A Message from the Author

Map of the Arab World

Preface

Introduction: Patterns of Change

1 Beliefs and Values

2 Friends and Strangers

3 Emotion and Logic

4 Getting Personal

5 Men and Women

6 Social Formalities and Etiquette

7 The Social Structure

8 The Role of the Family

9 Religion and Society

10 Communicating with Arabs

11 Islamic Fundamentalism (Islamism)

12 Anti-Americanism

13 Arabs and Muslims in the West

14 The Arab Countries, Similarities and Differences: The Arab Countries in Africa

15 The Arab Countries in the Center

16 The Arab Countries in the Arabian Peninsula

Conclusion

Appendix: The Arabic Language

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

“Margaret Nydell blends her informed understanding of Arab history and contemporary politics with deep and thoughtful insight into Arab culture and psychology. Many authors know much about the former, and a few know much about the latter, but only Understanding Arabs conveys a deep understanding of the synergies of both. This is essential reading for those working in — or with — Arab countries, or seeking to understand Arab society.”

— Lawrence R. Velte Associate Professor of Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, and Associate, Washington Center for Protocol, Inc.

“This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to comprehend the Middle East. The writing is fluid, full of examples, and updated to include the Arab Spring. Dr. Nydell, a world renowned linguist with decades of practical experience in the field, is an authoritative voice. She provides profound insights into Arabs’ perceptions underlying political events, and our interactions with each other.”

—Elizabeth McKune, Executive Director, Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, and Former US Ambassador to the State of Qatar

“For her understanding of the Arab mind, her expertise in teaching and her skill in crafting this book, Dr. Nydell is truly a national treasure. Understanding Arabs should be required reading for any professional or policy maker who is involved in any way with working with Arabs or on matters impacting the Middle East.”

— F.L. Rusty Capps, Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, and President of Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence Training Partners LLC.

“This is an important and fascinating book, especially for Americans in the crucial time in U.S.-Arab relations. Dr. Nydell presents a timely, lucid, and engaging guide to the values and cultures of the Arab world, based on her many years of working and living there, and on her training as a professional linguist. This candid and wonderfully readable book captures the contrasts and the characteristics of this great civilization and brings them vividly to life for a Western audience.”

— Karin Ryding, PhD, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Professor of Arabic, and Chair of the Department of Arabic Language, Georgetown University

“Still the only volume of its kind. This timely and needed volume supports serious-minded efforts to learn, understand and communicate with Arabs and Muslims. Nydell combines her many years of experience living in the region with her special linguistic expertise to offer today’s students insights they are obliged to critically consider before study or research abroad. The accessible presentation succeeds in humanizing as it reveals both the difficult issues and the abiding values that govern peoples’ experiences. Nydell reminds us that in the Middle East and North Africa there will be much more to grasp as continued rapid change alters those lives daily.”

—Terrence M. Potter, Visiting Associate Professor, Georgetown University