Iran is a country with global ambitions, an elaborate political culture, and enormous implications for world peace. How will its diversity of political positions resolve itself? Drawing on privileged access to Iranian society, Hooman Majd has spoken to ayatollahs, politicians and ordinary people to show that, despite the violence of the 2009 elections, the ideal of an Iranian republic is still alive. A personal, candid tour of the political landscape, "The Ayatollahs' Democracy" is a powerful dispatch from a country at a historic turning point.

Into the Great PyramidExperience the thrill of discovery as archaeologists pull back the veil of mystery that has cloaked Egypt’s mighty pyramids for 45 centuries! Travel deep into the Great Pyramid to witness a remote-controlled robot penetrate a mysterious shaft. Feel the anticipation and excitement as Egypt’s oldest intact sarcophagus is unsealed on camera for the first time. Join researchers as they unearth fascinating new clues about the culture that built the pyramids and how they accomplished this epic engineering feat. You’ll be amazed by what’s uncovered as National Geographic presents INTO THE GREAT PYRAMID.

Readers of Princess Sultana's extraordinary biography Princess were gripped by her powerful indictment of women's lives behind the veil within the royal family of Saudi Arabia. They were every bit as fascinated by the sequel Daughters of Arabia.Here the princess turns the spotlight on her two daughters Maha and Amani both teenagers. Surrounded by untold opulence and luxury from the day they were born but stifled by the unbearably restrictive lifestyle imposed on them they reacted in equally desperate ways. Their dramatic and shocking stories together with many more which concern other members of Princess Sultana's huge family are set against a rich backdrop of Saudi Arabian culture and social mores which she depicts with equal colour and authenticity. We learn for example of the fascinating ritual of the world-famous annual pilgrimage to Makkah as we accompany the princess and her family to this holiest of cities. Throughout however she never tires of her quest to expose the injustices which her society levels against women.In her courageous campaign to improve the lot of her own daughters of Arabia Princess Sultana once more strikes a chord amongst all women who are lucky enough to have the freedom to speak out for themselves.

For thousands of years, many ethnicities, languages and religions coexisted in Iran. Despite severe difficulties imposed by social, political and economic upheavals as well as war, repression and censorship, a veritable cultural renewal has taken...

For many of us the history of Africa is, at best, vague. We might think of Egyptian pyramids, legendary queens (of Sheba or Cleopatra) and Zulu warriors. The truth, however, is one of remarkably diverse, creative, culturally rich civilisations. In this book, which accompanies an 8-part BBC series, Gus Casely-Hayford takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of this remarkable continent. We will encounter archaeological sites of staggering beauty that rival the Great Wall of China, vast and ancient universities that predate Oxford and Cambridge, kingdoms of extraordinary wealth, artistic traditions that still inspire artists today, great religious sites that surpass the Vatican, and a country with more pyramids than Egypt. In recent years new archaeological and anthropological research has opened up the study of African history in ways previously unimaginable. Long-lost kingdoms are suddenly being brought back to life. Civilisations that had faded into myth are revealing their secrets. Using this latest research, Gus Casely-Hayford is able to tell the history of Africa's major kingdoms in an entirely new, colourful and richly-informed way. Accessible and inspiring, "The Lost Kingdoms of Africa" is both a major addition to our understanding of this oft-overlooked history and a source of genuine delight and wonder.

Megaliths Menhirs Stone Circles Dolmen and the graves of Kings. Left behind by an early European culture the origins of these fascinating structures have become lost in the mists of time. Who were the magnificent master builders? What meaning did the Menhirs Stone Circles and Dolmen have to people of ancient civilizations? The oldest Megalithic grave dates back 6700 years - approximately 2000 years older than the pyramid culture of Egypt. What happened on the Druids alters and which cruel rituals where practiced there? What are the meanings behind the Stone Circle of Avebury and who built Stonehenge? This DVD explores all of these questions in prolific detail and attempts to find the answers to these fascinating mysteries.

As an EHM in the '60s and '70s, covertly recruited by the US National Security Agency, John Perkins helped further American imperial interests in countries such as Ecuador, Panama, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. He tried to write this book four times but was threatened or bribed each time to halt. The events of 9/11 - a direct result of the activities of EHMs in the 1970s - finally forced him to confront the role he played himself, and to reveal the truth to the rest of the world. "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" has become a word-of-mouth bestseller in the US. It has been called the book that finally 'connects the dots, the book that best explains what is really going on in the world'. Once you've read it you will find yourself recommending it to everyone you know. It can truly change the way you view the world. As one US reader writes: 'I feel that this is not just a book - it is an event, with powerful cultural and political ramifications. This book turns our understanding of history upside down, and I implore you to read it as soon as you possibly can. The more people who are aware, the more easily change can brought about.'Following his EHM work, Perkins founded Independent Power Systems, an alternative energy provider that successfully changed the US utility industry. He is now president of Dream Change Coalition, a nonprofit organization working with Amazonian and other indigenous people to help preserve their environments and cultures. 'As I travel around the world, I find that people know that their country just received a billion-dollar loan, for example, from the World Bank and that American corporations are there benefiting from the loan, but that their own lives are getting worse,' he says.

Investigates various aspects of Zaza life: kinship, economy, culture, identity, gender relations, patriarchy and religion. This work focuses upon the ways in which this Middle Eastern minority has maintained its way of life and cultural identity...

'Lavishly illustrated and extremely comprehensive ...a bargain' - "Antiques Magazine". 'The evolution of pottery ...is fascinating, and this book does it justice' - "The Good Book Guide". 'An epic tale ...a book to buy and to treasure' - "Crafts Magazine". This is the definitive British Museum reference book reissued with a beautiful new jacket design and pbk-with-flaps cover. This is the classic, comprehensive, colour survey of ceramic art and production worldwide, from prehistory to the present day. It offers a mine of information for students and anyone interested in pottery. Pottery is one of the earliest and most widespread of human activities and its history can be traced back to the Stone Age. This comprehensive account begins with the earliest civilizations of the Near and Middle East and follows the production of pottery chronologically around the globe. The final chapters analyse the development of ceramics as a medium of personal expression by artist and studio potters from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. The breathtaking wealth of illustrations drawn from major collections all over the world includes examples of all the major styles, materials and forms from all periods. Emmanuel Cooper is an internationally renowned potter, writer, critic and broadcaster and is editor of the highly respected and influential magazine "Ceramic Review". He has written widely on both modern and historical ceramics. Since 1999, he has been Visiting Professor of Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art and is a member of the Arts Council of Great Britain.

This exceptional Egyptian novel -- as mesmerising as it is controversial -- caused an unprecedented stir when it was first published in Arabic. Welcome to the Yacoubian Building Cairo: once grand now dilapidated and full of stories and passion. Some live in squalor on its rooftop while others inhabit the faded glory of its apartments and offices. Within these walls religious fervour jostles with promiscuity; bribery with bliss; modern life with ancient culture. At ground level Taha the doorman's son harbours career aspirations and romantic dreams -- but when these are dashed by unyielding corruption hope turns to bitterness with devastating consequences. Alaa Al Aswany's superb novel about Egypt's many contradictions is at once an impassioned celebration and a ruthless dissection of a society dominated by dishonesty.