Since her father left Lebanon to find work and her mother tragically died in a shell attack, ten-year-old Ayesha has been living in the bomb-ravaged city of Beirut with her granny and her two younger brothers. The city has been torn in half by civil war and a desolate, dangerous no man's land divides the two sides. Only militiamen and tanks dare enter this deadly zone, but when Granny falls desperately ill, Ayesha sets off on a terrifying journey to reach a doctor living in enemy territory.

    The voyage, from Aqaba on the Red Sea to Alexandretta in southern Turkey, begins again in September 2001, haunted by the 9/11 attacks on America and the ensuing invasion of Iraq.Along the route, Glass visits the Israeli settlements and Arab towns on whose land the settlements were constructed, speaks to Israeli conscripts and Palestinian demonstrators, to priests, rabbis and mullahs, politicians and assassins, the tortured and their torturers. He also revisits the scene of his captivity, confronting the men who kidnapped him over two decades ago.

    But what political and aesthetic criteria should guide us in the rebuilding of cities devastated by war and natural calamities? The title of this timely and inspiring new book, Architects Without Frontiers, points to the potential for architects to play important roles in post-war relief and reconstruction. By working "sans fronti�res", Charlesworth suggests that architects and design professionals have a significant opportunity to assist peace-making and reconstruction efforts in the period immediately after conflict or disaster, when much of the housing, hospital, educational, transport, civic and business infrastructure has been destroyed or badly damaged. Through selected case studies, Charlesworth examines the role of architects, planners, urban designers and landscape architects in three cities following conflict - Beirut, Nicosia and Mostar - three cities where the mental and physical scars of violent conflict still remain. This book expands the traditional role of the architect from 'hero' to 'peacemaker' and discusses how design educators can stretch their wings to encompass the proliferating agendas and sites of civil unrest.

    It is now recognized throughout the world as the language spoken by Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Also called Assyrian or Syriac, it is very much a living language that is spoken today by the Assyrian peoples in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. it is also heard in Assyrian emigre communities such as those in the U.S., Europe, and Australia." Modern Aramaic is made up of a number of dialects. The two major ones are Swadaya (Eastern) and Turoyo (Western). This unique dictionary and phrasebook incorporates both dialects in a way that illustrates the differences and gives the reader a complete understanding of both. The dialects are presented in an easy-to-read romanized form that will help the reader be understood.