This book represents the retrospective view of Egypt by a highly readable polymath. His description of Egypt, the subject of nearly half of his time overseas living and working in the Arab and Muslim World, shows that it has lost none of its attraction, and the celebrated light of Egypt has lost none of its luster. The caricature of Hosni Mubarak that appears on the front cover of the book is evidence that the author is as adept with watercolors as he is with words.