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Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock is a jittery father-to-be with a simple If OBL is behind 9/11 and all the ensuing worldwide chaos, why can't we just catch him? And furthermore, why is his message so compelling to so many people? So the intrepid Spurlock kisses his anxious, pregnant wife goodbye and - armed with a complete lack of knowledge, experience, or expertise - sets out to make the world safe for infantkind and find the most wanted man on earth.
After boning up on his basic knowledge of OBL, Islam, and the Global War on Terror, he hits the Osama trail. He zigzags the globe, drawing ever closer to the heart of darkness near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where OBL is rumored to be hiding.
Along the way he interviews imams and princes, refugees and soldiers, academics and terrorists. He visits European ghettos where youth aspire to global jihad, breaks the Ramadan fast with Muslims in Cairo, and rides in the bomb squad van in Tel Aviv. And then the fun really starts.
A companion to the acclaimed documentary, Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden? delves even deeper than the film. What listeners will come away with is possibly the first-ever funny book about terrorism, as well as a greater understanding of a conflict that has cast a shadow across America and the world.
After boning up on his basic knowledge of OBL, Islam, and the Global War on Terror, he hits the Osama trail. He zigzags the globe, drawing ever closer to the heart of darkness near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where OBL is rumored to be hiding.
Along the way he interviews imams and princes, refugees and soldiers, academics and terrorists. He visits European ghettos where youth aspire to global jihad, breaks the Ramadan fast with Muslims in Cairo, and rides in the bomb squad van in Tel Aviv. And then the fun really starts.
A companion to the acclaimed documentary, Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden? delves even deeper than the film. What listeners will come away with is possibly the first-ever funny book about terrorism, as well as a greater understanding of a conflict that has cast a shadow across America and the world.
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First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Morgan Spurlock
10 books24 followersMorgan Spurlock was an American documentary filmmaker best known for his documentary Super Size Me, in which he only ate McDonalds food for a month. He earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.
He was married to vegan chef Alex Jamieson, who wrote an diet book inspired by the Detox diet he had to take after the McDonalds experiment. The couple divorced in 2011.
He was married to vegan chef Alex Jamieson, who wrote an diet book inspired by the Detox diet he had to take after the McDonalds experiment. The couple divorced in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 11, 2008
Morgan Spurlock delves into his search for Osama with gusto, traveling across a vast swath of the Arab world after a brief stopover in Europe. What I liked about this book, and what I like about Spurlock's work in general, is that rather than simply seeking validation of his own opinions, he thirsts for knowledge and answers to his many questions.
I haven't read his other book, but I really enjoyed Super Size Me and have found his series 30 Days quite eye-opening, so I decided to give the book a shot. I wasn't disappointed.
I haven't read his other book, but I really enjoyed Super Size Me and have found his series 30 Days quite eye-opening, so I decided to give the book a shot. I wasn't disappointed.
December 26, 2014
I didn't realize how little I knew about the Middle East until I read this book. wow. It's really eye opening. I was 13 on 9/11, so I had no idea that the event was connected to the Israel/Palestine conflict. I didn't know that anti-semitism was running so rampant among the fundamentalist world of Islam. Reading this book, years later, I learned so much. Tons of information presented in an interesting way. I really like how Spurlock presents all sides of the issues and humanizes things. He gets great interviews. Quite dense with heavy information (to me) so it took me longer to read than I would have expected. I look forward to seeing the documentary soon! Morgan - keep doin' what your doin'!
"Every generation has their own apocalyptic story. It's the end of the world. And the world is still there." - Olivier Roy
"Humans do change. If you give them respect and dignity, they will act respectable and dignified, and they will be responsible." - Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim
"Every generation has their own apocalyptic story. It's the end of the world. And the world is still there." - Olivier Roy
"Humans do change. If you give them respect and dignity, they will act respectable and dignified, and they will be responsible." - Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim
July 16, 2008
This book was so eye-opening. I am constantly confused by what is going on in the Middle East and what exactly our government's foreign policies entail. Spurlock was just the person to enlighten me. He is humorous yet serious on the same page, and provided a wealth of background information before exploring the current situation in countries like Egypt (suddenly I do not ever want to travel there), Jordan, Palestine and Saudi Arabia. Spurlock interviews many locals - rich, poor, middle class - as well as government officials, professors and religious leaders. It was hard for me be critical of this book, probably because my views are in line with Spurlock's.
July 10, 2015
Spurlock's quest to understand the Muslim world
11 May 2012
The first this that I noticed when looking a some of the reviews of this book was that Morgan Spurlock is considere a 'poor man's Michael Moore'. I am going to have to disagree with that statement. Michael Moore has become little more than an entertainer, and while Spurlock is much the same, I afind Spurlock to be somewhat more intelligent and enlightened than Michael Moore ever was. Okay, that is an opinion and it appears that there is more of a focus on Moore than there is on Spurlock, but it is clear that Spurlock tends to approach his subjects in a different, and less confrontational way. I will deal with his documentary on fast food in his other book 'Don't Eat this Book', but I believe the difference between Moore and Spurlock also comes out in this book as well.
Michael Moore tends to be very confrontational, and in a way, comes to a conclusion with little to no research, and then gets into people's faces and demands an answer. No wonder people generally can't stand the guy. However, Spurlock seems to actually go out and research his topics, and in a way, his books and his films seem to be more about his research into a subject then simply pushing a specific viewpoint. This book is a case in point. Here, Spurlock goes out into the world to try to find out why people hate American so much, and it is more an attempt to get beside them to talk to them rather than getting in their face, as Michael Moore does. If Moore were to approach the same people that Spurlock approaches in this book I am sure that Moore would have landed up in an awful lot of trouble.
The question has been raised as to whether this book is now obsolete now that Osama bin Laden is dead, but I would probably say that it is not. The question that this book tries to answer is not so much where is Osama bin Laden, but rather who he is and what he represents. As for his death, I must suggest that I am still a little dubious about it, namely because I still suspect that he has been dead for a lot longer than we actually believe he has been, and further, all we really know is that a mansion in Pakistan was raided, somebody was killed, no photos or videos were taken, and a corpse was dumped in the Indian Ocean. In a way, it is not so much the death of a man, but rather the death of a icon, and even then while the icon may be dead, the idea is not.
Spurlock travels to some of the most dangerous places in the world in his quest, and one of the things he must do is to go to a training school where journalists learn how to survive in a war zone. When I read this I was quite intrigued because at the time I knew a number of people joining the missionary movement and I discovered that none of these missionary schools taught them survival skills. I must say I am quite critical on that, but this is not the time or the place to discuss this, namely because I would rather try to explore the ideas that are coming out of this book.
Now, I read the book before I even knew of the existence of the documentary, however like most books that are written along with a documentary, this book does tend to go into a lot more detail. Granted, documentaries tend to be more visual and you can watch them in about 2 hours where as books tend to take longer to read, but in a way I do find myself gravitating towards books much more than I do towards documentaries, however documentaries are still good because you are able to watch them with friends and then discuss the implications afterwards: of course as long as ypur friends are willing to think and to discuss as opposed to simply forcing their views down your throat.
Now this book has turned out to be more of an exploration of the Muslim world from the eyes of an American who wants to understand what is going on in this world. However, he does not simply stick with Muslin countries, but he also travels to western countries where Muslims have settled into communities. This is no more obvious than in Paris where there are parts of the city that are pretty much Muslim neighbourhoods. It is interesting though that these neighbourhoods tend to be on the city fringes and very poor. It is not actually something we generally see here in Australia, because my understanding of the Muslim culture in Australia is that they are not necessarily poor. I would hardly say that they are integrated, they are not, but they have established themselves. For instance, here in Adelaide there was a Palistinian named Shahin, who came out here without a cent to his name, and ended up building a convenience store empire.
Now, I must admit that integration is something that is not easy within our countries, and one of the reasons is that our thought processes and our cultures are vastly different, and I will not speak of the Christian/Muslim divide, even though that divide is ripe for conflict. However, that divide really only exists within the fundamentalist elements, and I must say that amongst a lot of evangelical and fundamentalist Christian communities, there does seem to be little tolerance towards Muslims, but it is not so much directly only at Muslims, but rather at anybody who does not hold the same beliefs as them.
I can't say I know many Muslims myself, but I do know some, and one in particular I do have a good relationship. In fact we have spent a lot of time talking about Islam and Christianity. However, we must remember that our culture is a very liberal culture, and this is something that is not the case in many conservative Muslim countries. This is something that Spurlock had to learn and to respond to appropriately, and from what I understood, he did this quite well. He is not a Muslim, and he did not become a Muslim after his adventure, but he did come out with a much better understanding of the Muslim culture. However, our culture is different, for instance we have a tolerance for pornography, and we do not dress conservatively. We also indulge in alcohol, and this is something that is forbidden to Muslims. However, we need to remember that this is our culture, and people coming into our culture must learn to accept this part of our culture, just as we need to respect another person's culture when we travel there.
Okay, Christians tend not to be tolerant of our culture, and I must suggest that I am a bit critical of that. While I do not suggest that Christians throw away their biblically based morality, I do recommend that they do show a little more tolerance towards those who do not hold the same views as them. This can be difficult however, because in many cases it means that we cannot associate with others in certain contexts (such as going to a strip club). However, I would also not suggest that they lock themselves away in their own little communities, only going out occasionally to fish for prospective participants. I have noticed a lot of hesitation to do such things, and even then, the only time they do so is on 'official business'. I hear all of this talk about evangelism, however I hear no talk about actually making friends beyond that. To be honest, to be a friend with somebody simply to tell them about Christianity, and to discard that friendship when it becomes clear that this person does not want to become a Christian, is first of all not friendly and, I would also suggest, not Christian either.
Now, the conclusion of this book is that Bin Laden is not so much a person but an idea. It is an idea that Muslims should be proud of their heritage and of who they are, and not let another culture move in and destroy that. In the same way he is like Martin Luther King, who became not so much a person, but an idea that all people are equal and should be treated as such. In the same way Christ, while a person, is also an idea (I will be slammed for that statement), and is not so much an idea that people should be nice to each other, but an idea that through his death and resurrection, we have been forgiven of our sins and transgressions, and can come back to God to be in relationship with him.
11 May 2012
The first this that I noticed when looking a some of the reviews of this book was that Morgan Spurlock is considere a 'poor man's Michael Moore'. I am going to have to disagree with that statement. Michael Moore has become little more than an entertainer, and while Spurlock is much the same, I afind Spurlock to be somewhat more intelligent and enlightened than Michael Moore ever was. Okay, that is an opinion and it appears that there is more of a focus on Moore than there is on Spurlock, but it is clear that Spurlock tends to approach his subjects in a different, and less confrontational way. I will deal with his documentary on fast food in his other book 'Don't Eat this Book', but I believe the difference between Moore and Spurlock also comes out in this book as well.
Michael Moore tends to be very confrontational, and in a way, comes to a conclusion with little to no research, and then gets into people's faces and demands an answer. No wonder people generally can't stand the guy. However, Spurlock seems to actually go out and research his topics, and in a way, his books and his films seem to be more about his research into a subject then simply pushing a specific viewpoint. This book is a case in point. Here, Spurlock goes out into the world to try to find out why people hate American so much, and it is more an attempt to get beside them to talk to them rather than getting in their face, as Michael Moore does. If Moore were to approach the same people that Spurlock approaches in this book I am sure that Moore would have landed up in an awful lot of trouble.
The question has been raised as to whether this book is now obsolete now that Osama bin Laden is dead, but I would probably say that it is not. The question that this book tries to answer is not so much where is Osama bin Laden, but rather who he is and what he represents. As for his death, I must suggest that I am still a little dubious about it, namely because I still suspect that he has been dead for a lot longer than we actually believe he has been, and further, all we really know is that a mansion in Pakistan was raided, somebody was killed, no photos or videos were taken, and a corpse was dumped in the Indian Ocean. In a way, it is not so much the death of a man, but rather the death of a icon, and even then while the icon may be dead, the idea is not.
Spurlock travels to some of the most dangerous places in the world in his quest, and one of the things he must do is to go to a training school where journalists learn how to survive in a war zone. When I read this I was quite intrigued because at the time I knew a number of people joining the missionary movement and I discovered that none of these missionary schools taught them survival skills. I must say I am quite critical on that, but this is not the time or the place to discuss this, namely because I would rather try to explore the ideas that are coming out of this book.
Now, I read the book before I even knew of the existence of the documentary, however like most books that are written along with a documentary, this book does tend to go into a lot more detail. Granted, documentaries tend to be more visual and you can watch them in about 2 hours where as books tend to take longer to read, but in a way I do find myself gravitating towards books much more than I do towards documentaries, however documentaries are still good because you are able to watch them with friends and then discuss the implications afterwards: of course as long as ypur friends are willing to think and to discuss as opposed to simply forcing their views down your throat.
Now this book has turned out to be more of an exploration of the Muslim world from the eyes of an American who wants to understand what is going on in this world. However, he does not simply stick with Muslin countries, but he also travels to western countries where Muslims have settled into communities. This is no more obvious than in Paris where there are parts of the city that are pretty much Muslim neighbourhoods. It is interesting though that these neighbourhoods tend to be on the city fringes and very poor. It is not actually something we generally see here in Australia, because my understanding of the Muslim culture in Australia is that they are not necessarily poor. I would hardly say that they are integrated, they are not, but they have established themselves. For instance, here in Adelaide there was a Palistinian named Shahin, who came out here without a cent to his name, and ended up building a convenience store empire.
Now, I must admit that integration is something that is not easy within our countries, and one of the reasons is that our thought processes and our cultures are vastly different, and I will not speak of the Christian/Muslim divide, even though that divide is ripe for conflict. However, that divide really only exists within the fundamentalist elements, and I must say that amongst a lot of evangelical and fundamentalist Christian communities, there does seem to be little tolerance towards Muslims, but it is not so much directly only at Muslims, but rather at anybody who does not hold the same beliefs as them.
I can't say I know many Muslims myself, but I do know some, and one in particular I do have a good relationship. In fact we have spent a lot of time talking about Islam and Christianity. However, we must remember that our culture is a very liberal culture, and this is something that is not the case in many conservative Muslim countries. This is something that Spurlock had to learn and to respond to appropriately, and from what I understood, he did this quite well. He is not a Muslim, and he did not become a Muslim after his adventure, but he did come out with a much better understanding of the Muslim culture. However, our culture is different, for instance we have a tolerance for pornography, and we do not dress conservatively. We also indulge in alcohol, and this is something that is forbidden to Muslims. However, we need to remember that this is our culture, and people coming into our culture must learn to accept this part of our culture, just as we need to respect another person's culture when we travel there.
Okay, Christians tend not to be tolerant of our culture, and I must suggest that I am a bit critical of that. While I do not suggest that Christians throw away their biblically based morality, I do recommend that they do show a little more tolerance towards those who do not hold the same views as them. This can be difficult however, because in many cases it means that we cannot associate with others in certain contexts (such as going to a strip club). However, I would also not suggest that they lock themselves away in their own little communities, only going out occasionally to fish for prospective participants. I have noticed a lot of hesitation to do such things, and even then, the only time they do so is on 'official business'. I hear all of this talk about evangelism, however I hear no talk about actually making friends beyond that. To be honest, to be a friend with somebody simply to tell them about Christianity, and to discard that friendship when it becomes clear that this person does not want to become a Christian, is first of all not friendly and, I would also suggest, not Christian either.
Now, the conclusion of this book is that Bin Laden is not so much a person but an idea. It is an idea that Muslims should be proud of their heritage and of who they are, and not let another culture move in and destroy that. In the same way he is like Martin Luther King, who became not so much a person, but an idea that all people are equal and should be treated as such. In the same way Christ, while a person, is also an idea (I will be slammed for that statement), and is not so much an idea that people should be nice to each other, but an idea that through his death and resurrection, we have been forgiven of our sins and transgressions, and can come back to God to be in relationship with him.
May 30, 2016
A surprisingly weighty read.
With the tongue-in-cheek goal of tracking down Osama bin Laden, award-winning filmmaker (SUPERSIZE ME, 30 DAYS) and expectant dad Morgan Spurlock travels through the Middle East in search of the FBI’s most wanted terrorist, in this book based on a film of the same name.
Far from serious, the “Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?” angle serves as the vehicle through which Spurlock examines some pretty weighty issues. Naturally, Spurlock begins with a biography of bin Laden, detailing his transformation from trust fund baby to radical Islamic jihadist. He then traces bin Laden’s steps through much of the Middle East, including Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, learning about the man’s life and influence throughout the region in the process. During his quest, Spurlock converses with a variety of people, such as religious and political scholars, government and military personnel, teachers and students, relatives of terrorists and former terrorists, and secularized Saudi youths. Taken together, these voices speak (oftentimes contradictory) volumes about life in the Middle East.
From cover to marketing copy, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? appears on its face to be a somewhat flippant look at a deadly serious subject, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth: Spurlock’s written a mighty weighty read here. WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? presents an accessible, empathetic and cogent look at the long-running conflict(s) in the Middle East, as well as the U.S.’s changing role in the region. Topics covered run the gamut: the nature of terrorism, religious fundamentalism and fervor, the spread of secularism and attendant clashes with theocracy, past and present Palestinian/Israeli conflicts, how best to “spread” democracy, ethnic and religious intolerance – Spurlock packs quite a bit into only 300 pages.
The author/filmmaker weaves his tale against the backdrop of his impending fatherhood; throughout his travels, for example, Spurlock solicits advice on parenting from his sundry interview subjects. While this grows a little tiresome about halfway through the book, the payoff is well worth it: Papa Spurlock concludes his search for bin Laden, not with the apprehension of the fugitive, but with a tear-jerking call to peace, tolerance and an end to the “othering” of our fellow humans, hopefully beginning/continuing with his own little “Sponge Bob.” (It’d be nice if he’d extend this consideration to non-human animals, especially in light of his baby mama’s veganism – I mean, WTF is up with eating foie gras in front of your pregnant vegan girlfriend, dude!? – but hey, you can’t win ‘em all!) Spurlock knocks not just Islamophobia among Westerners, but also anti-Westernism, anti-Semitism and misogyny amongst religious fundamentalists in the Middle East.
My only real complaint is that Spurlock’s trademark smartass humor – which I found so charming in SUPERSIZE ME and DON’T EAT THIS BOOK – falls a little flat in WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?. It’s hard to pinpoint why, exactly; I’m not sure the weightiness of the subject quite explains it, as SUPERSIZE ME’s material is just as heavy (pun intended). Perhaps it’s because, in cracking jokes in war-torn countries, Spurlock sometimes comes off as a caricature of that obnoxious Yankee that bin Laden & Co. have so successfully traded on.
Even so, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? is an entertaining, moving and delightfully informative read – and much more hopeful in tone and feeling than similar books about “The War on Terra,” to boot.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2009/04/23/...
With the tongue-in-cheek goal of tracking down Osama bin Laden, award-winning filmmaker (SUPERSIZE ME, 30 DAYS) and expectant dad Morgan Spurlock travels through the Middle East in search of the FBI’s most wanted terrorist, in this book based on a film of the same name.
Far from serious, the “Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?” angle serves as the vehicle through which Spurlock examines some pretty weighty issues. Naturally, Spurlock begins with a biography of bin Laden, detailing his transformation from trust fund baby to radical Islamic jihadist. He then traces bin Laden’s steps through much of the Middle East, including Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, learning about the man’s life and influence throughout the region in the process. During his quest, Spurlock converses with a variety of people, such as religious and political scholars, government and military personnel, teachers and students, relatives of terrorists and former terrorists, and secularized Saudi youths. Taken together, these voices speak (oftentimes contradictory) volumes about life in the Middle East.
From cover to marketing copy, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? appears on its face to be a somewhat flippant look at a deadly serious subject, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth: Spurlock’s written a mighty weighty read here. WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? presents an accessible, empathetic and cogent look at the long-running conflict(s) in the Middle East, as well as the U.S.’s changing role in the region. Topics covered run the gamut: the nature of terrorism, religious fundamentalism and fervor, the spread of secularism and attendant clashes with theocracy, past and present Palestinian/Israeli conflicts, how best to “spread” democracy, ethnic and religious intolerance – Spurlock packs quite a bit into only 300 pages.
The author/filmmaker weaves his tale against the backdrop of his impending fatherhood; throughout his travels, for example, Spurlock solicits advice on parenting from his sundry interview subjects. While this grows a little tiresome about halfway through the book, the payoff is well worth it: Papa Spurlock concludes his search for bin Laden, not with the apprehension of the fugitive, but with a tear-jerking call to peace, tolerance and an end to the “othering” of our fellow humans, hopefully beginning/continuing with his own little “Sponge Bob.” (It’d be nice if he’d extend this consideration to non-human animals, especially in light of his baby mama’s veganism – I mean, WTF is up with eating foie gras in front of your pregnant vegan girlfriend, dude!? – but hey, you can’t win ‘em all!) Spurlock knocks not just Islamophobia among Westerners, but also anti-Westernism, anti-Semitism and misogyny amongst religious fundamentalists in the Middle East.
My only real complaint is that Spurlock’s trademark smartass humor – which I found so charming in SUPERSIZE ME and DON’T EAT THIS BOOK – falls a little flat in WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?. It’s hard to pinpoint why, exactly; I’m not sure the weightiness of the subject quite explains it, as SUPERSIZE ME’s material is just as heavy (pun intended). Perhaps it’s because, in cracking jokes in war-torn countries, Spurlock sometimes comes off as a caricature of that obnoxious Yankee that bin Laden & Co. have so successfully traded on.
Even so, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? is an entertaining, moving and delightfully informative read – and much more hopeful in tone and feeling than similar books about “The War on Terra,” to boot.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2009/04/23/...
September 8, 2011
It may seem strange to read this book when we now know exactly where Bin Laden is and was. Admittedly, when I bought it we were still yet to discover his whereabouts: I bought it as one of a number of books for future reading. By the time I came to read it the action against Bin Laden's compound in Pakistan had taken place and so even I was wondering if it was worth the effort.
It was.
Despite the title, Spurlock's "search" for Bin Laden is really only a vehicle for his real search: to discover how the World in general and the US in particular has got itself into the mess it's in. He sets off to travel the hot-spots of the World and talk to those in the know and to everyday people about their attitudes to the participants in the conflicts between nations and their feelings about why things are as they are. Along the way he learns some home truths about the US and its peoples that are hard to digest.
But digest he does and he begins to realise that there are no simple Blacks and Whites. Everywhere he goes he meets people who desperately want peace but are inclined towards conflict through simple fear. Everyone is afraid of everyone else and it is largely the fault of national governments, who have a self interest in maintaining the tension that ensures their political survival.
His conclusion at the end of his journey is that if we are to turn the World around then it needs a complete change of attitude right from the top of government down to the bottom of society, and that isn't going to happen over-night. It will only happen through a willingness to understand those we fear and in doing so help us and them to face our mutual fears.
Reading this book would be a good place to start.
It was.
Despite the title, Spurlock's "search" for Bin Laden is really only a vehicle for his real search: to discover how the World in general and the US in particular has got itself into the mess it's in. He sets off to travel the hot-spots of the World and talk to those in the know and to everyday people about their attitudes to the participants in the conflicts between nations and their feelings about why things are as they are. Along the way he learns some home truths about the US and its peoples that are hard to digest.
But digest he does and he begins to realise that there are no simple Blacks and Whites. Everywhere he goes he meets people who desperately want peace but are inclined towards conflict through simple fear. Everyone is afraid of everyone else and it is largely the fault of national governments, who have a self interest in maintaining the tension that ensures their political survival.
His conclusion at the end of his journey is that if we are to turn the World around then it needs a complete change of attitude right from the top of government down to the bottom of society, and that isn't going to happen over-night. It will only happen through a willingness to understand those we fear and in doing so help us and them to face our mutual fears.
Reading this book would be a good place to start.
November 5, 2010
Didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about bin Laden (thanks to the gigantic Coll book I read earlier this year), but I enjoyed it. Morgan gave the information a personal spin and was heartfelt and honest in his attempts to understand the Muslim culture and bridge the gap between America and the Middle East. I liked the companion movie too.
February 8, 2025
Although the hunt for Osama bin Laden is now long over, the broader quest for knowledge pertaining to understanding Islam, terrorism and the Middle East are still relevant. Morgan Spurlock, best known for his documentary Super Size Me, wasn't a scholar, and keeps his trademark sarcastic and witty attitude as a layman looking for the answers to understanding the complicated web that is the Middle East, asking his questions and receiving answers that are written down in this book in an easy, simplified and conversational manner; Spurlock sheds some comic relief on a very unfortunate situation.
In short, don't expect an expert analysis on the matter, but a travelogue written by a Regular Joe who wants to satisfy his curiosity and make some sense on what creates a man like Osama bin Laden.
In short, don't expect an expert analysis on the matter, but a travelogue written by a Regular Joe who wants to satisfy his curiosity and make some sense on what creates a man like Osama bin Laden.
January 13, 2020
While the cover seems humorous and of course now dated since bin Laden is dead, and there are humorous moments throughout the book, it is quite informative and asks serious questions. Very thoughtful and intelligent.
October 21, 2014
A young American documentary film-maker decides to find out what all the fuss is about global terrorism and religious fanaticism. Who better to ask than Mr. bin Laden himself ? So, he decides to go look for him. He doesn't find him, but in the end, he is much sadder, but also definitely much wiser. He travels from the U.K. to France, from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, from Afghanistan to Pakistan, speaks to hundreds of people from all walks of life, who represent scores of cultures and a multitude of religions. Mr. Spurlock presents a very even-handed account of the rise of religious extremism and international terrorism. He looks at the causes that make ordinary people into killers of innocent people, he examines the role of developed countries in inadvertently fanning the resentment, he and he tries to figure out what measures should be taken to bring the world back from the edge of the abyss where it is tottering at the moment.
This is a book which presents the present-day socio-political climate without resorting to any jargon. It is one man's attempt to understand how the world has become such a dangerous place in the space of a few decades, and his resulting narrative is also an impassioned appeal for humanizing the enemy, for improving the quality of life of millions of people who struggle just to put food on their tables every day, and the need to use the modern communications we have at our disposal to educate people all over the world. A must read for anybody; I am not a current-affairs buff, but even I enjoyed Mr. Spurlock's reasonable tone, his genuine effort to stay open-minded, and his honest attempt at looking at the world through the eyes of people driven to the extreme, who have gone off the deep end, and resorted to murder and mayhem in order to achieve their objectives.
This is a book which presents the present-day socio-political climate without resorting to any jargon. It is one man's attempt to understand how the world has become such a dangerous place in the space of a few decades, and his resulting narrative is also an impassioned appeal for humanizing the enemy, for improving the quality of life of millions of people who struggle just to put food on their tables every day, and the need to use the modern communications we have at our disposal to educate people all over the world. A must read for anybody; I am not a current-affairs buff, but even I enjoyed Mr. Spurlock's reasonable tone, his genuine effort to stay open-minded, and his honest attempt at looking at the world through the eyes of people driven to the extreme, who have gone off the deep end, and resorted to murder and mayhem in order to achieve their objectives.
October 1, 2008
The cover and title of this book really turned me off, but I had to read it for book club. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed it. Morgan Spurlock has a great voice/writing style for this kind of story. He goes to various Muslim countries and interviews people of all ages and stations in life. From very high up government officials, average middle class families, to US military personnel, to the poorest refugees, he gets their take on the *War on Terror* and what it means to them (and what OBL means to them). I learned so much! After reading this, I have a much broader perspective on why so many Islamic countries dislike the U.S. Most made it clear that they have problems with the government (whose foreign policy has wreaked havoc with theirs), not the people, but it was sad to read how many are just plain scared of us. Kind of like we are of them. It was a very eye-opening, sobering and informative read made easy by the author's wit and clear, intelligent writing.
January 15, 2011
Good read, I think some people think of Spurlock as a poor mans michael moore, but I think that this comparison is not fitting. Spurlock spends most of his time trying to understand the citizens of the islamic countries and talking with some governement officials of these respective nations. One important thing that someone said in the book was that democracy is putting power in the hands of the people, some muslims reject this because they believe that power is held by God alone....This is a belief of citizens from these countries and it is something they are taught from day 1. Will a citizen ever recognize that it does not have be mutually exclusive.
March 1, 2009
What I lvoe about Mrogan Spurlock is he tries to make people think and see beyond the simple media bites. In this book, he does around the Middle East trying to understand the war on terror and its roots and effects. Getting beyond the sound bties and talking to real people about American foreign policy, social issues, religions and how we need to come together to improve things. Its a great, easy to understand and often funny way for people to try to gleam some understanding of what is going on in our world.
May 31, 2008
Morgan Spurlock embarks on a journey to understand the history, cultures and events leading up to 9/11 and how Bin Laden was able to accomplish the terrorist acts. He visits Europe, the Middle East and Southwest Asia interviewing religious leaders, government officials, as well as the refugees and citizens living in the chaos and turmoil. His style of writing makes what could be a drab and confusing topic easily understood.
April 18, 2009
I really like Spurlock's documentary style, his sense of bold journalism, and crazy approach to finding answers to interesting questions. This book just isn't doing it for me. Emma gave it to me for my birthday, and because of this I've tried and tried to get in to it. She and I have a penchant for watching his program "30 Days" and it was a very fabulous gift idea. It just wasn't a very fabulous book.
June 3, 2008
Well, I hate to ruin the surprise, but Morgan doesn't find Osama bin Laden. His search, though, is pretty informative and entertaining (in Spurlock's inimitable style). The average American will probably get something out of reading it - if only a little entertainment - but I didn't find anything earth-shattering in this book.
March 1, 2009
Although I found Spurlock's sense of humor over the top at first, by the end his approach really grew on me. I still don't know what biases Spurlock brought to the table that may have affected the telling of the story or its message, but I found the book entertaining and I learned something by reading it. I would and actually have recommended it.
February 14, 2009
First off, I was disappointed that this was not read by Morgan Spurlock but what's his face did well. There were a few things in the book that probably should have been in the movie but for whatever reasons were left out (perhaps can be viewed in the deleted scenes). Otherwise, I think the movie covered the best of the book.
September 28, 2009
Basically, Morgan Spurlock travels all over the world but mostly to Muslim countries to find out why we (Muslims), supposedly, hate them (non-Muslims). Don't get fooled by the cover and the title. It's not a humourous book but it is not a dry academically written book either. I especially recommend this book to all non-Muslims.
September 11, 2008
This book was just too boring to get into. I liked the movie by Morgan Spurlock on "Supersize Me", but I just could not get into this book. It probably was more interesting as a documentary movie than a book.
November 28, 2008
A good primer about the man behind the myth. Had some funny moments considering the serious subject matter. I didn't learn a whole lot of new things but still worth the read for sure. Entertaining. And good concluding remarks on global unity, friendship, hope, etc.
December 8, 2008
Candy, really. If you don't know anything about Muslims and the ideals that provide the foundation for the Islamic religion, this is an easy, informative read. A basic tale of "can't we all just get along?"
August 13, 2013
I actually used an excerpt in contemporary world classroom. This book is very easy to read and overall, very well done. Although, with Osama bin Laden's death it would seem far less relevant, it is almost even better to read in hindsight.
June 9, 2008
This was a pretty good read. I enjoyd the book. I do reccomend his othr book - Eat this book. It was very good
July 2, 2008
Why this guy hates us.
July 6, 2008
This book is frightening,enlightening,hysterical and somewhat sad all at once, I def. recommend it!
October 27, 2008
I'm glad he quit searching when he did. This guy has a common sense approach and we don't want to lose him to some fiery eyed religious fanatic.
Read
July 27, 2011Took me a while but it was worth it, funny but informative, should have been a lighter read than I made it.
Read
July 29, 2011Funny and insightful
April 17, 2012
So it's a bit out of date now, but still thought provoking. Well worth reading for a greater understanding of Middle Eastern conflict, particularly surrounding Israel and Palestine.
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