Always venturing where few other guidebooks will go, the publisher Bradt has just brought out the Bradt Travel Guide to Turkmenistan (pound;14.99, www.bradtguides.com), written by Paul Brummell, Britain’s former ambassador to the most secret former Soviet “stan”. Since independence in 1991, Turkmenistan’s President Niyazov has commissioned a golden statue of himself, and renamed the month of January after himself and the days of the week after members of his family. The capital, Ashgabat, has been transformed with fountains and white marble palaces and the rest of this sandy central Asian country is changing fast too. Is there more to Turkmenistan’s culture than its national holiday, which celebrates the melon? Read the Bradt guide and find out. We have five copies to give away to TES readers. To enter our draw, email friday@tes.co.uk or send a postcard marked “Bradt Guide offer” to Friday magazine, TES, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX by December 16.