Compassionate Communalism: Welfare and Sectarianism in Lebanon

This book is a remarkable achievement. It brings data of almost every conceivable form to advance a new theory about an important topic---which is just about all anyone can hope for in a work of social science. This is important reading for anyone interested in religion, identity politics, Middle East politics, or service provision.

Melani Cammett has once again displayed her ability to decipher complex Middle East societies with this study of Lebanon's sectarian provision of health and other social services. She combines thorough field work and a mastery of statistical techniques to analyze the role of religious-affiliated parties in distributing benefits in exchange for political support. For those interested in Lebanese politics, this book is a must-read.

Very interesting book.