Mitsubishi- Galant/Mirage/Diamante 1990-00 (Chilton's Total Car Care Repair Manual)

Book Description

The Chilton Total Car Care series continues to lead all other do-it-yourself automotive repair manuals. These manuals offer do-it-yourselfers of all levels TOTAL maintenance, service and repair information in an easy-to-use format. Each title covers all makes and models, unless otherwise indicated.

Customer Reviews:

Not helpfull.......2006-11-10

My Mitsubishi Technica engine dit'n apear in the book. At least not the Puerto Rico Technica version.

3 cars, 2 body styles, 10 years, Zero Value.......2004-08-07

I'm gonna be blunt and to the point: How the **** do they expect people to figure out how to do something on a specific car model when the book covers THREE different vehicles, with an average of THREE different Generations within the 1990-2000 year range?

For example, the Mirage is split up into three different generations in this 10 year span. 3rd Generation (3G) is 1988-1992, 4G is 1993-1996 and 5G is 1997-2001. Also, with each generation, there are two different body styles, the sedan (95 Mirage=95 JDM Lancer, 97 Mirage=96 JDM Lancer, etc) and the coupe and hatchback (3G was hatch, same as Jap Mirage, 4G coupe is a JDM 4G hatch with body made into a coupe).

Also, would this cover the Dodge/Plymouth Colt and Eagle Summit cars imported by GM in 1993? Those have a rear wheel disc option not available on the Mirage. Does it also cover the 4-door Summit that uses the same body as the 4G Mirage? The answer is NO.

If you're serious about wrenching on a Mirage, head over to www.mirageforums.net. There, you'll find most anything about a Mirage, ranging from fixing things to body kits to tuning and performance info. A MUCH more informative resource than this book.

Not good for a mechanic........2003-11-03

I bought this book in order to fix my Mirage 1994. But the author of this book believes that you know how to make all the things and just tell you take appart, and installing is the reverse for the disasemble... really disapointing, not for help in any way... The common tasks that can be done by a do-it yourself ocassional mechanic never are explained well. I do not recommend this book to a serious person that want to adventure in the mechanics world...

what a horrible book!.......2001-10-05

Dam I should have bought a basic car book on how cars work or something like that, cause if you don't know a lot about cars this book is written in a different language. It's vague, confusing, and almost worthless. But if you want some kind of reference book you have no choice so buy it used.

itsubishi- Galant/Mirage/Diamante 1990-00.......2001-07-12

I returned this book after reviewing it briefly. I have used other books from Chiltons that I have found useful. I am a picture/symbol oriented person when it comes to auto repairs. I am a DIY guy, not a mechanic, so I need to see how it looks in the manual. The schmatics/diagrams/pictures in this manual are 1.5" x 1.5". At this size they are totally useless. I cannot even compare this manual to the Chilton's I use to repair my '93 Plymouth minivan. It's like they were written by two diffent publishers.

Average customer rating:

A very useful survey
Electric Motors and Control Techniques
Disappointing
RichardNabuda@Email.MSN.com
Electric Motors and Control Techniques

Electric Motors and Control Techniques
Irving M. Gottlieb
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0070240124

Book Description

Get greater flexibility, reliability, and reduced energy consumption from household appliances to automobiles. This book will show you how different types of motors operate and how electronic control devices can be used to improve efficiency in a wide range of applications. You'll get in-depth, updated coverage of: Electric motor control applications; dc and ac motors; Digital motors; Commutator-type motors; Noncommutator-types motors; Electric vehicles.

Customer Reviews:

A very useful survey.......2006-11-04

The author begins with plausible thought experiments that build to explain how common motors work. The remainder of the book is a large compendium of common circuits (both old and modern) used to control various motor types. His analysis of some designs were a bit oddly explained (but my background is RF and microwave design, not power electronics). I get something new and revealing every time I open the pages.

Electric Motors and Control Techniques.......2005-10-22

I haven't completed the book as yet but to the point I am at it is very informative and easy to read. I do recommend this book...

Disappointing.......2004-05-25

I was disappointed with this book. While full of detailed figures and schematics, the book is hodge-podge of information with very little logical flow. It jumps from 100,000 feet into the treetops with no explanation. The author peppers the book with his insights but without any context and background leaving the reader confused. As well, the book is dated given recent advancements in motor control technology.

RichardNabuda@Email.MSN.com.......2001-04-02

Overall I found this to be an excellent book. I enjoyed every page, and in particular tracing out circuit operations of the various schematics. I thought the diversity of circuits was great.

Nowhere in the title did I see "Basics of" or Fundementals of". This is not a book for the novice. The reader must have a good understanding of AC and DC motors, and solid state theory, circiuts, and devices.

I found the concatenation of induction motors, and the Kramer speed control system very interesting. I have many old industrial control books, but none shows these systems.

There are several errors, and examples of such are: Page 44, Para 3 is completely wrong. The proper way to reverse direction of compound motors is to reverse A1 and A2. Page 57, para 2 relates to this proper method. Fig. 5-9 Q102 shows a JFET- should be a UJT. Fig. 5-13 Q1 same thing. Fig. 5-10 has negative 250 VDC lines to emitters of Q532-Q536 and Q552-Q556 missing. Eliminate lead from motor to bottom of C541. Fig. 6-11 motor will never reverse with this scheme. Turning dial in opposite direction FWD biasis Q2 turning on Q1 which energizes RY2. RY1 drops out turning system off. Motor never runs CCW.

I have a comprehensive technical library, and one of my books is by this author entitled "Design and Operation of Regulated Power Supplies". It's an old book, and it's full of solid state circuits. I am indebted to authors like Mr Gottlieb, for it's their writings that enabled me to learn solid state electronics.

Electric Motors and Control Techniques.......2001-01-19

The information in this book is best suited to a physicist with a background in motors. If you don't already have a solid understanding about motors, servos and motor control already, then don't buy this book! The author covers far too much information at a very high level, makes too many assumptions about the reader's knowledge, and does not explain anything in easy-to-understand terms.

Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 2: The Mirage of Social Justice

Average customer rating:

Worthwhile sequel to The Constitution of Liberty
Readable Hayek
F.A. Hayek does it again... The Wisdom of an Old Whig

Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 2: The Mirage of Social Justice
F. A. Hayek
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226320839

Book Description

Dr. Hayek is world-famous for his valuable contributions to the field of economics as well as to the disciplines of philosophy and politics. This volume represents the second of Hayek's comprehensive three-part study of the relations between law and liberty. Here, Hayek expounds his conviction that he continued unexamined pursuit of "social justice" will contribute to the erosion of personal liberties and encourage the advent of totalitarianism.

Customer Reviews:

Worthwhile sequel to The Constitution of Liberty.......2004-12-18

The following passage sums up the entire book quite well: "[I]n...a system in which each is allowed to use his knowledge for his own purposes the concept of `social justice' is necessarily empty and meaningless, because in it nobody's will can determine the relative incomes of the different people, or prevent that they be partly dependent on accident. `Social justice' can be given a meaning only in a directed or `command' economy (such as an army) in which the individuals are ordered what to do; and any particular conception of `social justice' could be realized only in such a centrally directed system. It presupposes that people are guided by specific directions and not by rules of just individual conduct. Indeed, no system of rules of just individual conduct, and therefore no free action of the individuals, could produce results satisfying any principle of distributive justice...In a free society in which the position of the different individuals and groups is not the result of anybody's design--or could, within such a society, be altered in accordance with a generally applicable principle--the differences in reward simply cannot meaningfully be described as just or unjust." (pp. 69-70)

As with Robert Nozick (and with John Locke before them), justice is for Hayek a matter of process rather than results.

Law, Legislation, and Liberty was intended as a sequel to The Constitution of Liberty, in that Hayek wrote it to "fill in the gaps" that he felt existed in his argument in that earlier work. He wrote and published Law, Legislation, and Liberty on and off over a time-span of approximately 15 years (early-mid 1960 to mid-late 1970s), which were in part interrupted by ill health. Hayek admits that the result is at times repetitive and lacking in organization. The reason why he did not go through the effort of redoing the entire work upon completion is because he thought he might at that rate never finish it (he was 80 years old by the time volume 3 was published).

There are still plenty of great insights, which Hayek argues persuasively and in doing so manages to portray as common sense. There are also plenty of flashes of that true rhetorical brilliance characteristic of Hayek that can make his writings such a feast to the ear and mind. On the downside, however, these rhetorical gems are hidden in a large volume of pages that at times do indeed seem tedious, repetitive, and unorganized, unlike with The Constitution of Liberty, where they literally seem to jump off the page at you. All in all, read The Constitution of Liberty first, as Hayek himself suggests. And if you're not up for reading the approximately 500 pages that make up the complete Law, Legislation, and Liberty, two chapters (30 pages total) in the book The Essence of Hayek make for a comprehensive summary exposition of the ideas in the entire trilogy ("Principles of a Liberal Social Order", ch. 20 in The Essence of Hayek, covers vols. 1-2, and "Whither Democracy?", ch. 19, covers vol. 3).

Readable Hayek.......2004-01-13

Don't be put off from reading Hayek just because some authors and reviewers say his work is complicated and technical.Most of Hayek's writings are edited versions of speeches he has given to various audiences. His work is very readable, and I have found enormous benefit from just reading a chapter at one reading, and taking the work up again at another time.

Hayek's work should be found in both the classroom and on the coffee table.

F.A. Hayek does it again... The Wisdom of an Old Whig.......2002-04-29

Today, it seems everyone from Patrick Buchanan to Jessie Jackson are extoling the ideal of "social justice." But where did this insidious concept emerge. In the third and final installment in Hayek's Law, Legislation and Liberty series, Hayek delivers a knock out blow to the the notions of "social justice" or "distributive justice." He examines its socialistic roots and intellectual origins, which ensued after the egalitarian fervor in post-1791 Europe. He critiques new economic and social policy, which has emerged in the wake of the "social justice" phenemenon.

The Mirage of Global Markets: How Globalizing Companies Can Succeed as Markets Localize

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The Mirage of Global Markets: How Globalizing Companies Can Succeed as Markets Localize
David Arnold
Manufacturer: FT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 013047066X

Book Description

Why do even the best companies struggle to become as profitable in international markets as they are at home? Because they've fallen for the "mirage" of a truly global market. In fact, the world is comprised of hundreds of intensely local markets that are becoming more fragmented with each passing year. In The Mirage of Global Markets, David Arnold reveals why multinationals are actually losing market share--and how the world is rapidly accelerating towards "segments of one." Next, he offers you a comprehensive new blueprint for maximizing profitability in a world of local markets. You will discover why international marketing has become radically different from conventional marketing, and you will learn how to cost-effectively localize all the decisions that matter most: decisions about market entry, product mix, distribution, promotion, communication, strategy and more. Simply put, The Mirage of Global Markets shows how to globally manage the intensely local marketing programs that are now utterly crucial to your success.

The Role or Medicine, Dream, Mirage, or Nemesis?

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The Role or Medicine, Dream, Mirage, or Nemesis?
Thomas McKeown
Manufacturer: Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J34U6I

Average customer rating:

Mirage
Sirens and Harpies and D-Cups... Oh, My!
Master of figure and fantasy
This is the best Boris Vallejo art collection - buy this 1st
His BEST Work...

Mirage
Boris Vallejo , and Doris Vallejo
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560253185

Book Description

First published in 1997, Mirage took the fantasy world on a whirlwind tour, introducing us to paintings so bold, so provocative and superb that it became a major success. This astounding volume showcases alluring paintings of sensuous women and strong men, set against mythical, otherworldly backgrounds, and contains over 40 color and black and white illustrations, as well as 8 full pages of new, never before seen or published art work.

Customer Reviews:

Mirage.......2006-03-09

I was extremely happy with the service I receivec. I requested that this book be sent to the county jail, via Overnight Mail, for my son, and it wzs received the next day. Time was of the essence and you delivered. I can't rate the book myself, because it was not for me. I would definitely use Amazon.com again.

Sirens and Harpies and D-Cups... Oh, My!.......2006-01-02

I'm a long-time Boris fan. I actually own this in hardback, purchased over twenty years ago. It still is one of my favorite art books even after two decades.

Okay, why "Mirage" and not some other Boris book? This isn't a just some anthology of book covers. Quite simply, it has the finest collection of sensual fantasy art I've seen. I say sensual and not erotic because there is a difference. Boris paints lots of skin in this collection... plenty of gorgeous female pulchritude, but it keeps to the tasteful side lecherous. Oh, there are a couple of male figures as well, and they're just as well executed as his females, so you can't fault him there, either.

But don't think this is a series of illustrations with some poetry (by the artist's then-wife) thrown in to justify a book full of nudes. There's always a heavy element of high (or sometimes low) fantasy in every scene... that's fantasy as in mythic, not fantasy as in Penthouse Letters, even though Bob Guccione would have jumped at the opportunity to have any of these women grace the pages of his magazine. And to the surprise of some, there are several very humorous images as well.

Yet there is some truly incredible art in this collection as well. There is one painting of a triton and mermaid... uh... "disporting" themselves underwater that still stands out after twenty-plus years as one of my favorite pieces of art regardless of style, genre or medium. That's saying something.

If you find nudity objectionable, skip this book... you'll never get past all the skin to see the art behind it. Some of the images are slightly disturbing. Some are what I'd consider "filler" to add volume to the book, not as appealing or creative as many of the others. Yet there are some that are simply stunning... breathtaking in color, style and subject, and that makes up for any weaknesses the rest might suffer.

And as I mentioned, there is poetry included as well, contributed by Boris' wife (before Julie Bell). As far as open verse goes, she does respectably well. Some of the poems are rather forgettable, but others may appeal to the individual reader. I like Dylan Thomas and a few other modern poets who use free verse, so the style doesn't bother me a bit. Still, on the whole, the art is why I got the book, not the poetry.

If you want art by daVinci and verse by Tennyson, save your money... you'll be disappointed. Personally, I enjoy art by Boris and poems by Doris just as well.

Overall, an incredible collection well worth the acquiring.

Master of figure and fantasy.......2005-08-18

This book collects a series of Boris' paintings, plus a few very detailed pencil drawings, done between 1979 and 1982. If you're not already familiar with Boris' work - well, you probably are whether you know it or not. He has done years work of book covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as reams of posters. The one constant through all his work is passion for the human form and human power, both male and female.

These paintings range from the lush and sensual to humorous or macabre. A hookah come to life has a demonic presence, but a bar of soap come to life (and licking the bather) is more charming and a little silly. Even the simplest pictures have overtones - that bather is truly a beautiful woman, leaving me just a little envious of such close contact. Maybe not envious either, but off in thoughts of my own. And the preface is right, 'erotic' is much too simple a word for all the different feelings and combinations of feelings that come from having or holding a strong, healthy body.

My only complaint is a sameness in the female figures presented. The faces are beautiful, long and elegant, but mostly the same. The figures - the one figure, really is beautiful, but I value the uniqueness of a figure and the differences between figures. Cloning can serve a narrative purpose, certainly, but sameness wears. Even the loveliness of Danielle Anjou, acknowledged as a principal model and collaborator, wears.

Boris is the master of the figure in fantasy art, and has been for many years. This is a great sample from an earlier time in his career. It's almost impossible not to like.

//wiredweird

This is the best Boris Vallejo art collection - buy this 1st.......2005-03-06

If you are a fan of Boris Vallejo, or are thinking about buying a book of fantasy art -- this book should be the first one you buy. This is an absolute must-have for any art book collection, fantasy art or otherwise. Of all of Boris Vallejo's work to date -- this book by far has all his best art.

Boris Vallejo is by far the best fantasy artist EVER! His 1970s and 1980s art is by far much better than his current work, as is evident from the Mirage book. The figures/subjects in his early work in the Mirage book look like they actually belong in the painted scene. Many other fantasy artists draw subjects in scenes that look like models posing for a painting -- and look really stiff like cardboard. Boris meshes the scenes perfectly and transports you into another world with his vivid depictions of fantasy characters.

I recommend buying Boris Vallejo books in the following order:
1) Mirage
2) Fantasy Art Techniques -- buy it even if you're not an artist.
3) Enchantment
4) Dreams
5) Sketchbook

Verdict: Buy it!
Reviewed by Harrison Chua.

His BEST Work..........2003-11-29

I have been admiring and studying the Art of Boris Valejio since 1988. This is a collection of Art (late 1970s-mid 1980s) from his career PEAK. Details and tones duplicated from a MASTER Painter. If you buy ONE collection of Boris's fantastic Art, IT MUST BE MIRAGE...

Amazon.com

The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia led to a relationship between the Saudis and Americans that made all the sense in the world and, at the same time, no sense at all. Economically, it was a dynamic and effective model. The Americans were able to purchase more oil as car ownership in the United States escalated throughout the 20th century, meanwhile the Saudis were able to take that money and use it to buy all the latest products and technology from the Americans and transform their country from a pre-industrial kingdom a bustling modern civilization (complete, today, with Starbucks, McDonalds, and shopping malls). Making all this happen, however, meant situating thousands of American civilians in a country in which they simply did not fit. Veteran Middle East scholar and journalist Thomas Lippman's Inside the Mirage examines the 70-year history of the Saudi-American relationship. While he touches on the troubling issues that came to light after the events of 9/11, Lippman's exploration of the quasi-suburban world inhabited by American employees and their families proves most fascinating. Many Americans profiled seem to have been transported out of an old episode of Leave it to Beaver and dropped, in tact, in the middle of a desert nation, dwelling in cordoned off communities and having little contact with the Saudis outside of what was professionally necessary. Cultural and religious differences provide stark contrast between the Americans and the fundamental form of Islam practiced by the Saudi royal family and prevalent throughout the kingdom. These differences combined with the inherent pressures of great wealth and big business to form a relationship that is vitally important to both countries but that was tenuous to begin with and, as Lippman explains has remained so ever since. --John Moe

Book Description

The 60-year marriage of convenience between Saudi Arabia and the United States is in trouble--with potentially rocky consequences for the United States and its relationship to Islam.

The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has always been a marriage of convenience, not affection. As the result of a bargain struck between President Roosevelt and Saudi Arabia's founding king in 1945, Americans bought Saudi Arabian oil, and the Saudis bought American: American planes, American weapons, American construction projects, and American know-how. In exchange, the Saudis got modernization, education, and security. The marriage of convenience suited both sides. But how long can it last? In Inside the Mirage, journalist Thomas Lippman shows that behind the cheerful picture of friendship and alliance, there is a grimmer, grimier tale of experience and repression. Saudi Arabia is changing as younger people less enamored of America rise to prominence. And the United States, scorched by Saudi-based terrorism, is forced to rethink this bargain as it continues to play the dominant role in the ever-volatile, ever-shifting Middle East. With so much at stake, this compelling and absolutely necessary account looks at the relationship between these two countries, and their future with one another.

Customer Reviews:

this is an absolutely fascinating book.......2007-01-20

This author describes an interesting history of Saudi Arabia and its relations with the U.S. The book traces the Saudi-American alliance from its emergence after the birth of the Kingdom in 1932 and the signing a year later of the first oil-prospecting agreement with Standard Oil of California up until the present time, ending with a discussion of the strategic ties that bind the United States and Saudi Arabia. In particular, it describes the experience of many Americans who have worked in the Kingdom, giving particularly unique insight for instance into what it was like for many to work for Aramco, to be a wife of an Aramco worker, to be married to a Saudi male, or be involved in one of many other possible relations involving folks from the US and Saudi Arabia. Thomas W. Lippman is an adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington. In four years as the Washington Post's Middle East bureau chief, three years as the Post's oil and energy reporter and a decade as the newspaper's national security and diplomatic correspondent, he has traveled extensively to Saudi Arabia. In all, he has spent more than thirty years as a reporter, editor, and foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, specializing in Middle Eastern affairs and American foreign policy. He is known for and described as writing in a very even-handed manner. Unlike most other books I have read, the author remains respectful towards the Saudi people. One of many messages that I got from his book is that some Americans have not been able to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia while others have done amazingly well at settling into the unique and very different culture. Americans who have been able to adjust to life in the Kingdom showed a great willingness to bend to Saudi's cultural norms and a willingness to reach out (and frequently live) outside of the compounds and/or otherwise seek opportunities to actually connect with Saudis. For instance, he talks of the Nance Museum in Missouri, perhaps the only museum dedicated to traditional Saudi Arabian art and crafts in the U.S., developed by a former Aramco couple (the Nances) who simply fell in love with the native traditions. Although Lippman acknowledges that there are a lot of problems in Saudi Arabia which they must face and resolve, he generally shows the Saudis in a very positive light. He has travelled to Saudi Arabia a number of times since September 11 and his last chapter discusses changes in Saudi culture since this terror attack. In the paperback version he has added an additional chapter. Lippman is a very responsible writer, taking seriously the affect he knows his words can have upon the reader. His love for the US is clear. However, he is not arrogant about his nationality. He also shows sympathy and agreement with many of the complaints registered by Arabs, while not being an apologetic. He is among the most diplomatic of all authors on Saudi Arabia and he concludes his book with at least the possibility for hope. Lastly, while admitting the need for real change - both in the U.S. and in Saudi Arabia - he doesn't feel the need to resort to cheap alarmist warnings.

A Beacon of Light.......2006-02-24

In the murky world of US/ Mid East foreign policy, this book shines like a beacon. One could only hope that Oprah might select this for her book club, rather than flying to a million piece. But that's my perfect world. Mr. Lippman has written an insightful and extremely well researched book that opens the curtains of US-Saudi alliance and friendship. The new paperback afterword, written in January 2005, provides timely insight: "The most important reason is that Saudi Arabia is no longer economically or technologically dependent upon the United States. The Saudis no longer need Americans to show them how to fly their planes, irrigate their crops, manage their money...."
I told my Polish friend about the book and then refused to give him my copy. He's a stickler for accurate history, and considers most American authors inadequate and biased. That he has ordered a copy is a remarkable compliment to the author.

Getting to know you.......2005-10-13

The Chinese and Indian societies are two of the oldest, continuously-existing societies in the history of man. Both share many similarities; one of which is that in either society, when one enters into a business arrangement with another person, it often involves a comingling of families such that the spouses get to know each other, the children get to know each other, and so on and so forth. Many Americans find this to be quite difficult to handle upon first encounters. For example, many Americans doing business in China are quickly frustrated how their Chinese business partners request positions for their family members and friends. Though it seems cumbersome, this type of arrangement serves a very useful purpose; it helps each group get to know the other group better, thereby reducing the chances of surprises down the road.

By this example, we can now examine the US-Saudi relationship over the past ~80 years, and specifically how it is portrayed in this book. In short, the US has had a very special relationship with Saudi Arabia, and one that is built on mutual ignorance. Specifically, when oil was discovered in the Saudi desert, American companies were so quick to get it flowing out and to the market, that neither side had the time to learn about each others cultures, norms, values, etc... Yes, many American geologists learned Arabic and some even became Muslim. Yes, many Arabs went on to work in America and send their children to American schools. But overall, this exchange of ideas was limited to a small minority, even within the expatriate community of each side. American oil workers lived in their own neighborhoods in Saudi Arabia, and Arabs in America tend to be concentrated in a few cities; i.e. Detroit. The relationship was essentially all business. But like any relationship between two persons or two countries, nothing is ever all business; politics sooner or later gets involved. In America's case, the vast majority of Americans were so ignorant of Saudi-American relations, that the terrorist attacks of 9-11-2001 came as such a big surprise.

This book shows the extent of the American - Saudi relationship at various levels in business, politics, and military relations. It shows how Saudis and Americans related and dealt with each other's cultures and persons in both American and Saudi Arabia. These including interesting stories of how Saudi women first learned about the bra; by seeing it on the wives of American oil executives and geologists. This book also shows the lack of understanding between the two cultures and peoples, and how this is often the unstated goal of the governments of both countries; out of sight - out of mind.

This book does not go too much into Osama Bin Laden, Wahabism, Al Queda, or the extent of terrorism in Saudi Arabia. Instead, it is more of a primer on American - Saudi relations. Overall, a good book to read.

An Examination of the Long "Marriage of Convenience".......2005-01-05

Thomas Lippman has provided a prescient discussion of the long and interconnected relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. This relationship has been among the forefront of the problems U.S. policymakers have been reexamining since 9/11, and is among one of the most complicated of the U.S.'s bilateral relationships today.

At the turn of the 20th century the area that is now Saudi Arabia was then a disparate mixture of clans soon to be united by Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. The lifestyles of the inhabitants of the land were not much different than their ancestors from millennia before. Within a few years a relationship would be started that would change the world.

The first American geologists came to Saudi Arabia in the early 1930s. These geologists first found oil in 1933 and found the first large and profitable oil fields in 1938. From the time of that first large discovery of oil on, the U.S. and Saudi would a close mutual relationship. The Arab American Oil Company, or Aramco, was set up to extract the new oil finds. In exchange, the Americans were charged with creating a modern, industrial society in the Kingdom. For the next 60 years, American government officials, private contractors, and the U.S. military would undertake projects that would lead to such things as a modern infrastructure for moving oil out of the ground and the country (Aramco, Bechtel), would establish the Saudi national airline (TWA), create a modern civil service (the Ford Foundation). In addition, U.S. government officials helped establish a paper currency and a central bank. In addition, since 1951, U.S. policy has been to recognize the protection of Saudi Arabia from outside threats as a vital national interest. This policy meant supplying military equipment and training for five decades and condoning harsh treatment of Saudi dissidents or those who long for many of the freedoms Americans hold dear, such as freedom of religion and speech.

U.S. Middle East policy, including the invasion of Iraq, the inability of the Saudi leadership to create the conditions for its newly educated young people to find jobs, and other issues are all swirling to create conditions inimical to the continuation of this marriage of convenience. While Lippman is unable to provide answers or speculation about the future, he has provided a valuable service by giving a remarkably balanced telling the story of the long, complicated relationship.

A sober, well-written history.......2004-08-18

I chose to read Lippman's book in an effort to better understand Saudi Arabia's history and place in the Muslim world. The author offers a detailed and nuanced survey of U.S.-Saudi relations from the 1930s up to the recent war in Iraq. His book filled many of my knowledge holes (which I expect are shared by many other Americans) and unexpectedly made me very interested in this fascinating nation.

Lippman describes how Saudi Arabia's Saud dynasy has quickly modernized the country in terms of technology and wealth while retaining staunchly devoted to a specific brand of conservative Islam. The combination of close economic and military ties with the U.S. and a contentious position in the Muslim world is highly complex and truly unique, and it has given rise both to important partnerships and some strong resentments. Saudi Arabia has been a vital ally in recent conflicts, yet many of the September 11 hijackers hailed from there. Lippman helps sort out this strange tangle of relations, and he does it in a very reasonable, non-polemic way and with a compulsively readable writing style. I'd like to see this very thoughful history be widely read by people interested in one of the United States' most vital yet precarious allies against terrorism.

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a story that needs to be told
Gripping read from beginning to end - not to be missed
Great story... Not a reference book
Wealth, women and oppression
an excellent book .. but ...

Mirage
Soheir Khashoggi
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812550943
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Book Description

Amira Badir, a young woman from a wealthy family in the Middle Eastern country of al-Remal, lives a life of luxury in opulent palaces. But repressive al-Remal discourages intelligence and initiative, so her life is also one of stark contrasts: wearing designer gowns at home, but never stepping outside without being swathed in black veils and accompanied by an escort. Amira is not prepared for the sadistic savagery of her new husband, nor for the increasing control he exerts over her. Fearing for her safety, she escapes with her baby to start a new life in the United States. But her past-and her powerful husband-won't give her up easily. . . .

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a story that needs to be told.......2006-03-25

This must be one of the best books I ever read. The writing style was clear, descriptive, made me want to keep reading. The book had traditional buildup to climax and resolution instead of any postmodern experimental style. I liked the conversations and relationships, especially between her and her brother. It had a lot of sadness and loss, but it had hope in it too.
There are people who idealize Islamic society. American born Muslims say it is better because women are (forced to be) modest, and we are wrong here because we dress (by our choice) in revealing clothes sometimes. Green party types also cozy up to Islamic societies, overlooking their glaring oppression of women. I think anyone who glorifies Islam should read this book.
Khashoggi goes past this "mirage" and describes life for a woman in Islamic society. It describes the confinement of the veil, when she is forced prematurely to wear it after being caught dancing. It describes the feelings of women in polygamous marriages, when her father marries another woman and her mother eventually kills herself. It shows how women have no power over their lives, when her best friend is barely adolescent and married to an old man. It describes her father, a chauvinistic, intolerant man who is an example of how men in Islamic society are brought up. It describes sex in this society- she has just met her husband and is immediately expected to have sex with him. It also mentions laws- to have a case for rape, a woman must have several witnesses, but to have a case for adultery, a man must only have suspicion. Of course it illustrates the severity of laws when her best friend is stoned to death for adultery. It shows a glimpse of homosexuality in Arab countries- a taboo underground full of exploitation, but common because of the severe separation of men and women. (I am not against homosexuality- I am against both sexual repression and exploitation.) It also shows the violence that people are exposed to, when she watches the brutal execution of her friend.
The character is a brave, clever woman who finds her way out of this society despite all obstacles. (In America, she meets young people who idealize Islamic countries, but is not at liberty to tell her experience.) This story is from someone who has lived in such a place. Considering the reactions of Islamic fundamentalists to other criticisms, it must have taken courage to write this, but it is a wonderful book and I'm glad she did.

Gripping read from beginning to end - not to be missed.......2005-07-15

This is the first of Ms Soheir Khashoggi's books, which I have read, and it was superb. Set in the fictitious Arabian country of Al-Remal, it tells the story of a girl, born into wealth and privilege in a prominent Arabian family. She lives in a gilded cage, in a land where growing oil wealth and opulence co-exist with archaic traditions and barbaric misogynistic practices.

The book opens with an introduction to Jenna Sorrel, a renowned Harvard-educated psychologist living in Boston, Massachusetts. She is forcibly taken away by men masquerading as immigration officers onto an aircraft: presumably back to Al-Remal, where her sadistic husband Prince Ali has been searching for her whereabouts for several years.

It is then revealed that in a former life, Jenna was known as Amira Badir, a girl who was sold into marriage to a member of the ruling Al-Rashad family. Despite living a glamorous jet-set lifestyle and being surrounded by lavish wealth, Amira endures increasing brutality from her husband, and is stifled by the oppressive environment imposed upon many Arab women, both rich and poor. Eventually, she flees with her baby to the United States to begin a new life. However, the threat of being found by her influential husband, reaching out for her with "arms a billion dollars long", is never far behind.

I have deducted a star merely due to the inconsistent quality of writing: most of the time, it sparkles like a diamond, but occasionally there are colloquial lapses in the narration, which tarnish its lustre. Personally, I feel that there should be increased awareness of this book, although it may be banned in certain countries. Whilst it has been in circulation for several years, I only stumbled upon it recently on Amazon UK's website. It is an excellent first novel by Ms Khashoggi.

Great story... Not a reference book.......2004-12-31

The story is amazing, captivating, well-written and touching. You really get involved with the characters, feel their pains, their joy, their fear and excitement, and all their emotions.
You can enjoy the book but do not believe that all the practices carried out in Al-Remal (according to the book) are true. I, myself, know nothing about Al-Remal. But I know Islam. No father, mother, or any person is allowed to force a girl/woman to marry a man against her will and no man has the right to beat or abuse his wife. Muslim women in most Islamic countries go to school, learn, get jobs, and can accomplish themselves in the fields they choose. I'm not saying that the opposite doesn't happen. All I am saying is that it is generally traditions and ignorance that cause it.
A story is a story. Nothing more, nothing less. This story happens to be an excellent one. But it is a story after all. It is not reality.
The book is worth what you pay for it. I couldn't put it down before I finished it and I promise that the same will happen to you. But if you are interested in the religion itself, do more research. You'll find out that it is VERY different from the picture you get from the book!

Wealth, women and oppression.......2004-07-24

Khashoggi dedicates her debut novel to the memories of two women who 'inspired me to write about the special bonds that exist between women in other places and other times.' Yet her story of a woman's flight from an abusive husband and a culture which sanctions brutality in the name of Islam, contains almost no evidence of female support for female victims.

The story opens with a prologue introducing psychologist and successful author of a book on battered women, Jenna Sorrel, a woman living a lie and in mortal fear of exposure. The prologue concludes with the realization of her terror as she is confronted with her real name - Amira Badir -abducted from her apartment, drugged and loaded onto a private jet.

The first chapter jumps back in time to the late 1960s. Amira, a child of privilege and wealth in the desert kingdom of Al-Remal, conspires with a peasant midwife to spirit the child of Amira's best friend, an adulteress, and Amira's brother (who is not exposed) out of the condemned woman's prison cell. This act is perhaps the only instance of women risking themselves for another woman. It does not, of course, save the mother, who is stoned to death the following day. 'To Amira's horror, the women were the fiercest executioners, screaming curses as they threw, then scurrying to grab another stone.'

With subterfuge and money, Amira's brother, Malik, is able to set himself and his child up abroad but Amira understands that, though she may be clothed in the finest fabrics, she will never have the option of choice. Not permitted to go to school, she is educated by a governess, a privilege since most girls receive no education at all.

And when she is caught dancing alone to her father's radio, he orders her into the veil, the abeyya, that all women must wear, even though she is still a child. Her mother pleads for her but when her husband insists she silences her daughter's tears, saying, 'Do you dare dispute your father?' Later her father takes a second, younger, wife. The other women in the house console Amira's mother, then scold her for her continuing depression, then condemn her to isolation.

The lives of the women revolve entirely around their men - even in their homes they are restricted to the 'women's country.' Not that life is without pleasure. Lavish sex-segregated entertainments are occasions for gossip and food and shedding the veil to show off foreign fashions to one another.

Amira's wedding to Ali, a royal prince, occasions lavish entertaining and from the beginning handsome Ali showers her with sumptuous presents of jewels and clothes. But much more wonderful to Amira are their foreign travels and Ali'sencouragement of her intellectual life. Abroad she does not wear the veil and is invited to social occasions which include men. And once she has a son she has more than almost any other woman in Al-Remal. Except for her husband's gambling and drinking, life is good.

But after the birth of her son, her husband seems to avoid her. His occasional sexual interest can only be satisfied by pain. There is, of course, no one she can discuss his increasing brutality with. And when he almost kills her the whole palace conspires to call it an accident - caused by her own willful disobedience. Escape seems impossible, death inevitable.

Kashoggi is not a scintillating writer but the drama and glamor of her story carries the reader along. Besides the plight of her heroine, the author threads several subplots and themes through the narrative - her brother's lifelong feud with Ali, and the secrets of his life with his daughter, Amira's involvement with battered women in America and her difficulties as a single mother, the loneliness of isolation from family.

And the setting is wonderfully exotic with a fully realized portrayal of the lives of the fabulously rich, spoiled and decadent oil royalty juxtaposed to the stifling luxury of their women behind their veils.

an excellent book .. but ..........2003-09-14

I read the book and loved it, the writing is great and I couldnt leave the book aside at all.
However, I wish if the writer didnt exagerate in her writings about the life behind the viel. I am an arab, muslim woman and I insist that life overhere is not as bad as what was weitten. If people are looking to see how arab women are living, please come and check it out. Not all arab countries are like "AL-RIMAL"!!
I know that when people write books, the need to make it intresting so people would read them, but the real life is not like that at all :)

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Sparta: Beyond the Mirage

Manufacturer: Classical Press of Wales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0715631837

Book Description

This is the fourth collection of original papers on which Powell and Hodkinson have collaborated; a sequel to Classical Sparta: The Shadow of Sparta and Sparta: New Perspectives. The distinguished team of contributors includes most of the established authorities in the field of Spartan history and deliberately mixes the diverse scholarly traditions of many countries. Among the themes addressed are Herodotus' treatment of Sparta, Thermopylai and its moral equation with self-sacrifice, the invention of tradition, iron currency and the Spartan economy and the relationship between helots and perioikoi.

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Mirage
J. Robert Janes
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1556113404

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