The Making of a Modern Kingdom: Globalization and Change in Saudi Arabia
“Written in clear, accessible prose, this ethnography serves as an excellent case study for undergraduate courses on globalization and culture change.” Anton Daughters, Cornell College“The author presents a straightforward, simplified narrative of the country’s transformation from a congeries of separate, warring chiefdoms to a highly centralized, authoritarian state ruled by one extended family whose legitimacy is based on its strict adherence to the Wahhabi doctrines, a puritanical version of Islam that is unique to Saudi Arabia. Weaving together personal experiences, academic literature, and her own in-country research, Jordan presents a fascinating case study. . . . Recommended.”Choice