Mugged by Reality

"It is so often remarked that we have failed to "understand the culture of the Middle East," but what struck Agresto was that many Americans in Iraq did not even understand their own culture, having no clear sense of what America really stands for. In every area - how to promote freedom, how to establish a decent democracy, recognizing the allure of fanatical religion, understanding human nature when it is stripped bare by despotism and chaos and fear - guidance came in the form of thoughtless platitudes, groundless optimism, and fortune-cookie philosophies. In the end, Mugged by Reality offers "lessons learned" not only about Iraq and Middle Eastern culture, but also about American democracy and about our common human nature."--BOOK JACKET.