Pamela Olson, a small town girl from eastern Oklahoma, had what she always wanted: a physics degree from Stanford University. But instead of feeling excited for what came next, she felt consumed by dread and confusion. This irresistable memoir chronicles her journey from aimless ex-bartender to Ramallah-based journalist and foreign press coordinator for a Palestinian presidential candidate. With dizzying speed she finds herself attending Yasser Arafat's funeral, sharing a holiday dinner with a suicide bomber's family, tour-guiding Israeli friends around the West Bank, dating a Palestinian from a conservative Muslim village, being held at gunpoint and injured by a stun grenade, and witnessing the 2005 Disengagement from inside the Gaza Strip. The gripping narrative focuses not only on violence, terror, and social and political upheavals but also on the daily rounds of house parties, concerts, barbecues, weddings, jokes, harvests, and romantic drama that happen in between. From idyllic olive groves to Palestinian beer gardens, from Passover in Tel Aviv to Ramadan in a Hamas village, from rooftop parties in Ramallah to militant rallies in Nablus, the book is packed with suspense, humor, and unforgettable characters. Its seamless blend of travelogue, memoir, and narrative journalism ramps the average American up to a sophisticated, multi-faceted understanding of the Israel/Palestine conflict. Funny, gorgeous, shocking, and galvanizing, Fast Times in Palestine challenges the way we think not only about the Middle East but albout human nature and our place in the world. REVIEWS “A moving, inspiring account of life in Palestine that’s enormously informative yet reads like a novel.” -- REBECCA VILKOMERSON, Executive Director, Jewish Voice for Peace “It’s love in the time of occupation as Pamela Olson... takes us on the emotional roller-coaster of her very personal experience of life in Ramallah -- and in doing so lays bare the human drama of a people... determined to live free.” -- TONY KARON, Senior Editor, TIME “Part adventure story, part searing reportage, part love story, and wholly absorbing.” -- DR. KENNETH RING, co-author, Letters from Palestine For more information, visit pamolson.org

A Californian paramedic answers an advertisement for contract work at a military hospital in Saudi Arabia. So his adventure begins. This is a riveting, factual account of his ten years inside a country seldom seen by the outside world. Working on the private medical staff of King Abdullah, no western writer has ever been this close to the "House of Saud". The author takes you on a journey from the desert camps of the Bedouin to the highest echelons of the Saudi royal family. From meetings between King Abdullah and Yasser Arafat to the death of Edi Amin the author documents it all. Themes explored include the contrast of cultures and the rise of terrorism in a post 9/11 world. The author's unique and often humorous perspective provides a view of Saudi society that has never before been documented by any other book in this genre. The author gives an important insight to events that continue to affect the world today.

First published in 1931. None of the manuscripts which have come down to us represent the original form of Marco Polo's narrative, but it is clear that certain texts are closer to the lost original than others. Entrusted with the task of preparing a new Italian edition of Marco Polo, Benedetto discovered many unknown manuscripts. He carefully edited the most famous of the manuscripts (the Geographic text) and collated it with the other best known ones. · An invaluable index has been added to Aldo Ricci's of Benedetto's text, which includes all the identifications made in the Geographic text and also later editions by Marsden (1818), Pauthier (1865) and Yule (1871). · The difficulty of following Polo on his many journeys has also been simplified by the process of distinguishing between those places on his main route to China and his return journey by sea to Persia and those places which he visited during his stay in China and those he never visited at all.

Hitch a ride through time on the Danger Boy adventures! These rich, action-filled fantasies about a reluctant time-traveler and his unusual sidekicks will keep readers on the edge of their seats.The year is 2019, and a secret government agency is forcing Eli’s dad to continue with his time-travel experiments, even though Eli’s mom has just disappeared in one. Now Eli has a ridiculous new code name — and a gravely important mission.In DANGER BOY: ANCIENT FIRE, a lab accident sends Eli sprawling through the Fifth Dimension, where he hooks up with the amiable Clyne, an evolved dinosaur from an alternate Earth who just wants to finish his homework. Clyne’s timeship lands them in ancient Alexandria, Egypt, just as a great fire rages through the city and the girl scientist Thea is fleeing an angry mob who thinks she’s a witch. As if that’s not enough, in the present-day world, a deadly pox is on the loose, and bizarre things are starting to happen to the fabric of time itself.

Full-color guide • Make your trip to Israel unforgettable with illustrated features, 64 maps, and 265 color photos.Customize your trip with simple planning tools • Top experiences and attractions • Helpful regional overviews • Easy-to-read color mapsExplore Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Galilee, and beyond • Discerning Fodor’s Choice picks for hotels, restaurants, sights, and more • “Word of Mouth” tips from fellow Fodor’s travelers • Illustrated features on the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv's nightlife, and Jerusalem's holiest places • Best desert adventures, beaches, and historic and religious sites • Excursions to Bethlehem and Petra Opinions from destination experts • Fodor’s Israel-based writers reveal their favorite local haunts • Frequently updated to provide the latest information

Completely redesigned for today's generation of cooks and food enthusiasts, the 25th Anniversary Edition of Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Batmanglij provides a treasure trove of recipes, along with an immersive cultural experience for those seeking to understand this ancient and timeless cuisine. This edition is a more user-friendly edition of the award-winning and critically acclaimed cookbook series which began in 1986. Food of Life provides 330 classical and regional Iranian recipes as well as an introduction to Persian art, history, and culture. The book's hundreds of full color photographs are intertwined with descriptions of ancient and modern Persian ceremonies, poetry, folktales, travelogue excerpts and anecdotes. The 2011 Edition of Food of Life is a labor of love. The book began in exile after the Iranian Revolution of 1979 as a love letter to Batmanglij's children. Today, as accomplished adults in their own fields, her two sons, Zal and Rostam, encouraged her to redesign the book for their generation. Food of Life propels Persian cooking into the 21st Century, even as it honors venerable traditions and centuries of artistic expression. It is the result of 30 years of collecting, testing and adapting authentic and traditional Persian recipes for the American kitchen. Most of its ingredients are readily available throughout the U.S. enabling anyone from a master chef to a novice to reproduce the refined tastes, textures, and beauty of Persian cuisine. Food-related pieces from such classics as the 10th century Book of Kings, and 1,001 Nights to the miniatures of Mir Mosavvar and Aq Mirak, from the poetry of Omar Khayyam and Sohrab Sepehri to the humor of Mulla Nasruddin are all included. Each recipe is presented with steps that are logical and easy to follow. Readers learn how to simply yet deliciously cook rice, the jewel of Persian cooking, which, when combined with a little meat, fowl, or fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs, provides the perfect balanced diet. ABOUT THE BOOK'S TITLE Food of Life, the title of the book, comes from the Persian words nush-e jan, literally "food of life"--a traditional wish in Iran that a dish will be enjoyed. For the updated 1993 edition the title was changed to New Food of Life. Now, for the 25th anniversary edition the title returns to its original name, Food of Life. The full-color Food of Life 25th Anniversary Edition contains 50% more pages than its 2009 predecessor and special added features: *New Recipes adapted from Sixteenth-Century Persian cookbooks *Added vegetarian section for most recipes *Comprehensive dictionary of all ingredients *A glance at a few thousand years of the history of Persian Cooking *Master recipes with photos illustrating the steps. *Color photos of most recipes with tips on presentation *Updated section on Persian stores and Internet suppliers *Fahrenheit and Centigrade temperatures for all recipes *Choices for cooking recipes such as kuku in oven or on stovetop. *Encourages use of seasonal and local ingredients from farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) sources or one's own backyard

Invaluable information from local experts,detailed maps and color photos will help you discover the best of everything from restaurants and hotles to shopping and cultural activities and much more.

From the green hills and sun-drenched coast of Galilee to the sacred sites of Jerusalem's Old City; from the dramatic desert of Wadi Rum to the vibrant reefs of Dahab, there is much for pilgrims and holidaymakers alike.This relaunched edition has new features and three brand new walks, as well as clear maps and extended hotel and restaurant listings.

Streetwise Jerusalem Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Jerusalem, Israel - Folding pocket size travel mapThis map covers the following areas:Main Jerusalem Map 1:17,000Old City Map 1:7,000Traveling to Jerusalem Israel can be the experience of a lifetime. It’s hard not to feel the depth of history and atmosphere of the Holy Land in this concentrated labyrinth of tiny alleyways and small streets crowded with residents, merchants, tourists and pilgrims from around the world, same as it has been for thousands of years.To help the traveler experience the richness of this ancient capital, the STREETWISE® Jerusalem Map includes the intricately laid out street grid of the Old City and features an abundance of tourist sites such as hotels, museums, religious holy sites, parks, and government locations.Jerusalem is a walking city, particularly The Old City. A special inset map of the Old City enables you to discover that all the religious sites you visit are not just displays of antiquity, but rather still serve the same higher purpose they have for centuries.The city surrounding the Old City is clearly depicted including Mount Scopus, Yad Vashem, and areas South and North of the city.Our pocket size map of Jerusalem is laminated for durability and accordion folding for effortless use. The STREETWISE® Jerusalem map is one of many detailed and easy-to-read city street maps designed and published by STREETWISE®. Buy your STREETWISE® Jerusalem map today and you too can navigate Jerusalem, Israel like a native. For a larger selection of our detailed travel maps simply type STREETWISE MAPS into the Amazon search bar.