For a graphic and memorable report of the contours of any country, see always the aboriginal account of its making. That will give you the lie of the land as no geographer could sketch it forth for you. California was made by Padahoon the Sparrow-Hawk and the Little Duck, who brooded on the face of the waters in the Beginning of Things. There is no knowing where the tale comes from, for Winnenap the Medicine-Man who told it to me, was eclectic in his faiths as in his practice. Winnenap was a Shoshone, one of the group who had been forced southward into Death Valley when the great Pah Ute nation had split their tribes like a wedge. In the last of their wars he had been taken as a hostage by the Paiutes and brought up by them. He might have remembered the story, or his wife might have told him. She was a tall brown woman out of Tejon, and hermother was of that band of captives taken from San Gabriel by the Mojaves, Mission-bred. Wherever it came from, the tale has its roots deep in the land it explains. Padahoon, being wearied of going to and fro under the heavens, said to the Little Duck that it was time there should be mountains; so the Little Duck dived and brought up the primordial mud of which even the geographers are agreed mountains are made. As he brought it the Sparrow-Hawk built a round beautiful ring of mountains enclosing a quiet space of sea. Said the Little Duck, "I choose this side," coming up with his bill full of mud toward the west. Whereupon the Sparrow-Hawk built the other side higher. When it was all done and the Little Duck surveyed it, he observed, as people will to this day, the discrepancy between the low western hills and the high Sierras, and he thought the builder had not played him fair. "Very well, then," said the Sparrow-Hawk, "since you are resolved to be so greedy," and he bit out pieces of the Sierras with his bill, and threw them over his shoulder.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1881.

A Fiction House Press FIRST EDITION: The sailing ship Garden City, bound from San Francisco to New York by way of the Horn, has for passengers Bert Livingston and his sister Lily, together with their friends John and Louise Winton. Struck by a severe storm, the vessel is sent far to the south out of her course, and finally brings up on an ice field, after losing overboard all except the four passengers and one sailor, Tom Applegate. Although they are in no immediate danger, there seems small chance of ultimate rescue, but finally a strange air ship appears above them, a ladder is let down, and they are taken on board by the owner, Baron Montavo. Then the air ship enters a hole in the earth and begins to drop downward. After days of traveling the air ship comes to a stop and the baron conducts his guests to a palace where they are presented to the queer dwarf rulers of the land-the strange, new land in which they find themselves-the inside of the earth.

Reproduction of the original.

You must’ve read about the magic of the wizards. But have you read about the magic of the wild? Become friends with various wild creatures, know about their life-cycles and be a part of their adventurous and deadly journeys through these eight stories. • Will Ayan solve the six riddles and find his dead father’s treasure? What does a scorpion have to do with it? • For Madhu, the only way to take revenge on his class bully is to sacrifice a horned owl. What will be saved –Madhu’s respect or the owl? • The jungle has turned against Scarab, the dung beetle. Will he escape the murderous mob and find the Land of the Setting Sun? • What is the shocking secret that Gloaty, the wild goat, discovers of Pan, the God of the mountain wilds? These and more chilling and thrilling stories

A pilot retires after 38 years from the world’s largest oil company. He accepts a job in another country halfway around the world. His experience flying the cream of business jets is just what his new employer is looking for. He finds it necessary to adapt to his new environment and new associates. The new employer is General Arab Medical Service who supplies workers for the Saudi Arabian Military service. The job entails flying not only high ranking military, medical evacuation, but also members of the Royal Family. The missions are with a mixed crew of copilots, nurses/hostess, doctors, and engineers. Their nationalities are from all over the world. You need to know that in aviation, the world language is English. The mixup due to language difficulties are mostly humorous, but in at least one case almost deadly. A young man from Texas can be surprised from what he finds the people and customs are in New York on his first visit. A young man from New York can find the people and customs in Texas as surprising. A friend and I were standing on a sidewalk looking in a show window in Wichita Falls, Texas when a lady got out of her car and approached us. “Young man can I ask you a question?” “Why yes Mam, what is it.” She pointed at my feet, “Don’t those things hurt you’re feet?” She was asking about the boots I was wearing. “Why no Mam they don’t” She turned with look of not understanding and went back to her car which I noticed was wearing Ohio license plates. That was in 1942 and I still remember what my friend and I talked about later. “You reckon that lady never saw cowboy boots before?” “I don’t know. Maybe she never saw a horse before.” So many years later the same fellow sees people and customs that are completely strange. They speak English, and eat with a knife and fork (most do) and they want to imitate the western world very much. Of course I’m speaking of those that I came in personal contact with. As a reader you must remember their country was only born in 1932. It had no means of entering seriously into world commerce until oil was discovered. Then suddenly they as a country became very rich almost over night. The King made decisions without the help of a Legislature. So, he decided where the money went. The Royal Family got an early cut and infrastructure was on the early list as well. If there was a need for a road, he just told some contractor to build the road, “And make it out of concrete. That asphalt stuff just melts and runs away over here in the desert.” Well, if you have roads then you need cars, so the King calls Japan and says, “Send me over a boat load of those little pickups you make.” “Well, ok your Highness. What color do you want.” “I don’t know, just mix them up, Ok?” The Japanese boat arrived and the King tried to give them to the Bedouins from the desert. The nomads only accepted the white ones, all other colors were sent back to Japan. Everyone know that dark colors are no good in the heat. Do you find that humorous? Well, I do. But what do you expect? A tall apartment building in downtown Riyadh is standing empty on the day of my arrival and on the day of my departure. The King had it built for the Bedouins to use . . . for free. The occasion of celebrating the gift from the King, the Bedouins asked, “Where do we put our camels and goats?” “Well, you won’t need them here.” The gift was rejected straight-away (as the Brits say). Do you find that interesting? Well, I do. How about this. I asked one of my Saudi copilots, “What is your goal?” “What do you mean?” “I mean what are you working for. What do you hope for in the future?” “Oh, I see what you mean. Well, I’m saving my money to buy a camel and move out on the desert.” “You mean you would leave your job in aviation, living in a house with indoor plumbing, electricity, and air conditioning to move into a tent in the desert?” “Sure, what’s wrong with that?” Well, the time

Alaska's fermented legacy retains the fiercely independent spirit that propelled the state's beer drinkers through the gold rush and sustained them through Prohibition. Today, craft brewers produce outstanding suds in some of the harshest and most remote locations on the planet. And while the beer scene in Alaska has roots that trace back to days when spirits had to have "medicinal, mechanical, and scientific purposes," the contemporary crop of breweries can thank industry pioneers like the Alaskan Brewing Company for staying on the cutting edge of beer-making technology. Join beer columnist and historian Bill Howell on an exploration through this hop-filled history of the Last Frontier.

The Bizarre and the Wondrous from the Land of the Rising Sun highlights unique aspects of Japan-ancient and modern-that have made the country fascinating to Westerners since they first stumbled upon the islands in 1543. These unusual attractions range from high-tech robots that do such things as act as tourist guides and perform delicate surgery, to festivals that go back more than two thousand years and strike many foreign visitors as being bizarre. Among the celebrations that could be labeled as bizarre are annual fertility festivals that feature authentic-looking replicas of the male penis carved in wood, from purse-size versions to ones that are over two meters long and weigh up to 800 pounds. The best known of the fertility festivals is the one staged each March 15 by the Tagata Shrine near the city of Nagoya. The largest wooden penis is carved anew each year, and after the ceremony is kept on display in the main shrine building until the following year when it is sold to private buyers. On the day of the festival the large version of the erect male organ is pulled through the streets on a wheeled cart by up to 12 men to the delight of raucous crowds and child-bearing-age women who try to touch the replica in order to increase their chances of becoming pregnant. Other penis replicas are edible versions made like candy and cookies that are sold to visitors as snacks and souvenirs to take home. Also on the incredible side is a legend that the young Jewish man now known and worshipped by Christians as Jesus Christ the son of God did not die on the cross-that, in fact, he lived and died in Herai Village in Japan. According to the Christian Bible Jesus was born in Israel. There is no further mention of him in the Bible until he is 12 years old when he appears at a Jewish synagogue and lambasts the rabbis for their un-Christian like behavior. The next mention of Jesus in the Bible is when he is in his early 30s and shows up at the Jordan River to be baptized by John, a well-known Jewish preacher. According to the Japanese legend, Jesus and his brother Isukiri spent most of those missing years in Japan, returning to Judea when Jesus was 34 years old. The story goes on to say that after he was betrayed to the Roman authorities he fled back to Japan, and it was his brother who was crucified. The story adds that Jesus married a Japanese girl, became a rice farmer, and lived the rest of his life in Herai [later renamed Shingo]. There is a tomb in Herai that has long been known as the burial place of Jesus [Jehova], the son of Mary. In the book, De Mente goes on to explain how the legend and the tomb became known to present-day Japanese authorities and was publicized in English for the first time in 1935. De Mente says he learned about the story in Tokyo in the early 1950s when he was editor of a monthly cultural magazine, including seeing a photograph of documentary evidence from a museum in Herai. Other fascinating stories in the book include how the infamous secret agents and assassins known as ninja [neen-jah] became a major part of Japanese history; why and how Japan became the first nation in the world to have a national network of roadside inns spaced one day's march apart; why the Japanese are so skilled at producing arts and crafts of extraordinary beauty; why single Japanese girls and men have a hard time hooking up; why Japan's izakaya are more fun than Irish pubs; why rice and other vegetables grow on top of buildings; how the Japanese came up with a new reason for wearing clothes...and some 50-plus other fascinating stories.

Embark on a captivating journey through time and culture with "In the Land of the Lion and Sun, or, Modern Persia" by C. J. Wills. Experience the rich tapestry of life in Persia from 1866 to 1881, as recounted by an intrepid explorer. But amidst the exotic landscapes and vibrant traditions, questions linger: What secrets lie hidden beneath the surface of modern Persia, and what tales of adventure await? Join C. J. Wills as he navigates the complexities of Persian society, from bustling bazaars to majestic palaces. Each chapter is a window into a world steeped in history and teeming with colorful characters. As you journey alongside Wills, you'll find yourself immersed in a world of intrigue and discovery. Could his experiences offer insights into the soul of a nation, or are they merely snapshots of a bygone era? Are you ready to embark on an odyssey through the heart of Persia with "In the Land of the Lion and Sun"? Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and sensations of a land shrouded in mystery. Let Wills' adventures inspire you to seek out the wonders that await beyond the horizon. Join the expedition into the unknown. Secure your copy of "In the Land of the Lion and Sun" now and discover the magic of modern Persia for yourself. Step into a world where history comes alive. Purchase "In the Land of the Lion and Sun" today and journey through time to a land of wonder and enchantment.

Economic modernity is so closely associated with nationhood that it is impossible to imagine a modern state without an equally modern economy. Even so, most people would have difficulty defining a modern economy and its connection to nationhood. In Saving the Nation, Margherita Zanasi explores this connection by examining the first nation-building attempt in China after the fall of the empire in 1911. Challenging the assumption that nations are products of technological and socioeconomic forces, Zanasi argues that it was notions of what constituted a modern nation that led the Nationalist nation-builders to shape China’s institutions and economy. In their reform effort, they confronted several questions: What characterized a modern economy? What role would a modern economy play in the overall nation-building effort? And how could China pursue economic modernization while maintaining its distinctive identity? Zanasi expertly shows how these questions were negotiated and contested within the Nationalist Party. Silenced in the Mao years, these dilemmas are reemerging today as a new leadership once again redefines the economic foundation of the nation.