The Arab World: Facing the Challenge of the New Millennium.

• Position: Books in Brief

Azzam, Henry T. The Arab World: Facing the Challenge of the New Millennium. London, U.K.: I. B. Tauris, 2002. Hardcover $59.50.

The book contains useful figures and tables about the economies of the Arab world as a region and individual countries. It is also useful for those who wish to become familiar with the latest neo-liberal thinking regarding economic solutions for the Arab region. The work presents rigorous, consistent arguments based on neo-liberal ideology/theory. Half of the book focuses on the Arab world as a region discussing the new economy, bond markets, stock markets, banking systems, and fix or float currencies. The other half deals with North Africa, the Levant (including the "Palestinian Territories"), and the GCC Countries. However, the book excludes countries such as Libya, Mauritania, Iraq, the Sudan, and Yemen. The author points out significant problems plaguing Arab societies and proposes a regional economic bloc. He also advocates, among other things, privatization, the development of civil society institutions, foreign joint-venture...