Middle World

Not your typical travelogue. Instead, this book is organized by the nature of the experience the author had while traveling. I am an avid world traveler. I have lived in a variety of international locations, and I have both studied abroad and taught abroad. I have backpacked, camped out, stayed at youth hostels, and now, in my senior years, I have stayed in topnotch hotels and resorts. I have flown standby, and I have flown first class. I have hitchhiked, and I have taken public transportation, slow trains, fast trains, boats, and ships. I cherish my memories. They are solid, like granite, ...

This accessible history, the first of two volumes, tells the story of the birth and expansion of the Fatimid Empire in the 10th century. Drawing upon recently available eyewitness accounts, Shainool Jiwa introduces the first four generations of Fatimid Imam-caliphs as well as the people who served them and those they struggled against. In this lively and comprehensive introduction, we discover various milestones in Fatimid history and the political and cultural achievements that continue to resonate today.

Different branches of the same religion are the exception more than the rule, and they have had a profound impact upon history. The schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches influenced relationships between nations across Europe, and religious intolerance based on different Christian faiths led to persecution and outright violence across the continent for centuries.

During his more than 50 years in politics, Democratic strategist Douglas E. Schoen has produced nearly two dozen books that have deftly dissected national and international crises and offered prescriptions for solving them. Now, in The Politics of Life: My Road to the Middle of a Hostile and Adversarial World, Schoen delivers his most personal work. Bringing to life the antiwar youthquake of his Harvard years, Schoen introduces us to Cornel West, Walter Isaacson, Merrick Garland, and other classmates bound for glory.

Laura Kasinof studied Arabic in college and moved to Yemen a few years later - after a friend at a late-night party in Washington, DC, recommended the country as a good place to work as a freelance journalist. When she first moved to Sanaa in 2009, she was the only American reporter based in the country. She quickly fell in love with Yemen’s people and culture, in addition to finding herself the star of a local TV soap opera.

Johnny didn't intentionally mean to get involved with, Maisie, the old lady next door. Rumours around the playground claimed she was a witch and children threw stones at her windows. But Johnny wasn't like other kids, he found her kind and caring, if not just a little weird. She claimed he had a gift and made him feel special. That was until the 'incident'. Waking up in hospital without any memory of what happened to him, Johnny started to see things. Incredible things. But upon returning home he was horrified to discover even his own parents had turned against this sweet old lady. Had the ...

It's a great irony that Israel was more secure as an idea than its ever been as a nation with an army. In AD 70, when the Second Temple was destroyed, a handful of visionaries saved Judaism by reinventing it - by taking what had been a national religion, identified with a particular place, and turning it into an idea. Jews no longer needed Jerusalem to be Jews.

Jay Sekulow presents a political and historical rationale for the existence of Israel as a sovereign nation. Here is the audiobook that defends Israel's right to exist as a sovereign nation. As chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, Sekulow has fought with Israel hand-in-hand in some of Israel's most strategic, international battles. Now, he has pulled together the definitive and comprehensive look at Israel - one of the world's most controversial nations - and its importance to us as Americans and as a key focal point to the future of the world.

You would think being able to control your dreams would be fun. But in a place where those dreams can take on a life of their own and nightmares stalk the streets, just making it through the night is hard enough. There are two worlds that have always lived peacefully alongside each other, the world we know and the Dreamworld, Reverie. Adam's life takes a definite turn for the strange when he discovers that, as a Daydreamer, he can travel between the two and achieve impossible things. But nothing in the Dreamworld is as straightforward as it looks. There is something terrible threatening to ...

Leading Australian journalist John Lyons takes readers on a fascinating personal journey through the wonders and dangers of the Middle East. In this updated edition, Lyons draws from his years living in Jerusalem to give context to the devastating war between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza and gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

Buckle up for a wild ride with Lili Gray, a ten-year-old with a super-secret power so bizarre, it could either be the most cringe-worthy thing ever or the coolest trick up her sleeve. Lili's about to learn that what makes you different can also make you mighty. The plot thickens with a twisty mystery—Lili's dad has vanished into thin air! Is he just pulling the world's longest coffee break, or is something more sinister afoot? Lili's on the case, and she's got her eyes on her stepmom, who Lili suspects is the supervillain behind it all—though she might be more misunderstood than truly ...

Hundreds of thousands of Kurds were murdered under the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein. Some four thousand Kurdish villages were destroyed. Betrayed again and again by the nations of the world, the Kurds were as decimated as any people in history. Then came the Kurdish Miracle, that combination of ancient wisdom and modern economic genius that is now making the Kurdish homeland one of the most prosperous places on earth.

When Richard Fidler came across the account of Ibn Fadlan—a tenth-century Arab diplomat who travelled all the way from Baghdad to the cold riverlands of modern-day Russia—he was struck by how modern his voice was, like that of a 21st century time-traveller dropped into a medieval wilderness. On further investigation, Fidler discovered this was just one of countless reports from Arab and Persian travellers of their adventures in medieval China, India, Africa and Byzantium. Put together, he saw these stories formed a crazy quilt picture of a lost world.

The term Moor is a historical rather than an ethnic name. It is an invention of European Christians for the Islamic inhabitants of Maghreb (North Africa), Andalusia (Spain), Sicily and Malta, and was sometimes use to designate all Muslims. It is derived from Mauri, the Latin name for the Berbers who lived in the Roman province of Mauretania, which ranged across modern Algeria and Morocco. Saracen was another European term used to designate Muslims, though it usually referred to the Arabic peoples of the Middle East and derives from an ancient name for the Arabs, Sarakenoi.

The world is changing rapidly. Globalization and technological innovation have created new opportunities and challenges for individuals, communities and nations. With these changes it has become necessary to revisit to what extent children and youth are being prepared to be effective and productive citizens and workers, and to what extent they are equipped not just to understand the future, but to invent it. In the 21st century the skills and dispositions necessary to live meaningful lives, to participate socially, civically and economically, have expanded from those which were sufficient ...

Come with John and Judy Pex as they hike the 600-mile Israel National Trail from the Egyptian to the Lebanese borders. During 42 days of trekking through spectacular scenery, Arab towns and villages, past Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and Christian holy sites, they discover: Sights seldom seen by tourists Physical challenges and spiritual tests Cultural encounters and historical insights Lessons about peace, faith, and endurance.This book will appeal to: Students of the Bible Anyone pursuing the great hiking trails of the world Adults who want vigorous role models and new challenges People of ...

Something strange is going down in the sleepy seaside village of Madderly Bay. Best friends Selena and Chloe are stuck in the most boring summer ever—until food starts coming to life and running wild in the streets. But that’s just the beginning. Earthquakes start shaking the village, and creepy claw marks show up, hinting at something dark stirring beneath the waves. Only Selena and Chloe know the real story about the zombie mermaids they faced before—and now they’re worried the threat they thought was gone might be back. As the tremors get worse and the water turns a scary green, ...

This absorbing account of the political and social reformations that transformed the lands of Islam during the 19th and early 20th centuries offers a game-changing assessment of the Middle East. Beginning his account in 1798, de Bellaigue demonstrates how the Middle East has long welcomed modern ideals and practices, including the adoption of modern medicine, the emergence of women from seclusion, and the development of democracy.

In the time period between the fall of Rome and the spread of the Renaissance across the European continent, many of today's European nations were formed, the Catholic Church rose to great prominence, some of history's most famous wars occurred, and a social class system was instituted that lasted over 1,000 years.

Demigod. Dragon Rider. Kick-Ass Warrior. 15-year-old Zoey knows a bad hand when it’s dealt and survival is slim. With only two days until her boyfriend dies from a wound inflicted by Loki, The God of Trickery, her only option is to betray her father Thor’s trust and commit treason against Asgard. Stealing Mjolnir, she leaves the land open to attack from giants and dark elves. With hammer in hand and honed martial arts skills, she lays her life on the line to fight a fierce and brutal dragon guarding the only magical artifact powerful enough to heal the boy she loves. Defenders of Asgard...