This book, intended for use with secondary and college students, presents a Middle Eastern view of the Middle East and the world. Most of the material in the book has been written by Middle Easterners, and it comes from a variety of sources including autobiographies, fiction, poetry, newspaper and magazine articles, letters, diaries, anthropological studies, and historical documents. There are two major parts. Part I, "Tradition and Change," focuses on the most important aspects of life in the Middle East: the birth of a child, the process of educating the young, the system of marriage, and the role of women. The material has been chosen to reflect both a traditional and a modern view of these issues. The last third of Part I concentrates on Islam, both as a set of religious beliefs and as a force in the daily lives of the people. One selection portrays a modern Middle Eastern family similar in many ways to an American family. Part II, "Past Glories, Future Hopes," begins with an examination of European control in the Middle East during the first half of the 20th century, including a glimpse of early resistance to that control. It then moves back in time and looks at the Arab Golden Age and the Ottoman Empire. The revolutionary movements and the thrust into world prominence are examined. A detailed examination of Israel is included. (Author/RM)