A dizzying amount of media coverage bombards us from the Middle East, yet little filters through about the experiences of ordinary people. Encounters with the Middle East tells their stories through interactions with 30 writers who go beyond the usual reporting to reveal the simple and poignant ways that life goes on. These writers' experiences with the people and places of the region remind us that the Middle East is blessed with astounding cultural and historical treasures, and offer moving glimpses of lives unfolding behind the headlines. Discover the depths of hospitality in a hulking steamer as fasting locals voyage back to Egypt during the holy month of Ramadan, Take in the stunning Shia ritual of Ashura as experienced by a family of Bahraini women from their balcony in Manama, Journey to Jerusalem for an intimate glimpse of the city in the 1960s as remembered by a boy coming of age in its cobbled streets and souks, Inhale the sweet fumes of the hookah, chew the beloved qat, and soak up the atmosphere in the salons of the most politically active women of Yemen, Sip apple tea in Turkey and reconsider your ideas about arranged marriage as a carpet seller and his wife lovingly recount their courtship, ...and much more. Book jacket.