Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly

If you want to learn about modern-day Tunisia and how it successfully established a democracy when other Arab nations failed, this is the book to read. Unlike some books, this one does not require you to be an expert on Tunisian or Middle Eastern history in order to understand it. It explains in clear language how Tunisia's development and history differs from other North African and Middle Eastern countries. I appreciated how the author included the titles of books, ideologies, and other items in Arabic with the English translation in parentheses immediately following. Another strength of this book is that the author includes comments on other Arabic countries so it is understandable how and why Tunisia's development after the Arab Spring is an anomaly. As someone who remember headlines and names from news articles and reports about the Middle East and North African, but who never really understood why the modern history of these countries when in the directions it did, I found this book a wealth of knowledge and thoroughly engrossing.

Got it as a birthday gift and simply loved it!

In his book, Safwan Masri, enlightens the reader to the mesmerizing historical, social, cultural and ideological foundations of Tunisia which allowed it to transition to democracy in contrast to other Arab countries which failed. As a woman, I was especially fascinated to learn of this country’s crucial realization of the empowerment of women through education, health care and in the work place as essential to achieving this success. Equipped with a superb foundation of the fundamentals of democracy from Masri’s work, one can’t help but ponder the provocative parallels to current events in our own country which could threaten this process. The grace of the author’s writing is that he synthesizes complex issues into terms that can be understood by either the scholar or the layman. Tunisia, An Arab Anomaly, is a work of vital importance especially in today’s world which reads like a page turning thriller; I absolutely loved it!M. Lafiteau

Dr. Masri brings to life Tunisia as a truly unique story that not only sparked the ‘Arab Spring’ but also uniquely serves as a model for an Arab society that has hope for success. It is a great work by an author who combined the highest standards of academic rigor with an authenticity that could only have come from a man with his unique personal experience. The book could not be more timely when considering the current social upheaval in the Arab world - especially as we try to figure out the root causes of these ailments and navigate the way forward for this vital region.

Excellent read for anyone trying to get an insight into why Tunisia is in the situation it is in now. Going back in history, Dr.Masri gives a detailed account of the events and developments that have built up and led to the Arab spring starting in Tunisia. More importantly he explains why in the case of Tunisia, unlike the rest of the Arab world, the many years of social reform, education, and civil society groundwork have protected the revolution and set it on a path different from the rest of the region.