'Lowi explores the material and the moral sides of Gulf politics, showing how they are linked through the political process in general and by regime strategies and tactics in particular.' Nathan J. Brown, George Washington University

'Refining the Common Good is an outstanding book which breaks genuinely new ground - conceptually as well as empirically - in its comparative study of the interplay between religion and distribution in the Gulf States. Miriam Lowi makes a highly original and compelling addition not only to the literature on the political economy of the Gulf States but also to the literature on Islam and politics more broadly.' Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University

'Refining the Common Good marshals original research on the political economy, religious discourses, and political logics in Arabia. Miriam Lowi vividly argues that in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman both revenues from hydrocarbons and Islam as a normative system are instrumentalized to achieve the goals of ruling elites, specifically enhancing their privileges and maintaining their control and domination over society. This is a book that will enlighten area experts and enrich scholarship on oil, redistribution, and regime survival.' Arang Keshavarzian, New York University