Lost Enlightenment (Princeton University Press)

In this sweeping and richly illustrated history, S. Frederick Starr tells the fascinating but largely unknown story of Central Asia's medieval enlightenment through the eventful lives and astonishing accomplishments of its greatest minds - remarkable figures who built a bridge to the modern world. Lost Enlightenment bronicles this forgotten age of achievement, seeks to explain its rise, and explores the competing theories about the cause of its eventual demise.