Central Asia

A seminal reading on social and cultural aspects of Central Asian societies.

* Slavic Review *

At this time, when an assessment of the situation in Central Asia, broadly defined, is so vitally needed, this volume brings together detailed and specific reports on its various localities by respected experts from many disciplines to produce a work of critical importance for anyone interested in this strategic region and in fact in world affairs generally.

-- Robert L. Canfield, professor emeritus at Washington University, St. Louis

Central Asia: Contexts for Understanding offers an accessible and multi-faceted introduction to a crossroads and cockpit of world history. The authors offer chapters on everything from religion to cinema to the environment, providing a student-friendly approach to the modern history, contemporary condition, and lived reality of a complex region.

-- J.R. McNeill, Georgetown University, author of The Webs of Humankind: A World History

This volumeassembles an impressive array of leading scholars and perspectives in Central Asian studies, combining beautifully-written thematic chapters with illuminating case studies. A multidisciplinary tour-de-force, the authors offer nuanced reflection, engaging analysis, and complex interconnections, which will inspire deeper understanding and generative insights for new students and established scholars of the region alike.

-- Regine Spector, University of Massachusetts, Amh