Video: This Isreal

Hat tip to Oy Va Goy on this video by Matthew Brown, who "made this stunning video, which captures the sights, sounds, people and animals of Israel."

See for yourself:

Barry Rubin’s Israel: A Review Of Barry Rubin's "Israel: An Introduction"

Barry Rubin’s Israel

by Roger L. Simon

Forget Frommer, Fodor or Lonely Planet. If you’re planning a trip to Israel in the near or distant future, get a copy of Israel: An Introduction by Barry Rubin, just released by Yale University Press.

Yes, you will still need guides to specific archaeological sites like the City of David, but Rubin’s book, written with numerous co-writer/experts in various fields, is the best overview of the Jewish state I have read and the best preparation for a trip. It is also the best book for the armchair traveler and the best general purpose resource on Israel yet published.

(OBVIOUS FULL DISCLOSURE: Rubin is the Middle East editor for this site and a friend. Does this disqualify me as a reviewer? Possibly, but that would similarly disqualify a fair percentage of reviews written in many publications.)

Rubin’s book excels in two areas: historical overview and Israeli sociology.