India, July 11 -- One can divide writings about countries into three broad categories - academic or journalistic narratives about their politics, economics, international relations, history and future; literary travelogues - such as Lawrence Durrell's Bitter Lemons about Cyprus - describing one's encounter with a country's life, people, landscapes, cities and villages; and coffee table publications with engaging photographs of places of tourist interest, including historical sites and information about how to visit these, their significance and past.

Bashar Tabbah's book, A Map & A Lens: Jordan Sights Unseen and Stories Untold (Jabal Amman Publishing), is a significant addition to the third category. It is perhaps the only one of its kin...