Wifred Thesiger describes his journeys in the Empty Quarter and the Arabian Peninula during the late forties. At that time few Europeans travelled in those areas and occasionally their presence was not welcome. From these journeys he emerged with a great respect for the Bedu who were his travelling companions. His writing style is masterly as he describes his journeys in a plain language which is at the same time eloquent. He shows a great understanding of and a fondness for the Bedu people and their now vanished way of life. Theiseger is also a photographer of exceptional ability and this volume contains a large number of the photographs he took on his expeditions. These and the text create a stunning picture of the land and its peoples. The author is considered the last of the great explorers and this book is an exquisite record charting his memorable adventures with travelling companions bin Kabina and bin Ghabaisha across the Arabian Empty Quarter. He was a skilled photographer and was unique among travel writers of the past in having had the opportunity to take photographs that complement his formidable writing.

How to stop thinking about life’s inevitable transitions as goals to reach and learn how to navigate through times of unpredictability and uncertainty. We live in a culture, Steve Donahue writes, which loves “climbing mountains.” We want to see the peak, map out a route, and follow it to the top. Sometimes this approach works, but not always, particularly when we are enduring a personal crisis—divorce, job loss, addiction, illness, or death. We may not know exactly where we are going, how to get there, or even how we’ll know we’ve arrived. And it’s not just in times of crisis. There are many deserts in our lives, situations with no clear paths or boundaries. Finding a job is usually a mountain, but changing careers can be a desert. Having a baby is a mountain, especially for the mom. But raising a child is a desert. Battling cancer is a mountain. Living with a chronic illness is a desert. In the desert, we need to follow different rules than we follow when conquering a mountain. We need to be more intuitive, more patient, more spontaneous. Donahue outlines six “rules of desert travel” that will help us discover our direction by wandering, find our own personal oases, and cross our self-imposed borders. Shifting Sands shows us how to slow down, reflect, and embrace the changes of life graciously, naturally, and courageously.

The Great Uighur Empire ruled Inner Asia in the 8th and 9th centuries and their descendants, the Taklamakanians, created a thousand years of unforgettable history. Crossing the Sands of Time provides the true story of Inner Asia and the Uyghur people and contrasts their history with depictions peddled by some authors and social media today.

What really happened in Washington? friends asked. Unable to return to those disturbing days, Pamela Sherrod dodged the question for several years, letting her past remain a secret. Initially, she thought her strange habit of stumbling into bizarre incidents was merely coincidental. How else could one explain it? She'd camouflaged her troubled life with the trappings of success. She endured hazing to pledge the right sorority; secured the right internship at the Capitol for a closer view of power; and when she landed a job at ABC News, she put her life in jeopardy for an assignment on the right show. She dated a Saudi Arabian diplomat, befriended the children of powerful officials, and even hung out with Senate staffers who were investigated for involvement with Soviet and Cuban spies. When she married an engineering student from Asia, they looked like a contemporary version of The King and I. But, who knew the true motives of a strong-willed, middle-class, Afro-American woman, and a privileged preppie from one of Sri Lanka's highest castes? Why me? she asked of God, after the fairy tale crumbled and the dust finally settled. Why did I have to experience these things? journey toward truth, and the stunning secret that she eventually discovered.