This is a collection of Edward Said's articles and essays on the three interrelated issues for which he has campaigned ceaselessly for the past 20 years: the tragic plight of his fellow Palestinians, the need for a more subtle understanding of the Arab world on the part of the West, and the urgent need for intellectuals to regain a sense of political empowerment. These pieces, ranging from Black September to the Gulf War, Yasser Arafat to Nelson Mandela, shed light on the themes of dispossession and responsibility.