Saudi Arabia Book

Examines the history, geography, culture, religion, government, and people of Saudi Arabia.

Karen Leggett - Children's Literature

"Suppose you are a camel herder in the desert..." This intriguing beginning is next to a marvelous close up photo of a camel's face, with a rare mouthful of greenery. Not only do we learn about what happened to those Saudi camel herders when foreigners discovered oil in their desert, we also learn about the camels themselves. They can go four to six weeks between drinks of water and then drink up to 50 gallons at one time. The "Modern World Nations" series does an excellent job of providing context and explanation for the modern states, rather than just a long narrative about dates, names and battles. Throughout its recent history there has been a constant tension between tradition and modernization, foreigners versus natives, how to spend the oil wealth. The author offers the Saudi perspective without taking a political stand on such issues as the status of women or segregation of foreigners. Students become aware of Saudi economics with startling factoids: before oil, Saudi sold almost nothing but dates and Arabian horses. The amount of oil produced in Saudi Arabia jumped from 500,000 barrels a day in 1949 to 10 million barrels a day in 1980. Oil brings in so much money that Saudi Arabia is one of the few nations in the world to distill huge amounts of ocean water in very expensive desalination plans. Because of its size and organization, the book looks like a middle school book but the reading level is more appropriate to high school. There is plenty to discuss and individual chapters may be read independently. The chronology and index are thorough so it is useful for reference and student reports. The series includes titles on nearly two-dozen countries from Georgia and Germany toBahrain, Bermuda and Cuba. 2003, Chelsea House,