Saoedische dadels: een portret van de heilige vrucht

The photography of the date palms in the oasis landscapes is stunning, and I didn't expect a book about a fruit to teach me so much about shelter and sustenance in the region. Read it in two evenings.

I bought this after a trip to the region and it captures exactly what I saw — the palm groves and the way dates anchor daily life there. The writing on the oasis and the palm's role as shelter and sustenance is thoughtful without feeling academic, and the photos of the fruit itself are gorgeous.

The photography of the date palms and oasis landscapes is stunning, and I keep it on my coffee table just to flip through. What surprised me most was how much history and cultural detail is packed in about the sacred fruit itself, not just pretty pictures.