Kahlil Gibran Bridges the East and the West

This book concentrates on Lebanese poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran's views on government, state, and politics. Included are excerpts from two of Gibran's works, 'The New Frontier' and 'The Prophet¿ that emphasize his views against social injustice and highlight his ideas of a 'unity of being'. A brief history of Gibran's life explains how he struggled to merge the Eastern philosophy of his native Lebanon with the Western progressiveness of his adopted America. Gibran, Rihani, and Naimy became citizens of the US and wrote both in Arabic and in English. As ambassadors of their homeland to the West, they celebrated the glorious past of the Arab world, but attacked what they considered its backward present. In America, they were impressed with the values of freedom and democracy in addition to scientific progress, but rejected what they saw as an excessive materialism at the expense of spirituality. He became well known for his paintings, but far better for his writings, and many critics attribute his outstanding profile to the fact that his effect has been significant in both East and West. Gibran, became one of the United States¿ most popular author.