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The volume is a compilation of selected papers presented at the Third International Hindu Kush Cultural Conference held in Chitral town from 26-30 August 1995. The conference was multi-disciplinary, aiming at increasing communication not only among local and international scholars, but also among academic disciplines. The volume emphasizes the geo-political as well as socio-cultural importance of the region and contains valuable recommendations for the future development of the region. The volume focuses on themes such as environmental problems and the need to conserve forests and soil erosion. The potential negative environmental and cultural consequences of development projects have also been discussed, and there are recommendations for development agencies to incorporate a cultural and environmental sensitivity component into their planning process. The volume will help to increase awareness of the fact that the natural/physical environments and cultural environments are intimately related. When the natural environment is degraded, the cultural environment is endangered. ... Read more

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The most readable standard account of the country and its people, by one of its major literary celebrities. Covers history and geography as well as folklore, customs, spells and charms, tales, Sufism and religion.

This unique work, by one of the foremost Afghan scholars, is a highly readable yet authoritative account of the manners and customs, history and beliefs of the people of the God-gifted realm of the Afghans. It has been regarded as a standard work for over fifty years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good information
This book is just long enough to inform about history but not so long that it turns boring.

A Boring History of Afghanistan
This is a very basic and brief history of Afghanistan.It appears to be most suitable as a high school or freshman college introductory text.There are brief chapters on ancient history and culture, with more detailed chapters for more modern times.While the book covers social and cultural history, it mostly focuses on the political history of the country, leaning even more toward the political realm as it gets into more recent history.

Overall, for me, this text was much too basic.While the early chapters on ancient history and culture were informative, the later chapters, for someone who has studied the history of the country, were not as useful.

I would say this is a good starting point for someone who knows nothing about the history of Afghanistan.The drawback is the writing style is very tedious and boring.I feel sorry for any students who are forced to read this.The writing is clear enough, but it is just plain drab.

Afghanistan: At the Vortex of Worldpower Rivalry
Afghanistan is often viewed through the lens of "the war on terror."
But area specialists, however, see Afghanistan as the gateway to the energy-rich Central Asian and Caspian fossil-fuel deposists. Endemic violence and dwindling supply from traditional sources serves as a midwife among world powers to control sources now thought to surpass the Middle East. Afghanistan is key to their strategies.

While the war on terror is the official justification proffered for resultant and permanent military bases, in reality, competition between Iran, Russia, China, and the United States for untapped reserves along with pipeline access is the unstated, motive force.

Shaista Wahab's "A Brief History of Afghanistan" is a remarkable view of what makes Afghanistan tick. A thorough analysis of religion, the people, the land, and the political dynamism that is the mosaic of Afghanistan.

In view of superpower activities in this remote and austere land, those with a serious interest in the fabric of the country along with its tumultous history will find this historical work educational as well as compelling.

Richly illustrated, and invaluable as a research tool, this book is a must for serious students of Afghanistan.

Bruce G. Richardson
Author: "Afghanistan, Ending the Reign of Soviet Terror."
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Customer Reviews (2)

Very Disappointed
I ordered 5 books for family members to give as gifts for Now Ruz. I was very disappointed that this book was written in Pashto. In the description of the book there is no mention that the counting would be in Pashto. The authors are incorrect in stating that the majority of people in Afghanistan speak Pashto. Most people in Afghanistan, except for the Pashtun south, speak Dari-Afghan Persian or their local native languages, such as Uzbaki, Turkmani, Hazaragi and etc.... Dari is the language of academia,commerce and lingua franca.

Wonderful Book about Afghanistan!
This is a nice children's book about Afghanistan.It teaches counting in Pushto, one of the major languages in Afghanistan.I recently went to the National Gallery show of Afghan treasures and was able to purchase this book in the book store.It is a great supplement to the show and I will use the book to teach a unit on Afghanistan.A very nice book. ... Read more

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This unique work of political geography of West Asia presents a study of the impact of the 19th century Anglo-Russian game of geopolitics and the consequential rivalries between the Abdali and Khozeimeh Amirdoms on the political geography of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Central Asian republics. This scholarly work presents a thorough study of the trials and tribulations that resulted in the shaping of today's political geography of West Asia and the emergence and evolution of international boundaries amongst West Asian states. ... Read more

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Examines the economic and political issues facing Afghanistan today. Providing up-to-date information about the country's geography and climate, history, society, important cities and communities, and relations with other countries. Ages 12+. ... Read more

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The Joint Afghan Boundary Commission - an Anglo-Russian venture whose task it was to delineate the frontier between Northern Afghanistan and Russia s Central Asian territories, scientifically and permanently, thus replacing the 1873 line drawn from vague and inaccurate maps - was to rendezvous at Sarakhs, on the modern border of Iran and Turkmenistan, in October 1884. Presented as a series of letters written at different times from the commission, and published in connected form, Yate s Northern Afghanistan describes in detail the year-long progress of the commission. Included are valuable notes on Herat and its extant buildings, before the strategic destruction of a number of these for defensive purposes, together with descriptions of Mazar-i-Sharif, the Oxus, and the Hindu Kush mountains. This is a fascinating, first-hand account of Afghanistan s political demarcation - many features of which, such as the Wakhan Corridor, remain with us today - and of travel through an area whose potential for destability persists to the present day. This edition maintains all the material from the original 1888 edition, including the plan of Balkh. Only the maps have been reduced in scale. ... Read more

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This interdisciplinary collection brings together the writings of experts from different countries on irrigation and water managemet in the mountainous regions of South and Central Asia. Most knowledge about water in these regions comes out of oral traditions. The case studies in this volume try to preserve some of this knowledge and present it to a wider audience. ... Read more

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Discusses the people, land, culture, history, and future of the nation of Afghanistan. ... Read more

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An indispensable work for anyone who is interested in the geography and is curious about the things that various travelers have written about Sindh, Afghanistan Beloochistan, Punjab and Kashmir, this work is in 2 volumes and the author has consulted the works of over a hundred authors to give very interesting accounts of the towns and village of the areas. This book is a reprint of the 1844 edition. It includes Sinde, Afganistan, Belloochistan, Punjab and the neighbouring states. ... Read more

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Introduces the characteristics and habits of common insects and gives instructions for collecting, rearing, and studying them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Insects, Ants and Bees
Entomology is a fascinating subject as introduced by this author, one of American's greatest living naturalists.Some chapters discuss the habits of such insects and beetles, butterflies and moths, ants, wasps, andpraying mantises.Other chapters are guides to collecting and photographing insects, building an ant house or an insect aquarium, and bee-keeping.
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Afghanistan has a long history of power shifts and civil unrest. The Taliban, a fundamentalist Islamic group, was simply another in a series of individuals and organizations who attempted to rule this war-torn country. This anthology details the conditions that gave rise to the Taliban. It also covers the conditions of the Afghani people under Taliban rule and the U.S.-lead war meant to oust them from power following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. (20020901) ... Read more

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In Afghanistan, only men are allowed to work. The Breadwinner tells the courageous story of a young Afghan woman living in war-torn Kabul who must pretend to be a boy so that she can work to support her family. Pravana and her family live in one room of a bombed-out apartment building. Her father, a former history teacher who was injured when his school was bombed, works in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. Because of his foreign education, he is arrested by the Taliban, the radical religious faction that controls the country. Forbidden to go to school, work outside the home, or even leave the home without a male escort, Pravana disguises herself as a boy to become the breadwinner. This powerful book brings to light the reality of life under the Taliban, illustrating not only the lengths that one young girl goes through simply to put bread on the table but also the enormous capacity of children for acts of courage.Amazon.com Review
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, 11-year-old Parvana has rarely been outdoors. Barred from attending school, shopping at the market, or even playing in the streets of Kabul, the heroine of Deborah Ellis's engrossing children's novel The Breadwinner is trapped inside her family's one-room home. That is, until the Taliban hauls away her father and Parvana realizes that it's up to her to become the "breadwinner" and disguise herself as a boy to support her mother, two sisters, and baby brother. Set in the early years of the Taliban regime, this topical novel for middle readers explores the harsh realities of life for girls and women in modern-day Afghanistan. A political activist whose first book for children, Looking for X, dealt with poverty in Toronto, Ellis based The Breadwinner on the true-life stories of women in Afghan refugee camps.

In the wily Parvana, Ellis creates a character to whom North American children will have no difficulty relating. The daughter of university-educated parents, Parvana is thoroughly westernized in her outlook and responses. A pint-sized version of Offred from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Parvana conceals her critique of the repressive Muslim state behind the veil of her chador. Although the dialogue is occasionally stilted and the ending disappointingly sketchy, The Breadwinner is essential reading for any child curious about ordinary Afghans. Like so many books and movies on the subject, it is also eerily prophetic. "Maybe someone should drop a big bomb on the country and start again," says a friend of Parvana's. "'They've tried that,' Parvana said, 'It only made things worse.'" (Ages 9 to 12) --Lisa Alward ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

Afghanistan through the eyes of a child
A war-torn country plagued by violence.An 11-year-old girl forced to risk her life and save her family. These are the realities in Deborah Ellis' novel "The Breadwinner" (Groundwood Books 2000).Told from young Parvana's perspective, the story focuses on her family of six living in Kabul, Afghanistan.After the Taliban take control of their city, Parvana's family is forced out of their large home by a bomb explosion and into a one-room apartment.The women are removed from school and forced to stay in the house unless escorted by a male.When Parvana's father is arrested because he attended university in England, their family must make the tough decision to have her pose as a boy in order to leave the house and work in the marketplace to earn money for food.While working, Parvana runs into Shauzia, a girl she knew from school who is also posing as a boy to support her family. They start to work together and soon become close friends, encountering a number of sobering, scary situations along the way. Though children may not experience the same life, they will no doubt relate to Parvana's story and her arguments with her older sister, unfairness of chore responsibilities, and love for her family.The Breadwinner is not a happy story with a happy conclusion, but one that will leave the reader with a different view of Afghanistan, as seen through the eyes of a child.An author's note and glossary of terms serve as a helpful aide in introducing children to the history and culture of Afghanistan.

Excellent Book!
This is a great book for kids to read! It sheds light on the oppression suffered by many in other countries. But at the same time, it's inspirational and entertaining. Also an easy read for kids. I HIGHLY recomment it!! (For all ages)

A Strong Heroine!
Eleven-year-old Parvana lives in Kabul, Afghanistan, under the Taliban, and this multicultural middle school book shows us what life is like when they're in power. She and her sisters can't go to school. They're not even supposed to go outside, and neither is their mother, unless accompanied by a man. Women and teenage girls must wear a burqa, which covers their entire body and face, except for the eyes.

Parvana and her family used to live in a big house, but the daily bombing, which has gone on for years, has destroyed almost everything they owned. Now they live in one room. Her father supports them by reading and writing letters for uneducated people. Even this existence is threatened when the Taliban break in and arrest her father for the crime of having gone to school in England. "Afghanistan doesn't need your foreign ideas," they tell him as they drag him off to prison.

Soon the family runs out of money and food, a desperate situation since Parvana, her mother, and her sisters can't be outside unless they're with a man. A neighbor woman comes up with an idea: Parvana can dress as a boy, because boys can come and go freely. She agrees, and wears the clothing of an older brother who died.Since she knows how to read, she earns money the same way her father did and becomes the family breadwinner.

Then the family gets exciting news--Parvana's older sister receives a proposal of marriage from the son of old family friends. They live in north Afghanistan, where there are no Taliban. A journey is quickly planned, but Parvana can't go because the friends know she is a girl. Her family can't let her secret get back to Kabul.

Parvana stays with the neighbor woman, but then bad news arrives: the Taliban have invaded the very city where Parvana's family went for the wedding. Now what will she do?

This book was a fast and absorbing read. The writing style is simple but the story is so powerful I could hardly put it down, and the spirit and resilience of Parvana and her family were inspirational.

Author Deborah Ellis visited Afghan refugee camps and talked with many girls like Parvana. She is donating the royalties from this book to Women for Women in Afghanistan, dedicated to improving the lives of women there. Read about current conditions in Afghanistan in this article.

Reading level: 10 and up. Parvana, her mother, and her father receive beatings, but the description is minimal. The girl witnesses a public punishment where men convicted as thieves each have one hand chopped off. No gory details, but it is a shocking moment.

Having to Grow Up Too Fast
Recommended to me by a colleague for the middle school classroom, "The Breadwinner" proves to be an appropriate book for the classroom.The topics in the book, often presented on the nightly news, can be confusing to younger readers.The author walks to certain lines, but does not go beyond certain age appropriate levels.In this way, an unknowing teacher can be in suspense in the same way as students.

When her father is arrested by the Taliban, Parvana and her family are unable toleave their home because women are unable to be in the street unsupervised.Unable to work or even purchase food, they are placed in a precarious situation.Forced into an unpopular decision, Parvana takes a leadership role in her family.While this is happening, Parvana worries about her father and still has kid problems.Her sister picks on her and she worries about changes in her body that could change things.Yet these worries are in the background as she is forced to take a new role in her family.

The novel ends with an obvious segue into the sequel.However, the major storylines of this story are completed. "The Breadwinner" allows middle school aged children to look at uncomfortable but real-life situations.And in reality, there is nothing better than to make a child think objectively about the world he/she lives in.

I read this to my 6th graders- they begged me to keep reading
I only had time to read it on Fridays and for only a half an hour. They absolutely loved it! The book depicts the life of a young lady in war torn Kabul. The hardships and fears she faces were not fit for a girl her age.I wanted my students to get an understanding of what kids their age are going through in this war. It does not get political, just gives you an understanding from a childs point of view. ... Read more