Introduction
1. The Soft State
2. Corruption
3. The Economy
4. The Poor
5. The Pashas
6. The Middle Class
7. The Intellectuals
8. The Press
9. Religious Discourse
10. Alienation
11. Mubarak's Successor
12. Egypt and the Arabs
13. Egypt and the United States

Addressing key themes such as poverty, corruption, and the economy from the perspective of an active participant in Egyptian intellectual life throughout the era, Galal Amin portrays the Mubarak regime's stance in the domestic and international arenas as very much a product of history, which, while not exonerating the regime, certainly helps to explain it.