The award designated “Armenia and Karabagh: The Stone Garden Guide” by Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian, as the top winner in the best travel guide category of the competition.

Hundreds of titles competed for the awards, and winners in other categories included books from publishers such as Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Random House, and other large publishing houses.

Although the judges don’t make specific comments about why individual titles are selected or rejected, book prizes are based upon a combined evaluation of content, organization, and design.

According to co-author Matthew Karanian, book awards such as these help raise positive awareness of Armenia and Karabagh. "Armenia is a destination that will open the eyes of the curious traveler seeking something beyond the well-worn pathways of tourism," says Karanian. “It’s a destination for everyone, and in many ways a point of embarkation, too.”

The award-winning book features 304 pages, 135 color photographs, and 27 color maps, including maps by the Birds of Armenia Project of the American University of Armenia.

ISBN 09672120-9-X