In The Hidden Hand, Daniel Pipes provides the first full-length study of conspiracy theories in the Middle East, revealing the power of such theories in determining the political life of the region. Placing conspiracy theories in their historical context, Pipes shows how they have come to suffuse life in the Middle East - from the most private family conversations to the highest and most public levels of politics.

He then proceeds to examine conspiracism as a partial explanation for much of the region's problems, including its record of political extremism, violence, and lack of modernization. Concluding with speculations about the future of conspiracism, Pipes makes a very strong case that conspiracy theories are key to understanding the often complicated political culture of the Middle East. The Hidden Hand: Middle East Fears of Conspiracy is a book that anyone interested in the Middle East will want to read.