Reading Orientalism: Said and the Unsaid (Publications on the Near East)

Varisco, who teaches anthropology at Hofstra U. in New York, has written a critical commentary of Edward Said's Orientalism that will be invaluable to scholars and students in fields that include Middle East studies and history. Each of the many sources Said cited in his book are examined, both the individual work and the work within the larger context of its author's oeuvre, to demonstrate the mis-representations Said committed in order to fit his sources and his selection or rejection of works into his overall argument. Varisco also discusses the critical reception of Orientalism since its publication in 1978. This is an impassioned, impressively detailed, and thought-provoking discussion that offers an up-to-date and nuanced vision of the Islamic world and how it has been perceived and represented, not only in the West, but in the East as well. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)