World Hum’s Most Read: Aug. 2-8

What We Loved This Week: Paul Theroux, the Bombay Club and Summer in Chicago

World’s Longest Yard Sale: 654 Miles of Bargains From Ohio to Alabama

Inside the ‘Cuisines of the Axis of Evil’

J. Maarten Troost: Enduring Pollution and Reptile-Laden Lunches in China For Our Benefit

David Farley chats with the author of “Lost on Planet China” about the Olympic Games, Tibet and eating not-so-well in the Middle Kingdom

‘The Monster of Florence’: Murder and the Pursuit of Truth

Douglas Preston’s latest book, the true story of a serial killer in Italy, shows that the world is far from exhausted for those who want to travel deep. Frank Bures tells why. 

My Travels, My Feet

After taking one too many headless torso shots of herself, solo traveler Sophia Dembling started snapping photos of her feet around the world, from the Grand Canyon to Red Square

Affairs to Remember—On-Screen and Off

From “Roman Holiday” to “Before Sunrise,” Hollywood has understood the appeal of the overseas fling. Eva Holland explains the staying power of the big screen Euro-romance.

Seven Reasons to Have a Foreign Fling

Sure, having an overseas romance is fun. But Terry Ward points out seven other benefits to cross-border love, mon petit chou.

As a Woman, Can I Really Travel Without Much Fear for my Safety?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

Break Bread and Brie in France

Great cheese abounds in the land of Gaul, but dig in and you risk committing any number of faux pas. Terry Ward explains how to partake of the nation’s famed fromage with savoir faire.

The Call to Prayer: ‘An Audible Pinprick to Your Conscience’

The call to prayer is a distinct memory of my semester abroad in Niger during college. I often wondered whether it sounded as lyrical and magical to Arabic speakers as it did to me.

Thanks for this great post, Julia.

Waking up at 5am every morning in Malaysia (courtesy of jet lag), I always found the first call to prayer really soothing.

Hi Julia:

I’ve always been surprised during my travels, as I’m chugging down local beers (say, Bir Bintangs or Efezes), when the converdsations of one-upmanship about adeventures abroad--"I climbed a volcano in Tongariro National Park in New Zealand with a Scottish mountain climber,” I’d beam with pride. “That’s nothing,” says the British wreck traveling on the “dole” throughout the EU, “I got kidnapped by my hosts in Iraq"--are punctuated by the sound of a microphone.

Apparently operated by Jim Jones with a turban.

Er, I’d cringe.

The Call to Prayer is indeed picturesque and personal. The sign of a True Believer.

As a Mayflower Christian I believe, too, even though my sense of humor, even according to my friends, can be a little demonic.

There is only one God (fair enough, of the universe).

But there are also gods (Christ, Odin, Zeus . . .)

And prophets (Mohammed)

And demigods (your average travel writer has superhuman powers which enable her or him to travel all over the world without getting offed, and coming back to either writeabout it or show off to their friends--one’s nuclear family is always the last to know).

“Dad, Mom, I met a guitarist for the Cranberries in Krabi, Thailand!”

“That’s nice, John. Now who are the Cranberries?”

General Depression.

Sincerely, John M. Edwards

...But when your U.S. university forces you to listen to it for a week, there’s a problem. See: The Adhan at Harvard.