Additional Reading Suggestions on Islam and the Middle East

When making a book display, I often pick out more books than I can fit in the display case. I still think these books are worth reading. This second list includes the books that did not make it into the display case for the “Learn about Islam and the Middle East” book display we have running until the end of September, which is part of our September Project celebration.

The books on this list are located in the third floor stacks of the library unless noted otherwise. They are listed in call number order. I would like to invite our library patrons to pick up any of these books, and if they do, to let us know what they think and about what they read. Feel free to leave us a comment here on the blog.

• Joseph E.B. Lumbard. Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition: Essays by Western Muslim Scholars. BP 60 .I7848 2004.
• Robert Spencer. The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World’s Most Intolerant Religion. BT 1170 .S657 2006.
• Frederick Quinn. The Sum of all Heresies: The Image of Islam in Western Thought. DS 35.74 .E85 Q45 2008.
• Michael Scheuer. Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam after Iraq. DS 35.74 .U6 S34 2008.
• Maxine Rodison. Europe and the Mystique of Islam. DS 36.855 .R613 2002.
• Albert Hourani. A History of the Arab Peoples. DS 37.7 .H67 1991.
• François Massoulié. Middle East Conflicts. DS 62.8 .M3213 2003.
• Roger Owen. State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East. DS 63 .O94 2004.
• Robert B. Silvers and Barbara Epstein, eds. A Middle East Reader: Selected Essays from The New York Review of Books. DS 63.1 .M490 1991.
• Kenneth M. Pollack. A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East. DS 63.2 .U5 P67 2008.
• Jimmy Carter. Palestine Peace Not Apartheid. DS 119.7 .C3583 2006.
• Arthur P. Clark and Muhammad A. Tahlawi, eds. A Land Transformed: The Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Aramco. DS 204 .L36 2006. (located in Oversize Collection, third floor stacks).
• Jonathan Curiel. Al’America: Travels Through America’s Arab and Islamic Roots. E 169.1 .C853 2008.
• Edward E. Curtis IV, ed. The Columbia Sourcebook of Muslims in the United States. E 184 .M88 C65 2008.
• Mahmood Mandani. Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror. E 840 .M346 2004.
• Aslam Syed, ed. Islam: Enduring Myths and Changing Realities. H1 .A4 v.588 (part of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences).
• Valérie Marcel. Oil Titans: National Oil Companies in the Middle East. HD 9578 .M628 M37 2006.
• Tarek S. Zaher and M. Kabir Hassan. A Comparative Literature Survey of Islamic Finance and Banking. HG 173 .F52 v.10 no.4 (this is part of the Financial Markets, Institutions and Instruments series).
• Rosemarie Skaine. Women of Afghanistan in the Post-Taliban Era: How Lives Have Changed and Where They Stand Today. HQ 1735.6 .S385 2008.
• Gilles Kepel and Jean-Pierre Milelli, eds. Al Qaeda In Its Own Words. HV 6431 .A4613 2008.

Library features book display: “Learn About Islam and The Middle East”

As part of its activities for the International September Project, the Robert R. Muntz Library has created a book display on “Learn About Islam and the Middle East.” The September Project is “a grassroots effort to encourage events about freedom and democracy in all libraries in all countries during the month of September.” With that goal in mind, and as part of our educational mission, we have created the display. In addition, the display gives us a small opportunity to recognize the Muslim observance of Ramadan and provide complementary readings to go along with the “Legacy of the Middle East” exhibit which runs until September 11, 2009.

Though Islamic societies are present around the world, we have chosen to highlight the Middle East to coordinate with the traveling exhibit. We could have created an exhibit of Islam around the world as well (maybe this can be a project for next year). For instance, did you know that Indonesia has the largest national Muslim population? We recognize that the diversity of Islamic societies is more than what we reflect in our small display.

This display will run through the month of September. It is located in the library’s third floor.

This is the list of books featured in the display case. When not in our display, these books are usually located in the third floor stacks, unless otherwise noted. They are presented in LC call number order:

• Rukhasana Khan, with illustrations by Patty Gallinger. Muslim Child: Understanding Islam Through Stories and Poems. 297 K4535 MU (CML-Dewey).
• Philip Wilkinson. Islam. 297 W6873IS (CML-Dewey).
• Joseph E.B. Lumbard, ed.. Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition. BP 60 .I7848 2004.
• The Qur’an. (Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik, translator. English Translation of the Meaning of Al-Qur’an). BP 109 .K45 1997.
• I.A. Ibrahim. A Brief Guide to Understanding Islam. BP161.2 .I27 1996.
• Thomas W. Lippman. Understanding Islam: an Introduction to the Muslim World. BP161.2 .L56 1995.
• Ira G. Zepp. A Muslim Primer: Beginner’s Guide to Islam. BP 161.2 .Z46 1992.
• Reza Aslan, No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. BP 161.3 .A79 2005 (Bestseller Collection).
• Paul Findley. Silent No More: Confronting America’s False Images of Islam. BP 170 .F56 2001.
• M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi. BP 170 .M83 2004.
• Bernard Lewis. The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror. BP 182 .L48 2004.
• Roy P. Mottahedeh. The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran. BP 192.7 .I68 M67 2000.
• Justin Marozzi. Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World. DS .M37 2007.
• P.M. Holt, et.al., eds. The Cambridge History of Islam. DS 35.6 .C3 1977 V.1A.
• Ira M. Lapidus. A History of Islamic Societies. DS 35.63 .L37 2002.
• Hugh Kennedy. When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World: the Rise and Fall of Islam’s Greatest Dynasty. DS 38.6 .K463 2006.
• Zachary Lochman. Contending Visions of the Middle East: the History and Politics of Orientalism. DS 61.8 .L63 2004.
• Martin Sicker. The Pre-Islamic Middle East. DS 62.2 .S54 2000.
• William L. Cleveland. A History of the Modern Middle East. DS 62.4 .C53 2004.
• David Fromkin. A Peace to End All Peace: the Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East. DS 63.2 .G7 F76 2001.
• Jimmy Carter. The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East. DS 119.7 .C358 2007.
• Hooman Majd. The Ayatollah Begs To Differ. DS 318.9 .M35 2008 (Bestseller Collection).
• Benazir Bhutto. Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West. DS 389.22 .B48 A3 2008 (Bestseller Collection).
• David R. Farber. Taken Hostage: the Iran Hostage Crisis and America’s First Encounter with Radical Islam. E 183.8 .I55 F37 2005.
• National Geographic Atlas of the Middle East. G2205 .N34 2008. (Reference).
• Elsa Marston. Figs and Fate: Stories About Growing Up in the Arab World Today. M3744FI (CML-Young Adult).
• Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis. PN 6747 .S245 p4713 2003.
• Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis 2: the Story of a Return. PN 6747 .S245 p4713.

Note that the books on the display case, except for the atlas (a reference book), are available for check out. If you see a book you wish to read, feel free to visit the reference or circulation desks, and we will be happy to open the display case for you so you can check it out. We do want people to check out and read these and other books in our library.

As always, if you need assistance locating other books or finding further information on these or other topics, feel free to stop by our reference desk or visit our website.

Library Presents Exhibit on “The Legacy of the Middle East”

The Robert R. Muntz Library is proud to present the exhibit “The Legacy of the Middle East.” This exhibit was created to honor the centennial anniversary of the unification of Saudi Arabia. Produced by Humanities Texas, this exhibit tells how “as early as 12,000 years ago, people in the Middle East began to domesticate animals, plant and harvest crops, use metal, make glass, construct monumental buildings, and organize cities and states. Using photographs, drawings, maps, charts, and replicas of artifacts, the exhibit tells the story of the great cultural revolution that began when hunters and gatherers settled down and began farming.” The exhibit features 20 panels with with 175 images and replicas.

The Muntz Library is featuring this to coincide in part with the celebration of Ramadan and as part of our educational mission.  The exhibit is also part of our activities for the International September Project. Since 2004, libraries around the world have organized events about freedom and issues that matter to their communities during the month of September. This grassroots project favors free over fee, public over private, and voices over silence. This is the second year that the Muntz Library has participated in the September Project. The library will also host other events, displays, and activities during September leading to Banned Books Week at the end of the month.

“The Legacy of the Middle East” is free and open to the public during library regular hours. It is produced by Humanities Texas, and it is made possible locally by the UT Tyler Friends of the Arts.

Learn More About Canada Day

Flag of Canada

July 1st is the Canada’s National Holiday, Canada Day. Formerly known as Dominion Day, this holiday celebrates the anniversary of the British North America Act, also known as the Constitution Act, enacted on July 1, 1867. The act is a major part of the Canadian Constitution, and at the time united Canada as a single country of four provinces. There are organized celebrations in and out of Canada. Many Canadians in the United States will gather to observe the holiday as well on or near this date.

Here are some links so you can learn more about the holiday and the nation of Canada:

• Here are some basics about Canada from the CIA World Factbook.
• If you wish to travel to Canada, here is some travel information about Canada, via the U.S. Department of State.
• Learn about the history of Canada Day in this series from the CBC.
• And here is the official portal page of the Canadian Government.

I would like to remind our readers that if they have any questions on this or other topics, they can visit our reference desk, or visit the library’s website to access our resources. You can also find complete contact information in our website so you can call us, e-mail us, or chat with a librarian.

Learn More About the Honduran Coup

Flag of Honduras

There has been a coup d’etat in Honduras. With some of the recent news of celebrity deaths, this political event may have gotten lost in the shuffle. However, if you wish to learn more, here are some sources:

• The University Libraries of the University of Colorado at Boulder have an excellent guide to Honduras as part of their Foreign Information series. There are great links to geographical, cultural, political, and even statistical sources. Please note that some of the information sources here are in Spanish.
• Here is the direct link to the Honduras page on the CIA World Factbook. This is always very good source of accurate information on countries. In fact, we have featured the CIA World Factbook as a Reference Book of the Week in this blog.

We would also like to point our users to the following Robert R. Muntz Library Resources:

• Our Research Guide on Political Science. This will lead you to links to our databases that you can use to find articles on Honduras and related topics, as well as other links of interest. Do note that for databases, you have to be affiliated to the university (faculty, student, staff) to use them.
• The Global Road Warrior is one of our recent database additions. It was featured on this blog here. This subscription-based database provides information for 175 topics on a variety of subjects.

As always, if you have any questions on this or other topics, feel free to visit our reference desk, or visit the library’s website to access our resources. You can also find complete contact information in our website so you can call us, e-mail us, or chat with a librarian.

Introducing…Global Road Warrior

Doing research on societies and cultures around the world?  Researching proper business etiquette in other countries? Want to know what Mongolia’s currency looks like?

The library is pleased to announce a new subscription to the Global Road Warrior database. Global Road Warrior provides information on 175 countries covering:

• Society and Culture (about 10 x the content of CultureGrams)
• Communications (the world’s most comprehensive)
• Travel (with more of a business perspective, but equally usable for personal travel)
• Trade (our forte)
• Business
• Money and Banking (scans of all banknotes and coinage in worldwide circulation)
• Country Maps (9 proprietary downloadable maps per country)
• more than 20 other topics.

Global Road Warrior can be accessed through the alphabetical list on the Find an Article (Databases) page and through related Research/Subject Guides. Give Global Road Warrior a try and let us know what you think – leave a comment here or send us an email.

Reference Book of the Week: The CIA World Factbook

Cover CIA World Factbook 2007

Welcome to another edition of the Reference Book of the Week. Today we are featuring a source straight from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; link to official agency page). The CIA publishes annually The World Factbook. This is a great resource for country information; the book is a collection of country profiles. Do note that the concept of “country” is not just independent nations. Places like Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory) and the Isle of Man (a British dependency) have entries in the Factbook as well, so you can find information about a lot of places here.The CIA draws on various government agencies as well as public and private sources for the information in the book. The book has been published annually since 1981 with categories in the entries revised over time.

With each entry, you get a set of categories: background, geography, government, economy, communications, military, transportation, and transnational issues (this would answer, for instance, if a particular country has an international dispute). The volume also features a set of helpful appendices in the back of the book and a set of color maps.

So, what sort of questions can you answer with this book? For example,

• Can you tell me how many airports does Benin have? Yes. It has five (as of 2006). Out of those five, only one is paved.
• Can I get an economic overview of Israel? Yes, starting on page 288.
• What is the capital of Mongolia? Ulaanbaatan is the capital of Mongolia (see page 388).

Now, a reader might wonder why would you want to know how many airports a country has? Or how many phone lines? Well, let’s say you are doing research for a company, and that company wants to set up shop in some other nation. Maybe the nature of your business requires you to be able to move your goods from that country back into the U.S. Therefore, you need to be aware of what are you transportation options. Will you fly your goods? Move them by ship? If you want to use ships, does the country have ports? That is just one example of why you might want to use this book. Overall, when it comes to finding a good overview of any country in the world, The World Factbook is an excellent resource.

The World Factbook is available in the library’s Ready Reference Collection (that’s the shelf right behind the reference desk). The call number is G 122 .U56a 2007. The library currently has the 2007 edition.

The CIA also puts The World Factbook online (link is to the online edition). The information is the same as in the book; however, the online edition is updated faster than the print. The latest online edition is the 2008 edition. The online version provides a quick pull-down menu where you can select the country and then get to the information for that country. The website also provides options for downloading the book. Do note that the downloads are big files.

A bit more reading on September 11

There were a few books that did not make our display on “Understanding Our World After September 11.” This was mostly due to space restrictions. I have decided to share some of those titles here with our readers in case they want some more things to read.

This is a list of books we have here at the Library that did not make it to the display case. I did pull these books and look them over, so I can at least tell folks that they are worth a look. They are listed with their call numbers, but in no particular order. You can find these in the library’s General Collection on the third floor :

• Just War Against Terror: the Burden of American Power by Jean Bethke Elshtain (HV 6432 .E427 2004).
• In the Wake of 9/11: the Psychology of Terror by Thomas A. Pyszczynski (HV 6432 .P97 2003).
• What is Life Worth?: The Unprecedented Effort to Compensate the Victims of 9/11 by Kenneth R. Feinberg (KF 1328 .F45 2005).
• Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition: Essays by Western Muslim Scholars edited by Joseph E. Lumbard (BP 60 .I7848 2004).
• Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror by Mahmood Mamdani (E 840 .M346 2004).
• Longitudes and Attitudes: the World in the Age of Terrorism by Thomas L. Friedman (HV 6432 .F75 2003B).

If readers have other suggestions of books that would be appropriate and/or relevant to this topic, please let us know in the comments. And if you need help finding these and other books, please feel free to stop by the reference desk or use our Ask-A-Librarian link on the library’s website.

Library Features Book Exhibit on September 11 Events

As part of the September Project, and to go along with the recent celebration of Patriot Day, the UT Tyler Robert R. Muntz Library is presenting the display “Understanding Our World After September 11.” The book and media display is designed to provide awareness and education to help people better understand our world in light of the tragic events of September 11. Please stop by the third floor of the library to view the display in our exhibit case.

The following is the list of books and media featured on the display. All books and materials are available from the library for checkout. If you wish to checkout any of the items on the display case, simply go to the Circulation or Reference Desks, and one of our staff members will be happy to unlock the case so you can check whatever item you wish to borrow.

Books featured on the display (with call numbers; books are not listed in any particular order):

• The 9/11 Commission Report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (HV6432.7 .N38 2004). You can also find the 9/11 Commission Report online here via GPO Access. You can also view the official website of the Commission, which has been frozen and is maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration at http://www.9-11commission.gov/.
• The 9/11 Commission report: Omissions and Distortions by David R. Griffin (HV6432.7 .G745 2005).
• The 9/11 investigations: staff reports of 9/11 Commission: excerpts from the House-Senate joint inquiry report on 9/11 : testimony from fourteen key witnesses, including Richard Clarke, George Tenet, and Condoleezza Rice edited by Steven Strasser (HV6432.7 .A132 2004).
• The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sidney Jacobson and Ernie Colon (HV6432.7 .J33 2006). I read this one personally (see my review over in my professional blog. The review does cover other works. And for the record, I also read the actual report). It is basically the report in graphic novel format. It covers all the major points, and the art complements the work very well. If you want an accessible way to read the 9/11 Commission Report, this is it.
• The War on Truth: 9/11, Disinformation, and the Anatomy of Terrorism by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed (HV6432 .A432 2005).
• The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11 by David R. Griffin (E 902 .G75 2004).
• Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror by Richard A. Clarke (HV 6432 .C53 2004).
• Intelligence Matters: the CIA, the FBI, Saudi Arabia, and the failure of America’s War on Terror by Senator Bob Graham (JK 468 .I6 G73 2004).
• Ghost Wars: the Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 11, 2001 by Steve Coll (DS 371.2 .C63 2004).
• September 11, 2001: a Turning Point in International and Domestic Law? edited by Paul Eden and Therese O’Donnell (K 5256 .S47 2005).
• Terror, Culture, Politics: Rethinking 9/11 edited by Daniel J. Sherman and Terry Nardin (HV 6432.7 .T445 2006).
• Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: from Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects edited by Amaney Jamal and Nadine Naber (E 184 .A65 R33 2008).
• Before the Next Attack: Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism by Bruce A. Ackerman (KF 9430 .A932 2006).
• The Maze of Fear: Security and Migration after 9/11 edited by John Tirman (HV 6432 .M385 2004).
• The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (HV 6432.7 .W5 2006).
• The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region by Neamatollah Nojumi (DS 371.2 .N65 2002).
• Al Qaeda In Its Own Words edited by Giles Kepel and Jean-Pierre Milelli (HV6431 .A4613 2008). This is a translation of the French book Al Qaeda dans le texte. This book draws key texts by Osama Bin Laden and key members of Al Qaeda with some critical commentary. If you want to know what they are saying, this is a good place to read it.
• Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge by Alan M. Dershowitz (HV 6431 .D473 2002).
• Film and Television after 9/11 by Wheeler W. Dixon (PN1993.5 .U6 F477 2004).
• Al Jazeera: the Inside Story of the Arab News Channel (HE 8700.9 .Q22 M55 2005). If you are curious and want to learn more, Al Jazeera does have an English news website at http://english.aljazeera.net/. This television station, which has risen to become a network of various channels, is a crucial source of news for and about the Middle East.
• Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. . .and Doesn’t by Stephen R. Prothero (BL 42.5 .U5 P76 2007).
• Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America: Climate Change, the Rise of China, and Global Terrorism by Harm J. De Blij (GF 503 .D4 2007).

In addition, we are featuring the following films as part of our display. Please note that films are usually kept in Technical Services. After their time on the display, the films return to that location, and you can ask for them at Circulation by their call number. The links on the titles go to the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) as a way to provide a bit more information about the films to our readers:

• Fahrenheit 9/11 (E 902 .F347 2004).
• United 93 (PN 1995.9 .H5 U55843 2006).
• World Trade Center (PN 1995.9 .T46 W6753 2006).

Finally, the photos featured on the display come various government sources. As such, they are part of the public domain.

Reference Book of the Week: The Europa Yearbook

This week we look at a source for international information: The Europa Yearbook. This two-volume set provides information on political, economic, and commercial institutions around the world. The set is organized as follows:

• Volume One covers international organizations. From the United Nations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), you can find detailed articles on international organizations. The volume features comprehensive entries on major organizations, like the U.N., the European Union, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Then, there is a list of Other International Organizations which features smaller entries for lesser known organizations; these entries feature at least contact information (including a website if available), a small description of what the organization does, and name of the executive officer. Some of these smaller organizations are the International Police Association, the World Allergy Organization, and the International Rice Research Institute. The first volume also contains the first half of the book’s country surveys (from Afghanistan to Jordan). This volume includes an Index of International Organizations at the end to facilitate finding the information you need. Volume One also features a list of abbreviations used in the book and a small list of international phone area codes.
• Volume Two contains the second half of the country surveys (from Kazakhstan to Zimbabwe). This volume has an Index of Territories for both volumes so you can see if a particular country is covered.

What kind of questions might you answer with this book?

• Do you have a list of members for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)? Yes. Page 308 of Volume One. And the IDB does have a website, which I found in the book too.
• Can you tell me who is the current international president of the Lions Club International? Yes. He is Jimmy M. Ross. See page 456 of Volume One.
• What kind of government do they have in Belarus? The head of state is President Alyaksandr R. Lukashenka. The country also has a Council of Ministers and a National Assembly (the legislative body). See pages 803-804 of Volume One.
• I would like a short history of The Netherlands, but I don’t want to read a whole book. Do you have a short summary or survey? Yes. It starts on page 3274 of Volume Two.

This resource is updated annually. You can find the latest edition, the 2008, in the ready reference shelves behind the reference desk. The call number is JN 1 .E85 2008.