Taking photographs in Morocco was done historically, but the limitations were greater than in many other places. Religious beliefs have always restricted the willingness of Moroccans to appear in photographs, as well as how much of themselves they will reveal. Although the light (as painters have impressed us) is remarkable there, that light does little to help black and white images. Until fairly recently, the technology of color photography was not good enough to attract serious work by photographers.

The introductory essay provides many interesting perspectives on Moroccan photographers. "Morocco is a snare for photographers." "It seduces them with its light . . . ." "It attracts them with its mystery and lavishes its legendary hospitality on them . . . ." "The subject is difficult, and therefore fascinating." "Instinctively, it [Morocco] keeps its secrets and its inner life."

Despite this, most of the photographs focus on the people of Morocco. There are lots of luscious landscapes there, but few appear in this volume. Also, Morocco seems rich in architectural detail in its mosques and palaces. These are reasonably well represented. The markets are amazing in their vitality, and the volume has one remarkable panorama that captures this. You feel like you're on the set of some big budget Hollywood movie.

In the beginning, these photographs had to be of people who were willing to be photographed. So the models are usually blacks, Jews, and people who practice the lowest professions. Even with this, most people are covered up so that few glimpses of the person emerge. That only increases the sense of mystery.

The essays give a good sense of each of the major photographers presented in this volume, and add to your understanding of the work.

Why, then, did I grade the book as a 3 star book? Well, while the photography is often good, little of it is outstanding. The relative lack of color photographs and landscapes is a missed opportunity.

For example, Harry Gruyaert's color "Essaouira" from 1976 is brilliant and makes you ache for more. This image has a man in an alley way with his red fez standing out in making him an individual. The rich colors of the ground and the walls are similar to the color of his skin, and provide a sense of continuity between nature and man. The composition is wonderful, and the execution is close to perfect.

Similarly, Michael Kenue's "Clouds in the Desert" from 1996, (while in black and white} makes you yearn for more images of sky and desert. Surely, there must have been more photographers who were drawn to that subject matter in this nation with large deserts.

I suspect that the book's concept evolved around the difficulties of doing human studies, and tried to stay with that area as much as possible. Perhaps the book should have been titled to reflect that focus on the hidden face and body behind the voluminous clothing.

Here are my other favorites in this extensive collection:

Henri Duveyrier, Fez, 1885

Anonymous, Moroccan Woman, c. 1880

Anonymous, Woman Dressed in a Haik, c. 1880

Attributed to A.J. Valentine, Young Man and Tambourine, c. 1890

Anonymous (monogrammed J.P.), Countrywoman, c. 1880

Gabriel Veyre, Fantasia, 1901

Marcelin Flandrin, In the Souks of Marrakech, c. 1910-1930

Marcelin Flandrin, Casbah of Talaat N'Yacoub in the Goundaja, c. 1910-1930

Rene Bertrand, Marrakesh, after 1933

Andrew Steiner, Snake Charmer, 1933

Andre Steiner, Untitled, 1933

Jean Beaucenot, Moulay-Idriss, c. 1934-1939

Bernard Rouget, Fantasia Horemen, c. 1950

Bernard Plossu, Untitled (second one), 1975

Alain Coccaroli, High Atlas, Mossneat Tin Mel, 1994

Bernard Deschamps, High Atlas, Former Casbah of Ali Benhouddou, 1999

After seeing this collection, I encourage you to return to that eternal question: Which is more intriguing, that which is fully accessible or that which is virtually inaccessible? Most people would argue the latter. See what your reaction is to the mystery of who the Moroccans are.

Enjoy the lure, but focus on the beauty and the truth that are available to you!

this book is a complete disaster. As its mysterious title indicates, the book is very vague and does not explain any of the proposed matters. It seems like the author gathers information from here and there and throws it at you in an attempt to make up the chapters. To make the matters worse, the quality of the print and paper is almost as bad as the author's work. Although this book would make a great door stop, it's still a waste of a good tree. PLease save the trees and your money and don't buy this book.

"Electrical Energy Systems" provides easy to understand descriptions and sample problems for the reader. An excellent reference for anyone involved in the Electrical Power Industry.

Ed Emery, the translator of this book, has taken astonishing liberties with it, so much so that it is rather a rewriting than a translation. Whole chapters that appear in both the Arabic and the French are simply left out. And that is just the beginning. A very poor translation of what, in the original, is an important book.

Rabie's objective of discussing the evolution of the USA-PLO dialogue is much needed. The only problem is that he focuses more on the Israel-USA relationship and the Israel-PLO relationship and relegates the PLO-USA relationship to a tertiary role in this book.

In addition he makes light of the acceptance on the Israeli and USA side to have a dialogue with the PLO. The details of the PLO bureaucracy are spared, and Israel and USA are portrayed as imperialists hindering the peace process. The connections between Palestinian terrorism groups and the PLO are all but ignored; the acceptance of the PLO as representative of the Palestinian cause is seen more as a result of Rabie and William Quandt's efforts than the USA or Israel's acceptance.

The problem with this model is that there is no reason for Israel or America to accept the PLO, yet they do. Rabie makes anything but a convincing argument for why the PLO should be the governing body of the Palestinian people. The US and Israel forced the peace dialogue; they took the initiative, not Rabie, as he would like you to believe. Never is this more evident than at the close of this biased book. The book ends with a near blast; an attempted suicide bombing that undermines the peace process, that America and Israel both condemn and Rabie's "peace" work appears for not. When in reality the attempt undermined the trust that the Israelis and American had given the PLO. Rabie wants the reader to believe his work and trust has been demolished, when what really happened is that a PLO-tied attempted suicide bombing raised more suspicions for the US and Israel once again.

In one of Rabie's rare criticisms of the PLO he predicts its imminent demise. Wrong on yet another account. All in all Rabie makes himself out to be a Palestinian savior and overemphasizes his role in the peace talks and the problems of facing imperialist American and Israel.

El-Bisatie's novella fails to provide a worthy read. His story is quick to pick-up, but slowly adds a mess of characters and and fails to provide any insight to a new culture- that of a small village in the Egyptian Delta. The characters end shallow (the reader will beg for an explanation of the characters by the end), and the ending is a mess. The climax, however, will convince the reader to painfully finish the 100 page novella, with its quick pace and crafted prose. El-Bisatie doesn't create a world of understanding for an American. His sentences ask the reader to question too much, like, "What is the point?" Bottom line... don't refuse the author, refuse the book.