A son of Saddam Hussein had hypnotherapy sessions with an American hypnotist --- It was surprising to me that the memoir that was felt like a novel has been unknown to most of the people in the world. I felt it is meaningful to have read this book amid rising tensions in the international society.

The U.S. and Iraq --- this is a story about people from unfriendly countries. The relationship of these people depicted in the story is, however, not strain or enmity. It is rather a trusting relationship and attitude of mutual respect.
Uday as described by the author had two aspects: one as polite and gracious person who offered great hospitality to his guests, and the other, as probably expected, as a tyrant and malicious villain. It is the face of the latter that people see or want to see. We do not turn our thoughts to what emotions Uday might have had, as raised by the authoritarian father and supposed to be his successor. It is hard to see through the true nature of the person, but it was possible for the author. I think the reason is partly because of his personality, and partly because he treated Uday as one of his “patients” who had been suffering neurosis, just another human being who had weakness and troubles as we all have.

What if he had been born in another country, or born of another father; or if he had been more conscious of his weakness so that he understood other’s weakness and tried to work together rather than resorting violent means. I thought about such what-ifs, and imagined that the life of Uday and the country of Iraq, or even the current world situations, might have been a whole different story.
The curious author having the astonishments when he experienced the Islamic culture, becoming friends of Iraqi people, Uday’s memory of his experiences in the U.S., etc. In human bonds beyond countries or nations, there is huge potential, much more than what we can imagine.