Heather Lehr Wagner - Böcker

This Italian political philosopher's name has become synonymous with political intrigue. His most famous work - II principe (1513) laid out his theory of government and a number of rules of practical statecraft.

A member of the indigenous Quiche Maya group, Rigoberta Menchu Tum experienced firsthand the oppression of the native Indian population in Guatemala. This new biography from the ""Modern Peacemakers"" series profiles the unwavering activist who was awarded the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize for her remarkable work promoting social justice and ethno-cultural reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples. This title features full-color photographs, sidebars, and textboxes that help students follow Menchu Tum's journey from early struggles to subsequent triumphs and the prize.

World-renowned writer, teacher, activist, and Chairman of the President's Commission on the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. According to the Nobel Committee, ""Elie Wiesel, with his message and through his practical work in the cause of peace, is a convincing spokesman for the view of mankind and for the unlimited humanitarianism which are at all times necessary for a lasting and just peace."" This compelling ""Modern Peacemakers"" profile will help students learn why Wiesel ""swore never to be silent whenever, human beings endure suffering and humiliation."" Born in Romania in 1928, Wiesel and his family were deported to Nazi death camps when he was 15 years old. His mother and younger sister were soon killed; his father died in his arms. Wiesel was liberated by Allied troops and sent to a French orphanage, where he was reunited with two surviving older sisters. He resumed his studies and became a journalist and author. He is now an American citizen. Wiesel's haunting memoir, ""Night"", is a September 2006 Oprah Book Club selection.

Henry Alfred Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his part in negotiating a cease-fire between North and South Vietnam and the subsequent U.S. withdrawal. As national security advisor and secretary of state under President Richard Nixon, and secretary of state for Gerald Ford, Kissinger played a pivotal role in American foreign policy. Born into a Jewish family in Bavaria, Germany, Kissinger moved to New York City in 1938 with his family, fleeing Hitler's regime. He became an American citizen in 1943 and served as a German interpreter for the 970th Counter Intelligence Corps in World War II. He attended Harvard University, became a professor there, and joined the Nixon administration in 1968. ""Henry Kissinger"" provides excellent coverage of the life and work of one of the 20th century's greatest diplomats with selected writings, related sidebars, and balanced commentary.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. It shares borders with seven Arab nations: Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait to the north, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to the east, and Yemen and Oman to the south. Much of the country has a desert climate, averaging less than a few inches of percipitation per year, and temperatures often reach well above 100[degrees]F. Despite its parched landscape, Saudi Arabia is a key provider of one of the world's most important commodities.Just four years after Ibn Saud unified Saudi Arabia in 1932, the country's first productive oil well was established. Since that time, Saudi Arabia has become the world's leading petroleum producer and exporter. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been thrust into the limelight by allowing Western and Arab nations to use the country to deploy their forces during the First Gulf War in 1991 and by being a place where the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda established a base for its operations.