A groundbreaking critique of the West's historical, cultural, and political perceptions of the East that is--three decades after its first publication--one of the most important books written about our divided world. Intellectual history on a high order ... and very exciting. --The New York TimesIn this wide-ranging, intellectually vigorous study, Said traces the origins of orientalism to the centuries-long period during which Europe dominated the Middle and Near East and, from its position of power, defined the orient simply as other than the occident. This entrenched view continues to dominate western ideas and, because it does not allow the East to represent itself, prevents true understanding.