The Wall Street Journal today has a front page article (subscription required) on Bernard Lewis, the Princeton historian who is one of America’s leading experts on Islam and the Middle East. Dr. Lewis’ “What Went Wrong“–a book about the reasons behind the failure of many Islamic countries to modernize–was a bestseller after the 9/11 attacks. Lewis’ thinking about Islam and the Middle East is influencing many policy makers in the Bush Administration, so this is important reading.