Making Big Money in 1600: The Life and Times of Isma'Il Abu Taqiyya, Egyptian Merchant (Middle East Studies Beyond Dominant Paradigms)

Rating:
Summary: Not entirely engaging, but informative
Review: This book describes the life of a merchant (Abu Taqiyya) and some details about his family. You see how he traded, where he traveled, how he negotiated, etc. Also, you see how his family was affected by Abu's merchant lifestyle. It's informative cultural history. But, it's a little slow.

The details sometimes get a little too detailed. It's not a sweeping novel, by any means. This was written by a scholar, so expect to see more detail and analyzation than you would in say, a historical fiction novel.

The book does its job -- teaching you about merchant culture in 17th century middle east. It's just not a "fun" book compared to most.