New Arab American humor book released

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
EDITORS: For review copies or
interview requests, contact:
Dalel Khalil
Tel: 412-680-9094
Email: v2tchick@dalelkhalil.com
Website: www.dalelkhalil.com


HILARIOUS NEW BOOK BY PITT ALUMNA OPENS WINDOW OF UNDERSTANDING TO THE ARAB WORLD

Tossed into a world of extreme contradictions…what’s a girl to do?

PITTSBURGH - A hilarious new book—the first of its kind—by Arab-American and native Pittsburgher, Dalel B. Khalil, examines with humor and candor the stark differences between the Arab and American cultures. Using insightful, sharp humor to tackle sensitive cultural issues and foster cross-cultural understanding, Khalil comically instructs how to retain one’s sanity in the battle of the ultimate culture clash.
Arabic women deal with very serious issues which they often feel powerless to change. Western women, on the other hand, are raised to be extremely assertive and fight for their rights. So...one who is both Arab and American is very often, very confused. She’s got one foot planted firmly in a traditional world whose cultural rules haven’t changed in over 2,000 years, while her other foot is skidding on a thin piece of ice, the mega liberal free-for-all called America. And she’s trying to balance, walking on both.
This lighthearted survival guide takes its Western readers on a fun-filled journey inside the “kooky” minds of those mysterious people, and offers hilarious explanations as to why we have absurd cultural rules such as arranged marriages, and why Hip-Hop has its roots in the streets of Damascus.
FROM VEILS TO THONGS: An Arab Chick’s Survival Guide to Balancing One’s Ethnic Identity in America comes at a time when the international climate is causing Americans to want to learn more about Eastern cultures, giving them a new and realistic reference point of what the average “Arab chick” is all about. Not limited to Arab-Americans, and not about religion or politics, FROM VEILS TO THONGS will interest anyone who is curious about other cultures, as well as those foreigners who left their “traditional” culture to live and make a new life in a “liberal” one.

About the Author
Dalel B. Khalil is a Syrian-American who survived growing up in the crossfire of two of the most diametrically opposed cultures—the East and the West. She has worked as a reporter, anchor, talk show host and morning show co-host for three of Pittsburgh's top radio stations, (WDVE, WAMO, KDKA). This is her first book.

Visit the author's Web site at http://www.dalelkhalil.com

From Veils to Thongs:
An Arab Chick's Survival Guide to Balancing One's Ethnic Identity

Available at:

iUniverse.com ,
bn.com , and Amazon.com

The Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History by WTTW Channel 11 and G. Bradley Publishing

The Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History is a phenomenal book that examines the various ethnic and food servings found in Chicagoland. It was produced in conjunction with the WTTW Channel 11 (Public Television) program hosted by Geoff Baer called "The Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History" which aired recently in Chicago.

The 152 page book with high resolution color photos of each food serving and the food makers (from a wide range of ethnic groups that include Palestinian and Arab foods) is a high quality production available for about $35. You can get information on purchasing the book at www.GBradleyPublishing.com.

Foods covered include Arab/Palestinian, African American, Chinese, Cuban, Lithuanian, Greek, Irish, Italian, Polish, Native American, Jewish, Lebanese, Mexican, Puerot Rican, Swedish, South Asian and Polish. Each recipe features a detailed full color photograph, a recipe and, more importantly, the book puts each recipe into a cultural context with profiles of the many families and individuals who prepared the foods for the book. Three Arab families are included int he book from Chicagoland.

The compelling stories are edited and written by Diane Gannon, Gloria Baracks, Mark Weinstein, Liz Roy, with photography by Katherine Bish. Excellent.