The fourth edition of Understanding the Contemporary Middle East has been fully revised and updated throughout to reflect the still-unfolding impact of the Arab Spring, the changing international environment, the impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and much more. The book also includes an entirely new chapter on the role of women in the Middle East. Maps, photographs, and details of basic political data enhance the text, widely acknowledged as the best available introduction to the region. -- Publisher's website.

The Middle East : a geographic preface / Ian R. Manners, Barbara McKean Parmenter, Ryan King -- The historical context / Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. -- Middle Eastern politics / Philip A. Schrodt, Deborah J. Gerner -- International relations / Mary Ann Tétreault -- The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict / Simona Sharoni, Mohammed Abu-Nimer -- The economies of the Middle East / Agnieszka Paczynska -- The political economy of Middle Eastern oil / Mary Ann Tétreault -- Population growth, urbanization, and the challenges of unemployment / Valentine M. Moghadam -- Kinship, class, and ethnicity / Laurie King-Irani -- The role of women / Lisa Pollard -- Religion and politics in the Middle East / Jillian Schwedler -- Middle Eastern literature / Miriam Cooke -- Trends and prospects / Jillian Schwedler.