When World Music first captured the public imagination in the early 1980"s, NPR"s Tom Schnabel was in the vanguard. He introduced international musicians to public radio and pioneered an eclectic format that has become a standard for alternative radio nationwide. Inspired by more than a decade of interviewing international artists and playing their music, Schnabel has mapped a global tour of the international figures making music history today. A stunningly illustrated and fact-filled journey, Rhythm Planet also features selected discographies and Schnabel"s list of essential World Music recordings. An antidote to the latest flavor of pop, Rhythm Planet is an affirmation of what music can be: the most passionate expression of the human spirit, transcending limits of culture and language.