Kuwait

Cultures of the World

by Maria O'Shea

Diversity is the spice of life, and the highly regarded Cultures of the World series celebrates just that in fully updated, and expanded editions. As has always been true of these outstanding titles, an abundance of vibrant photographs -- including those new to this edition -- stimulate the imaginations of young readers as they travel the globe. A new chapter on the environment focuses on politics and economics as well as on endangered species and the effects of industrialization. Additional authentic recipes add general interest while new maps offer further, easy-to-find facts in "About the Geography, " "About the Culture" and "About the Economy" sections.

128 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Letitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had the disadvantage of coming right after I read Sonnenborn's book by the same title, over the same topic, with about the same format. I much preferred Sonnenborn's "Kuwait" book. The strength in this one is actually the section on economy. I wondered, while reading, if the author were primarily an economist, because this section in particular showed understanding and depth. The other sections were simply not as insightful as Sonnenborn's writing, and I think this one is now a bit dated.

[Bookworm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disgusting.
Apparently, women ENJOY having no rights. Women LOVE not having a say in politics. It makes them sooo happy to honor tradition by obeying either their father (before marriage), husband (during marriage), or oldest son (after marriage). Women soooo appreciate their men “saving face” (ie honor killings) when another woman misbehaves.
This whole book is nothing but Muslim-women-love-being-abused propaganda. How about this — maybe don’t abuse women!?!

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot reading this book & thought it was nicely done, especially with the pictures they had. It was interesting to see how they rely so much on oil export. How they got invaded by Iraq & the aftermath of it all. They are such a small country but has much to offer. What I also found super shocking is the amount of people in Kuwait are actually derived from neighboring countries, it is a huge percentage that I found astounding.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Cultures of the World series. It gives such a great overview of countries I know little about. And I was really interested in this one. Kuwait is very unique in the Gulf countries - with its huge number of expatriates and unusual role of the state in peoples employment.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about the people of Kuwait, a small country in the Pursian Gulf. It would be good for ESOL students because it introduces history, culture, and georgraphy using simple language and clear pictures.