Understanding The Arab Mind

Drawing from his travels and observations, the author explores the personality and values of the Arab people and pays tribute to their way of life.

Understanding the Arab Culture is a thoroughly practical crosscultural guide to working with Arab cultures, written with theWesterner in mind.The book focuses more on the key differences than similarities, issues that Westerners will find puzzling, unusual or difficult to cope with. It is based on years of experience of lecturing to Westerners and a long list of frequently asked questions. It addresses Western perceptions and misconceptions of Arabs, Islam and the Arab world as well as some key Arab perceptions of the West. Many practical tips are given on a variety of issues, from exchanging appropriate gifts to negotiating techniques. Contents: Preface; About the author; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. A cross-cultural Perspective; 2. Ten cross-cultural realities; 3. The Arab culture in a generic context; 4. The business pyramid; 5. An Arab perspective; 6. First encounters with Arabs; 7. Values and attitudes; 8. Experiencing Arabia; 9. Islam: away of life; 10. Doing business; Epilogue; Recommended reading; Index.

A landmark exploration of Jewish history and culture. First published in 1977, The Jewish Mind provides a penetrating insight into the complex collective reality of the Jewish people. Raphael Patai examines how six great historical encounters, spanning three millennia, between the Jews and other cultures led to both change and continuity in Jewish communities throughout the global diaspora. A timeless analysis by a prominent scholar. Patai, a noted cultural anthropologist and historian, drew on a lifetime of research and personal experience to explore the contemporary Jewish mind in its many manifestations, including an exploration of the notion of Jews as a race, an investigation into Jewish intelligence and talents, as discussion of Jewish self-hate, and a profile of Jewish personality and character. An insightful new foreword by Ari L. Goldman. Bestselling author and journalist Ari L. Goldman places the book in the context of recent turbulent events, especially in the Middle East, and confirms Patai's conclusion that Judaism remains enormous value to humankind. Goldman calls the book "a brilliant and absorbing survery of everything poured into the Jewish mind over the millennia." The Jewish Mind is a towering work of scholarship that remains relevant to anyone trying to understand Jewish culture and society around the world today. Book jacket.

The Arab Mind Bound proposes that Arab culture has been stifled by two major problems. The first is that of religion misinterpreted. Islam has come to be seen and propagated as a religion of violence, while in reality this violence is merely the result of a single interpretation of Islam. In fact, there are other interpretations that call for moderation and progress. The second problem is education. The backward education system engenders misconceptions which in turn provoke political, social, and economic problems. These trigger a vicious circle which fortifies the existing Arab mindset. The Arab societies are thus trapped in this cycle, to which the only solution is science and modern management. The Arab Mind Bound looks at the factors which led to the rapid spread and influence of violent Islam and its effect on Arab societies. Written by Tarek Heggy, this insightful and topical book is a companion volume to Heggy's The Arab Cocoon: Progress and Modernity in Arab Societies.