Published with the nation on the verge of celebrating 50 years of statehood, this study of the character of Israel and Israeli life features work by the photographer, Micha Bar-Am, and an essay by the author and journalist, Thomas L. Friedman, who has won two Pulitzer Prizes. From the early euphoria of independence, through hard years as Israelis worked to draw life out of the desert land, during the brutal and bitter wars that have marked the course of the last 50 years, and as the country has risen to it prominent international position, Bar-Am has been there to record the drama and the nuance of Israeli life through his photography. Friedman's essay provides a reflection on the unfolding of the first half-century. Israel's contributions to politics and culture, religion and commerce, have made a great impression on the world, and Friedman addresses these issues with the insight of an outsider who has spent almost a quarter of his life in the area.