The contributors to this excellent volume treat the tumultuous politics of the contemporary Arab world in exactly the way it should be treated: from multi-disciplinary perspectives and with a ‘long view’ that minimizes the dangers of instant analysis based on current events. Rejecting monocausal explanations, this theoretically-rich collection illustrates the value of adopting a variety of analytical approaches to catalysts, ... Read moredynamics and political trajectories alike. It is strongly recommended to anyone wishing to gain greater insight into the region and where it might be headed.
Rex Brynen, Department of Political Science, McGill University The Arab uprisings have not generated a linear process of transition to democracy. Much strife and uncertainty remain, as the authors show. After reading this book, however, nobody will doubt that the changes taking place are profound and irreversible, and that the Arab world will never be the same.
Marina Ottaway, the Woodrow Wilson Center Show Less