An Invitation to Laughter
A Lebanese Anthropologist in the Arab World
- Contents
- Review Quotes

Prologue: The man himself, by Sonia Jalbout Khuri
Note on Arabic words
Introduction Why “laughter”?
Chapter 1 Exploring origins: The choice of anthropology
Chapter 2 Studying anthropology in Oregon: “How wonderful!”
Chapter 3 Being Lebanese: A nationality or a profession?
Chapter 4 Religious syncretism: “I offer sacrifices to my ancestors on Friday because I am a Muslim”
Chapter 5 Lebanese traders in West Africa: Always ending the day in losses
Chapter 6 Change as faith: The restless Americans
Chapter 7 Teaching in Beirut: “Sir, keep this information to yourself”
Chapter 8 Establishing an Arab association for the social sciences: The tyranny of consensus
Chapter 10 Alumni and ‘ulama in Bahrain: “We all seek knowledge”
Chapter 11 Open secrets: Discussable but not publishable
Chapter 12 Table manners in Yemen: Eat! Do not talk!
Chapter 13 The official policy toward emigration in Lebanon: “We eat bread, not potatoes”
Chapter 14 The Arab rich: “An ugly horse that wins the race is praised for its good looks”
Chapter 15 Who wants to be a za‘im? The agony of fame
Chapter 16 Living in Great Britain: “The best in the world”
Appendix 1 List of Research Projects
Appendix 2 List of Publications
Index
“Fuad Khuri’s An Invitation to Laughter is a riveting account of life as a Christian Lebanese anthropologist in the Middle East. In consistently engaging and lively prose, Khuri depicts his experiences along the sectarian divide in Lebanon, elsewhere in the Middle East, and in West Africa with humor, compassion, and insight. This unique and timely book is destined to be a must-read for scholars of the Middle East, students of the social sciences, or anyone seeking an understanding of how anthropology continues to make a difference by bridging dangerous divides.”
Anthropology: Cultural and Social Anthropology
History: Middle Eastern History
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