In reading the fantastic tale of Prince Agib's adventures in the justly famous Arabian Nights, I was struck with how deeply insightful it was about the human condition. Although the story is so incredible that even one's imagination is stretched by its incredulity, the message it conveys is so universal and so human that one cannot help but be awed by its moral implications.

Blaise Pascal brilliantly captures Prince Agib's and our own dilemma when he writes, “All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.” We humans are seekers and are never content with our own lot in life and are forever intrigued by that which just lies beyond our reach. This is, of course, natural and part of our evolutionary heritage, since such yearning is precisely why we have survived so well and adapted to unaccustomed landscapes. This new edition contains the entire story of Prince Agib, with a brief introductory analysis written by Professor David Christopher Lane. A fascinating tale illuminated within Islamic inspired borders.