Every Persian carpet has a story to tell -- from the remote villages of Afghanistan and Iran, down the ancient trade routes traveled for centuries, to the bazaars of Tehran and the markets of the Western world. Carpet-making is one of this tumultuous region's few constants, an art form that transcends religious and political turmoil. Part travelogue and part exploration into the meaning and worth of these mystical artifacts, "The Root of Wild Madder" presents practical information about carpets while exploring the artistic, religious, and cultural complexities of these enigmatic lands.

Brian Murphy is the author of The New Men: Inside the Vatican's Elite School for American Priests. A foreign correspondent for the Associated Press since 1993, and the AP's international religion writer since 2004, he lives in Athens, Greece.