Book excerpt: This selection of essays addresses the general aspects of social change in the Persian Gulf, as well as the specific contours of transformation in different milieus of the region. The book goes beyond the paradigms of security and rentier state to capture state-society linkages, women's role in knowledge economy and social reforms, the directions of democratization, changing dynamics of cities like Dubai, and the interplay of the sacred and secular in the Gulf. It shows the multi-layered manner in which Arab societies of the Gulf have responded to the phenomenon of globalization. The interconnectedness of political and economic dynamics and social change is brought forth by locating specific spaces, issues, and moments of such transformation. Scholars from diverse disciplinary vantage points provide a multi-dimensional perspective of societies in the Persian Gulf.