The Civil War in Algeria is entering its eighth year and, despite a recent decrease in intensity, shows no sign of ending. Just when it appears that the armed Islamist groups are on the verge of defeat, another horrendous massacre occurs, reminding all that the conflict is far from resolution. One of the particularities of the Algerian war is that so little has been known about it, about the protagonists, the attitude of the population, how the conflict has played out across the country, and even what exactly is being fought over. This has been largely due to restrictions on freely moving around the country—and, for foreign inquirers, entering Algeria itself—interviewing eyewitnesses to the violence, and speaking to the full range of regime opposition. And then there has been the inhospitality of the armed groups. One consequence has been a dearth of good, first-hand empirical data upon which analysis could be based.

Yaron Ezrahi, Robert Littell, Shimon Peres, and Myron J. Aronoff offer varying assessments of cultural, historical, and political aspects of Labor Zionism. They differ in purpose and tone. Aronoff’s scholarly analysis offers an anthropological approach to political processes and procedures in the Labor Party, brilliantly depicted as symbolic actions that often stifle rather than inspire a genuine and democratic debate. Broader in scope, Ezrahi’s cultural critique of Labor Zionist ideology focuses on its failure to recognize individualism as an integral part of a democratic framework. And Robert Littell provides a historical overview of Labor governments, based on detailed interviews with Shimon Peres, a party leader who looks forward as he looks back on his political career and Israel’s challenges and achievements.

The Dissolution of the Soviet Union has inspired a growing awareness of the dynamic cultures of Central Asia accompanied by an expanding catalogue of resources for use in teaching and research. Among these resources are an abundance of excellent recordings of Central Asian music available on compact disc. This review serves as an introductory guide to recordings of Central Asian music that will enrich personal collections, serve as excellent teaching materials, and enhance possibilities for research. The CDs recommended here are anthologies that have been chosen for the artistic quality of the recorded performances, broad and representative coverage of relevant musical genres, and above all for the reliable commentary that accompanies these productions.

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona hosted the first multi-language conference in April 1998, which brought together innovative teachers of Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish to share new technologies, instructional strategies, and materials. The organizers, Karen Galindo and Amy Newhall, assumed that teachers of these less commonly taught languages faced similar challenges and that exchange among them could be mutually beneficial. This report summarizes selected presentations.