Geek Love

God bless Mrs. Weasel. When all around were swapping teddy bears and candy (don't need the former, eat too much of the latter already) on St Hallmark's Day yesterday she presented me with an orang utan card and a copy of Empires of the Sand by Efriam and Inari Karsh. I won't bore you all with a long digression into how this fascinating book eschews both the traditional schools of mid-eastern historical thought (orientalism from the west and European cynical opportunism from the east) in examining the slow break up of the Ottoman Empire, nor how it suggests ways to tie up some loose ends that have been bothering me since H203 "The Emergence of The Arab States" in college. I will however suggest a trip to your local bookstore or library to ferret it out; it is a brisk read and accessible even to those without my sad and once obscure obsessions. Not as deeply romantic as Maestra's Valentine's Day (congratulations, M!) but very special and a display of deep understanding none the less.

For the record, I went with handmade seashell chocolates from our fabulous and local Rockport Chocolates, a copy of Soap Opera Digest and a (blush) love letter.