Orientalism reveals why false Western assumptions about Eastern countries have prevailed for over 200 years, and how they still affect how we view the Eastern world today.

Even in today's multicultural and globalized society, 'The West' is often used as a shorthand to indicate developed democracies.

Yet the notion of an economically and scientifically advanced West has long had its counterpart in an exotic, irrational, and decadent East, known as 'The Orient'.

Edward Said was a Palestinian-American literary critic and professor at Columbia University until his death in 2003, known for his outspoken political views and Palestinian advocacy.

Published in 1978, Orientalism cemented Said's reputation as a public intellectual.

In this book, the author critiques the way that Western nations have perceived and culturally represented the world beyond their frontiers, particularly when it comes to the Middle East.