The Belly Dance Book is a collection of articles by 17 top belly dance writers. This is the nuts & bolts of belly dance with articles on history, current events, costuming, make-up, spirit, music, product reviews and more. Great for dancers of every level, and anyone interested in dance, costuming, history or theater.
This book is supposed to have good info on the origins and cultural contexts of different forms of dance, and it was cheaper on Amazon than the $300, out-of-print Tribal Bible. Perhaps if I knew about tribal and folkloric dances in more historical detail, I would better be able to appreciate some of the information, but it's not well presented and mostly reflects interests that are not my own. Apparently people who bellydance just want to do it, not write about it--there's not much out there.
I haven't read this whole book, and don't own it, but would like to buy one. Its a belly dance reader. There are some really interesting pieces by different authors on a wide variety of subjects-from male belly dancing to costume making. The costume making chapter alone makes the whole book valuable.