On paper, it's a tropical paradise: What if you built an island paradise and no one came? What would the Sahara desert look like if there were no human inhabitants? An excerpt from The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. An article on Kenya and the myth of African barbarism. Despite current troubles, Africa is still progressing. Pakistan is far from the chaotic disaster many Americans assume it is. A bit faded but still bright enough: In places where vibrant hues brought down bad rulers, the future still looks good. An interview with Chris Turner on The Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need. Here are a few resolutions to hope, but not necessarily expect, that the world’s top leaders will make. Election mania is gripping the US; elsewhere in the world, here are five elections to watch in 2008.

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