What Every American Should Know about the Middle East (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780452289598)

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.

Author: Melissa Rossi
ISBN-10: 0452289599
ISBN-13: 9780452289598
Publisher: Plume Books
Language: English
Published: 01/01/2009
Pages: 512
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.19lbs
Size: 8.92h x 6.08w x 1.15d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 09/15/2008 pg. 76
Reference and Research Bk News 08/01/2009 pg. 38