deductions not allowed in the determination of taxable income.- No deductions shall be made in respect of any moneys, claimed as a deduction from trade, to the extent to which such monies

American Idol Case Study

Case Analysis Week 1 American Idol Case Mostafa Morshedi MKT 645 Qualitative Research in Customer Behavior California Intercontinental University Date: 11/18/2012 American Idol Case To perform a prefect marketing research, it is needed to identify and define the marketing research problem accurately and then develop a proper approach. The American Idol case is a challenging management decision and marketing research problem case, focusing on reasons why to conduct a study on the viewers and voters.In this case study, we review defining the marketing research problem and developing an approach process, including objective/theoretical framework, analytical model, research questions, hypothesizes and specification of information needed. Discussion According to the case, the management decision problem confronting Marcello and Litzenberger could be â€Å"Do we need to conduct a study investigating American Idol viewers? † (Malhotra, 2010, p. 780). The corresponding marketing resea rch problem would be â€Å"to determine who watched and voted in the 2009 season of American Idol and to determine how durable the show’s concept is† (Malhotra, 2010, p. 81). In fact, they should conduct the study in order to understand what are viewers’ and voters’ demographic based on age and sex. The study’s out coming is worthwhile for sponsors like Coca Cola and Ford who invested millions on the show, or who are interested to invest in future. Marketing research problem specific components are defined as: * What is the age demographic of American Idol’s watcher and voters? * How effective is the sponsors’ ads in the show? * How durable is the show’s concept? * How sponsors could motivate voters?The theoretical framework for the study is based on statistics, normal distribution function with 95% certainty (Malhotra, 2010, p. 781). As we are seeking for the age demographic of show viewers and voters, it is rational to use gr aphical model as it provides a visual picture of the relationship between variables (Malhotra, 2010, p. 51). Research questions and relevant hypothesizes to above explanations could be counted as: * Do teenagers vote more than adults do? * H1: teenagers are majority voters. * H2: Adults vote more than teenagers do. * Are women interested to vote more than men do? H3: women are tough fans and consequently vote more than men do. * H4: Men vote more than women do. * How many of show watchers vote? * H5: More than 90% of watchers vote. * H6: 70 to 90% of watchers vote. * H7: 75% to 70% of watchers vote. * H8: Less than 50% of watchers vote. * Do voters and viewer remember about the sponsor? * H9: all remember who the sponsor was. * H10: They hardly know about the sponsor. So based on above components, analytical model, research questions, and hypothesis we can determine the specification of information needed. * The age demographic of show viewers * The age demographic of voters Sex of show viewers * Sex of voters * Participation percentage in voting * Sponsorship effectiveness and durability * The main reasons of voting/not voting Conclusion Key concepts of a marketing research problem is first determine management decision problems, and then defining a broad marketing research problem, which in turn should be narrowed down by specific components. These specific components guide researchers to define an approach to the problem, find relevant objective/theoretical framework and choose among analytical models (verbal, graphical and mathematical) the one best match to the research objectives.Research questions are dragged out of marketing search problem approach. Hypothesizes are rephrased research questions that guide decision makers on the problem and will be approved or denied after the research is done. The main important concept is that all the process should be integrated and focused to provide the best accurate answer to the management decision and marketing research problems, specifically in huge projects. References Malhotra, N. K. (2010). Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation, 6/E. Boston, MA, USA: Prentice Hall.

Maalouf – Leo Africanus

Amin Maalouf’s novel Leo Africanus, a fictionalized memoir by an actual sixteenth-century Muslim adventurer, is an often-interesting account of life during the turbulent end of the Middle Ages, told from the point of view of a man who survived his life’s ample turmoil and bridged conflicting cultures without wholly belonging to any. The narrator of this work, a traveler and author known in his lifetime as Jean-Leon de Medici or Leo Africanus, was born in 1488 as Hasan al-Wazzan, son of a prominent Muslim family in Granada, Spain.   At the time, southern Spain’s Andalusia region (of which Granada was its chief city) was Muslim-dominated, with Catholics, Muslims, and Jews alike coexisting in a cosmopolitan, relatively tolerant atmosphere.   Maalouf depicts Granada as an intriguing, exotic, tolerant place for its time, despite its corrupt rulers and ultimate weakness before the invading armies of Aragon and Castile. Shortly after his birth, Spanish forces conquered Granada and soon started persecuting all non-Christians, forcing them to convert to Catholicism or flee, depriving them of their wealth in either case.   Though European history depicts Spain’s liberation from Muslim rule as a glorious event, it was a tragic blow for the Muslims who had lived there for centuries and built a prosperous, learned society.   As his uncle Khali, a wealthy diplomat, laments, â€Å"See how the people . . . have been forced into slavery after their surrender!   See how the Inquisition has raised pyres for the Jews . . . [and] for the Muslims as well!   How can we stop this, except by resistance, mobilization, and jihad?†Ã‚   (Maalouf, 1988, p. 25)   Though the word â€Å"jihad† today carries ominous meanings for Westerners, in this context it meant self-defense in the face of an intolerant enemy. The Spanish appear in a distinctly negative light, as bloodthirsty, vindictive conquerors who used the Inquisition to crush their enemies, real or perceived.   Maalouf offers in interesting inversion of Western opinion here, and he shows post-1492 Granada as a dark, dangerous place whose intellectual life is crushed.   Also, while modern readers think of Jews and Muslims as mortal enemies, Maalouf demonstrates that they enjoyed peaceful relations in medieval Andalusia, and Leo laments the Spanish edict mandating â€Å"the ‘formal termination of all relations between Christians and Jews, which can only be accomplished by the expulsion of all the Jews from our kingdom’† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 59). His uncle Khali assumes a dominant role in Leo’s life, helping educate him and, more importantly, taking him along on his 1504 diplomatic mission to Timbuktu, then an important Muslim cultural and commercial center in sub-Saharan West Africa.   Even as a teenager, he demonstrates keen insights to the world around him, particularly to the appearances, peoples, and attributes of the cities he visits en route.   For example, he describes Ain al-Asnam, an ancient city destroyed during Islam’s spread, as â€Å"sole witness of the age of ignorance† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 155), implying that despite its former glories, it symbolizes the dark era before Islam spread its enlightened message. In addition, he reveals a gift for vivid descriptive prose when he says of Sijilmassa, a once-thriving city on the road to Timbuktu: â€Å"Of its walls, once so high, only a few sections remain, half-ruined, and covered with grass and moss.   Of its population, there remain only various hostile clans . . . [who] seem merciless toward each other [and] deserve their fate† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 157).   Though he is not intolerant of peoples different from himself, he also does not shy from passing judgments on unfortunate places, though his own life is full of misfortunes; he accepts fate’s fickle nature, which perhaps sustains him through his difficulties. His uncle dies en route back to Fez and Leo returns home to work in a hospice and marry his cousin Fatima, who is far less pleasing than Hiba, the slave girl who becomes his longtime mistress (similar to Warda, the servant whom his father chose over his wife, Leo’s mother).   He also tries to save his sister Mariam from the leper colony, where an influential suitor, a highway robber named the Zarwali, had had her banished for refusing to marry him. One sees by this point that women have a difficult position in Muslim society; denied many rights, they live tightly circumscribed lives and are subject to male commands and whims at all times.   Maalouf does not impose modern sensibilities here; he remains within the character of the times and accepts this lack of freedom as Muslims of the time did, and Leo laments his sister’s fate less because she lacks freedom than because her punishment was unduly cruel. As he enters adulthood, his life continues a pattern of good fortune followed by personal or financial disasters from which he always recovers and rebuilds.   Leo becomes a successful merchant in Fez and fathers a daughter with Fatima, but when his longtime friend Harun (who has married his unfortunate sister Mariam to liberate her from the leper colony) causes the Zarwali’s death, Leo is expelled from Fez for his complicity and loses his fortune on the road to a band of thieves.   He finds some relief in Hiba’s native village, where her former peers buy her back from Leo, restoring some of his wealth but costing him the love of his life. He accepts these reversals surprisingly well by modern standards, but Maalouf implies that the late medieval/early modern world was a cruel and fickle place, with few certainties in life other than misfortune.   A common theme throughout the book is that such events are simply God’s will; when he loses both his fortune and Hiba, Leo laments, â€Å"Such is the judgment of the Most High!† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 214).   His faith does not waver throughout the story, even when Christians abduct, enslave, and force him to become a Catholic. Leo’s destiny seems to be the roads he travels throughout his adult life; his form of geography and travelogue seem to be his calling in life, and he demonstrates a keen grasp of how to describe people and places.   His travels take him throughout northern, western, and central Africa, and he states without obvious boasting, â€Å"When our geographers of old spoke of the land of the Blacks, they only mentioned Ghana and the oases of the Libyan desert. . . . I myself, who am only the last of the travellers, know the names of sixty black kingdoms . . . from the Niger to the Nile† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 216).   Such knowledge would later serve him well. He becomes involved with the era’s political intrigues when he meets and marries Nur, the widow of the Ottoman ruler’s nephew.   While Leo supports the Turks in the vain hope that they will liberate Andalusia from the Spanish and make it safe for Muslims again, Nur opposes it and fears that Turkish agents will murder her infant son to prevent him from assuming the throne.   Reflecting on the discord within his own faith, Leo asks, â€Å"Is it not in the blade of a knife brandished by the Friend of God above a pyre that the revealed religions meet?†Ã‚   (Maalouf, 1988, p. 245)   He longs for the tolerance and unity of his youth in Granada, hence his somewhat naà ¯ve support for the Ottoman Empire, of which he says, â€Å"the turbans of the Turks and the skull caps of the Christians and Jews mingle without hatred or resentment† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 258). His destiny as a geographer and scholar is realized when Sicilian pirates kidnap him in Tunisia and present him to Pope Leo X as a slave.   As with the rest of his life, this misfortune leads to another lucky phase, as the pontiff, impressed with Leo’s intellect, employs him as a protà ©gà ©.   Forcing him to become a Christian and renaming him John-Leo de Medici (for the pope and the family that takes an interest in him), the pope employs him as a teacher of Arabic while tutoring him in European languages, so that he can produce a volume of his travels, Description of Africa.   He earns his freedom but becomes embroiled in papal intrigues, so he must flee yet again – this time for Tunisia, where he can again be a Muslim.   In closing, he advises the reader to be himself in the face of adversity, saying, â€Å"Muslim, Jew or Christian, they must take you as you are, or lose you† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 360).   Though he has kept his Muslim faith inwardly i ntact, Leo’s ability to adapt has ironically saved and sustained him. The book illustrates the uncertainty of life in the pre-modern era, since peaks and valleys of instability mark Leo’s life from the beginning.   His family loses its fortune and is driven from Granada by conquering Spanish Christians, who then launch a wave of intolerance against Jews and Muslims, forcing them to either become Catholic or leave.   In addition, he loses his fortune to thieves, his wife Fatima dies young, he remarries Nur (who leaves him after his abduction), and he is enslaved by Christian pirates in the Mediterranean. He handles it philosophically, accepting the fact that his life is destined to be itinerant, turbulent, and beyond his ability to control.   As he tells Nur, â€Å"Between the Andalus which I left and the Paradise which is promised to me life is only a crossing.   I go nowhere, I desire nothing I cling to nothing, I have faith in my passion for living . . . as well as in Providence† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 261). Overall, Leo Africanus is a solid effort to take the modern reader into the mind of an educated, influential Muslim living at an unstable time in European history.   Maalouf does not inject modern sensibilities into his narrative but depicts the Muslim culture of the times fairly, without a pro-Western bias.   In addition, he strives for authenticity by using a sort of formal, occasionally wordy prose that one assumes is based on the actual writing and conversational style of Leo Africanus’ times.   In the process of producing this interesting historical figure’s tale, Maalouf also makes clear one of the chief realities of this era in history – that life is uncertain and fickle, and that the intelligent, resourceful, and adaptable are best suited to endure these shifts of fortune. REFERENCES Maalouf, A. (1988).   Leo Africanus.   Chicago: New Amsterdam Books. Maalouf – Leo Africanus Amin Maalouf’s novel Leo Africanus is a novel based on an actual sixteenth-century Spanish-born Muslim geographer and writer born under the name Hasan al-Wazzan.   The author gives the reader clear insights into the conflicts between the Muslim world (whose influence in Europe was then waning) and that of Christianity (which reasserted control over his native Spain and to which he became a somewhat unwilling servant). The theme of the title character’s life is conflict and misfortune, which seem to plague him from early childhood.   Born in 1488 to a rich Muslim family in Granada, Spain, he witnesses as a small child the Catholic victory over the ruling but weakened Muslim elites, followed by a wave of vengeance and intolerance against not only Muslims but also the Jews, who have also lived peacefully in Spain with Christians for centuries.   Hasan (the name he uses throughout his life, except when in service to the Pope) demonstrates some of this by mentioning how members of the different religions interact and how some cultural exchange occurs. For example, when discussing dates, he frequently refers to Christian and Muslim holidays in tandem, showing their mutual acceptance: â€Å"It all happened on the ninth day of the holy month of Ramadan, or, rather . . . on St. John’s Day, the twenty-fourth of June, since Mihrajan was celebrated not in accordance with the Muslim year but following the Christian calendar† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 63). Here, Maalouf makes clear that Islam was then the much more tolerant religion, accepting aspects of Judaism and Christianity that the Catholic Church refused to allow.   Because Christianity and Islam were fighting for territory, intolerance was an instrument of control and oppression, and the victorious Spaniards had to qualms about driving out or murdering Jews and Muslims who refused to accept forced conversions to Christianity. His family, deprived of its wealth, flees for the North African city of Fez, where they live as refugees under the care of his kindly uncle, who provides for his education.   As he comes of age, he shows a remarkable ability to observe and understand the peoples and places he encounters – a gift he sharpens when, as a teenager, he accompanies his rich, well-connected uncle on a diplomatic excursion to Timbuktu. For example, he writes of Sijilmassa, a once-thriving city on the road to Timbuktu: â€Å"Of its walls, once so high, only a few sections remain, half-ruined, and covered with grass and moss.   Of its population, there remain only various hostile clans . . . [who] seem merciless toward each other [and] deserve their fate† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 157).   Though he is not intolerant of peoples different from himself, he also does not shy from passing judgments on unfortunate or blighted places, though his own life is full of misfortunes; he accepts fate’s fickle nature, which perhaps sustains him through his difficulties. Hasan’s adult life is generally unstable and rife with misfortune, which seems to be the norm in a world where little other than hard luck is guaranteed.   After his uncle dies, he returns to Fez to work in a hospice for the sick and insane, marries a rather plain cousin (despite his long relationship with Hiba, a slave mistress), later becomes a prosperous merchant, and seems to live a somewhat conventional life.   However, he is not destined to enjoy a stable, uneventful life. When he starts his business career, his mother makes a prediction that seems to foreshadow the direction of his life: â€Å"Many men discover the whole world while seeking only to make their fortune.   But as for you, my son, you will stumble on your treasure as you seek to discover the world† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 187).   Indeed, fate – so strong a presence in the novel that it almost seems like a character – intervenes and his life is again turbulent.   When he becomes embroiled in his childhood friend (and brother-in-law) Harun’s plot to avenge his sister Mariam’s confinement to a leper colony, the authorities expel Hasan from Fez and thieves on the road rob him of his fortune.   In addition, he is forced to sacrifice his mistress, Hiba, in order to regain some of his riches. However, his destiny is to discover the world, which indeed is why modern readers even know of his existence.   Always astute and insightful, Hasan compiles his observations during his many travels, forming the basis for his lasting renown as an early geographer and expert on sub-Saharan Africa.   He travels throughout the continent’s northern and central regions and, when speaking of other writers’ ignorance of Africa, states, â€Å"I myself, who am only the last of the travellers, know the names of sixty black kingdoms . . . from the Niger to the Nile.   Some have never appeared in any book, but I would not be telling the truth if I would claim to have discovered them myself, since I only followed the ordinary route of the caravans† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 216). He moves to Cairo (then under Ottoman Turkish rule) to restart his often-disrupted life, commenting that â€Å"I was suddenly certain that after the tempest which had destroyed my fortune a new life was awaiting me in this land of Egypt, a life of passion, danger and honour† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 218).   Here, he again finds himself on the wrong side of destiny when he marries into the Turkish sultan’s family and supports them in their political maneuverings, in the vain hope that they will retake Granada in the name of Islam. He dreams his entire life of his birthplace and the words of a visiting delegation from the sultan foster the naà ¯ve faith that he can return: â€Å"A great Muslim empire is in the process of coming to life in the East, and we in the West should stretch out our hand to it.   Until now, we have been subjected to the law of the unbelievers† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 257).   However, this scheme also goes awry and he is enslaved by Italian pirates, who give him to Pope Leo X. This phase of Hasan’s life is a strange twist of fate, in which apparent tragedy turns into great luck.   The pontiff, seeing that the learned, sophisticated Hasan is no ordinary captive, employs him as a tutor of Arabic and requires him to learn Latin, Turkish, and lessons in the Christian faith.   Hasan deems this â€Å"a refined form of forced labour . . . [and] proof of [the Pope’s] own enthusiastic interest in me† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 294). The end result of this gentle captivity is Description of Africa, a book describing his many travels in a continent with which Europeans were still largely unfamiliar.   He wins his freedom but again finds himself on the wrong side of a larger political conflict (this time within the Catholic Church), so he escapes Rome for Tunisia, where he can openly practice Islam again.   In closing, he advises the reader to be himself in the face of adversity, saying, â€Å"Wherever you are, some will want to ask questions about your skin or your prayers.   Beware of gratifying their instincts . . . beware of bending before the multitude!† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 360).   Though he has kept his Muslim faith inwardly intact, his ability to adapt and â€Å"go with the flow† preserves him. Without dwelling on the point, Maalouf makes clear to the reader that in this unstable, uncertain medieval world, Fate plays an exceptionally strong role in everyday life.   Indeed, Hasan witnesses plenty of calamity in his life; his birthplace is seized and made repressive by Spanish Catholics; he and his family see their wealth rise and vanish repeatedly; he marries twice and loses both wives (the first dies young, while the second abandons him after his enslavement); and he is forced to seek his fortunes elsewhere several times in his life. He accepts the fact that he is meant to live on the move and takes little for granted, seemingly aware that his fortunes can be reversed at any time (and frequently are).   However, he never becomes embittered; he accepts his fate but laments, â€Å"Such is the judgment of the Most High† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 214).   His faith does not waver throughout the story, and even when Christians abduct him and force his conversion to Catholicism, he follows but keeps his innermost religious beliefs to himself.   He excels as a chameleon and thus survives. His second wife comments on his tendency to travel and disrupt his own life, asking, â€Å"What substance are you made of that you accept the loss of one town after another, one homeland after another, one woman after another, without ever fighting, without ever regretting, without ever looking back?†Ã‚   † (Maalouf, 1989, p. 261).   He responds by telling her that â€Å"life is only a crossing. I go nowhere, I desire nothing I cling to nothing, I have faith in my passion for living, in my instinct to search for happiness, as well as in Providence† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 261).   Indeed, in this exchange, Maalouf presents the reader with the essence of Hasan’s character.   He is well aware of life’s transience and thus is passionate only about his religion; though he seeks wealth and happiness, he wastes little time mourning the loss of either and looks ahead to â€Å"the final Place where no man is a stranger before the face of the Creator† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 360). Leo Africanus is more than simply a fictionalized memoir.   It is a classic fish-out-of-water story, illustrating how this educated, well-connected Muslim merchant, traveler, and scholar finds reverses and radical changes in his life at several turns but adapts to each.   In addition, it demonstrates how people of that era were very much at Fate’s mercy; little could be taken for granted in such unstable times, but the narrator never loses faith in the â€Å"Most High,† the God to whom he turns for sustenance. In somewhat formal prose that one suspects was the norm for educated people of that era, Maalouf does not impose a modern viewpoint but offers a fair, compassionate, historically-aware portrayal of both Muslim society and one of the more unusual figures within it.   The story of Hasan al-Wazzan is, more than anything else, the tale of an accomplished scholar and a consummate survivor who never forgot who he was, the culture that produced him, or the deity that showed him mercy amidst the world’s turbulence. REFERENCES Maalouf, A. (1989).   Leo Africanus.   Chicago: New Amsterdam Books.