Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11

Rating:
Summary: An Intelligent, Important Book
Review: Every thinking American should own, read and re-read "Longitudes and Attitudes" by Thomas Friedman.

The structure of the book is simple: a slim collection of Friedman's columns for the New York Times pre-September 11, a lengthier collection post (in my edition through April 30, 2003), and an essay at the end.

Yet these columns and this essay contain vital insight into so many of the critical issues on the foreign affairs front facing the US today: Al-Qaeda, the rise of Islam, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the war in Iraq.

In many ways, Friedman is your average joe "thinking American"--just one though who has lived throughout the middle east, analyzed it for a living for years, and possesses the ability to crystallize issues through the medium of a NY Times column.

His essays pre-9/11 are both prescient (a column on Osama ending with "revolution until victory")at times, and on unrelated topics at others (the cyber revolution, the Davos World Economic Forum).

Post 9/11 his columns are filled with a range of emotions: rage, modified anger, rational insight, sage advice. Throughout he has insights (e.g., the clash is not between civilizations but within them, the US, in the case of Al Qaeda has waged war not on a country as is traditional, but a group) that every reader should take and debate with others.

His essay at the end contains his musings and his analyses of the current situation in the mid-east. Such analyses as that of the 9/11 hijackers-he lumps them into two groups, the "thinkers" and the "muscle men"-makes you realize that you are reading the first "history" of 9/11 and not just a lengthy newspaper column.

I would recommend this book highly to just about anyone who can read (and in my reviews I usually am very particular about recommending books to certain groups). It is a great read-and a great book.

Rating:
Summary: A great introduction to the complexity of the 9/11 attack.
Review: I picked up 'Longitudes and Attitudes' last time I was in New York. I was looking for some readings into 9/11 and this seemed to be a good starting point.

Thomas Friedman is a foreign correspondent with a twice-weekly column in the New York Times. His writing has (so far) won him the Pulitzer Prize three times! 'Longitudes and Attitudes' is a collection of his columns published over a period of 18 months, December 2000 until July 2002. The book also includes a part II - his personal journal from his traveling in Europa, Asia and the Middle East after 9/11.

Friedman is an audacious American who has a big heart, is passionate about his writing and is gifted with the ability to make sense of what the rest of us think of as chaos. He has excellent contacts throughout the Middle East, knows the subtle differences between the cultures and he appreciates the fragile balance between them. 'Longitudes and Attitudes' gave me a good insight into the culture and thoughts of those in the Middle East and to the sheer complexity of this war.

I would recommend it for everyone that would like a clear and in depth explanation of what fueled the attack on America.

PS. This book was my introduction to last year's 9/11 readings. If you only want to read one contemporary account of the aftermath of 9/11, this is an excellent book. However, I read this book, the followed up with books highly recommended from a friend (Thanks Greg!); 'The Base' (Corbin) and 'Holy War Inc' (Bergen). I finished off my 9/11 period with Giuliani's 'Leadership'. These four books compliment each other, and reading them gave me a much broader, deeper understanding of the complexity of the problem(s) we are facing.

Rating:
Summary: More than one book
Review: Longitudes and Attitudes was several books for me. It was a book that opened my eyes to the rest of the world. I felt I was given "insider information" by a writer who seems to have amazing access to genuine people. In this sense, it was a timely book of current affairs.

It was also a book that caused my to examine my own culture, African America, in the midst of examining other cultures. I wound up comparing my community to the Arab-Muslim community and found some parallels and differences. Like the Arab-Muslim community, we deal with tribalism, anti-intellectualism, "street" rage and an elite who draws comfort and support from keeping its power long after it should have yielded it. I am so thankful that we did not do what the Arab-Muslim world has done and that is to try make change by imploding. If ever there was a book that detailed the perils of not using non-violent means for change, this is it.

Finally, the book encouraged me and discouraged me. I hope that the swamp that births terrorists is drained, but I know that there are people continue to nourish that swamp and they must be dealt with. I strongly recommend it for people who want to have their current affairs prejudices and notions pushed around in an enlightening way.

Rating:
Summary: A realistic view post-Sept. 11
Review: Mr. Friedman's latest book, "Longitudes and Attitudes" is a realistic and unfettered view of the world pre-and post-Sept. 11th, but it is not, as many books of the kind are, 100% pro-American. When reading this book, one must realize that America is not infallable, mistakes have been made, and while I'm sure we'd all agree Sept. 11th was not a good day, it was not a blind and random attack.

This book has been criticized for being pro-Arab, pro-Palestinian, anti-American, etc., and, I believe, unfairly so. As in his other books (From Beirut to Jerusalem, notably), Friedman has taken a neutral jorunalistic view of the conflicts in the Middle East. If you're looking for a pro-American "we didn't do anything to anyone else" book, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a book that clearly and unapologetically describes the situations that exist in the Arab world today, I heartily recommend this book.

Also, of note, this is a collection of editorial columns from the New York Times and a short diary. If you read Friedman's columns regularly, you may not find much of anything new here.

Rating:
Summary: Perfectly encapsulated knowledge and wisdom.
Review: This book is a perfect follow up to The Lexus And The Olive Tree.
A collection of NYT columns before and after 9/11, and a small personal commentary on it all, Friedman captures all the rage, the search for meaning, the demand for justice....he gets it all in there. He says everything you've thought. He also presents the dilemma of the middle east in easy-to-understand terms, which is more difficult than it sounds. Thoughout his writing is an anger--anger against the politics and the fundamentalist extremists of the middle east, and also anger against the same of the US.
He's the first one I've read so far to intelligently take President Bush to task for his lack of foreign affairs skill and his embarrassing butt-kissing of oil and big business. Bush is the first president in the history of the United States who has never read the Constitution.
Friedman's anger is tempered by his love of America and his pride of our freedom, and this constantly shows through in brilliant rays throughout the book.
If you only want to know a little bit more about the current world
this book will satisfy greatly. If you want deep insight into the problem of the middle east and terrorism, this book will fascinate.