The Five Stans

Central Asia Guest: Shoshana Keller, Professor of History at Hamilton College and author of "Russia and Central Asia: Coexistence, Conquest, Convergence" Stalin ordered the nomadic peoples of Central Asia to settle down and become members of Soviet states, and the five "-stans" are still reeling from that dramatic change today. But in some ways, residents have come to relish their modern identities. Winning the Mongol Derby Guest: Lara Prior-Palmer, author of "Rough Magic: Riding the World’s Loneliest Horse Race" Lara Prior-Palmer was the first woman, and youngest person ever, to win the Mongol Derby, a 1000-km race through wild Mongolian steppes. This physically harrowing, profound experience fueled an insightful, gripping and candid book, “Rough Magic.” Let's consider the limits of human endurance, and what drives the soul of a rider.