The Arab Mind

Having lived in North Africa for almost 28 years, this is not a good book nor depiction. It is significantly disrespectful and derogatory to the community it pretends to describe.. Disappointed

I have lived in the Middle East, on and off, for four years, and no book explained the Arab mind as well as Raphael Patai's. Written over 30 years ago, it still rings true in so many aspects, and definitely helps explain the cultural clashes that still occur and slow down the process of coexisting. Raphael Patai's love of Arabia and all things Arabic is very obvious throughout his work. Even so, Patai managed to be objective and to portray the good and the bad in Arab culture. Too many authors take one road or the other, allowing personal feelings and thoughts to encroach on the necessary objectivity. Patai, like a true sociologist, presents how a culture was formed, in language easily understandable to the Western mind. Sometimes dry and drawn out, "The Arab Mind" should nonetheless be mandatory reading for all government workers in the Middle East, as it is truly an indispensible guide through a culture that has been around longer than our own.

I heard about the book in Juan Cole's web site. One of my co-workers had a copy so I borrowed it to read. Lets put it this way, I've bought two dozen of them to give to the Iraqis I work with and sold half of them to the other Coalition members I work with. The Iraqis have found it enlightening, as did I. Applying it to day-to-day interactions will be the test. However, from my 18 months here, the author is right on.

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.

I took this book to Baghdad for my military assignment and left it there with friends who continue to use it to help inform their experiences. The book helped me understand what I was seeing with my own eyes and helped me avoid mis-steps that probably would have been misinterpreted. The book rang true with my experiences and helped me understand the Iraqi people, who I found to be generally good and noble. This books is not the be-all and end-all for Arab cultural understanding, but it seems to be an excellent jumping-off point. Westerners in Iraq "got points" from the Iraqis by merely TRYING to undertand their culture. Empathy, compassion and RESPECT go a long way in any culture, and certainly for the Iraqis.

An eye-opening book. Most people put the Arab personality down to Islam. THE ARAB MIND sets the reader right that the Arab personality is rooted in the Bedouin culture. It is not a racist book. The author confesses an extreme affection for Arabs. It's a wonderful book, and, frankly, let's you understand the Arab ... better. The author, incidentally, also wrote a book titled THE JEWISH MIND.