[CatoRenasci]

A friend recommended it and gave me a copy years ago, but I couldn't get into it. I think it's kicking around the basement somewhere among the books sufficiently unloved not to be on a shelf. Should I dig it out and try again? I'm now reading The Arab Mind (1973) by Raphael Patai. Very good. This guy is a Hungarian-born Jew who likes the Arabs, but it's an extremely unflattering portrait of Arab culture. It's a must read.

[Cathryn Crawford]

I highly recommend it. I found it far from boring - I still read through it occasionally.

I also highly, highly recommend "A Place Among The Nations: Israel And The World" by Benjamin Netanyahu. Despite the name, it deals not only with Israel, but the entire Middle East. It's an excellent lesson in the history and culture, and is still relevant despite being written in, I believe, 1990 or '91. It's not boring, either.