In 1625 King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden ordered his shipyards to build (among others) a mighty fighting ship called the Vasa. He gave very specific instructions for what he wanted in this ship, how he wanted it outfitted, and made it clear that it should...
I had been prepared for the abject poverty rampant throughout India because people had warned me about it, and because I have seen the scenes on television, in movies, in journals. It was impossible to miss the signs as soon as I left the airport. As...