The Arab Mind
by Raphael Patai
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Book Summary Information
Author: Raphael PataiForeword: Norvell B. De Atkine
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-02-08
ISBN: 1578261171
Number of pages: 466
Publisher: Hatherleigh Press
Book Reviews of The Arab Mind
Book Review: in a class of its own
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're looking for a book about what has got all those Muslims so hopping mad in the last few years, steer clear of this book. For understanding the political and social implications of the Islamization of Europe and the post 9-11 world, you won't find much here that seems immediately relevant. For these purposes I would recommend instead Spencer's "Islam Unveiled" in combination with Ferguson's "Colossus."
This book is more of an anthropological analysis of the Arab character, although it's certainly not a formal field study or an academic book.
If you're looking for a book that examines and attempts to explain Arab psychology, why Arabs are the way they are, this is the book for you. It is superlative. The only book I can think of that rivals it is David Pryce-Jones's "The Closed Circle," which is very similar in theme and purpose (and renown).
To make a long story short, Patai's efforts are deeply enlightening. Reading this book carefully will prevent you from jumping to specious conclusions and concocting false theories about the culture and behavior of Arabs, something quite common to newcomers out here.
This book will also go a long way to helping you deal successfully with Arabs in business, educational, or diplomatic settings: for this purpose, it's much more instructive and worthwhile than any recently-minted tome I know of.
Its author, the late Rafael Patai, was a renowned Israeli Arabist who was very sympathetic to Arabs and the Palestinian cause.
Nevertheless, this book can appear quite insulting (to Arabs) from time to time. It is rare to find it in libraries in the Arab world; they certainly don't have to dig in it for long before they find something to object to. It is on the "index prohibitorum" in several Gulf countries.
But this book's reputation among Western expats in the Middle East could not be higher: copies of it are passed from hand to hand until the binding is shot and the pages are being held together with a rubber band. I have yet to see a copy of this book in good condition.
Summary of The Arab Mind
The classic study of Arab culture and society is now more relevant than ever. Since its original publication in 1983, the revised edition of Raphael Patai's The Arab Mind has been recognized as one of the seminal works in the field of Middle Eastern studies. This penetrating analysis unlocks the mysteries of Arab society to help us better understand a complex, proud and ancient culture. The Arab Mind discusses the upbringing of a typical Arab boy or girl, the intense concern with honor and courage, the Arabs' tendency toward extremes of behavior, and their ambivalent attitudes toward the West. Chapters are devoted to the influence of Islam, sexual mores, Arab language and Arab art, Bedouin values, Arab nationalism, and the pervasive influence of Westernization. With a new foreword by Norvell B. DeAtkine, Director of Middle East Studies at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N.C., this book unravels the complexities of Arab traditions and provides authentic revelations of Arab mind and character. A later printing. from 2007, contains a revised foreword by Norvell DeAtkine but is otherwise identical to this, 2002, edition.Psychology & Counseling Books
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