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Deitel Developer Series Cover Theme Welcome to the DEITEL™ DEVELOPER SERIES. At Deitel & Associates, we write college programming textbooks, professional programming books and e-learning materials, and we present instructor-led, corporate-training courses. Over the last several years, the programming community has embraced the Internet and the Web in every aspect of software design, implementation and distribution. Internet usage is becoming pervasive, allowing people worldwide to communicate and interact easily and bringing social, cultural, professional and political change. To capture the global import of the Internet, we have selected "world landmarks" as the cover theme for our new series. The first six covers depict famous places from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North America and South America. We will soon have an Antarctica cover as well. We hope that you will enjoy the books in the DEITEL™ DEVELOPER SERIES and that you will have the good fortune to visit several of the landmarks shown on the covers. The Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal, which means "Crown Palace" in Urdu, is located on the Yamuna River in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal’s design is famous worldwide for its elegance and beauty, and the structure has become synonymous with India and Indian culture. The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial site for his wife and best friend, Arjumand Banu Begum (also known as Mumtaz Muhal) who died in 1629 while giving birth to their fourteenth child. Construction of the majestic site began in 1631. The project, which required over 20,000 people, was finished 22 years later in 1653. The tomb itself is built on a platform 22 inches high and 313 inches square. The tomb layout combines marble towers and domes, a reflecting pool and numerous gardens, including the famous Shalimar gardens. Hand-carved structures and paintings line the mausoleum, complementing the Taj Mahal’s intricate and unique design. Many ancient stories about the Taj Mahal have been passed down through Indian history, becoming a permanent part of Indian culture. One tale asserts that the emperor originally planned to build a second Taj Mahal structure, identical to the first, on the opposite end of the river. The second palace was to be constructed in black marble, in contrast to the first, and would serve as Shah Jahan’s tomb. Legend has it that before construction could begin on the site, the emperor was imprisoned by his youngest son. Since the son had no plans to continue the project, the original Taj Mahal remains an unparalleled architectural wonder. For more information on the Taj Mahal, please visit: www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Archit/TajM.html ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/forgotten/tajmahal.html www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Taj_Mahal.html