Memoirs Engraved in Stone:Palestinian Urban Mansions
By Diala Khasawneh

RIWAQ Center for Architectural Conservation &
The Institute of Jerusalem Studies
pp.160
2001
hard/paper cover.

This is a gorgeous book showing Palestinian heritage at the wake of the 1900's through the architectural specificity and accumulated character of Palestine.

Finely written, the book takes us through the various cities of Palestine (some of them now in Israel) with a personal touch of memories, tears and laughs mingling the standing houses, social history, character of its inhabitants within the general framework of the history of Palestine, and, hence, the question of Palestine.

This is the story of the mansions of some of the Palestinian elite. Paradoxically responding to pre- texts that this land was vacant. The houses include the following cities and families: The Hawwa family (Acre), Jasir family (Bethlehem), Shahwan family (Beit Jala), 'Elyan family (El Bireh), Shawwa family (Gaza), Qaraman family (Haifa), Imam family (Hebron), Khouri family (Jaffa), Abdul Hadi family (Jenin), 'Alami family in Jericho, Husseini family (Jerusalem), Qlaybo family (Jerusalem), Agha Tuqan (Nablus), Daher (Nazareth), Sabe' (Qalqeeliya), Khalaf (Ramallah), Shamma (Safad).

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A Practical Dictionary of the Standard Dialect Spoken in Palestine
Moin Halloun

English-Arabic
Bethlehem University,2000
pp.360
Available at the Scientific Bookshop, Salah Eddeen Street, Jerusalem.
Price:NIS 110

As the title indicates, this is a practical work, readily accessible and beneficial, as much to the neophyte as to the advanced student of Arabic. Not limiting itself to only one or two meanings to a word, it offers, when appropriate, several uses, illustrating how a word, phrase or expression can be employed in different contexts. It is also most helpful in giving both singular and plural forms to nouns as well as masculine, feminine and plural forms to adjectives since the best way to learn the word is to learn all forms at the same time. Another valuable aspect of this dictionary is its references to dialects in Palestine other than the standard dialect of Jerusalem, a richness and diversity the student soon learns to appreciate.

This is a user-friendly book: English words are in bold print and easy to read; Arabic words are in italics; abbreviations are straightforward and clear. In short, this is an excellent resource for dedicated students of conversational Arabic.