After the release of his first book a few years ago, "A Diplomat from Tebah — Stations In the Trip of a Lifetime", comes the newly published book from Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nizar Obaid Madani titled, "Issues & Attitudes in Thought and Politics". This new publication is a continuation of his thoughts on public attitudes during his long diplomatic and political work.

In the introduction, Madani said that the book contains a range of studies and articles, some of which were already published, and others that couldn't not published for one reason or another.

"I was keen on maintaining the original provisions of these studies and articles as they are without any changes in their content or style, as well as without any updates in their information, despite the fact that he added or omitted other articles based on the publishing requirements for the book." Madani said.

He explained that the articles written in the book and studies address independent topics and deal with issues that are distributed between different national, international, and intellectual concerns. He said they are in fact consistent along one line: they are all based on the axis of a joint endeavor towards linking thought with reality, as well as feeding thought with the reality of the issues at hand, whether at the national, Arab, Islamic or international level.

He said that although the editing of the articles was very minimal and did not affect the original text or change its contents or its architecture, the goal was to entertain the reader by enabling him to see what has been achieved and what has not been achieved from the insights, ideas and expectations of the issues contained in those studies and articles over their duration —since the time of their formation until being published in this book, a period in some cases that exceeded fifteen years.

It also confirms the sick fact that despite the length of time that elapsed since it was authored, it still touches people's concerns and occupies their mind and thought, while still relating to their fate and their future.

"However, these clarifications, while necessary, are not a substitute for the answer to the question that must come to mind, which is: What are the reasons that led me to compile these published studies and articles in one book after the elapse of such long period? Here I am confirming that this is limited to two reasons: one is objective while the other is substantive." he said.

"With regards to the objective reasoning, it is joined with the inevitable fact that it has to be recognized, namely that there is a big difference between the impact of a newspaper or magazine and the impact of the book on the reader. We usually review the newspapers and magazines in a few minutes and we read the story quickly, or we excerpt a brief analysis, or our attention is directed to one or two articles about an event or another; but soon after, we put them aside and direct our attention to other affairs, matters and issues that occupy the individual's life and acquire his interest and inhabit the core of his thinking. Also, any one of us may bring a magazine and keep it for one or two weeks to review what is included in it from news, knowledge, cultures, science and arts. However, its fate ultimately remains the same as the fate of the newspaper," he added.

On the other hand, when we buy a book, he claimed, we mean to increase our knowledge about topics that are important to us and devote our attention to an issue or issues that preoccupy our thoughts. So, when we buy a book and start reading it, we get rid of our concerns and concentrate on reading it. We may highlight some of the ideas that are included in the book and consider to be worthwhile to us, met our admiration, won our acceptance and gained our satisfaction. Upon finishing reading it all, we probably continue to talk about it and we take its information and its contents to discuss them with others who are interested in observing them. Most importantly, that the role of the book does not end at this point, but rather it exists in our homes, and sits in our libraries as a reference that we benefit from and value the science and information we got from it, as well as appreciate what has been added to our minds from the information, opinions and ideas.

He said: "That's what it was like regarding the objective reason. With regards to the substantive reason, which is more important, it relates to the fact that the topics and issues that are included in these studies and articles were and still are fond to myself, especially after I have been concentrated on studying them and trying to understand and get familiar with its dimensions long ago. I was able to form to myself a certain approach and perspective, as well as a specific conceptual framework in how to deal with its aspects and dimensions.

"I admit that my findings and theories of what was contained in those studies and articles are just jurisprudence that can not under any circumstances be up to perfection, or promoted in any way to certainty, but I would argue that they pose unprecedented research in their subjects and contain new ideas and innovative insights that never been addressed in its field. My only goal from what I put in this book and submitted to the intellectual arenas in our country and other Arab and Islamic countries stems from my concern for the enrichment of more research and analysis, refining them through a lot of criticism and commentary, and updating them with information and ideas that was kindly provided by readers in the hope that this will help to develop and deepen them and to help in reaching to the scientific and intellectual level is hoped and desired."