Customer Reviews

Live From Jordan: Letters Home From My Journey Through the Middle East

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A fantastic book. The parallels with Tom Friedmans' "Beirut to Jerusalem" are remarkable, but where Tom's insight derived from serving as the NY Times correspondent to Beirut and Jerusalem and interacting with high level politicos (top down), Ben's piece involves living in Amman where he had to endure a brief, cold shower every other day due to water constraints (bottoms up).

This work palpably demonstrates how miserably US foreign policy aggravates Middle East problems, but reinforces the hope that if we take the time to know our neighbors, peaceful reconciliation is possible.

Sincere, honest, and funny are words that come most readily to mind when summing up this book. Young American Ben Orbach showed significant courage in traveling to the Arab World (and Turkey) post-9/11, and he was on the ground with war in Iraq brewing and then breaking out. He is a true traveler in the classical sense, going afar to seek wisdom and change, not to impose or justify prejudices or preconceived notions. He is clear about his convictions, but humbly does his utmost to understand the many different opinions he encounters along the way. His insights, informed by his knowledge of the local language, are passed on to us through the e-mails that he wrote home from the Middle East--those missives are the substance of the book. His distinction between "America haters" and "American policy critics" will help Americans who are struggling to grasp the nuance of Arab/Muslim politics and society. In this and some other sections of the book, Orbach outlines what he believes are some of the implications for U.S. Middle East policy.

The author's personality comes through with a great sense of humor. His account of using the facilities in high-class hotels is hilarious--something any young and cash-strapped traveler who has searched desperately for clean restrooms in developing nations can surely relate to. The Jordan snowball fight is awesome.

This wil be a sort of guide book for Americans studying in the Arab/Muslim world. It can also be a Middle East primer for any Americans who are seeking to be more-informed citizens.

Perhaps the most important question to ask of any text is, "what of it?" At first glance, pursuing peace might seem a somewhat grandiose ambition to link with this book, but I believe that is the author's primary motivation. His search is in the spirit of U.S. Middle East envoy Dennis Ross, who dedicated his book "To the Children of the Middle East." The Middle East is controversial, and readers will surely find cause to disagree with Orbach at points along the way. But they will also find his views to be balanced, fair, and reasonable.

In sum, the author's sincerity, credentials (advanced Arabic, SAIS masters degree), and his travel and work experience (notably with the U.S. government's Middle East Partnership Initiative) demand that his book gets a serious look and a fair read. At a time when the need for mutual understanding between the U.S. and the Arab (and Muslim) world has never been more vital, this is a timely, important, and enjoyable book.

Benjamin Orbach captures the true essence and political character that is the present paradoxical Arab East. Live From Jordan is a very accurate account of the Middle Eastern climate today. Through his clear writing and attention to detail, Benjamin Orbach's words give insight into these different cultures and the struggle of everyday life. Orbach's experience in the Middle East is one that is unique, yet he touches on so many common threads, and is able to come to a comfortable understanding in the end.

Benjamin Orbach did something just a few months after the events of 9-11 that few Americans dared to do. Just when most Americans were purposely avoiding travel to the Middle East (or had left the area for good), Orbach decided to move to Jordan on his own so that he could study Arabic as it is spoken on the street. He wanted to learn everyday Arabic slang and ways of expressing himself in the language that would allow him to communicate with Arabic speakers at the deepest level. Immersing himself into the culture of Amman, and living there without the usual security surrounding most Americans in that part of the world, he learned much more about himself and the people he met than he could have reasonably expected to come away with going into the experience.

Orbach's language skills and obvious respect for the culture and people he lived among made it possible for him to fit into his Amman neighborhood so well that he formed lasting friendships with the people he saw there everyday, his barber, his grocer, students at his university, his language teachers, restaurant owners and his landlady, among them. Unlike most Americans, and probably most Westerners, he came to see them as individuals with the same hopes and desires that we all have, rather than as interchangeable parts in a single Arab culture dominated by a religion bent on destroying the West and claiming the world for Islam. Anyone who reads Live from Jordan will be able to rid themselves of that stereotypical viewpoint forever and that makes it an important book.

When I started reading Live from Jordan I wondered whether or not Benjamin Orbach's personal experiences would be similar the ones I had while working in Algeria from late 1992 until early 2002. As it turns out, they definitely were. I am not an Arabic speaker but in Algeria French is the business language of choice and most Algerians are at least somewhat fluent in the language. That allowed me to have rather detailed and intimate discussions with my Algerian co-workers and friends about our differences and, more importantly, about our similarities. Much as I suspect that Orbach will always treasure his days in Jordan and Egypt, I will be forever grateful for the friendship and trust that was offered to me by those Algerians who welcomed me into their world as an individual rather than exclude me as an "American."

I mention my years in that part of the world only to emphasize how "true" this book read to me. I did not find a false note in it anywhere and would love to see its message spread as widely as possible.

Orbach's book is a must for anyone who wants to know more about the culture and real life of the Middle East, and who seeks answers to how U.S. foreign policy might be adapted to improve regional relationships. If you want to get beyond the daily headlines and really understand the Middle East, Orbach's journey will take you there. "Live from Jordan" is smart, witty and engaging - a great read.

I lived in Amman, Jordan from 2006-2008 and read this book about a year after returning to the U.S. It is an excellent book about Arab culture, Middle Eastern politics, and what it's like to travel/live in the Middle East (as an American) post-9/11. Orbach's book is one of those rare books about the Middle East that views the culture and history honestly and sensitively and most importantly explains how every issue is grey and that there is no right answer. I place his book on par with Fromkin's "A Peace to End All Peace" and Friedman's "From Beirut to Jerusalem". Orbach does not shy away from describing the region's problems. However, he also establishes strong ties with the people there and, by reading about his experiences, the reader can't help but be touched by the kindness and generosity of so many of the people he met on his journeys. This is especially true of his description of how he was treated just before the US invasion of Iraq. I lived in Jordan during the height of the insurgency when millions of Iraqi refugees were fleeing to Jordan and driving up the price of food, housing etc. and, like Orbach, I was very grateful that so many Jordanians continued to separate the US government from the American people. Lastly, Orbach's book is the only book on the Middle East (that I have read) that accurately discusses the treatment of Western women living in the Middle East. I believe that this is an important issue and I was very happy to see Orbach deal with it in such a perceptive and constructive way. If you want an honest book about the Middle East and Arab culture, look no further!

Orbach paints a vivid picture of the Middle East through conversations with local taxi drivers, barbers, and line cooks (among others). By examining how people think in this part of the world and highlighting the problems they face trying to scratch out a living, Orbach makes a strong case for a new approach to American foreign policy. The bonus is that Orbach's travel stories are quite entertaining -- visits to camel markets and his suggestions for gaining access to the best bathrooms in Amman top the list.

Kudos to Benjamin Orbach for presenting a real "fair and balanced" account of life in the Middle East. He has put a human face on people in a part of the world that our part of the world honestly knows so little about.

Live from Jordan: Letters Home from My Journey
Through the Middle East by Benjamin Orbach

My criteria for liking a book are to meld content
and style. I finally came upon a book that is ostensibly a travelogue but really is a very good discovery of the complexity of the peoples of Arabia, particularly the people of "the Arab street" in Damascus, Amman and Cairo. The peoples have differing cultures, language dialects and are still pulled by tribal instinct.

Mr. Orbach shows that the populations of these
countries are extremely variegated - to the extent
that US foreign policy decision-makers cannot make glib pronouncements on the basis of "truth, justice and the American way."

Victims of exploitative colonialism and greedy
dictators, the common people seem unremarkably passive, with a predilection for regime change if not for revolution. The internet, among other things, has brought: other visions to the common folk; experiences of freedom of thought; and the materialistic comforts as the result of their enterprise.

The spark to ignite the lethal explosive between them and the dictator seems not too far off. And yet, the common people may not have a palatable solution for the Israeli's or Jews. Indeed, the author feared identifying himself as a Jew, thinking it enough of a shock that an American was in their midst - who even spoke their own Arabic dialect.

We learn the living conditions, the oppressive work and the little time for "fun." It makes me wonder what will occur when nation building is accomplished. What type of government overthrow will occur and what role will the United State play in regime change, if any at all?

All in all, this book is well worth the read to
sensitize the Western reader that the "Arabs" are
not a monolithic body, all of whom are terrorists.



Art Finkle

A well written book about the middle east centered on Jordan. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want to know about the daily life of an expat living in Jordan I suggest this book.