Samir Shikhani is dead. Most people don't know who he is. He was a Lebanese journalist. When I was in elementary school, I came across his book Ma`a Al-Khalidin (With the Immortals), which was a concise encyclopedia containing information on major figures in music, arts, literature, politics, etc. The book had an impact on me, and made me very curious about those people who were covered in the volume. I remember the entries on Beethoven and Mozart, among others. I really like that book but can't find my old copy of it.