{"product_id":"florence-of-arabia","title":"Florence of Arabia","description":"The bestselling author who made mincemeat of political correctness in \u003ci\u003eThank You for Smoking\u003c\/i\u003e, conspiracy theories in \u003ci\u003eLittle Green Men\u003c\/i\u003e, and Presidential indiscretions \u003ci\u003eNo Way to Treat a First Lady\u003c\/i\u003e now takes on the hottest topic in the entire world-Arab-American relations-in a blistering comic novel sure to offend the few it doesn't delight. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAppalled by the punishment of her rebellious friend Nazrah, youngest and most petulant wife of Prince Bawad of Wasabia, Florence Farfarletti decides to draw a line in the sand. As Deputy to the deputy assistant secretary for Near East Affairs, Florence invents a far-reaching, wide-ranging plan for female emancipation in that part of the world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe U.S. government, of course, tells her to forget it. Publicly, that is. Privately, she's enlisted in a top-secret mission to impose equal rights for the sexes on the small emirate of Matar (pronounced \"Mutter\"), the \"Switzerland of the Persian Gulf.\" Her crack team: a CIA killer, a snappy PR man, and a brilliant but frustrated gay bureaucrat. Her weapon: TV shows. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe lineup on TV Matar includes \u003ci\u003eA Thousand and One Mornings, \u003c\/i\u003e a daytime talk show that features self-defense tips to be used against boyfriends during Ramadan; an addictive soap opera featuring strangely familiar members of the Matar royal family; and a sitcom about an inept but ruthless squad of religious police, pitched as \"\u003ci\u003eFriends\u003c\/i\u003e from Hell.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe result: the first deadly car bombs in the country since 1936, a fatwa against the station's entire staff, a struggle for control of the kingdom, and, of course, interference from the French. And that's only the beginning. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA merciless dismantling of both American ineptitude and Arabic intolerance, \u003ci\u003eFlorence of Arabia\u003c\/i\u003e is Christopher Buckley's funniest and most serious novel yet, a biting satire of how U.S. good intentions can cause the Shiite to hit the fan.","brand":"Random House Trade","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53020626682176,"sku":"9780812972269","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/8912\/3648\/files\/imageloader_2e43dace-06cb-4886-9fe8-52eef7726bcb.jpg?v=1786631856","url":"https:\/\/silverstreetbooks.com\/products\/florence-of-arabia","provider":"silverstreetbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}