The Journey Begins: The Story of Democracy in Bahrain is a two-dimensional view of an important event in the Middle East. Bahrain, though a tiny country in terms of size, was large in aspiration. It was the first among the Gulf countries to experiment successfully with democracy. With a vision that was as focused, as it was strong in its purpose, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa successfully implemented a new system of governance in October 2002. The elections in Bahrain were a landmark event not only for the country but also for the entire region. Bahrain had set an example to the Gulf States, and proved to the rest of the world that it would walk the talk, that promises could actually become a reality. With the steadfast support of the Prime Minister, H.H Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and the Crown Prince and Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defence Forces, H.H Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa,His Majesty directed the country on to a new path. The Journey Begins takes you through the exciting days of the elections, capturing the historical moment through research, interviews and photographs while simultaneously supporting it with a personal record. This unique method of documenting history gives a fresh and interesting perspective to an extraordinary moment. The subject matter though weighty and serious is addressed here from a standpoint both within and outside. A breath of fresh air into a much discussed and written about event. The first part of the book is a documentation of the elections and the processes that went into it, while the second half takes a look at the long and illustrious history of Bahrain. It tries to work out what it is in the country"s psyche that has brought it to this moment. Through photographs and graphic word pictures it paints a picture of Bahrain that would make anyone proud. Talking about the early days and the development of the concept of the book, Reena Abraham, author of the book along with Laura Bonapace, remembers the feeling on their first arrival at Manama. "Looking down from the aircraft, we were amazed at the sheer beauty of the island nestling in the emerald green waters of the ocean. That amazement strengthened into admiration when we met and interacted with the people of Bahrain. In fact, it was their indomitable spirit that was the inspiration for the book." Miracle Publishing, who was instrumental in bringing out this book, has long had as one of its key goals, the promotion of the rich heritage and unique character of the country and its people. Khalid Juman, Chairman of Miracle Publishing expressed his pride to be a part of a venture, which would surely place Bahrain firmly on the global map. In his foreword to the book he says, "The nature of the reforms – and indeed the way they have been implemented – ensures that Bahrainis can be proud of their country and that Bahrain is firmly in the spotlight of the world stage."