This Paperback Book item from Hatherleigh Press was reviewed on 3-Nov-2008. Search ISBN:1578261171 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. The Arab Mind Reference Book. Classifications : Social Psychology & Interactions Psychology & Counseling Health, Mind & Body Subjects Books General Psychology & Counseling Health, Mind & Body Subjects Books General AAS Psychology & Counseling Healt . Click the following link to view the cover of The Arab Mind. Related topics: Health, Mind & Body. Subjects. Books. General. Health, Mind & Body. Subjects. Books. General AAS. Health, Mind & Body. Subjects. requestid: e79d7ada-d71c-4250-b4d2-a025eb276888
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1) Paperback Book The Arab Mind by Hatherleigh Press. A surprisingly comprehensive explanation, with documentation and examples, of what the author has learned about Arab thinking and culture over a lifetime of study. Clearly presented, and quite readable. However, I suggest following up with another author of comparable stature, for comparison. Patai´s views, while having an apparent objectivity (including quotations from prominent Arabs) present a culture that an American mind finds distasteful in its harshness and ethics. The Arab Mind is a valuable book, but it would be valuable to determine if it is biased or objective.¤ 2) Paperback Book The Arab Mind by Hatherleigh Press. This book is so poorly researched that it cannot be considered academically useful. It is also clearly out-of-touch with the reality of Arab culture, appealing to popular prejudice and sensationalism more than cited sources, let alone interviews with real Arabs about the conclusions drawn.
When the author does cite sources, which he often does, his own psychoanalysis weighs much more heavily on the conclusions he draws than any researched factoid that he happens to mention.
For example, he makes a big deal out of an obscure reference which suggests that Arabs fondle the genitals of their male babies. Though the source refers to a particular region, he says that we can safely assume that it is practiced everywhere. He then goes on to describe how this practice is responsible for all the misogyny and sexual repression in Arab society.
In reality, parents in many cultures fondle their babies´ genitals, and see nothing wrong with it, although it is frowned upon in American culture. It clearly does not have the same effects in these other cultures that Patai would have us believe it has on Arabs. This is just one example, though, of citing a source, expanding it to include the whole Arab world, and then drawing far-reaching conclusions based on the author´s version of Freudian psychoanalysis. This kind of thing occurs repeatedly in this book.
The book is very unkind to Arabs, and is written in a way that attempts to mask gross sensationalism under a veneer of intellectual inquiry. It serves to confirm deep-seated prejudices that Westerners have against Arabs, and Muslims in general.
The book is like the Da Vinci Code, in that it is presented as well-researched, and contains enough semblance of truth to overcome the reader´s initial suspicion, but then continues to present pure fantasy under the guise of fact. The only difference is that Dan Brown admits that the Da Vinci Code is fiction.
I do not think anybody should read this book. It does not provide useful information, and it is grossly misleading. It will be most enjoyed by those prejudiced against Arabs, because it will confirm their most vicious biases, and by those who like to read academic-sounding things about sex. This book has tremendous potential to severely damage constructive relations between the West and both Arabs and Islam.¤ 3) Paperback Book The Arab Mind by Hatherleigh Press. Get some outside scholarly opinions before considering this book. A simple Wikipedia search will suffice (be sure to read the entry´s references). The book´s popularity and revival mostly comes from neoconservatives and, in turn, the Pentagon´s use of the book as a basis for understanding the Arab culture and, subsequently, creating interrogation/torture techniques to be used on Arabs. From other scholars´ views, this book seems by no means to be a work of which to base notions upon the Arab culture. "The book is described as simplistic, reductionist, stereotyping, generic, essentialist, outdated, superseded, flawed, unscientific and even intellectually dishonest by other scholars." It saddens me that this book is given to our men and women in the armed forces. We can do better, and so can you: do the research.¤ 4) Paperback Book The Arab Mind by Hatherleigh Press. You´ve got to be kidding: an East European Jewish writer opining about the Arab Mind and Americans. I feel the urge to write a tome about the Chinese mind as it applies to South Koreans.¤ 5) Paperback Book The Arab Mind by Hatherleigh Press. 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.¤ 6) Paperback Book The Arab Mind by Hatherleigh Press. The classic study of Arab culture and society is now more relevant than ever. Since its original publication in 1983, the revised edition of Raphael Patai´s The Arab Mind has been recognized as one of the seminal works in the field of Middle Eastern studies. This penetrating analysis unlocks the mysteries of Arab society to help us better understand a complex, proud and ancient culture. The Arab Mind discusses the upbringing of a typical Arab boy or girl, the intense concern with honor and courage, the Arabs´ tendency toward extremes of behavior, and their ambivalent attitudes toward the West. Chapters are devoted to the influence of Islam, sexual mores, Arab language and Arab art, Bedouin values, Arab nationalism, and the pervasive influence of Westernization. With a new foreword by Norvell B. DeAtkine, Director of Middle East Studies at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N.C., this book unravels the complexities of Arab traditions and provides authentic revelations of Arab mind and character.¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 1-Dec-2008, 15782611719781578261178, 700-020-570-520-711-521-8 
The Arab Mind, Book, Image © Hatherleigh Press
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