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Fast Times in Palestine

by Pamela J. Olson (Goodreads Author)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 175 ratings · 53 reviews

Pamela Olson, a small town girl from eastern Oklahoma, had what she always wanted: a physics degree from Stanford University. But instead of feeling excited for what came next, she felt consumed by dread and confusion. This irresistible memoir chronicles her journey from aimless ex-bartender to Ramallah-based journalist and foreign press coordinator for a Palestinian presi...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published May 20th 2011 by Mason Hill Press (first published May 10th 2011)

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Fast Times in Palestine by Pamela J. Olson

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Dec 13, 2011 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Wendy by: Pamela Olson

Shelves: memoir, middle-east, non-fiction, 2011

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to let it all settle and sink in before I reviewed it and gave it a rating. As you can see, I gave it 5-stars. I probably would have given it 4-stars, but I had the opportunity to discuss the book with the author in an on-line discussion thread and that is definitely worth an additional star :-)

As for the book, it is a moving and compelling story of Pamela's experiences in the West Bank. I felt like I could really relate to her reactions....more

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May 18, 2013 Pearl rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Pamela Olson graduated from Stanford (2002) with a degree in Physics, she realized she didn't want to spend any more time hunched over physics problems so she picked up a few odd jobs and thought about traveling. She saved her money and after a couple of years a friend in Europe invited her to join him in a tour of the Middle East. So begins the unlikely story of a young girl from Oklahoma who ended up in Palestine and fell in love with the people and the region.

"Fast Times. . ." is a perso...more When Pamela Olson graduated from Stanford (2002) with a degree in Physics, she realized she didn't want to spend any more time hunched over physics problems so she picked up a few odd jobs and thought about traveling. She saved her money and after a couple of years a friend in Europe invited her to join him in a tour of the Middle East. So begins the unlikely story of a young girl from Oklahoma who ended up in Palestine and fell in love with the people and the region.

"Fast Times. . ." is a personal narrative about the people she met, the events she saw, the joy and the pain she witnessed. It is not a polemic about abstract ideas. It's her eyewitness account, her felt experience. Is it unbiased? Perhaps not, but it's close enough to many other stories I have read to make it believable. Also it's well footnoted (in an unobtrusive way).

She traveled to many small villages and cities in the West Bank and to Gaza, just as Israel was forcibly moving its settlers from that area. She sometimes acted as a tour guide for friends and family who visited the area, helped with the olive harvest, and made many friends among the Palestinians and a few Israelis. Her most notable job during her 2+ years in the Palestinian Territories was as foreign press agent for Dr. Barghouthi, who was running in opposition to Mahmoud Abbas, the current President, in 2005. What Ms. Olson emphasizes time and time again is how much the foreign press ignores the plight of the Palestinians. Only when Israel suffers casualties is it big news. On a trip to Amman, Jordan to meet a Jordanian friend, a Palestinian refugee who was on vacation from his economics PhD at Stanford, she asks him about the contrasts between the rich and the poor sections of that city.

"Look at us here in Jordan," he replies. "We have no oil, no natural resources, but we are very educated, and some of us are very rich. How do we have all this? Every time there is a war, or a refugee problem, the refugees go to Jordan--from Iraq, from Palestine--and Jordan gets money from the West to keep them, to deal with them,. . . and be quiet about them. Not out loud, but secretly, the Jordanian government supported the war in Iraq. So did the Egyptian government. And they both made separate peace deals with Israel without demanding justice for the Palestinians. The Americans pay both of them to keep quiet about Palestinian rights." Olson then writes, "After Israel, it turns out, Jordan has the most per capita American foreign aid in the world; Egypt is second to Israel in absolute terms. Both Egypt and Jordan began receiving their checks after signing peace agreements with Israel that ignored the question of Palestinian rights." I'm quite sure that official Jordan, at least, would not put their agreement with Israel in these terms, but the end result is pretty much the same.

Another example. After a series of attacks and retaliations on both sides (Hamas in this case and Israel), "the international news was blanketed with headlines about how this savage attack [by Hamas] had shattered a six-month 'lull' in the violence. . . eight settlers, and eighteen soldiers had been killed by Palestinians. Those were low numbers compared to similar periods over the previous two years. But in the same six-month period, more than 350 Palestinians, including 90 children, had been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers. The press was silent about that." And so it goes, story after story.

But please don't think this book is a depressing rant and rave against the state of affairs in the Palestinian Territories. Olson is not a fanatic. Her style of very straight forward. She seems very level headed, albeit adventurous. She tells many stories of the warmth and generosity of the Palestinian people and their ability to carry on, despite all odds.

What struck me most was Olson's accounts of the dehumanizing effects of the separation wall that Israel has been building, separating Palestinians from their jobs, taking wide swaths of their land, cutting their olive groves in two, making them wait for hours and in some cases days for permission to pass a checkpoint, risk being shot if some unwanted, misinterpreted move is made while standing in line. What is the wall for? to protect settlers in their illegal settlements!

I remember after reading Sandy Tolan's wonderful book, "The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East," I was disappointed that Bashir (the Arab, a Palestinian whose family had been displaced by the creation of the state of Israel)wasn't more reconciling toward the Jewish family who, unknowingly moved into Bashir's family home. They reached out to him. A tenuous friendship was formed, but he could not ultimately forgive, let bygones be bygones. After Olson's book, I better understand his implacable anger. I was/am very angry, too, at where my tax dollar goes. But most (not all) of the Palestinians Olson meets seem to have moved somewhere beyond anger. A kind of sad resignation. Olson herself remains quite optimistic and definitely not cynical. She still believes in international law and its ability to ultimately make a difference.
After her return to the U.S., she worked at a Defense Department think tank to try to bring what she had learned to the halls of power. It was a disillusioning experience.

I highly recommend this book, if you are at all open to learning about the plight of those living in the Palestinian Territories . . . and their sense of joy and fun and despair.

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Apr 02, 2013 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

I started out skeptically because the author went to Palestine not knowing anything, and I thought, Okay, three years ago you knew nothing and now you're a best-selling author on an issue I've worked on for half my life. And probably getting better known than fabulous Palestinian memoirists like Ghada Karmi and Raja Shehadeh.

But once I started reading it -- which I did because Seal Press sent it to me and suggested I interview Pamela, which I did on Monday's show -- I found it really fun and poi...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Debbie W rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: around-the-world-challenge, read-in-2013

This book is a nonfiction memoir of Olson’s two year stint in Palestine. Sometimes funny and often gripping, this is a moving book of the life that we don’t know. Olson paints a vivid picture of the countryside and the way of life that Palestinians must endure. She shares with her readers the incredible adventure within the confines of this war torn country. There are not many people who would have her courage and strength, especially a woman to live in Palestine and experience the wonder and aw...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

This wasn't what I was expecting. When I purchased it, I didn't read the description closely enough and thought I was getting a novel. When I sat down to read it and realized my mistake, I decided to give it a chance anyway and I am so glad I did. I was hooked right away. It's a memoir that reads like a novel. I could vividly picture the land she was seeing and the people she was talking to....and the horrors she was experiencing. This was so eye opening. It put a face to the crimes of humanity...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Dorothy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One evening I was browsing the Top 100 List of Kindle books on Amazon, and this book was included with the free books in that list. It seemed interesting, so I chose it. My hope was that it would be a travel log of sorts with interesting tales of the people living in the Middle East. It delivered.

The travel log aspects of the book were very interesting. The author does a nice job of describing the sites and scenery. Her stories of the people she met while traveling to see the sites - some typica...more One evening I was browsing the Top 100 List of Kindle books on Amazon, and this book was included with the free books in that list. It seemed interesting, so I chose it. My hope was that it would be a travel log of sorts with interesting tales of the people living in the Middle East. It delivered.

The travel log aspects of the book were very interesting. The author does a nice job of describing the sites and scenery. Her stories of the people she met while traveling to see the sites - some typical tourist locations and some not - were fascinating.

Many times I found myself hoping she would include more about this person or that, but one realizes that this is non-fiction. It comes with limitations on what information can be gathered on a person due to time constraints. Also, when meeting someone while traveling, there is only so much a stranger is willing to share. Overall, it is easy to be drawn to many of the people she met on her journeys.

The descriptions given of the area sends the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. There were times when I fell in love with the beauty of the area and thought to myself that it would be wonderful to visit there and experience the beauty myself. The next moment it was so horrifying that I could not even fathom going there. Going back and forth from being drawn to the area and being repelled happens frequently in the book.

There are political aspects of the book, as one would assume. I am not an expert on the Palestine/Israeli conflict, so I have little to say that wouldn't be foolish one way or the other due to my lack of education. I'll leave that to those who have studied it extensively. Because the author was living in Palestine, her experience is the Palestine experience. However, she does include a lot of the tragedy that falls upon the Israeli population due to the conflict as well.

If I want to gain an objective opinion of what happens on a regular basis in that area of the Middle East, I would read this book and one from someone having visited or lived in Israel for an extended time. From both books giving both viewpoints, perhaps I could gather a somewhat objective view, even if that was possible. Considering that it is unlikely that I will ever visit, reading accounts is all that I can do.

Overall, I loved the travel log aspects of the book. The people were fascinating. I learned quite a bit that I did not know about the culture of the Middle East. It sounds beautiful. It's a shame that the treasured Holy Land and sites are under such turmoil. All I can do is pray for peace for all sides. Maybe it is impossible, but one can hope.(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Jeannette rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was truly amazing. One of those books that you finish and think, 'man, if everyone read this...' It would be easy to say that it's one-sided and biased but it really isn't. I think it's an attempt to understand a situation that makes no sense. It takes out the politics and focuses on how these decisions and policies affect average people who are just trying to live. Olson does a great job of backing up her personal reflections with facts which makes it stronger.

What I find most unique...more

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Apr 09, 2013 JoV rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not a travelogue but a wide ranging book that covers politics, travel journals and years of living in a foreign land. If I am to sum it up I would say it is part travelogue and major part a support for Palestinian cause; and this book is a great introduction to a very complex political Israel-Palestinian issue. It serves to bring greater understanding about the people and the land.

The Holy Land brought out the best and the worst in people. It was inspiring and beautiful and terrifying an...more

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May 13, 2013 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not the most artfully written book, but certainly offers an effective portrayal of the political and economic marginalization and inhumane treatment that Palestinian people face every day. Written by a young American woman who rather naively walks into Palestine and ultimately ends up working as a journalist, it reads more like a memoir/chronicle than a polemic. Nonetheless, if you don't walk away in empathetic rage for the Palestinian farmers being separated from their land by walls and checkpo...more

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May 20, 2012 Alexander McNabb rated it 5 of 5 stars

I nearly did a Dorothy Parker with this book and I'm very glad I didn't. It starts with callow tourist Pamela 'doing' the Middle East and the silly Yank Abroad act nearly did for me. I persevered and it turns out that Pamela Olson was using her own initial inexperience to draw us in and take us by the hand on her journey of discovery through Palestine as she becomes embroiled in Palestinian political campaigning.

This is a wonderful book. It is human, well-written, appalled, compassionate, questi...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from the GoodReads FirstReads GiveAway. I really enjoyed this book, although it does cover a tough and hard to take topic. Olson tells the story of her time volunteering and working in Palestine, her time in cities and villages, at holy sites, harvesting olives, working on a political campaign, getting through checkpoints, talking with people from all sides. For me it really helped put in perspective how awful the situation there truly is (the book is well footnoted, if you...more

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May 01, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a lover of travel books, and someone who has lived abroad, I enjoy reading about other people's experience in a new and very different culture. I wanted to read this book because although we see images of Israel and Palestine regularly in the media, I am aware that the situation is very complex.

I felt this book gave me a much greater insight into the difficulties faced daily by the Palestinian people, and that the personal perspective made it doubly relevant. However, I also felt that the aut...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Mira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mira by: Wendy

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, own-it, 2011, favourites

I've been reading Fast Times in Palestine all last month along with Mourid Barghouti's I saw Ramallah, which has been a most beneficial plan, as both books are memoirs mainly revolving around Palestine's social and commercial center: Ramallah. In Barghouti's poetic, hearty depiction of his long-denied hometown, on his first visit after years of cruel estrangement, I could feel the beating heart of the city, the longing, the waiting and that overwhelming feeling the author felt when he was forced...more I've been reading Fast Times in Palestine all last month along with Mourid Barghouti's I saw Ramallah, which has been a most beneficial plan, as both books are memoirs mainly revolving around Palestine's social and commercial center: Ramallah. In Barghouti's poetic, hearty depiction of his long-denied hometown, on his first visit after years of cruel estrangement, I could feel the beating heart of the city, the longing, the waiting and that overwhelming feeling the author felt when he was forced to have a wholly new acquaintance with his own city. Through Pamela's eyes I was allowed a more neutral look at the poignant, fraught atmosphere of my country. It was thrilling to think of what the book contained, what an outsider had to say about a country with such complex history, and enough present conflicts. Happily, what I found transcended my expectations.

The book is amazingly eye-opening, honest, and provided with based facts. It addresses not only the two parts of the conflict -Palestinians and Israelis- but tends to show the whole world that this actually is a global, humane matter. I was carried along with the author on this rich journey in Palestine, enjoying her desire to know more, and feeling highly delighted at the realistic beautiful picture she drew of the Holy Land. The larger aspect of the story, the unpleasant one, while familiar and almost habitual, was surprisingly hard for me to read about. Being surrounded by these events and living them daily, is much easier than being confronted with them thus, with "facts" put into the right order easily, but no suitable "actions" on the ground.

Sadly, many people today see Palestine as this century's Atlantis, an illusionary military spot lost in the folds of Israel's existence. Some even avoid any information that might enlighten them about the reality of the situation here. Fast Times in Palestine could be a perfect first read for those, due to its frankness, honesty in relating all, and this combination of personal emotions and humane compassion merged together to bring out the best in this country, its people, and as I felt in the author herself.

One of the most influential books I've read this year, and a definitely must-read. Thanks Wendy for the great recommendation! (less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Evelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir-and-biographies, palestine, politics, current-affairs, first-reads, goodreads-giveaways, all-time-favourites, read-in-2011

An extraordinary memoir of the author's time in Palestine, which reads like a part-diary, part-history, part-political, part- travel survival guide. Like many in the West, I've been largely oblivious to the horrors of what goes on in the 'Occupied Territories' and this book tells it like it is, warts and all. To live under such oppression and violence is unimaginable for me, but this book illustrates it quite clearly in a way that anyone can relate and understand to some degree. Fast Times In Pa...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Jennifer Zartman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pamela Olson's message needs to be heard by the American public, for it recognizes our involvement in the injustice and oppression of innocent people through our tax dollars. The problems Ms. Olson cites run deep, and solutions will be hard to come by, but the information in this book has the potential to play an important roll. She communicates the varied perspectives of the region well and brings life to the statistics of children hurt or killed, farmers cut off from their land, and families t...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Sylvia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: challenge-2012

I've learned a lot about the way living on the West-Bank is for Palestinians. In my opinion it's a humiliating way. They are treated like inferior people, who hasn't any right on the land that has been their own for centuries. From 1948 onwards their properties has been demolished and the people are living in the refugee camps without any prospect of return to their former homes.
Before this book I read The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East which was an eyeopener. Ther...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Philippa (eat, read, explore) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: to-be-reviewed, middle-east, netgalley-titles, to-read-in-2013

Wow, just wow. I need to gather my thoughts before I can even contemplate writing a review to do this book justice.

26-04-2013
Review originally posted at http://eatreadexplore.wordpress.com

Over the years I've read quite a few books about Israel and Palestine, but this one is unlike anything I've ever read before. I knew that this book was about someone's personal account of life in Palestine, but I had no idea that Olson hadn't specifically intended to go to Palestine. She went backpacking in th...more Wow, just wow. I need to gather my thoughts before I can even contemplate writing a review to do this book justice.

26-04-2013
Review originally posted at http://eatreadexplore.wordpress.com

Over the years I've read quite a few books about Israel and Palestine, but this one is unlike anything I've ever read before. I knew that this book was about someone's personal account of life in Palestine, but I had no idea that Olson hadn't specifically intended to go to Palestine. She went backpacking in the Middle East and happened to come across some people who invited her to come along to Israel with them, and took her with them to Palestine after that. The fact that the Middle East was a relatively unknown region to Olson before she started out on her journey is actually really nice, especially for people reading this novel who don't know much about it either, because you gradually discover more and more about the region and Israel and Palestine in particular.

The best thing about this book, in my opinion, are the personal accounts of the people she meets during her time in Palestine. Here in the West we get so much information thrown at us about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but there is nothing we can directly empathise with. By recording people's personal accounts and allowing us a brief glimpse into their personal lives, it brings the conflict much closer to home. Olson shows that Palestinians are just ordinary human beings who try to go about their normal life as much as they possibly can in spite of all the restrictions imposed by the Israeli government.

The author tries to illustrate the injustices in the region the best she can, and she does so from a fairly objective point of view. It is very easy for a casual observer to generalise a situation and condemn only one of the parties involved, but Olson manages to depict everyone she encountered as human beings, Palestinians and Israelis alike, which is exactly where the power of this book lies. There is no doubt about the fact that Israel is the oppressor in this conflict and Palestine the oppressed, but that does not mean that Israel and all of its inhabitants are the source of all evil, which is how they are often depicted by pro Palestinians. The same goes for the general image of Palestinians in the media. Very often they are either depicted as victims of a great injustice, or as terrorists. The author shows that there are good and bad people on both sides, and also tries to understand and explain why certain people are drawn to certain courses of action. She doesn't just depict the Palestinians as a poor, homeless people with no prospect, but rather as a multitude of people with hopes and dreams, and with very diverse expectations of life. Olson gives a voice to people who would normally be ignored by the general media, to show that there are many Palestinians who condemn suicide bombers, and there are many Israelis who oppose the settlements in Gaza and on the West Bank, just to name a few examples.

The way in which the book is written, as a kind of travelogue, works really well. Together with the author we gradually peel back the layers of society and of the conflict, and it makes reading the book really exciting because it almost feels as if you are there with her. Olson also manages to strike the right balance between the more light hearted moments of her time in Palestine, such as accounts of helping families with the harvest, enjoying dinners with a large variety of people, and sightseeing, and the more shocking and depressing moments when talking about the many civilian casualties, people being robbed of their land, and tragedies at the various Israeli checkpoints. This way the book offers a perspective that is neither too positive nor too depressing or pessimistic either. It shows how strong human spirit actually is, and that people can manage to retain a degree of optimism even in the most dire of circumstances.

I think this is a must-read for anyone who is remotely interested in the Middle East and who wants to learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but doesn't want to read a dry text packed with statistics and facts. This book does occasionally contain some statistics to back up arguments, but it is a lively and beautifully written account of a young woman whose life took some truly unexpected turns. It is an engaging and thought provoking book, and I definitely think everyone should read it.
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Apr 12, 2013 Allie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thought-provoking, educational

I loved, loved, LOVED this book! It was a slower read for me because I really wanted to take everything in and learn as much as possible. There are a lot of details and footnotes and I wanted to make sure I fully understood everything I was reading. I added this to my "educational" and "thought-provoking" shelves because it really changed the way I viewed that side of the world. Pamela did an amazing job with this book and allowed me to experience everything right along with her. She was very in...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Randal Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Being a follower of Jesus Christ, of the evangelical variety,I must say that my eyes were opened to the larger picture of the war (let's call it what it is) between Israel and Palestine.

The author paints a intriguing picture of life inside and outside The Wall. if you are of the mind that Israel is God's Land and God's people and thus can do no wrong...by all means don't read this book...you'll only get mad at the author, and maybe even me for having read it.

But, if you're willing to admit that...more

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May 03, 2013 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

We all know there are two sides to every story, and Ms. Olson has managed to adeptly "report" a side that is nearly never told. This book should be required reading for everyone -- with the caveat to have an open mind and forget what you've been "told" and have read and heard on the news, etc.

Read this book. Open your mind and realize that yes, the old saying is true -- two sides. Hear it from both sides.

Every moment reading this book was time well and gladly spent.

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Aug 03, 2011 Ronya Misleh rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought it would be good for me to read a book about where I come from. Ha. This one was actually quite interesting--written from an unexpected perspective, Olsen's take on what is/was happening in that area of the world was refreshing and interesting. It was perhaps a bit more pro-Palestinian than it was pro-Israeli, but Olsen's opinions were based on her actual experiences rather than bias or propaganda.

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view all 5 comments

Melissa Hello Ronya,

When I saw this book I wanted to read it so badly then saw your review with the question from Pamela. My guess was completely wrong, lol....more
Oct 03, 2011 06:14pm

Pamela Olson Hi Ronya,

Just saw this -- apologies for the belated response to your response. :) Thanks for letting me know -- it is a good rating system, perhaps we...more
Feb 15, 2012 08:35am

Jan 23, 2013 Mendy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really got a lot out of this book. The author takes you into what you would think of as a tour guide and pulls you into that world. It's hard to be unbiased where the sides are so black and white and she does sympathize with Palestine more but she's not emotional about it. You really just have to read it. I am now looking up some history on the subject it has made me want to know more.

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Mar 26, 2013 Jenifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, travel, better-world, human-rights

Really interesting account of one American woman's experiences living in the Palestine from 2003 to 2005. This is a can't-put-it-down sort of book, and it definitely left me wanting to know more about the realities of every day life on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-galley of this book!

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Jun 05, 2012 Cathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-free

I really enjoyed reading this book. At first I thought it was a novel, and then hoped that it really wasn't a novel (it's not)! Just a really interesting perspective on the lives of Palestinians, and to some extent some Isrealis who want to live in the Holy Land. The issues are very complex, and this definitely focused more on the 'everyday' person rather than the leaders.

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Mar 04, 2012 Joshua rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book surprised me. At first I thought the author was some tree-hugging liberal loon, but throughout the book she showed a rational mind, and wrote an interesting story about life in Palestine. I'll credit this book for changing my stance on the entire Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is a really different story from the view looking from behind the Security fence.

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Jul 10, 2012 Nigel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I lived in Ramallah for 4 years in the time just before Pamela got there. The book is a classic recounting of what it's like to travel to Palestine and live there as a foreigner, as the Israeli military occupation slowly reveals itself to you. This book is amazing on many levels.

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Jun 16, 2011 E rated it 4 of 5 stars

I met the author at BEA, and her memoir is fascinating. An unexpected, unlikely love letter to Palestine. It will invite comparisons to Eat, Pray, Love, I imagine. But Fast Times in Palestine is funnier, more interesting, and more levelheaded in a way I appreciate.

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Case rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: israel-middle-east

This book is pretty good at describing the reality of what it's like being a Palestinian in the Palestinian territories. The book really puts a realistic face on what you read about in the news (or, maybe the parts you don't see in the news).

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Jul 03, 2012 Jolie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book. An interesting view of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Not only from an American's view but from the Palestinian's side. Made me think about how much we haven't been told over here.

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Jul 07, 2012 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great book. I always wanted to understand the fight in the middle east and the US's influence. Interesting and real. Such a wonderful story that was very thought provoking.

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About Pamela J. Olson

I grew up in small-town Oklahoma and studied physics and political science at Stanford University, class of 2002.

I lived in Ramallah for two years, during which I served as head writer and editor for the Palestine Monitor and as foreign press coordinator for Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi’s 2005 presidential campaign.

In January of 2006, I moved to Washington, DC and worked at a Defense Department think ta...more

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