Wind, Sand and Stars is a book that stresses the importance of human bonds, and as such it stands as a positive and thought-provoking reading experience. Saint-Exupery's delicate portraits, gentle sense of humor, and overarching regard for basic human dignity inspire respect for every character in his narrative. Readers may be put off by the author's use of a racial slur in chapter 7, but should be reminded that, inexcusable as the word is in presentday society, it was a popularly used—if unfortunate—term in the 1930s. SaintExupery concludes the book with a biblically inspired phrase: "Only the Spirit, if it breathes upon the clay, can create Man." No technology is capable of creating a marvel to match that of human life. Even the airplane, a product of human intelligence, is ultimately secondary in importance to the people who fly it and who, in...