Michael Herb is Chair and Professor of the Political Science department at Georgia State University. He is the author of All in the Family: Absolutism, Revolution, and Democracy in the Middle Eastern Monarchies.

The Wages of Oil is an absorbing book, rich in detail and nuance, that should become required reading for students and scholars of the Gulf oil states... both a highly readable and very timely analysis that should dispel any lingering notion among policy-makers and lay readers that the Gulf states represent a monolithic regional bloc.- Kristian Coates Ulrichsen (International Affairs) Herb provides a well-presented analysis of the political economies of the Gulf monarchies, with a detailed and insightful assessment of Kuwait and the UAE. This book is a welcome addition to scholarly work on the rentier economies of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states.- Lorraine Charles (Middle East Journal) Michael Herb has written about very technical economic concepts using a plethora of graphs and advanced terminology to argue his points. The subject matter isn't for everyone; those with a background in economics and political science will appreciate the book more than others. Yet the book is lively and engaging and Herb has taken a potentially dreary subject and produced an intriguing book accessible to all.- Charles Fraker (Middle East Policy Council) [T]his book provides a convincing explanation of the origin and effects of Kuwait's parliament, and suggests several important avenues for further exploration. It does so in sharp, enjoyable prose that is accessible to all educated audiences. For researchers, professors, and practitioners in the fields of political economy, oil and politics, and the Gulf monarchies, this text is useful, engaging, and highly recommended.- Jocelyn S. Mitchell (Arab Studies Journal)

• Introduction1. Labor Markets and Class Politics2. Participation3. Explaining Kuwaiti Exceptionalism4. The Consequences of Absolutism5. The Consequences of Participation6. What Resource Curse?Dilemmas of Development and Democracy in the GulfReferencesIndexContents

Michael Herb is Chair and Professor of the Political Science department at Georgia State University. He is the author of All in the Family: Absolutism, Revolution, and Democracy in the Middle Eastern Monarchies.

The Wages of Oil is an absorbing book, rich in detail and nuance, that should become required reading for students and scholars of the Gulf oil states... both a highly readable and very timely analysis that should dispel any lingering notion among policy-makers and lay readers that the Gulf states represent a monolithic regional bloc.- Kristian Coates Ulrichsen (International Affairs) Herb provides a well-presented analysis of the political economies of the Gulf monarchies, with a detailed and insightful assessment of Kuwait and the UAE. This book is a welcome addition to scholarly work on the rentier economies of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states.- Lorraine Charles (Middle East Journal) Michael Herb has written about very technical economic concepts using a plethora of graphs and advanced terminology to argue his points. The subject matter isn't for everyone; those with a background in economics and political science will appreciate the book more than others. Yet the book is lively and engaging and Herb has taken a potentially dreary subject and produced an intriguing book accessible to all.- Charles Fraker (Middle East Policy Council) [T]his book provides a convincing explanation of the origin and effects of Kuwait's parliament, and suggests several important avenues for further exploration. It does so in sharp, enjoyable prose that is accessible to all educated audiences. For researchers, professors, and practitioners in the fields of political economy, oil and politics, and the Gulf monarchies, this text is useful, engaging, and highly recommended.- Jocelyn S. Mitchell (Arab Studies Journal)

• Introduction1. Labor Markets and Class Politics2. Participation3. Explaining Kuwaiti Exceptionalism4. The Consequences of Absolutism5. The Consequences of Participation6. What Resource Curse?Dilemmas of Development and Democracy in the GulfReferencesIndexContents