Who formed the first literate society? Who invented our modern ideas of democracy and free market capitalism? The Scots. As historian and author Arthur Herman reveals, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Scotland made crucial contributions to science, philosophy, literature, education, medicine, commerce, and politics, contributions that have formed and nurtured the modern West ever since. This book is not just about Scotland: it is an exciting...

Buddenbrooks, first published in Germany in 1901, when Mann was only twenty-six, has become a classic of modern literature. It is the story of four generations of a wealthy bourgeois family in northern Germany facing the advent of modernity; in an uncertain new world, the family s bonds and traditions begin to disintegrate. As Mann charts the Buddenbrooks decline from prosperity to bankruptcy, from moral and psychic soundness to sickly piety, artistic...

Who have been the Muslim world's most influential people? What were their ideas, thoughts, and achievements? In one hundred short and engaging profiles of these extraordinary people, fourteen hundred years of the vast and rich history of the Muslim world is unfolded. For anyone interested in getting an intimate view of Islam through its kings and scholars, generals and sportsmen, architects and scientists, and many others, this is the book for you. Among...

Scholar and travel writer Lafcadio Hearn spent decades in Japan, eventually adopting it as his home country. Perhaps more than any other single writer, Hearn is responsible for documenting and interpreting Japan for Western audiences. In this engrossing volume, Hearn undertakes his most comprehensive comparative analysis of Japanese culture.

Stolen Inheritance has a universal appeal, but should prove to be of particular interest to those who are looking to connect or re-connect with the peoples of Africa and Eurasia. Peoples of these two largest and one of the most populous continents have traded, fought, and inter-bred since the first recording of human existence. Older readers may find some of the evidence provided difficult to accept, as it challenges some of their own taken-for-granted...

We generally understand "radical Islam" as a purely Islamic phenomenon, but Buruma and Margalit show that while the Islamic part of radical Islam certainly is, the radical part owes a primary debt of inheritance to the West. Whatever else they are, al Qaeda and its ilk are revolutionary anti-Western political movements, and Buruma and Margalit show us that the bogeyman of the West who stalks their thinking is the same one who has haunted the thoughts...

"With one of the largest populations in the world, India is a land of crowded cities, but it's also known for its beautiful mountains and serene beaches ... Explore India's colorful culture and traditions, how Indians celebrate, and what they eat."--Provided by publisher.

"From Troy to Hiroshima, moments when war has ended in utter annihilation have reverberated through the centuries, signaling the end of political systems, cultures, and epochs. Though much has changed over the millennia, human nature remains the same. Modern societies are not immune from the horror of a war of extinction. In The End of Everything, military historian Victor Davis Hanson narrates a series of sieges and sackings that span the age of...

"Learn about Mexico, a country famous for its colorful fiestas and celebrations, and its rich history blending Aztec, Mayan, and European influences ... Explore Mexico's traditions in arts and music, including its world-famous mariachi bands."--Provided by publisher.