Recommendations

Five Books Recommended by Heba al-Qudsi

In this column, prominent Egyptian journalist and media figure Heba al-Qudsi — Director of the Washington bureau of Asharq Al-Awsat, holder of a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Cairo University and a Diploma in Journalism from the School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; she has worked for several newspapers in Egypt, Gulf countries, and Britain since 1992, and has extensive experience in international media — takes us into the worlds of reading through what she has recently read and recommends.

"A History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell

One of the essential books for understanding the development path of European countries. The great philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote this comprehensive study in 1945 as a historical narrative and thorough examination of Western thought, from the pre-Socratic Greeks to the early twentieth century. I love this book for its clear and humorous style, and its distinctive analytical philosophical perspective, blending philosophical ideas with their social, political, and historical contexts. Russell sees philosophy as lying between theology and science, shaped by inherited religious and moral traditions and empirical research. He traces the Renaissance, the ideas of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Descartes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Nietzsche, and Marx, offering biting critiques of excessive idealism and praising scientific rationalism, critical thought, and the vital role philosophy plays in shaping civilization.

The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of Dennis Ross

One of the most important diplomatic memoirs on the Arab-Israeli peace process. Ross, who joined the U.S. State Department in 1988 under James Baker, recounts his direct involvement in the search for peace over more than a decade, from the 1991 Madrid Conference to the end of the Clinton era in 2001. He provides precise and fascinating details about the atmosphere of secret and public meetings, such as the Madrid Conference that opened the door to multilateral negotiations, then Oslo and its subsequent agreements, Wye River, and Camp David in 2000. He also discusses the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, the rise of Benjamin Netanyahu to power, and the impact on the peace process. Ross offers a deep personal analysis of the key figures.

"It's the Mashrabiya of My Life" by Thomas Georgesian

A deeply human contemplative memoir. The book presents a rich mosaic of life filled with memories and stories, where the author looks from the 'mashrabiya' of his life at the past and present with a spirit full of love, gratitude, and nostalgia. In this book, Georgesian tells the story of his Armenian family who migrated to Egypt fleeing the Armenian genocide by the Ottomans. He describes the atmosphere of the Armenian community in Cairo (especially Shubra and downtown), focusing on Armenian schools such as Kalousdian, churches, and daily life infused with culture and warmth. He highlights the role of Armenians in Egyptian life: in pharmacy, journalism, cinema (such as Fouad al-Zahiri and Van Leo), art, and caricature. Thomas engagingly recounts his childhood, his studies at the College of Pharmacy, then his shift to journalism (starting with Sabah al-Khair magazine and the Armenian Housaper newspaper), his meetings with great writers such as Naguib Mahfouz, Yusuf Idris, Salah Jahin, and Mustafa Amin. He also talks about his marriage to American Liz, his daughter Margaret (a mix of three cultures: Egyptian, Armenian, and American), and his journey to Washington, where he has lived for decades. He describes his identity as a 'blend' like 'fakhfakhina', an Egyptian-Armenian mix, combining 'Egyptian frankness' and 'Armenian tenderness', and celebrates Egypt as a homeland whose heart beats with its history without denying his Armenian heritage.

"The Dictator's Daughter" -

Mustafa Obaid

This novel makes any reader wonder what is real and what is fictional in this narrative that presents the biography of 'Sanaa Bakash', the iron woman nicknamed the Dictator's Daughter, who seems to be a character inspired by the monarchical era. The story of this woman who lived at the heart of political, security, and cultural turmoil in Egypt, from the royal palace atmosphere and conflicts with the British occupation, through social and moral contradictions, to the intertwining of politics with literature and journalism. The novel features real historical figures such as Hassan Rifat, Mustafa Amin, al-Aqqad, and Ibrahim Nagi, enhancing the realism within the plot. I recommend reading the novel because it combines detective suspense, psychological depth, and historical analysis.

"Atomic Habits" by James Clear

One of the most prominent self-development books. The book answers the fundamental question: why do some people fail to build good habits despite their strong willpower, while others succeed easily? The answer is that the secret is not in willpower but in following a system to build good habits, and that success does not come from radical changes but from making small daily improvements that accumulate to produce amazing results over time. One of the strongest quotes in the book is: 'You don't need to be a disciplined person; you just need to be a smart person in designing your habits.'

1 Heba al-Qudsi