John "Juan" Ricardo I. Cole is a prominent American scholar and historian of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian history. As a commentator on Middle Eastern affairs, he has appeared in print and on television, his recent books include "Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East" and "The Ayatollahs and Democracy in Iraq," and he has testified before the United States Senate.. He has also translated the work of Khalil Gibran .Since 2002, he has written a weblog, Informed Comment. His latest book, "Engaging The Muslim World," is a timely and highly readable examination of the complexities of the modern Islamic world and the way in which US governments have failed to understand these societies. Followed by a book signing. "A timely and entertaining look at a previous Middle Eastern misadventure by one of America's most provocative and informed scholars."--Lawrence Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Looming Tower: al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11"