Ninety-eight black and white photos, steeped in the pathos and predicament of the Afghan people, accompanied by soul-searching commentary and poetry from thirteen distinguished contributors.

Basque-born photographer Alen Silva travelled twice across war-torn Afghanistan, to places few foreigners dare to venture, to bring us these soul-searing photographs of a devastated land. Among the ruins of Kabul, of the Bamiyan Buddhas, of Soviet tanks, of Afghan society -- the hope for peace still lights the weary faces of the Afghan people who welcomed him.

Texts by Alen Silva, Alan Rachins, Bahman Ghobadi, Bernardo Atxaga, Ezzat Goushegir, Gillian Anderson, John Sistiaga, Malalai Joya, Michael Ratner, Mike Farrell, Suheir Hammad, Susan Kelly-DeWitt, Toti Martinez de Lezea, and Yasmina Khadra.

"The Boy and the Red Balloon" is a first in a series of children's books inspired by my son, Kian. He, as with any child, is the epitome of unconditional love . With love, one will overcome any hurdle. It is the story of a journey the Balloon takes to understand as it interacts with interesting characters along the way. Yet, it has many layers that deal with emotions, simple understanding of surroundings, dealing with defeats and triumphs but never giving up. The message is quite simple: BELIEVE.