Israel Books

Many books have been written about the (1st) Intifada or Palestinian Uprising. This one certainly deserves its reputation as the "classic" account of this uprising. It is quite detailed and yet sees the Intifada from a broad perspective. Whereas so many books on the topic focus exclusively on the military or economic aspects of this conflict, this book treats the broader social and cultural issues. A whole chapter, for example, is devoted to the social effects of the Intifada on Israeli society. Few books broach the relationship of military service in such a conflict to domestic and criminal violence at home, in such deep analysis as Peretz does in this one chapter. Another chapter is devoted to social changes in Palestinian society, in particular the role of women. Everything is backed up with detailed notes, facts, and figures, and a beautiful selection of symbolic photographs. My only regret is that the book has not been brought up to date - it was written in 1989, in the heat of the conflict. But then perhaps that was a good thing.

Kobi Israel is not only a fine photographer, he is an observer of the human condition. Originally from Israel he moved to London's SoHo district where he noted the inordinate number of isolated strangers, men without connection to him whose stories Israel felt needed telling. "Soho is full of posing, but also full of feelings and emotions - loneliness, excitement, fear, passion and self-discovery are all aspects of living in a big cosmopolitan city." "We are all foreigners among foreigners here - everyone you lay your eyes on is a mystery, an enigma."

Israel began capturing his subjects on film. "I selected my models very subjectively, often without having a plan beforehand. Some sessions were triggered by a smile on the street from a passer-by, a shy look in a bar, an erotic chat on the internet, or just by following the body language of someone across the street from my coffee table. Sometimes, a moment of intimacy unexpectedly revealed itself during a professional photo session for a model portfolio."

The results of this handsome portfolio are in the subjects, the emotionally lonely poses, the phenomenal eloquence of Israel's lighting effects, and the fragility yet compassionate frames he has captured. Yes, there is pairing and intimacy here, yet the overriding message comes from the eyes and tenuous postures of these beautiful men captured by an artist who understands human vulnerability. Recommended. Grady Harp, July 05

There are few scholarly works which are also as enjoyable to read as this introduction to the Psalms. Especially for those who have not considered their original context, this book brings a needed layer of depth and richness to the Psalm experience. I think college and seminary students will find this book exactly what they need.

This small book contains valuable information regarding life and all round genius of Westinghouse. Includes his contributions to steam engines, railroading, electrical engineering, automobile suspension system, natural gas and much much more. Reader also gets to know about Tesla's invention of transformers and induction motors. Thomas Edison has been shown in unfavourable light in his encounters with Westinghouse. A must read book for any one interested in history of engineering an technology.

This book is an elementary introduction to some ideas and techniques that have revolutionized enumerative geometry: stable maps and quantum cohomology. It uses as a basis Kontsevich's formula and provides a complete proof of the formula.

The book assumes some basic algebraic geometry and some elementary intersection theory. This would include algebraic curves, divisors and line bundles, blowup, Grassmannians.

This book was originally published in Portuguese in 1999 as part of a mini-course. The further developments in the field have and the need for a more introductory book than Fulton and Pandharipande 'Notes on Stable Maps and Quantum Cohomology' have led to this revised, expanded and English language translation.

The cataclysmic events both inside and outside the Muslim world since 9/11 have caused some serious collateral damage. Inter-religious dialogue has suffered a severe setback as a result of the increased antagonism between Muslims and non-Muslims. Especially progressive Muslim thinkers are now in an even less enviable position than before. In their attempts to find ouvertures these potential bridge-builders between modern western thought and Islamic discourse are often vilified by less open-minded fellow Muslims. In todayýs climate poisoned with suspicion, these intellectuals face a real danger of being stonewalled or considered mere apologists in the West as well.

The only way out of this deadlock of mistrust is to take note of the views and ideas of these often original thinkers. "Islam and Modernity: Muslim Intellectuals Respond" is a volume of essays in which some innovative Muslim thinkers are either presented and interpreted by Islamic studies specialists or given opportunity to speak for themselves.

After an introduction by Derek Hopwood, sketching the intellectual climate in which the debate on cultural heritage and response to outside influences is grounded in the world of Islam, followed by an essay on modernist influences on 19th century Urdu literature, John Cooper analyzes the contributions of Iranýs controversial philosopher of science, ýAbd al-Karim Soroush, to the debate on the ýIslamization of knowledgeý. A pharmacologist by training, Soroush also engages in penetrating studies of traditionalism and Islamic philosophy. Although he was very much involved in the educational reforms taking place in the wake of Iranýs Islamic revolution, Soroush has nevertheless been able to retain an independent intellectual stand. Cooper explains that he succeeded in doing so because ý[h]e began to present a more personalized discourse, in which his intellectual autobiography came to figure prominently [..]ý. In his argumentations for new trajectories towards knowledge Soroush uses elements from the entire Islamic intellectual spectrum: Persian poetry, ideas borrowed from revivalism, mysticism, and scriptural studies are employed to trace genealogies and suggest a new Islamic epistemology.

Andreas Christmann presents a micro-level study of the Damascus-based preacher Shaikh Muhammad Saýid Ramadan al-Buti. The essay is based on field-work in which he has researched the biography of this representative of the traditional ýulama or religious scholars, and the influences his ideas have had, mainly through the modern media of radio and TV.

Nadia Abu-Zahraýs survey of the liberal writer on Islam, Husayn Ahmed Amin, shows that his main focus is on the importance of correct knowledge of Islamic history and consideration for social circumstances in the development and implementation of Islamic law or Shariýa. Together these will make Muslims aware that Shariýa law developed centuries ago and that its stipulations have failed to keep pace with new social conditions. In adapting to these new circumstances, Muslims can enhance their confidence in their Islamic identity. That such a reform has failed sofar is, among others, due to the misconception of the Prophetýs infallibility, ignoring the fact that many of the Prophetýs actions were driven by political and economic interests, and the isolationist attitudes of later generations of jurists. In a detailed analysis of Aminýs argumentation on the basis of historical and scriptural studies, the author points out several inconsistencies in Aminýs reasonings.

The Sudanese reformist Mahmud Muhammad Taha has paid the ultimate price for his modernist thinking: in 1985 he was condemned to death on charges of apostasy and executed. Mohamed Mahmoudýs essay focusses mainly on the thinkerýs most influential work: ýThe Second Message of Islamý. Taha may be characterized as a universalist and gnostic, as such his thought was not so different from certain strands of Sufism.
Tahaýs philosophy is permeated by two interrelated problems: the relationship between individual and society, and manýs relationship to the universe. Tahaýs starting point that ýin Islam the individual is the end. Everything else, including the Qurýan and the religion of Islam itself, are means to that end.ý, makes him a true humanist. Further on Mohamad Mahmoud explains that Tahaýs evolutionary perspective on religion induces him to take Islam as a living, endless process rather than a doctrine pregnant with dogmatism.
The author then takes us through some intriguing concepts that Tahaýs philosophy touched upon: original and subsidiary revelations, jihad, gender, slavery, the position of democracy.

According to Ronald Nettler, Tunesian-born mediaevist Mohamed Talbi has made a significant contribution to modernist Islamic religious thought in the later half of the twentieth century. Central themes in Talbiýs thinking are the contextuality of scriptural exegesis, manýs innate pluralism, and the provisionality of all knowledge. Interestingly, Talbi acknowledges his intellectual debt to the Christian theologian Hans Kueng for his views on interreligious relations.

The Moroccan Mohamed Abed Jabri is a professional philosopher, who has engaged in the debate on how Muslims can accommodate concepts like democracy and human rights in their conceptional world. Central to his thinking are notions such as ethical princple and rationality. Abdou Filali-Ansariýs essay contains an interesting exposition on Jabriýs view of secularism, serving as an illustration of the invasion of the theological field by ýsecularý intellectuals.

From a similar mold, but decidedly post-modernist in tone, is the essay by Mohammed Arkoun, an expert on Islamic philosophy. He makes a case for differentiation between ýQurýan-as-factý and ýIslam-as-factý on the basis of historical, sociological and linguistic research, without losing sight of the influence that ideologies have on the formation of ýmeaningý.

Another thinker who has suffered the consequences of his innovative approaches to Islamic studies is Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid, who had to seek refuge in the Netherlands after being sued for apostasy in Egypt. He suggests that semiotic methods can be fruitfully applied to the study of Qurýan. His essay, dealing with the textuality of the Qurýan, illuminates Islamic notions of ýtextý, ýlanguageý and ýsemanticsý. He emphasizes, however, that textual particularities must be studied in their historical context, and that the textýs interpretation is absolutely human and therefore infinitely diverse.

All in all, this collection of essays makes an excellent companion volume to any of the vast number of books on political Islam.

I purchased this book via [...] after first finding it in Israel. My friend in Isreal personnally knows the author and said that it was an excellent book. Due to the constant changes going on in the Middle East this book offers deep insite into why there is a constant battle going on in Israel and what can be done to change the situation. Without understanding of both sides of the issue we can not help. This book will make you aware of the deep rooted problems in the Middle East and some of the best ways to solve these problems. The author has lived out what he proposes with great success. I would encourage anyone who wants to understand the Islam v Israel conflict to read this book.
I also had the oppertunity to hear the authors personal testimony as he shared it with an aquaintence of mine. He turely desires to see peace in Jerusalem. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to help change the situation in Israel, America or anywhere Islam, Christanity or Judaism is practised.

I am actually an ex-Muslim, the author of this title and yes I live in Aylesbury a little town in the South-East of England out of which comes this dramatic truth. This is the same place where a suicide bomber struck London 7/7. While most ex-Muslims hide I actually come out boldly declaring truth. I did not want to give myself any stars but I have to choose so I chose five stars because no one tells it like I did, they all go politically correct to keep their ratings high but I value truth not ratings. In the end Its you who will decide what this work is really worth. Yahushua (Jesus) of Nazareth picked me for this task and here I am. This is Bible truth staring you in the face!

This is one of those titles that no one dares to carry since it contains information shaking long-held beliefs. People are usually intimidated by these things but are happy to have their ears tickled,week in and week out in churches, they love prophecy teachers who can do such things, no wonder books like "left behind series" are selling in the millions and false theories abound with Purpose driven church nonsense but truth is trod to the ground but when truth does indeed hit them in the face and leaves them cold then they realise what is missing in their life. Islam is going to play the most dominant role in the end of days and this book pieces the puzzle correctly with none of this hocus pocus mumbo jumbo theories out there. This is for ALL truth seekers and those who want to know what signs to look out for. One day when we meet you will thank me I wrote this title for such a time as this. A must read.

Clive Jones and Emma C. Murphy have put together a thin, concise and well-researched book on Israeli society. Given its size, you shouldn't expect an extensive or terribly thorough account. Still, they've managed to pack a lot into five chapters (and an epilogue), covering the history and character of Israel's state formation, the reinforcement of various ethnic and social stratifications, the transformations of the state's internal relations, and its adaptations to a changing global political economy.

For the most part, the summaries in "Israel: Challenges to Identity, Democracy and the State" are excellent, touching on the most relevant aspects of whatever is being described. Their greatest strength is in their coverage of Israel's state formation, its particular form of state intervention known as "mamlachtiyut" (or statism) which helped cement Israel's precarious post-independence socio-economic relations but also further entrenched the concentration of power for some and the marginalization of others.

Some sections, however, lack nuance, such as their economic review. For the most part, this is a very bland, state-based economic analysis that seems to suspend -- for a chapter -- the interplay of intra-Israeli social groups. It might as well be a review of the Jewish economy, as the many economic differences between Israel's Jewish and Palestinian populations are not covered. But even intra-Jewish differences are not exposed. At one point, they emphasize Israel's investments in education and hi-tech industries, but they fail to mention the differential inputs certain communities have received, including the different education systems for citizen Palestinians and religious Orthodox Jews. Reading this, I got the sense that the same set of indicators could be applied to any state economy, without regard for distributional factors.

The main arguments of this book are based on the transformations that have occurred in Israel since the 1970s, but these are firmly grounded in historical context. They locate a range of changes in the Israeli political and social fields in the context of a disintegration of this statist form of elite leadership, events such as the historic shift from Labor to Likud, and the proliferation of extra-parliamentary organizations such as Gush Emunim and Peace Now. In the process, a wealth of good information is provided considering the short length of the book.

They claim that identity is the "most pressing security dilemma". But is it? Like many commentators, they mark 1967 as the moment when everything changed, calling it a "watershed" in Israel's democratic development. They claim that Israel will solve its territorial problems once it solves its identity problems. But I'm not entirely convinced.

No doubt we have seen a rising confrontation in Israel between those seeking "land for peace" and those seeking land for "Greater Israel", but Israel's historic identity is rooted in the twinning of settlement and security. Land has always held a place in Israel's conception of security. In their own account of Israel's increasing integration with the world economy, they claim that Israel "remains conditioned by a hierarchical foreign policy decision-making structure, biased towards the politics, if not the cult, of national security".

This issue of land and war, settlement and security, begs a number of questions about whether Israel's social fragmentation is really at the heart of its territorial problems (read: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict). This twinning of territory and security may be a binding feature of Israeli identity. If so, solving its internal identity problems may help develop national unity, but it is unlikely to mediate the political and territorial concerns at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But Jones and Murphy's book is still a welcome contribution. While I have read books on Israeli sociology that I have found more thorough or theoretically appealing, they don't even approach the concise, clear prose of "Israel: Challenges to Identity, Democracy and the State". I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a quick, fruitful read on "who" Israel is today, how it came to be so, and where it might be heading.

This is a great book for readers 9-12 and teens. Chapters cover geography, landscape, ancient Israel, Israel's birth and growth, business in Israel, ethnic and religious diversity, arts and sports, and relationship with the United States. Beautifully illustrated and well written.