<DIV>When Westerners think of a genie, the first image that comes to mind may be Barbara Eden in her pink harem pants or the illuminated blue buffoon from the animated Disney film <I>Aladdin</I>. But to the people of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the picture is dramatically different. <I>Legends of the Fire Spirits</I> looks beyond Westernized caricatures to immerse the reader in the vibrant lore of the jinn&#151;the wondrous, often troublesome, and sometimes terrifying spirit beings of ancient Arab and Islamic tradition.<BR> <BR>Robert Lebling delves into long-lost accounts, medieval histories, colonial records, anthropologist&#8217;s reports, and traveler&#8217;s tales to explore the origin and evolution of legends that continue to thrive in the Middle East and beyond. He cuts through centuries of Orientalists&#8217; cultural presumption to craft a study that stands apart from the overwhelming body of literature concerned with religion in the Middle East.<BR><BR>A captivating synthesis of history and folklore, this is the most diverse collection of jinn lore ever assembled in one volume. From ancient scriptures to <I>The Arabian Nights</I> and beyond, and with a foreword by acclaimed filmmaker Tahir Shah, Lebling has constructed a comprehensive account that not only transcends geographical borders but also spans some four millennia.</DIV>