Marx's study is a valuable contribution to the ethnographic study on pastoral nomads, and is useful reference for universities, colleges, researchers, students and individuals interested in the Bedouin tribes in the Middle East, economy, sociology and anthropology.
Geography Research Forum This concisely written book of seven chapters is tightly focused on the coping strategies ... Read moreof the Bedouin of Mount Sinai following Israeli occupation and subsequent withdrawal as an open system. - this is a volume of interest to wide range of readers, including almost anyone interested in arid zone adaptations, political scientists interested in the incorporation of tribes in the Arab world in nation state polities, and all concerned with this historically vital and dangerous geographic conduit between Africa and theMiddle East. Certainly anyone interested in the now shattered world of Mt Sinai cannot ignore this ethnography - This book is highly recommended.
Human Ecology Marx's data and analysis firmly put to rest persistent notions of Bedouin as primitive, backward, and timeless. This major achievement opens up trajectories for future comparative research on the transformation of communities formerly engaged in nomadic pastoralist production in areas once remote from nation-state power throughout the Middle East and beyond. Indeed, Marx's moniker of 'urban' breaks a glass wall that has all too often served to idealize and isolate Bedouin from the wider polities in which they exist and should participate as citizens - Lessons learned from this book about economy and society - can contribute to a better world for the Mount Sinai Bedouin and beyond.
International Journal of Middle East Studies There is a wealth of information and insight here which is simply lacking in many instances nowadays in academic work. More to the point, the author was privy to a time and place which no longer exists; his knowledge, let alone experiences, cannot be replicated. He has a unique story to tell here, and it is certainly a story worth hearing.
Steven C. Dinero, Philadelphia University The arguments of the book are theoretically sophisticated, while the writing style is clear, direct and informative. Marx has something to say and he says it well. This is a book that will be welcomed by specialists and a wider readership alike. Marx's lucid account of the political economy of the Mount Sinai Bedouin is a valuable contribution to the ethnographic literature on pastoral nomads and on the central Middle East - The extraordinary geographical position of the Sinai between Israel and Egypt, and Marx's fieldwork in the region over many years and under different political regimes, adds considerable weight to the book.
Nancy Lindisfarne, SOAS, University of London A unique and long-needed book, based on many years of in-depth ethnographic research. It is well-informed, informative and a responsible representation of the various aspects of the life and economy of Bedouins in the Sinai - [that] provides - thought-provoking explanations of diverse aspects of nomadic life. The author succeeds in demonstrating the complexity of the nomadic way of life and the specific problems and dilemmas encountered by Bedouins - in the context of economic and political changes within Israeli and Egyptian society. This book will definitely become a classic.
Dina Siegel, Utrecht University Show Less