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FATHER'S DAY

City of Fortune, How Venice Ruled the Seas

Roger Crowley

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PROVENCE & THE COTE D'AZUR

A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France

Georgeanne Brennan

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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PENGUIN CLASSICS

The Log from the Sea of Cortez

John Steinbeck

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GREAT SILK ROAD

More Books

Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics and the Rise of the Taliban

Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics and the Rise of the Taliban


by Larry Goodson

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 264 PAGES

A scholarly analysis of Afghanistan's devastating recent history. (CAS73, $22.50)

The Afghans, Peoples of Asia

The Afghans, Peoples of Asia


by Willem Vogelsang

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 384 PAGES

A wide-ranging history of the people and culture of Afghanistan. (CAS70, $99.95)

Among the Mountains, Travels through Asia

Among the Mountains, Travels through Asia


by Wilfred Thesiger

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 174 PAGES

A classic account of intrepid British explorer Wilfred Thesiger's travels through the mountain ranges of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Karakorams, the Hindu Kush, and Ladakh. (ASA28, $17.99)

Aurel Stein on the Silk Road

Aurel Stein on the Silk Road


by Susan Whitfield

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 144 PAGES

Whitfield draws on the rich collections of the British Library for this lavishly illustrated account of the amazing life and discoveries of Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1942), including a chapter on the extraordinary Buddhist art at Dunhuang. (CAS109, $35.00)

Between Mecca and Beijing, Modernization and Consumption Among Urban Chinese Muslims


by Maris Boyd Gillette

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 296 PAGES

An academic study of the minority Muslim population of Xi'an. (CHN180, $24.95)

Buddhist Art and Architecture

Buddhist Art and Architecture


by Robert Fisher

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

A wide-ranging, illustrated survey of Buddhist art, architecture and iconography in the excellent World of Art series. It includes examples from throughout Asia. (ASA30, $19.95)

The Cambridge Illustrated History of China

The Cambridge Illustrated History of China


by Patricia Buckley Ebrey

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A concise, handsomely illustrated survey of Chinese history. Organized chronologically, this book marches confidently through 8,000 years of Chinese civilization, balancing social issues with politics and culture. (CHN79, $46.99)

Central Asia at the End of the Transition


by Bori Rumer

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

Scholars from China, Kazakhstan, Russia, the US and Uzbekistan examine topics such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the influence of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Islamic radicalism and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as landlocked agrarian economies with an unlimited supply of labor. (CAS129, $42.95)

Central Asia: 130 years of Russian Dominance

Central Asia: 130 years of Russian Dominance


by Edward Allworth

  • HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 650 PAGES

A scholarly overview of foreign influence in the region. (CAS26, $27.95)

The Central Asian States, Discovering Independence

The Central Asian States, Discovering Independence


by Gregory Gleason

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A timely analysis of the emergent independent republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. With maps and illustrations. (CAS27, $42.00)

Chasing the Sea

Chasing the Sea


by Tom Bissell

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 388 PAGES

Self-confessed adventure junkie, Bissell skillfully interweaves anecdote, history and grim reports on ecological disasters in this smart, funny and informative account of travels through Uzbekistan and Central Asia in 2001. (CAS103, $14.95)

The Dust of Empire, The Race for Mastery in the Asian Heartland

The Dust of Empire, The Race for Mastery in the Asian Heartland


by Karl Meyer

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

An engaging report on politics and struggles in 20th-century Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Russia. (CAS96, $15.00)

Eastern Approaches

Eastern Approaches


by Fitzroy MacLean

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 543 PAGES

Fitzroy MacLeans's action-packed account of his amazing adventures undercover in the Central Asian Republics of the USSR during Stalin's reign, as a commando in the Long Range Desert Group in North Africa, and with the Partisans in Yugoslavia during World War II. Touted as the real-life inspiration for James Bond, Maclean is not only a terrific writer but an eyewitness to historic events. Originally published in 1949. (CAS48, $30.00)

Eastward to Tartary

Eastward to Tartary


by Robert D. Kaplan

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 364 PAGES

A glimpse into the people and history that color the countries of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Caucasus and finally Central Asia, in a loosely organized travelogue by the author of the acclaimed Balkan Ghosts. (CAS45, $15.95)

The Empire of the Steppes, A History of Central Asia

The Empire of the Steppes, A History of Central Asia


by Rene Grousset

  • HISTORY
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 687 PAGES

The classic history of the region, originally published in 1939 and translated from the French. (CAS43, $32.50)

Eric Shipton, The Six Mountain Travel Books

Eric Shipton, The Six Mountain Travel Books


by Eric Shipton

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 800 PAGES

Shipton's extraordinary adventures in the mountains of the Himalayas, East Africa, Central Asia and Patagonia, now in paper. (EXP12, $34.95)

Feathered Dragons


by Philip J. Currie

  • SCIENCE
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 361 PAGES

A collection of 15 scholarly articles on the transition from dinosaurs to birds. (SCI87, $49.95)

Forbidden Journey

Forbidden Journey


by Ella Maillart

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 312 PAGES

Maillart's classic account of her journey with Peter Fleming from Peking across the Taklamaken through Xinjiang to Kashmir. (CAS101, $22.95)

Frontiers of Heaven, A Journey to the End of China

Frontiers of Heaven, A Journey to the End of China


by Stanley Stewart

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 232 PAGES

A British journalist with wanderlust and a way with the pen, Stewart recounts his rough journey halfway across Asia from Shanghai to Xinjiang along the Great Wall. A Thomas Cook Travel Book of the Year. (CHN237, $14.95)

The Golden Peaches of Samarkand, A Study of T'ang Exotics


by Edward Schafer

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 399 PAGES

A marvelous study of the court of T'ang Dynasty China, and the many splendid works of art that were given in tribute. (CAS53, $34.95)

Heritage of Central Asia, From Antiquity to the Turkish Expansion

Heritage of Central Asia, From Antiquity to the Turkish Expansion


by Richard N. Frye | Bernard Lewis

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 265 PAGES

Frye writes with authority and style in this clear, well-written survey of the people, history and culture of the region. (CAS91, $22.95)

A History of Inner Asia

A History of Inner Asia


by Svat Soucek

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

A dense, informative survey of the changing fortunes of people in the region, with chapters on Arab conquest and Chinese expansion, Mongols, Samanids, Timurids, Uzbeks, and other kingdoms and people in the region, including the 17th-19th century development of the trading cities. With 13 maps and dynastic charts. (CAS51, $39.99)

A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia: Volume I: Inner Eurasia from Prehistory to the Mongol Empire


by David Christian

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 472 PAGES

A comprehensive history of the region from the Stone Age to the 13th-century Mongol Empire. This book will appeal to the traveler with a serious interest in the cultural origins of the region. (CAS35, $62.95)

Hundred Thousand Fools of God

Hundred Thousand Fools of God


by Theodore Levin

  • MUSIC
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 346 PAGES

An engaging account of adventures in ethnomusicology in contemporary Central Asia, Levin is a wonderful guide to musical traditions in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. With an accompanying CD featuring the traditional music of Central Asia. (CAS59, $29.95)

Hunted Through Central Asia, On the Run from Lenin's Secret Police

Hunted Through Central Asia, On the Run from Lenin's Secret Police


by Paul Nazaroff | Peter Hopkirk

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

A Russian geologist turned anti-Bolshevik, Nazaroff writes of thrilling adventure, living among ordinary Muslims and dodging authorities across Kyrgyzstan in 1918. (CAS08, $29.95)

In Xanadu, A Quest

In Xanadu, A Quest


by William Dalrymple

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 319 PAGES

An intrepid traveler and entertaining writer, Dalrymple offers an anecdotal history of the people and places he encounters en route on this epic journey in the footsteps of Marco Polo across Central Asia to China. (CAS50, $18.95)

Islamic Art and Architecture

Islamic Art and Architecture


by Robert Hillenbrand

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Covering one thousand years and the geographic scope of Islam, this book is a wide-ranging guide to the arts of Islam, including architecture, calligraphy, ceramics and textiles. (CAS17, $21.95)

Islamic Arts

Islamic Arts


by Jonathan Bloom | Sheila Blair

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 445 PAGES

With color photographs, maps and site plans, throughout this survey of 1,000 years of Islamic architecture, design and decoration is a wonderfully illuminating, stimulating introduction tot he subject for anyone with an interest in art. (ISL01, $29.95)

Jihad, The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia

Jihad, The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia


by Ahmed Rashid

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 281 PAGES

A history and political analysis of the five Central Asian republics -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Rashid sees these volatile, resource-rich nations as keys to understanding the future of the region. (CAS84, $16.00)

Kazakhstan Map

Kazakhstan Map


by Gizi Map

  • 2002
  • MAP

This excellently detailed map of Kazakhstan extends well beyond the borders to include Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, as well as part of western China. (CAS107, $15.95)

Khubilai Khan, His Life and Times

Khubilai Khan, His Life and Times


by Morris Rossabi

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 348 PAGES

This fascinating, scholarly portrait of the culture and politics of 13th-century Asia examines Khubilai Khan's rise to power, the submission of Korea and the attempted invasion of Japan. (CAS10, $24.95)

The Light Garden of the Angel King, Journeys in Afghanistan

The Light Garden of the Angel King, Journeys in Afghanistan


by Peter Levi

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 231 PAGES

An engaging account of travels in Afghanistan in the company of Bruce Chatwin. (CAS72, $18.95)

Lonely Planet Central Asia

Lonely Planet Central Asia


by Lonely Planet

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 528 PAGES

A comprehensive, detailed guide to travel in the region, including Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. (CAS42, $32.99)

Lonely Planet Discover China

Lonely Planet Discover China


by Lonely Planet

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 448 PAGES

Focusing on must-see and memorable places and experiences, this all color guide by the discerning editors at Lonely Planet, featuring hundreds of color photographs and maps, includes suggested tours and itineraries along with not-to-be-missed places to stay, eat, shop and see. (CHN674, $27.99)

Lost Cosmonaut, Observations of an Anti-tourist

Lost Cosmonaut, Observations of an Anti-tourist


by Daniel Kalder

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Kalder's offball, offbeat and rather strange report from forgotten corners of the republics of Tatarstan, Kalmykia, Mari El and Udmurtia in what was once the Soviet Union. Kalder revels in being no-place. (EUR199, $19.95)

Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond

Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond


by Kenneth Nebenzahl

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 176 PAGES

This visually stunning collection of 80 rare illuminated manuscripts, early modern masterpieces and archival maps traces two millennia of exploration across Asia. (CAS113, $29.95)

Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World

Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World


by John Larner

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A scholarly, insightful study of the impact of the venetian merchant-explorer's impact on European ideas and knowledge of the world. (EXP22, $21.00)

The Mongol Empire and Its Legacy


by David Morgan | Reuven Amitai-Preiss

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 361 PAGES

A fresh analysis of the Mongol empire by a team of 18 scholars in the field. (CAS94, $92.00)

The Mongols (Peoples of Europe)

The Mongols (Peoples of Europe)


by David Morgan

  • HISTORY
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A short, readable treatment of the medieval Mongols, their administration, military, religion and economy. Includes chapters on the predecessors of the Mongols in Central Asia, Chinghiz Khan's rise to power, and the Mongols in China, Russia and Persia. (MGL15, $34.95)

Monkey, A Journey to the West

Monkey, A Journey to the West


by David Kherdian

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

The 16th-century Chinese epic of adventure and pilgrimage, brilliantly retold by David Kheridan. It's the wild tale of the encounters of the rogue-trickster Monkey and his Buddhist companion Tripitaka on the Silk Road. (ASA32, $16.95)

The Mummies of Urumchi

The Mummies of Urumchi


by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

An overview of the culture of ancient people of the Silk Road based on the extraordinarily well preserved Caucasoid mummies unearthed in Urumchi in the Tarim Basin of Central Asia. (CAS34, $19.95)

The New Great Game, Blood and Oil in Central Asia

The New Great Game, Blood and Oil in Central Asia


by Lutz Kleveman

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 291 PAGES

An eyewitness account of current policies and conflicts in Caucasus and Central Asia, full of interviews, anecdote, history and polemic. (CAS112, $15.00)

Northwest China Map

Northwest China Map


by MapLink

  • 2002
  • MAP

This bird's-eye map takes in the region from Dunhuang west across the Taklamakan to Almaty, Bishkek and the Pamirs. With shaded relief, archaeological sites, roads, tracks and paths, railroads and trade routes. (CHN202, $9.95)

Oasis Identities, Uyghur Nationalism Along China's Silk Road

Oasis Identities, Uyghur Nationalism Along China's Silk Road


by Justin Jon Rudelson

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A survey of Uyghur identity based on the author's fieldwork in Turpan. (CAS92, $29.50)

Odyssey Guide Kyrgyz Republic

Odyssey Guide Kyrgyz Republic


by Rowan Stewart | Susie Weldon

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 318 PAGES

A comprehensive, stunningly illustrated guide to Kyrgyzstan, its cities, traditional cultures, alpine meadows, lush valleys and rugged mountains. (CAS47, $24.95)

Odyssey Guide Uzbekistan

Odyssey Guide Uzbekistan


by Calum MacLeod | Bradley Mayhew

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 331 PAGES

A concise introduction to Uzbekistan, its history, culture and attractions, featuring full-color maps and excellent photography. It covers in detail Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent. (CAS23, $27.95)

A Ride to Khiva

A Ride to Khiva


by Peter Hopkirk | Frederick Burnaby

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 390 PAGES

The rousing real-life adventure of a Brit snooping in Russian Central Asia in 1875. The imposing Captain Burnaby rode a thousand miles across steppe and desert, through blizzards and snowdrifts, to forbidden Khiva. (CAS16, $30.00)

The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane

The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane


by Beatrice Forbes Manz

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 231 PAGES

A portrait of the great nomadic conqueror who rose to power in 1370 on the ruins of the Mongol Empire and led campaigns from Moscow to Delhi. (CAS11, $29.99)

Rough Guide Moscow

Rough Guide Moscow


by Rough Guide

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 524 PAGES

A comprehensive, no-nonsense guide to the culture, history and attractions of Moscow. (RUS129, $18.99)

Samarkand, A Novel

Samarkand, A Novel


by Amin Maalouf | Russell Harris

  • LITERATURE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

A fictional history of Persia featuring Omar Khayyam, the 11th-century poet and author of the "Rubaiyat." Written by Lebanese novelist Amin Maalouf. (CAS69, $14.95)

Setting the East Ablaze, Lenin's Dream of an Empire in Asia

Setting the East Ablaze, Lenin's Dream of an Empire in Asia


by Peter Hopkirk

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 268 PAGES

Another volume in the grand Hopkirk tradition of intrigue, treachery, executions and skullduggery. (CAS25, $15.95)

Shadow of the Silk Road

Shadow of the Silk Road


by Colin Thubron

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 363 PAGES

Thubron returns to Central Asia in this lyrical, erudite account of a 7,000-mile trek across Asia, visiting archaeological sites, people and cities from Xi'an and Dunhuang to Samarkand, Bukhara, Afghanistan and Iran. (CAS133, $15.99)

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang


by Sally Wriggins

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A nicely illustrated account of an extraordinary, 16-year trek from Xi'an to India by way of Central Asia in search of the origins of Buddhism by Xuan-Zang, the famous 7th-century Chinese monk. (ASA31, $25.00)

The Silk Road: Trade, Travel, War & Faith


by Susan Whitfield

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 400 PAGES

An exhibition catalog, featuring 300 color photographs of manuscripts, paintings and artifacts from the Aurel Stein collection. (CAS108, $155.00)

Sir Aurel Stein, Archaeological Explorer

Sir Aurel Stein, Archaeological Explorer


by Jeanette Mirsky

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 585 PAGES

Mirsky captures the excitement, derring-do, fortunes and controversy surrounding Stein's discovery of tombs, temples and monasteries and other ancient treasures of the Silk Road. (CAS61, $22.50)

Sons of the Conquerors, The Rise of the Turkic World

Sons of the Conquerors, The Rise of the Turkic World


by Hugh Pope

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

A lively, illuminating report on the Turkic speaking lands across Inner Asia from westernmost China to the Black Sea. (TKY104, $19.95)

Spectrum Guide to Pakistan

Spectrum Guide to Pakistan


by Camerapix

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 358 PAGES

An excellent overview of the history, nature and attractions of Pakistan. (PKN07, $22.95)

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia


by Ahmed Rashid

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 319 PAGES

This revised edition of Rashid's prescient account of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Central Asia in the 1990s includes a new chapter covering the period from 2000-2009. (CAS49, $17.95)

This is Not Civilization


by Robert Rosenberg

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Opening in an Apache town in Arizona and closing in the midst of the devestating 1999 earthquake in Istanbul (with a detour to Kyrgyzstan en route), Rosenberg's debut novel follws the fate of an antic, globe-trotting young man trying to make sense out of the world. (TKY117, $17.95)

Traditional Textiles of Central Asia

Traditional Textiles of Central Asia


by Janet Harvey

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

Harvey surveys the embroidery, silks, velvets, felts and other rich textile traditions of the Silk Road in this spectacularly illustrated guide. (CAS19, $24.95)

Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment

Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment


by Richard Bernstein

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

In this journey of self-discovery, Bernstein travels across Central Asia from China to India, loosely in the footsteps of the seventh-century Buddhist monk Hsuan Tang. An engaging, informative account of travels. (CAS64, $14.00)

War at the Top of the World, The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Tibet

War at the Top of the World, The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Tibet


by Eric Margolis

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

An overview of geography, religion and politics of the High Himalayas, and its strategic value to Pakistan, India and China. Updated throughout in this second edition, with a new chapter on the Taliban. (PKN09, $30.95)

A Woman's Asia

A Woman's Asia


by Marybeth Bond

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 310 PAGES

These thirty-five personal, often hilarious accounts of women's adventures from China to Sri Lanka to Turkey to Bhutan, not only illuminating the everyday, oft-overlooked cultural practices of Asia, but also giving a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the female traveller. (ASA49, $17.95)

Wonderful Xinjiang, A Photographic Journey of China's Largest Province

Wonderful Xinjiang, A Photographic Journey of China's Largest Province


by Wang Meng

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

In this photographic overview of the province, featuring 300 color photographs, Wang Meng shows the people, cultures, landscapes, monuments and cities of northwestern China. (CHN249, $30.00)

 

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