Johnson drew upon the journals of a Jesuit priest to weave this ironic tale of earthly paradise in the "happy valley of Abyssinia," originally published in 1759. While hardly a guidebook to the real nation of Ethiopia, the tale captures the European fascination with this ancient land. It's Dr. Johnson's answer to the tradition of Eastern story books -- a thought-provoking meditation on the big questions of happiness, love, solitude and what it means to be great.  (ETP12, $9.95)

Ancient World