Jacob Rosen writes in this fascinating and illuminating book about his experiences in both Cairo, Egypt and Amman, Jordan as an Israeli Diplomat. He has learned a great deal about Egyptian and Jordanian societies and also more about the Israeli character. Time and again, Mr. Rosen witnessed how Arabs and Western Cultures simply do not understand each other. The vignettes assembled in this book are based on real events. Mr. Rosen makes each of these stories stand on its own merit. The approach is anthropological, rather than political, and maybe through sharing these stories, this book can explain why and how the Arabs and the Israelis (and perhaps the West) fail to understand one another. They also show that after all is said and done, we are human beings who share the same concerns and inspirations.