Across the vast steppe and mountain ranges, to fabled Silk Road cities, the Soviet rust belt and the futuristic architecture of Kazakhstan’s chilly, glitzy, showpiece capital, historian and journalist David Mould travels to a remote, diverse and strategically vital region--the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.  That jumble of countries whose names end in -stan: Stanland.  You'll meet teachers, students, politicians, entrepreneurs, journalists, cab drivers and market sellers to learn about their history, culture, and struggle to survive in the post-Soviet era.  You'll enjoy the stories and landscapes but be happy you skipped the dangerous flights and bad hotels.