A Good Read on the Middle East

I recently read Bernard Lewis' What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East in the hope that I might better understand why so much tension exists between the West—particularly the U.S.—and the Middle East. I wasn't disappointed, although as a born skeptic/cynic I plan on reading some other books on this subject by different authors to get some other viewpoints.

This book posits that the Islamic world has undergone a slow decline from its heyday of, oh, a millenium ago to the fractured, chaotic entity it is today due mainly to a resistance to Western (read: infidel) influence in the form of medecine, philosophy, social mores, military strategy, and technology in general.

I think the author hits on some things that make sense to me but I do wonder if perhaps he's a little biased (judge for yourself). Having said that, I don't think he necessarily denigrates Islam because he does discuss at length how the Islamic world once stood at the pinnacle of civilization while the West was crawling through the miasma of the Middle Ages. (Disclaimer: no mention is made of any Asian cultures in this book.)

The reviews on Amazon reflect the whole gamut of reactions; perhaps not surprisingly this book wasn't too popular with readers of Middle Eastern descent. Still, a worthwhile read, in my opinion. Four out of five stars.