Syria in Pictures
Visual Geography Series
Lerner Publications Co.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
1990
ISBN 0822518678
Ages 9-12
For years when I heard the word Syria, the word terrorism was my next thought. I was very concerned when I heard that my son's job was transferring him to Damascus, Syria. I should have checked out these books last fall, which might have helped alleviate some of my fears, but I didn't think about it. Since then I've learned that although Syria is a police state, my son feels safer there in some ways than on the streets of Washington D.C.
This book has a table of contents that divides it into four sections:
1) The Land - which covers topography, rivers, climate, flora and fauna, natural resources, and major and secondary cities.
2) History and Government - which includes early history and all the peoples who had conquered Syria, the European intervention, the World Wars, independence, the primary political party and leader, recent events, and the government.
3) The People - ethnic groups, religion, language and literature, education and health, the arts, food and recreation.
4) The Economy - the petroleum industry, agriculture, mining and industry, transportation and energy, trade and tourism, and the future.
The book also has an index for reference in finding information quickly, which is always helpful in nonfiction books. The book's copyright date - 1990 - isn't that long ago when considering a country and people that have been in existence since Old Testament times, but in our day and time change happens much more quickly. Fifteen years does give the book a dated look, especially when it is using primarily black and white photos. The information still provides a good background for what is currently happening in Lebanon, though, and Syria's role in that.
Since Syria gained its independence, government overthrows are the usual modus operandi for changing administrations. This book chronicles the last takeover by General Hafiz al-Assad in late 1970, who was still ruling when the book went to press in 1990. He died in 2000, though, and his son took over in his place, which I learned through other means. The library catalog did show a 2004 book about Syria in its collection, which should reflect the decade and a half that this book lacks.
Some other interesting facts I didn't know:
*Unlike many Middle Eastern nations, Syria is not entirely dependent on oil income to sustain itself.
*Syria is slightly larger than the state of Oklahoma.
*Syria's climate follows the same pattern as ours in Texas: May-August summers; November-February winters.
*Syria has many Roman ruins that attract tourists from around the world.
I hope to be very well informed about Syria before I visit this summer, and this book is a good start. Syria's history is so much older than the United States, but it is fraught with violence and unrest. Israel is one of the primary reasons, but I was surprised to learn about the discord among the different communities of people (religious and political) within Syria. In our country it is freedom, human reasoning, respect for our differences, and a national unity that holds this country together. In Syria it is military power and whoever can maintain it that holds it together. It makes me appreciate even more where I live and what my country stands for.
As for style and design, the book is presented factual and objective, and is an overview of what can be found in more detail in an encyclopedia. The pictures are plentiful, but look dated. This book would be useful to children as a reference to Syria's history and culture, but they would need to supplement their research with additional information about its recent history that is not found in this book.