A collection of essays, written over a period of 15 years, that provide perspectives on the political, religious, economic, and social issues of contemporary Egypt. Written over a period of 15 years, the essays cover a range of topics including civil society and the prospects for democratization in Egypt and the region, the urban sociology of Cairo, the development of Egypt's landed in Eygpt: the formation, membership, activities of activist groups and their philosophies, political and social roles, and ideological relations with the West. Written at various points in the modern history of Islamic activism, democratic reform,and economic and social liberalization, these essays reflect the processes of change and continuity in the socio-political development of present day Egypt, while a new postscript written in 2001 brings the story into perspective at the beginning of the 21st century.