India’s Akbar the Great, ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1605, is renowned for his contributions to art, science, and building technologies. No surprise that his reign saw the creation of a smoking implement that marries all three. According to Wikipedia, the physician invented the hookah as an ostensibly less detrimental method of tobacco use. At once ornate, innovative, and functional, the hookah caught fire and began popping up like a weed on every continent. Fast-forward to 2008 and the Ritz-Carlton... More >>>