Villain, brilliant archaeologist, explorer, scholar and geographer, Aurel Stein trekked 25,000 miles across Central Asia (in the company of a small dog and large retinue) in search of ancient treasures of the Silk Road. Walker follows the fortunes and expeditions of the man from his origins in Hungary, devoting much of the book to his discovery of sculptures, manuscripts, paintings and other archaeological treasures, now scattered in museums across Europe. Written with the cooperation of the Stein Trustees, she nonetheless does not dodge the controversy surrounding Stein's legacy as a foreign devil on the Silk Road.  (CAS61, $20.00)