Those who study Lebanon, should read Halim Barakat's new autobiographical novel, Al-Madinah Al-Mulawwanah. Halim, who comes across in person as reserved and timid, is in fact fierce. When he analyzes Lebanese politics, he is most uncompromising. I liked that he was quite candid in his evaluation of the SSNP (of which he was a member although he later became disillusioned). (How come right-wingers rarely get disillusioned?)