Pop Culture Arab World! Media, Arts, and Lifestyle

The book has short bios on prominent TV and movie stars, along with a few writers, in the Arab world. Many of the names will be unfamiliar with American readers. But Hammond appears to have put much effort into his research. Many entries are for Egypt. Not unusual, given its population and its traditional role as the centre of Arab life. There are also articles on topics like consumerism and theatre. These include summaries of the topics in each major Arab country. Recent events do intrude of course. For Iraq, the book discusses changes wrought by the American invasion. Somewhat inconclusive, as the situation in Iraq is still very unsettled. While, post 2001, there is mention of the jihadis influence and how various countries are trying to combat this, in the media and the schools and mosques. One aspect parallels the US. The popularity of TV evangelists, who can reach a much wider audience than just those who attend a mosque.

Excellent, thought-provoking piece of journalistic literature. Very fascinating, full of information and analysis and covers a large topic that hasn't been covered like this before. Definitely worth reading.

The title doesn't do this book justice. Yes, it contains witty insights into pop culture in this part of the world, but it also contains serious political analysis, hard-to-come-by interviews with figures from across the region, and real historical perspective---all laid out in tight, highly readable, intelligent prose. Strongly recommended for anyone interested in the region.

Whoa! I am impressed at the breadth and depth of this lucidly written tome. Pop Culture Arab World!-Media, Arts, and Lifestyle by Andrew Hammond offers an brilliant and thorough analysis of the interactions and dynamics that are at the center of events in the Arab world. It explores what people think of the Bush administration's policies, Islam, and the war on terror. Not only that, but it takes a fascinating and insightful look at all aspects of popular culture, from pop music and film to the Arabic language and media, including satellite channels, like Al-Jazeera, which are reshaping the broadcast scene in new and interesting ways. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in this part of the world.