In Jonah Blank's important, myth-shattering book, the West gets its first look at the Daudi Bohras, a unique Muslim denomination who have found the core of their religious beliefs largely compatible with modern ideology. Combining orthodox Muslim prayer, dress, and practice with secular education, relative gender equality, and Internet use, this community serves as a surprising reminder that the central values of "modernity" are hardly limited to the West.

South Asia in World Politics offers a comprehensive introduction to the politics and international relations of South Asia, a key area encompassing the states of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. While U.S. interest has long been sporadic and reactive, 9/11 alerted Washington that paying only fitful attention to one of the world's most volatile and populous regions was a recipe for everyday instability, repeated international crises, majo...