The city of Herat in western Afghanistan long sat at the edge of empires and served as a hub for trade and a conduit for armies. Yet it has been much more than simply a staging post or plaything of political ambition. It has been an imperial capital, a city of extraordinary wealth, and has played host to a cultural renaissance to rival that of Florence. The Pearl of Khorasan tells the history of this storied oasis city, from the invasions of Chingiz Khan in 1221 to the present day. An epilogue assesses the challenges Herat faces in the wake of Afghanistan’s recent turmoil. Throughout Herat’s cycles of conquest and habitation, several patterns emerge: the primacy of geography; the city’s strong identification with the fertility of the banks of the Hari River; and its reputation as a place of theological excellence, tolerance and cultural refinement. From the luminescent genius of the Timurid century to the destruction and cultural vandalism associated with the Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan and the post-9/11 conflict, Herat has hosted empires and experienced the cupidity and lust for power of foreign agents. Using Persian, Pashto and British sources, the author paints a vivid picture of a city in which he has lived, presenting a personal vision of its tumultuous history.

Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl became the focus of international concern when he was kidnapped by Islamic extremists in Pakistan while investigating a story. News of his brutal murder in February 2002 was universally denounced, a tragic loss of a good man and a compassionate journalist who was at home anywhere in the world. At Home in the World celebrates Pearl's life through 50 of his best stories. Edited by his longtime friend and colleague, Helene Cooper, At Home in the World gives testimony to Mr. Pearl's extraordinary skill as a writer and to his talent for friendship and collaboration. With datelines from the United States and abroad, the articles showcase a dogged reporter who never lost sight of the humanity behind the news. A foreword by his widow, Mariane Pearl, and a contribution by his father, Judea Pearl, celebrate his desire to change the world, his basic decency and fair-mindedness and his sense of fun and love of family. Mr. Pearl's eye for quirky stories -- many of which appeared in the Journal's iconic "middle column" -- and his skill in tracking leads, uncovering wrongdoing and making friends of strangers of all backgrounds and cultures are apparent throughout this carefully assembled collection. The selections range from child beauty pageants in the South to the making of the world's largest Persian rug to the Taliban's exploitation of a gemstone market in order to fund terrorism. Anecdotes from friends and colleagues in the introduction to each section provide background, context and a glimpse of his life at the Journal. At Home in the World keeps alive Daniel Pearl's spirit through his words and the work that was so important to him.

“A dynamic group biography studded with design history and high-society dash . . . [This] elegantly wrought narrative bears the Cartier hallmark.”—The Economist The “astounding” (André Leon Talley) story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their grandfather’s humble Parisian jewelry store into a global luxury icon—as told by a great-granddaughter with exclusive access to long-lost family archives “Ms. Cartier Brickell has done her grandfather proud.”—The Wall Street Journal The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty—four generations, from revolutionary France to the 1970s. At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was “Never copy, only create” and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the twentieth century, thanks to their unique and complementary talents: Louis, the visionary designer who created the first men’s wristwatch to help an aviator friend tell the time without taking his hands off the controls of his flying machine; Pierre, the master dealmaker who bought the New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue for a double-stranded natural pearl necklace; and Jacques, the globe-trotting gemstone expert whose travels to India gave Cartier access to the world’s best rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, inspiring the celebrated Tutti Frutti jewelry. Francesca Cartier Brickell, whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers, has traveled the world researching her family’s history, tracking down those connected with her ancestors and discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way. Now she reveals never-before-told dramas, romances, intrigues, betrayals, and more. The Cartiers also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the firm’s most iconic jewelry—the notoriously cursed Hope Diamond, the Romanov emeralds, the classic panther pieces—and the long line of stars from the worlds of fashion, film, and royalty who wore them, from Indian maharajas and Russian grand duchesses to Wallis Simpson, Coco Chanel, and Elizabeth Taylor. Published in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the birth of the dynasty’s founder, Louis-François Cartier, this book is a magnificent, definitive, epic social history shown through the deeply personal lens of one legendary family.

America was racing full steam into the future. Industry and innovation led the way with the promise of prosperity, giving hope that even the commoner could climb above the threshold of poverty, keeping the hunger wolf at bay. Automobiles expanded horizons, bringing nearby communities within a day's trip. The thrill of new inventions and modernization created an excitement of what new and wondrous things could be next. Euphoric excitement was like a drug propelling the nation into the latter of the Golden Age; however, everything involved a dance of concessions, hard work, wit, and in a world where promiscuity and crime were commonplace, could innocence still conquer a heart? Victor, a former strong arm and lead for a Chicago syndicate, became a friend and confidant of the most powerful businessman in the small town of Helena, Montana. Together, they began laying the foundations of the first legislation dedicated to limiting the use of child labor and considerations of other laborer rights. Charles Sterling has built up his impressive estate in real estate, imports, hydroelectric power, gold mining, and a skosh of bootlegging, only to fall in love because of the charms of a young and beautiful immigrant, Audrey, his mistress, who falls fate to a heinous crime. In the house of the Sterlings, Victor will meet his great love--Elisa, a simple girl who came from Romania to make a better future for herself and support her family back home. The two fall in love irretrievably. Will their love be strong enough to pass the test of a world full of secrets? Mabel, Elisa's best friend, a beautiful and self-sufficient young lady who seemingly knows everything happening in this small city becomes an important asset for the Sterlings and pulls off a stunt like no other.

"Muqarnas" is sponsored by The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. "Muqarnas" 26 contains articles on a variety of topics that span and transcend the geographic and temporal boundaries that have traditionally defined the history of Islamic art and architecture. Contributors include Robert McChesney, Mattia Guidetti, Marcus Schadl, Christian Gruber, Katia Cytryn-Silverman, Doris Abouseif, Olga Bush, Emine Fetvaci, Moya Carey, Bernard O'Kane, Hadi Maktabi, Nadia Erzini and Stephen Vernoit.

As the twilight turned into night, the pyramids lay deserted. The Tuaregs on silent horses were flying across the desert around the pyramids and the great Sphinx, making sure that what was about to take place was unobserved. A cortege of torches was winding its way down the tall dune towards the great Sphinx. Phillipa, holding the silver Urn with the Heidrichs ashes, rode at the center of the cortege. Reaching the Sphinx, the torchbearers broke into two columns to form an honor guard of light through which Phillipa rode to meet the matriarch standing between the Sphinx’s mighty paws. Phillipa slowly handed the urn to her. A deep hole had been chiseled into the Sphinx’s chest where one would think the heart might be. The urn was pushed gently into the cool depth of the Sphinx. The opening disappeared in front of Phillipa’s eyes under the skilled hands of a stonemason. No one would suspect that the Sphinx had been tampered with. One by one the Tuareg torchbearers rode up the passage between the mighty paws of the Sphinx and dropped their torches in front of the Heidrichs secret burial chamber––a final salute to the man who had translated their tablets. That night they slept outside under the stars. The matriarch’s stallion came to greet Phillipa. She rubbed his forehead and velvety nose and then kissed it, as she had done long ago when she had been here with Udah Singh. “He likes you and wishes you well,” said the matriarch behind her. “ You have a gift with horses that I have not seen before.” She continued, “You still love both equally, and that confuses you profoundly. Give yourself permission to love and be loved. Don’t let conventions and western customs dictate your life. Live happy and free.”

The national best-selling autobiography of Bill Graham, the colorful, larger-than-life architect of the modern concert industry