Salam Pax

I have learned a bit about the Middle Eastern social media since I started working for Global Voices but must admit that Salam‘s book was an extraordinary experience to me. You are probably bored with my exclamations about the books I read, but honestly – with my amount of ‘free’ time I need to choose my literature carefully. I am geekette and love to read blogs, but I equally love to switch all the devices off, sit down and enjoy the sensation of words published on paper. It’s a different process, takes time and dedication, takes patience and attendance to only this one item in your hand: a book.

Why am I writing this? Because Salam’s ‘The Bahdad Blog’ is basically his online diary from quite complicated times published in a form of book. A piece of his live blog and life blog of Iraq taken out of its original context and multiplied in its effect via the ‘old fashioned’ medium. I could not put it down, even though I know Salam Pax from the web, I read his blogs. I think it’s the fact I was on my own with the text. Or maybe the idea of someone bothering to publish one of our precious online contributors to the journalism free to speak up? I do not know.

I know it’s a must read! And I encourage you to check his personal blog,  follow @Salam on Twitter and read his blog on the Guardian. It gives you great insights into his culture as well as one of the rational, every day views on Iraq’s reality. Another little miracle of the modern age? Definitely!:) I just cannot describe how it enriches me to read content like his, and Riverbend’s (more about her soon)!

(it was great to meet you – in all those ways, Salam Pax::)