Book excerpt: Introduces students to the modern Middle East. The Middle East in Modern World History focuses on the history of this region over the past 200 years. It examines how global trends during this period shaped the Middle East and how these trends were affected by the region's development. Three trends from the past two centuries are highlighted: The region as a strategic conduit between East and West The development of the region's natural resources, especially oil The impact of a rapidly globalizing world economy on the Middle East Learning Goals Upon completing this book readers will be able to: See the deeper historical contexts of modern developments in the Middle East Understand how this region became linked to the global economy during this period Have a fuller picture of the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the modern Middle East Note: MySearchLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySearchLab, please visit: www.mysearchlab.com or you can purchase a ValuePack of the text + MySearchLab (at no additional cost): ValuePack ISBN-10: 0205007082 / ValuePack ISBN-13: 9780205007080.