If you can find it, I HIGHLY recommend the book "People Like US"

[clyrc]

by Joris Luyendijk. It's from 2006, with the English translation in 2009. Honestly, it's one of the best books written about the Middle East by a Westerner I've read. It isn't very long, but it gives an excellent run down of several issues. It's also a book about journalism, very illuminating. I read several books I like and want other people to read, but I rarely recommend a book as strongly as I recommend this one.