In an opening chapter on how the Middle East plays in American minds, he shows how moments in Middle Eastern history used to be reported in theNationalGeographic, a popular magazine that at least at one time was a window on the world for millions of middle-class Americans.
If you're a novice looking to get your paddle wet for the first time, consider heading to Thailand for what NationalGeographic Traveler magazine has called one of the world's top 25 adventures: paddling with Sea Canoe (www.seacanoe.com) in Phang Nga bay, near Phuket.