asia, central

A history of the Silk Road, examining why and how the trade route emerged in the late third century BCE, and its affect on the area's culture and religion.

"As Mr. Smith continues his journey to India, he is welcomed into the home of a wealthy tradesman and his wife, Anis. Custom dictates that, as a woman, Anis is not permitted to meet their visitor face-to-face, but even so, she counts herself blessed to live in such a beautiful estate and be married to a man who devotes himself solely to her. Still, one cannot help but long for the companionship of another person when one's closest friend is a reluctant Persian cat. In her loneliness, Anis visits the public bath house and discovers a place where she feels immediately free among her fellow sisters"--Amazon.com.

Explores the history of the Central Asian states, from the breakup of the Soviet Union to the early twenty-first century.

Englishman Mr. Smith's travels on the Silk Road bring him to a fishing village along the Aral Sea where he encounters identical twins who are looking for husbands.

Examines the historical impact of the Western encounter with Central Asia's fragile and volatile nations, discussing how nations that seemed to have little influence and impact on the world have risen to become the greatest threats to the Western world.

Tells the story of how religions accompanied merchants and their goods along the overland Asian trade routes of pre-modern times.

A collection of narratives, photographs, and cartoons that describes the politics, culture, and religion of several countries that were formerly part of the Soviet bloc.