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Acknowledgments

I began my academic involvement with the Middle East more than sixty years ago, in 1958, and made my first trip to Egypt in 1960. Much of my life since then has been spent in the region. I began a family there in Morocco in 1967 and have shamelessly abused the region’s justifiably renowned hospitality ever since. Countless Middle Easterners have shared their experience and wisdom with me with no expectation of a quid pro quo. There was, in fact, no way I could compensate them, individually or collectively, for their generosity. They know who they are. Not a few are no longer with us. This may be my last opportunity to salute them all. It is a grossly inadequate gesture.

The research for this study was carried out over several years, beginning in 2008–2009. It was largely self-financed, but I do owe thanks to New York University Abu Dhabi, where I was visiting global professor from 2012 to 2014, for providing me with a research budget during those years. I also am obliged to the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the AUB for supporting research assistance (provided by Tara Mahfoud) during one phase of the study. I extend belated thanks to Tara.

I am also deeply grateful to my former colleague at the AUB, Dr. Prem C. Sexena, where he was professor and chairman at the Department of Population Studies in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Prem Sexena went on to become the Garware chair professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, India. Dr. Sexena is responsible for an analysis of existing and projected gross enrollment ratios for select Arab countries, referenced in Chapter 1 and Appendix 1.

I worked with a small team of Nadia Naqib, Miriam Fahmi, and Jonathan Boylan at the American University in Cairo Press. Nadia in particular was both meticulous and non-invasive in her editing. This is a very delicate balance to achieve, and I am in debt for her thoughtfulness and sensitivity. I owe the whole team sincere thanks for all they did.

There are some colleagues who merit special mention for their time, wisdom, and willingness to engage. Some are old friends, others I only know through email or telephone conversations: Adnan El-Amine, Elizabeth Buckner, Paul Lingenfelter, Ahmad Jammal, Hassan Diab, Sari Hanafi, Ragui Assaad, Dan Levy, Munir Bashshur, John Blackton, Nazli Choucri, Fred Moavenzadeh, Sheikh Nahayan, Ali al-Din Hilal Dessouki, Rasha Faek, the late Galal Amin, the late Sadiq al-Azm, Wail Benjelloun, Faissal Aziz, Azmi Mahafzah, and the late Clayton Christensen, whom I never met, but whose theory of disruptive innovation is central to parts of this book. I hope they will not be unhappy with this book, but if they are, it’s all on me.