CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW

Critical Book Review:

Diaries of an Unfinished Revolution: Voices from Tunis to Damascus
Kyra M. Berry
Portland State University

CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW

Matthew Cassel, Layla Al-Zubaidi and Nemonie Craven Roderick edited the book
Diaries of an Unfinished Revolution: Voices from Tunis to Damascus. The book was
formed with diary entries from different authors. Penguin Books published it on
December 31, 2013 in New York. Diaries of an Unfinished Revolution contains 208
pages. Lastly, I purchased this book for $6.98.
Although some may argue that a dictatorship maintains order, an abuse of power
in the government oppresses the population by stripping them of their freedom and rights.
Over time the people will grow restless and fight back against the government through an
organized revolution in order to reclaim their rights as humans and have a voice in their
own lives. The revolutions that occurred in the Middle East were all a result of the people
feeling oppressed by the government system. Eventually through one act that sparked
fear or outrage they began to resist the dictatorship to become free citizens in his or her
own country. The corrupt government was the main cause of the revolutions.
There were many different authors in the book but the editors had a reason to use
these certain authors to put the entire book together. The editors purpose of Diaries was
to tell their audience of readers about people who were actually involved in the
revolutions. The book was a bit difficult to understand because there are eight different
stories being told in one book. The authors of the diary entries wanted their voice heard.
With having their diary entries being exposed, this allows the world to become aware of
the history in other countries and also current situations. I felt that I learned a lot of
information about the things happening in the world. I was unaware of the revolutions in
the countries that were mentioned in the book such as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Bahrain,
Syria Yemen, Libya, Egypt, and Algeria.
The themes that were portrayed throughout the entire book were social media and
corrupt government. Social media helped the revolutions receive the attention they

CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW

deserved. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter were the sources that helped send
out information to the world. Social media became a problem in places such as Egypt.
The author of Egypt chapter was arrested due to the post of on Facebook. The
government did not appreciate that the chaos happening in the country becoming a
worldwide problem. The government was corrupt which caused many of the revolutions.
They did not listen to their people and not hearing the peoples voice. They were not
promptly responsive to peoples needs. There was no functioning with civic life with
corrupt governments. Many people wanted change and the government did not do what
they wanted and gave the people a reason to rebel against them. The people of the
countries with corrupt governments wanted to free and have their voices heard. But
corrupt government was not the only situation that the people had to deal with. The other
situation that was dealt with by the people was oppression. The corrupt government went
along with the oppression people were getting in their country. The government was also
the reason people were receiving cruel punishment throughout the revolutions. Not
allowing people to have the freedom of speech created unreasonable punishment.
I noticed these themes were common immediately as I read the book. Out of all
eight chapters majority of the revolutions were started because of the corrupt
government. With the stories being told in the chapters, I could actually image what they
were put through along with watching actual footage relating to their revolutions. Social
media is a powerful resource that people in the revolutions depended on. Today social
media has become even more powerful than before. People today depend on social media
instead of reading newspapers. Social media travels faster and notifies people of the
situation in a quicker manner. Social media is not a reliable source but the government
would have a difficultly of finding the actual source. As the corrupt governments made

CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW

themselves known to the world, I discovered how important they were in the countries.
They made themselves the problem by not paying attention to their citizens. When people
began to protest, the government fought back and harmed innocent people. The
government did not realize that all everyone wanted was peace and freedom. The citizens
were under dictatorship and wanted change. In Yemen, I read that the people were
blaming and fighting each other instead of the one who was in charge. They were not
realizing that the one in charge was changing the country right in front of them. In
Bahrain, the cultures were clashing against one another. They wanted to represent their
own culture. As for other countries, all the clashing cultures fought side by side for a
change.
The authors of the diary entries were telling their stories. The sources that
persuaded them to write it, were themselves and their experiences. The evidence for the
purpose of their entries were their experience and the things they witness. There was no
specific sources and evidence to prove the purpose of wanting to be heard. The way the
authors of the diary entries approached the subject of being involved in revolutions
straightforward. They wanted to make sure that whoever reads their diary entry would
understand what they were going through. I felt that it was appropriate to have a book
with diary entries of stories about the revolutions. As a reader, I got a chance to read
someones actual experience and their own thoughts about what was going on in their
country.
The book was difficult to understand because they were what people wrote about
their experience. The writing style was different than any book I read. I began to
understand how the different authors as they told their story. The stories being told were
told differently. Some authors told their own experience in the revolution and the other

CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW

authors shared the experience that others were having. There was not a specific
organization of the stories being told. Majority of the stories were similar to the others.
The way the book was put together was all based on the Arab Spring. That is how the
book began with introducing the Arab Spring and how it would be similar to the other
cities from Tunis to Damascus. This was recognized in the book but the authors focused
on their own stories.
I enjoyed reading Diaries of an Unfinished Revolution. I would recommend this
book to anyone who is interested. The book was very educational to me because I was
unaware of what was happening in the world. I am one of the people who only focused
on the country they lived in. I received valuable information that I could possibly pass on
in the future. I would expand knowledge on the countries that have revolutions. I would
explore the different ways on how the revolutions were started, how they ended or if they
ended. I believe the book is appropriate for juniors in high school. I feel that the book is
too graphic for those of a younger age. Diaries was an outstanding book. I would
recommend this book to my friends. The only reason why I would recommend the book
is because I believe everyone should be aware of the revolutions that are happening
across the globe. This book should be a book that everyone reads. It is a remarkable book
and could change lives. After reading this book, I feel aware of what is going on and
figure a way to make a change. I believe that Diaries of an Unfinished Revolution: Voices
from Tunis to Damascus would be recognized and made known to more readers. It would
be talked about in the years to come.

CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW

Reference:
Zubaidi, L. (2013). Diaries of an Unfinished Revolution: Voices from Tunis to Damascus
(p. 208). New York: The Penguin Group.