Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Westerners (The Interact Series)

According to the author, "Arabs will rarely admit to errors if doing so will cause them to lose face. To Arabs, honor is more important than facts." Additionally, "In arguing the Palestine issue...they (Arabs) often placed the greatest emphasis on the suffering of individuals rather than on points of law or recital of historical events." For someone who is trying to assist the lay person in understanding Arabs, this does not do much to portray Arabs as rational. Much of what I've mentioned was sprinkled in between Arab complaints that they are maligned and vilified in the media.

By contrast Arabs do not like being judged by Westerners. However, whereas the US makes a big deal of separating church and state, Arabs, fundamentally believe the two cannot be separated, and the religion of choice is Islam.

I found the section that describes the current socioeconomic conditions to be the most informative. Many of the Arab nations suffer severe poverty. The richest countries tend to be the most authoritarian. (Saudi Arabia and Iraq.) Surprisingly, the author found Iraq to be the most progressive, until recently. (Saddam, progressive?) However, nothing is made of some of the fascist regimes in power in many of the Middle Eastern countries. And there is no mention of the generous US aid heaped on many of these ungrateful countries.

Generally, there is a sense that if there is to be peace in the Middle East, the United States is going to have to do the lions share of the work. But overall, I was left with a sense that the vast majority of Arabs are good and decent people just looking to make a life for themselves and their families. In spite of some of my comments, this book left me with a positive view of the Arab condition.


Good on Arabic customs, poor on geopolitics   September 4, 2003
 17 out of 21 found this review helpful

This book is two books into one. The first book is essentially how to get along in Arabic countries. The second book is on geopolitics.

When the author writes about Arabic social customs and misunderstanding between Arabs and Westerners, she is more often than not right on the mark. The two populations are obviously very different in their overall behavior and approach to many aspects of life. In a sense it is an extrapolation of the North/South behavioral axis you find in many countries. If you meet a Northern French or Italian, he typically will be more reserved, more serious, and somewhat introverted than his Southern counterpart who will be more joyful, louder, extrovert. The North/South behavioral axis is not so pronounced in the U.S., as it is in many European countries. In any case, take this North/South axis and compound it several times, and you get an idea of the gulf between the typical Western behavior and the Arabic one. The author does an excellent job at explaining the differences between these two cultures. And, the information she imparts on this subject is truly useful for anyone traveling, working, or living in Arabic countries.

When the author shares her opinion about geopolitics, she is on quick sand. Her views on this subject are full of fallacies, contradictions, and errors. The author has no credentials and knowledge to support any of her subjective opinions. After all, her academic background is as an Arabic teacher. She has no academic degree in political science, international economics, demographics, or any other relevant discipline. And, it really shows. Had she stuck to Arabic customs, her book would have been so much better.

There are many authors who will shed much light on the subjects of Arabs, Islam, and their relationship to the Western World. Some of the luminaries in this field include Bernard Lewis, Samuel Huntington, Thomas Friedman, and Robert Kaplan.


It Changed My Life.   June 24, 2003
 5 out of 11 found this review helpful

I first learned to fall in love with the Arab people through this book. As I delved into Islamic and Arabic culture studies, I came across Understanding Arabs, and was fascinated by what I found. A culture that put the group over the individual, that valued honor so highly, that had no word or concept for privacy (not as it is defined in American culture) . . . The more I read, the more God put them on my heart, and the more my heart became one with the Arab people, for here I found a culture so like my own. Over the years, in further reading and further experience, I've learned a lot more beyond Nydell's terse etic generalization of Arabic culture, but most of what she shares is accurate, and limited enough to be a very easy read, while making you pant for more. She writes with a Semitic style, sharing stories which illuminates the people far more than dry text. Come and read this book, and see for yourself the beginnings of a love affair with the Arab people.


Packed with Knowledge!   February 26, 2003
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

Margaret K. Nydell has recast this cross-cultural guide to getting along with Arabs in a new light in the midst of the war on terror. In so doing, she navigates sensitive territory, a no-man's land stuck between understanding another culture, and becoming an apologist for its negative behaviors. Properly executed, cross-cultural guides enhance one's awareness of the vast cultural gap between social norms and customs. Occasionally this volume lapses into cultural generalities, but that's inevitable when you're trying to explain norms of some 20 diverse Arab countries. Understanding Arabs will help you do just that, and although it may not shed a lot of light on the current conflict, it's very timely. We from getAbstract highly recommend it to anyone who wants a better understanding of Islam and Arabs. As Nydell says in her introduction, seeking understanding should not be confused with appeasement.