Tom Reiss brings to life the remarkable figure of Lev Nussimbaum in this enthralling biography. Born in Baku in 1905, Nussumbaum reinvented himself as Kurban Said. A fabulist, interpreter of cultures, novelist and rogue, Said was an enigmatic figure. A storyteller of the first order, Reiss weaves much information about oil-rich Azerbaijan, and the cultures and religions in the Caucasus in this wonderful tale.  (CCS27, $15.95)