A Path to Peace by George J. Mitchell and Alon Sachar

Merits: George J. Mitchell served as a Democratic senator from Maine from 1980 to 1995. He was the primary architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement for peace in Northern Ireland and U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. Alon Sachar has worked under two U.S. administrations to advance Middle East peace, serving as an advisor to the U.S. ambassador to Israel in Tel Aviv from 2011 to 2012 and to President Obama’s Special Envoys for Middle East Peace.

Material: This book offers an insider account of how the Israelis and Palestinians have both progressed and regressed in their negotiations throughout the many years of their tumultuous relationship. It also explores the concessions needed from both sides to achieve a state of lasting peace, which remains elusive to this day.

Grade: Herodotus. This book briefly outlines the history of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and suggests a way forward. It is ‘pro’ peace and doesn’t trivialize the experience of either people.