Scotland: Plaid to the Bone (This rugged northern reach of Britain remains a world apart, a land of windswept lochs and heather hills, a people of industriousness and idiosyncrasy.)


Gaza: Where Peace Walks a Tightrope (Palestinians in the 140-square-mile arid strip along the Mediterranean Sea cling to their dream of building a new state.)


Searching for the Scythians (Legendary horsemen who swept across the European steppe in the seventh century B.C. left clues to their culture in finely wrought gold.)


A Special Place: Hawk High Over Four Corners (Where four states meet in the Southwest, nature spreads a splendid panorama.)


Tarantulas: Earth Tigers and Bird Spiders (Huge, hairy, and horrific, tarantulas are also delicate, timid, and mostly harmless.)


The Essential Element of Fire (More friend than foe to many ecosystems, fire helps keep the planet in balance.)