Rating: 
Summary: An insight into a world we need to know
Review: Leila Ahmed's account gives a sensitive, intelligent and insightful point of view about a region that continues to dominate our attention. There is great charm to her account, but also sadness over a world that is no longer and over historical developments that went awry. At times one would wish her to be more forceful -she does not confront Edward Said, for instance, for his failure to criticize Nasser's dictatorship and personal ambition- but, then, it is evident that she comes from a world that she has not been able entirely to leave behind. For those who these days hold opinions that are anti-Arab or anti-Muslim, Ahmed's is a voice of reason and compassion, one that makes us realize that the picture is infintely more complex than we had supposed it to be.
Rating:
Summary: It is a must-have book.
Review: Reading this book was such an exciting and exuberant experience. As I was going through the book, I had this inexplicable feeling that Ahmed was talking about myself, my childhood, my Turkish descent, my life in Cairo before moving into the States three years ago, and my summer vacations in Alexandria. Ahmed elucidated her ethos and beliefs ardently and unfeignedly that every reader will be able to feel her sincerity and genuineness. In doing that, Ahmed presented a neat and precise summary of the Egyptian modern history. which to me, an Egyptian by birth, born after Nasser's era, was an undiscovered treasure.To me, Egypt after Independence was a puzzle, and Ahmed's book helped me to put the bits and pieces together. Eventually, I was able to understand why the Egyptian people have different positions toward Socialism brought about by Nasser and his faction and why my father, a lawyer by profession and a capitalist by birth always hated Nasser and disrespected his party. Albeit English is her second language, Ahmed's command of the lanaguage is prodigious. For non-Egyptians, I expect the book to be as interesting as it is for the natives. This book represents an intricately structured state-of-the-art mini-encyclopedia of Sociology, Psychology and History flowing naturally and smoothly. This is the kind of book, I, first generation Egyptian immigrant, would keep for my children and grand children as a reference they could get back to during their life journey.
Rating: 
Summary: I know I'm going to get shot down for this
Review: The book was beautifully written, and parts of it were very interesting, but basically it was the autobiography of someone who's life wasn't particularly interesting. Ahmed's prose style is very good, but it couldn't carry the book for me. She made some interesting points about Islam and Moslem culture, but they were to few and far between.
Rating:
Summary: I know I'm going to get shot down for this
Review: The book was beautifully written, and parts of it were very interesting, but basically it was the autobiography of someone who's life wasn't particularly interesting. Ahmed's prose style is very good, but it couldn't carry the book for me. She made some interesting points about Islam and Moslem culture, but they were to few and far between.
| 
