On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines—and Future

Famed for their “passivity” and “unquestioning acceptance of rules laid down by elders” as well as their fundamentalist, uncompromising outlook, the Saudis are intensely proud, but by and large, have no say in the functioning of their country. The internal contradictions of a medieval theocracy in thrall to modern-day petrocapitalism give Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist House ample material as she interviews princes and terrorists, millionaire playboys and destitute widows, muftis and engineers. Being a foreign woman, she has entrée into both male and female spheres, and the chapter on women is among the most illuminating; though the “overwhelming majority of women are totally subjugated by religion, tradition, and family,” “activist women... can be found scattered across Saudi society.” Chapters on disenfranchised youth, the sclerotic education system, the opaque succession procedures of the ruling dynasty, and the kingdom’s foreign policy each suggest ways in which the country’s potential is being stymied by fear of change, and identify points of conflict that could presage wider unrest. While cogently written, this slim volume is also repetitive and superficial. The same details recur throughout, and the reader emerges with only a basic understanding of the all-important relationship between the religious and political authorities, or of the mechanics of an economy in which 90% of private-sector workers are foreigners. Agent: Janklow & Nesbit. (Sept.)