{"product_id":"book-jvrn","title":"The Center of the World","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis sweeping history reorients our understanding of the Middle East, placing the Gulf at the heart of globalized trade and cross-cultural encounters.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e World history began in the Persian Gulf. The ancient port cities that dotted its coastlines created the first global seaboard, a place from where faiths and cultures from around the world set sail and made contact. More than a history, \u003ci\u003eThe Center of the World\u003c\/i\u003e shows us that contradictions that define our modern age have always been present.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For over four thousand years, the Gulf—sometimes called the Persian Gulf, sometimes the Arabian Gulf—has been a global crossroads while managing to avoid control by the world's greatest empires. In its history, we see a world of rapid change, fluctuating centers of trade, a dependency on uncertain global markets, and intense cross-cultural encounters that hold a mirror to the contemporary world. Focusing each chapter on a different port around the Gulf, \u003ci\u003eThe Center of the World\u003c\/i\u003e shows how the people of the Gulf adapted to larger changes in world history, creating a system of free trade, merchant rule, and commerce that continues to define the region today. ","brand":"Highbridge Audio","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49398730817840,"sku":"BDjvrn","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio CD","offer_id":49398730752304,"sku":"ZEjvrn","price":45.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio MP3-CD","offer_id":49398730785072,"sku":"ZMjvrn","price":45.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/jvrn-cover.jpg?v=1765892712","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-jvrn","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}