What Every American Should Know About the Middle East

by Melissa Rossi

Overview

The What Every American Should Know series returns with a timely guide to the region Americans need to understand the most (and know the least)

The latest edition of Melissa Rossi's popular What Every American Should Know series gives a crash course on one of the most complex and important regions of the world. In this comprehensive and engaging reference book, Rossi offers a clear analysis of the issues playing out in the Middle East, delving into each country's history, politics, economy, and religions. Having traveled through the area over the past year, she exposes firsthand the U.S.'s geopolitical moves and how our presence has affected the region's economic and political development. Topics include:

· Why Iran is viewed as a threat by most Middle East countries
· What resource is more important than petroleum in regional power plays
· What's really behind the fighting between Sunni and Shia
· How Saudi Arabia inadvertently feeds the violence in Iraq and beyond
· How monarchies like those in Jordan and Qatar are more open and progressive than the so-called republics

With answers that will surprise many Americans, and covering a vast history and cultural complexity that will fascinate any student of the world, What Every American Should Know About the Middle East is a must-read introduction to the most critical region of the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440655340
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/30/2008
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	512
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Melissa Rossi is an award-winning veteran journalist who has penned articles for Newsweek, Newsday, Esquire, George, MSNBC, The New York Observer, and, until recently, wrote a regular column for National Geographic Traveler. She has written extensively about Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and has lived abroad for many years.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 Misunderstanding the Middle East 1

Cheat Sheet 1 Basic Concepts and Building Blocks 17

Chapter 2 Jogging Through the Millennia 25

Chapter 3 Pulling the Pieces Together 41

Chapter 4 European Designs: Hacking Up the Middle East 67

Cheat Sheet 2 1979 and Beyond: A Quick Look at the Issues 105

Chapter 5 Iraq: Pardon Our Mess 115

Chapter 6 Iran: Isn't the Party Over Yet? 147

Chapter 7 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Splitsville 179

Chapter 8 Kuwait: Lines in the Sand 211

Chapter 9 Yemen: In Another World 237

Chapter 10 The United Arab Emirates: The Land of Possibilities 257

Chapter 11 Qatar: Trail Blazing 279

Chapter 12 Bahrain: A New Profile 293

Chapter 13 Oman: Awake at Last 303

Cheat Sheet 3 The Westerners 314

Chapter 14 Israel: Fulfilling Prophecies 323

Chapter 15 Disappearing Act: The Palestinian Territories-the West Bank and Gaza 345

Chapter 16 Lebanon: The Cedar Devolution 365

Chapter 17 Syria: Crumbling Support 389

Chapter 18 Jordan: Stuck in the Middle 409

Chapter 19 Egypt: Secret Society 431

Notes 451

Bibliography and Online Resources 467

Index 471

Editorial Reviews

Part primer with historical overviews and bios on key players and part tabloid-style digest, Rossi's series entry nonetheless manages to remain entirely informative throughout. Setting itself apart by addressing preconceived notions, the book is divided into chapters on specific countries in the Middle East, emphasizing their uniqueness in matters of energy, military, religion/ethnicity, money, politics, unity, and theocracy. Statistics are provided on the war, including civilian and militia deaths, refugees, and moneys spent on Iraq and unaccounted for. Rossi's previous titles in her WEASK series (whateveryamericanshouldknow.com) hint at the tone of this book, e.g., What Every American Should Know About Who's Really Running the World: The People, Corporations, and Organizations That Control Our Future . Her boldly outspoken style might not appeal equally to everyone; one chapter is titled "European Designs: Hacking up the Middle East." However, her cheat sheets help clarify, her vocabulary is defined, and there are extensive footnotes. Overall, this is recommended for public and undergraduate libraries.-Krista Bush, Univ. of New Haven Lib., West Haven, CT

Library Journal

Praise for the What Every American Should Know series
 
“Insightful… the sheer volume of material assures readers will turn up something they had not known or long forgotten. The knowledge she pulls together and shares proves the volume's most useful contribution to the cause of government reform.”—Publishers Weekly  

“Well-informed… without losing her playful attitude… Rossi is most skilled in keeping her guide balanced: sidebar stories on significant events, scandals and achievements add depth and definition to each profile, while the one-line summaries included in the introductions keep things pithy.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“The perfect book for paranoiacs, conspiracy buffs, fans of Michael Moore, and just anyone who thinks the people running the world don't have our best interests at heart… Rossi doesn't pull any punches… she marshals plenty of impressive source material.”—David Pitt, Booklist

From the Publisher