An analyst of domestic and regional concerns of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, and Iraq, Kéchichian discusses the transfer of power within the 14 royal families that rule eight Islamic countries, including Jordan and Morocco besides those on the Peninsula. Salient points in the discussion, he says, are that the rulers are well established and have a degree of legitimacy, that the idea of ruling has been associated over the past few decades with internal and external political developments, and that political stability has ensured the current elites' hold on power. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)