The Levant was home to Tom Friedman, an American born Jew, during most of the 1980s. This book details his time there and also provides an overview of the people and culture of the region. Particularly, his focus remains on religious aspects and the intense conflicts resulting from the differences thereof. I knew little of the realities of the Middle East before this; I closed the book with some clarity. I now know what happened, which in turn led me to understand what is happening. Shiites, Sunnis, Druse, Maronites, the Palestinians (with the PLO and Arafat), the Syrians, the Israelis all have new, accurate associations and definitions in my mind. News reports referencing Shiites in Beirut or West Bank Palestinians will no longer be puzzles if you read this, which I recommend to anyone desiring information about the Middle East.

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