Tesco
Understanding Arabs
Book

Understanding Arabs

A Guide For Westerners

Margaret K. (Omar) Nydell
Intercultural Press, 2002

Read or listen offline

  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×

Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

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. getAbstract highly recommends 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.

Take-Aways

  • The war on terrorism is not a clash between civilizations.
  • Of the 55 Muslim countries, only 20 are Arab nations, i.e. mainly Arabic-speaking.
  • Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.

About the Author

A teacher of Arabic at Georgetown University, Margaret K. (Omar) Nydell is an experienced trainer, teacher and Arabist, who consults with private and public organizations. Her posts have included director of Arabic language training at the Foreign Service Institute and its School of Arabic Language and Area Studies in Tunis. This book has been used to teach U.S. military academy cadets.

Comment on this summary or Start Discussion