A Diamond In The Desert : Behind The Scenes In Abu Dhabi, The World's Richest City
by Jo Tatchell

It used to be an endless desert home to Bedouins. They lived in tents and rode camels.
Abu Dhabi means "Father of the Gazelle" for that is what brought the huntsmen to the area in the first place. Now, the only gazelles that can be found are on mugs and currency.
The author lived as a child in Abu Dhabi in the 1970s. She has wonderful memories of that time. In 2008 she returns and everything that she remembered from her childhood has been obliterated.
There are 420,000 citizens each with a net worth of 17 million dollars. Kind of leaves you gasping. Glitzy condos and skyscrapers abound with luxury hotels. Most of the wealth came from foreigners who were willing to invest. Nobody seems too happy in the world's richest city.
I got to page 153 and for me, the book came to a screeching halt. The particular chapter that ruined it is called The Next Generation and it's about the young people who party, shop, sleep around, etc. It's like reading a trashy gossip column. Ugh. Who cares?
The book was really interesting up until this part. I learned all about the history of the United Arab Emirates, oil, the different tribes, how the island came into existence.
There are no pictures except what is on the front cover (in the background you can see all these high-rises).
There's got to be somebody out there who can write a decent book on Abu Dhabi and just stick with the facts. So far, I haven't found one. (Months ago there was a previous attempt for a book on Abu Dhabi and that one was equally dismal. It's on this blog.)
Not recommended.