Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times Review

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Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times ReviewIf you are interested in a primer on Arab culture, then this book is a great starting point. The author is a scholar, but she does not clutter up her pages with the usual scholarly citations and endless equivocations. Instead, she presents a practical, understandable, readable guide to Arab culture.
Obviously, no one can cover all aspects of Arab culture in such a small book. That is okay. I needed a shorter book for my class on Middle East culture, and this book fit the bill almost perfectly. Students can gain a broad understanding of culture and then pursue other texts with more detailed explanations.
I have only a few small quibbles that prevent me from giving the full five stars. The author is a bit harsh on other authors of Arab culture. I prefer to see the good things in the works of other scholars and build upon their successes. For example, one of her criticisms is that another popular text overemphasizes the Bedouin traditions. Yet, I can see those idealized traditions still coming through in her summaries. Also, the book could benefit from more maps (my students are surprisingly ignorant of basic geography even after the US troop presence of recent years).
Overall, a very good book at a good price. It is an important part of my Middle East Cultures class, which is aimed at the general student rather than a full time Middle East scholar.Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times OverviewNow more than ever, Margaret Nydell's book Understanding Arabs is a must-read.The fourth edition of this classic introduction to Arab culture has been completely revised and updated to help readers understand the complex issues playing out on the world stage. Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times is a handbook accessible to everyone. Written by the highly esteemed academic Margaret Nydell, the book promotes understanding between modern-day Arabs and Westerners without pushing a political agenda. Updated to include the complex global issues going on today, new chapters include information about Islamic Fundamentalism, anti-Americanism and an updated and expanded chapter on Arabs and Muslims in the West. Contents A Message From the Authors Map of the Arab World Preface Introduction: Patterns of Change 1 Beliefs and Values 2 Friends and Strangers 3 Emotion and Logic 4 Getting Personal 5 Men and Women 6 Social Formalities and Etiquette 7 The Social Structure 8 The Role of the Family 9 Religion and Society 10 Communicating with Arabs 11 Islamic Fundamentalism (Islamism) 12 Anti-Americanism 13 Arabs and Muslims in the West 14 The Arab Countries: Similarities and Differences Conclusion Appendix: The Arabic Language End Notes Bibliography and References Index About the Author

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