Customer Reviews

On Identity

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I read this book in a german translation and I think it is one of the most important nonfiction books I have found in the last years. Mr. Maalouf analyzes rigorously the dangers of religious and nationalistic fanatism, which in most cases are coming from a wrongly understood search for preservation of "identity". The German title of the book is "Murderous Identities" which reflects the intentions of the author even more clearly. Mr. Maalouf, as a Christian and an emigrant from Lebanon, living in France since many years, is an intermediary, who critically views both sides - the modern western world and the more traditional arab world. The book does not offer solutions, but it makes you think and reflect, and hopefully will help in the important process that people will better understand the other side without claiming only their own rights and needs. I had the pleasure to meet Mr. Maalouf during the Salzburg Festival 2000 where he appeared as text author for the new opera "L'amour de loin" of the finish composer Kaija Saariaho. The idea of the opera follows the book "On identity": the need of worldwide love, irrespective of religious or political identities.

Llegué a esta obra a través del nombre del autor, excepcional narrador, pero nunca sospreché que pudiera encontrar una serie de reflexiones tan lúcidas y válidas para el mundo que nos rodea. Maalouf se pregunta qué es la identidad y cuáles los elementos que la rodean. Salpicado de constantes alusiones al mundo árabe que tan bien conoce, este ensayo es capaz de sacar de nuestro interior afirmaciones y convicciones que ójala estuvieran presentes en la sociedad y en las vidas que a cada uno nos ha tocado vivir. Lo mejor que todos podríamos desear es que las reflexiones y recomendaciones de Maalouf llegaran algún día a impregnar el panorama político internacional.

Its a great book to read like all Amin Maalouf's books, and very well organised. The Author clarify a lot of ethnic as well as political problems and you'll never get bored while reading it. The arab world should be very proud of Maalouf, he has indeed showed the world in his books the essence of the Arabic culture.

This is a very interesting and thought-provoking book. Author born in Lebanon and has lived much of his adult life in France, but it's really about mankind, not the Middle East or Europe.

I read the book by Amin Maalouf with much pleasure. There was little I could disagree with in his brief and well-written essay, and he clearly writes with deep conviction and passion. It seems that Malouf is continuing in an ancient tradition in the Middle East by Muslim and Judaic philosophers on the importance of mutual tolerance, and a recognition that the myriad attributes one presents (religion, cultural background, sex, color of skin, lenght, weight, age, nationality, etc. etc. etc.) are indeed just that, attributes that in itself do not necessarily define you; more often than not, people take one particular element as a defining feature (e.g. religion or color of your skin) to the exclusion of all else and thereby diminishing both themselves and the other person.

He discusses several times the fear that many people in Europe or the Middle East often have of cultural US domination (this must be his French background or am i making now the same mistake in intolerance?). Point taken, but I missed a more extensive discussion of the historic effort on European integration where similar fears also play (loss of 'cultural identity').

His arguments and plea for the richness of individuals in society I found well done, and although there is not much new or startling there (must be my own liberal background), it is important that such points are made again and again as reminders to us all.