A wonderful book. I never thought I will like political history before I picked this book up. This book masterfully narrates the horrors of living in a country where social systems completely collapsed. By the end of the book, 2 major things happened to me. I fell in love with the middle east and have developed a great interest in Judaism. Middle east earned a place in my 'places-to-visit-before-I-die' notebook. Thomas Friedman (the author), however, messed up the last few pages of the book by giving his views about whatever was going on in the middle east. Nothing wrong in expressing his views in his book, but the but until almost the end, the book was pure, undiluted news and then it suddenly changes its form. Great book though, Tommy.