Rating: 
Summary: Intellectually Suspect!
Review: After reading this self apologetic patchwork, it was hard to understand why the author wrote it. "Reflections on Islam..." coming on the heels of 9-11? What was the author's actual agenda? The personal history is far from newsworthy, though admittedly as interesting as, say, talking to a foreign student in a café. The personal-painful memories are mostly second hand.
The harshest criticism is that the work fails to provide grounds for historical statements stated as fact, which are debatable, if not contrary to general knowledge.
The point of view is slanted to be sure, slanted from the perspective of an unhappy son of an Afghani who ends up in the U.S., a son who really can't go home again, a son who suffers as an Ugly American, as all Americans are ugly as seen through Islamic eyes.
The challenge of the book -- the between the lines issue -- is whether the author can overcome the populous view of Afghanistan as "a barbaric wasteland?"
The author himself is conflicted about this.
I personally came away from the book feeling bad for the author and the characters shown. Where is the light here, the intellectual torch of knowledge and freedom?
Islam, Taliban... Belief in either one creates bias towards the West, and there's no real answer in sight. None in these reflections at least.
There is, though, good natured humanism, but it is often clouded by passages of historical and intellectual questionability.
"Affection makes him false..." wrote Shakespeare (end of Romeo and Juliette). And so too with Mir Ansary.
"Mir" by the bye, is an Islamic mark of distinction, an honorary title given to the descendants of Mohammed, a title of dignity, given to certain high officials. It is the similar to "Emir." It roughly translates to "Sir" or "Lord" or "Your Excellency."
The use is antiquated in the modern western world.
Come on, this guy writes children's books and lives in San Francisco, for gosh sakes; he's not out of some Humphrey Bogart movie. But the author insists on using Mir; that alone says a lot about this work.
Rating: 
Summary: a great book about an important topic
Review: I have read a large number of books on religions and about the Middle East. This is easily the best. Ansary writes compellingly about his personal history, his insights into Islam and militant Islam, and the politics of Islam. As I read this book, I was moved to laughter almost as often as to tears, and virtually every emotion in between. In particular, Ansary's insights into how Islamic terrorists became so important in recent years are well worth the cost of the book and the time spent reading it.Perhaps the best way to put it is that, no sooner had I finished the last page than I turned to the front and started reading it again. And I had to tear myself away, even though I read this book in just a few sittings! Very compelling reading - a wonderful story told with compassion, sensitivity, and insights.
Rating:
Summary: a great book about an important topic
Review: I have read a large number of books on religions and about the Middle East. This is easily the best. Ansary writes compellingly about his personal history, his insights into Islam and militant Islam, and the politics of Islam. As I read this book, I was moved to laughter almost as often as to tears, and virtually every emotion in between. In particular, Ansary's insights into how Islamic terrorists became so important in recent years are well worth the cost of the book and the time spent reading it. Perhaps the best way to put it is that, no sooner had I finished the last page than I turned to the front and started reading it again. And I had to tear myself away, even though I read this book in just a few sittings! Very compelling reading - a wonderful story told with compassion, sensitivity, and insights.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent perspective on how Afganistan came to be in crisis
Review: I love this book. It is clear-headed and honest, with a quirky sense of humor. You feel as if the author is an old friend. He definitely is a rock and roll American with an Afgan soul. His experiences of living in Afganistan as a child and his later trip back to the Islamic world is both enlightening and completely engrossing.
Rating:
Summary: interesting and informative
Review: i read this book for college summer reading and i thought it was wonderful. i learned a lot about afghani culture, but it was an interesting and compelling story throughout. i highly recommend this book
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating & An Excellent Memoir
Review: I stumbled across this book accidently and sat down at the bookstore to read the first few pages and thought it was well written. The conflict between being an Afghan and an American is captivating and the anguish is apparent. I felt it is very relevant to current events and would recommend it highly if you want to learn more about the challenges and growth the author experienced. I'd like to thank him for sharing his story.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Exceptional Read
Review: I stumbled upon this book in my college library and once I read the first few pages, I could not tear myself away. I cannot express how moved I was by having the extraordinary opportunity to have a glimpse of the life of such a brilliant, eager figure. This lifelong journey of personal & historical discovery flows magnificently from cover to cover. Mr. Ansary's approach to confronting & living with his rich bi-culturalism allows one to broaden their perspective about the various nationalities that comprise America, while also helping us to understand what it means to be bi-cultural in a society that fears what is "different". I recommend this book to the open-minded who are interested in educating themselves about Afghan-Americans & to witness how one man in particular, teaches us to rationalize and listen to the voices of those who cannot speak for themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Exceptional Read
Review: I stumbled upon this book in my college library and once I read the first few pages, I could not tear myself away. I cannot express how moved I was by having the extraordinary opportunity to have a glimpse of the life of such a brilliant, eager figure. This lifelong journey of personal & historical discovery flows magnificently from cover to cover. Mr. Ansary's approach to confronting & living with his rich bi-culturalism allows one to broaden their perspective about the various nationalities that comprise America, while also helping us to understand what it means to be bi-cultural in a society that fears what is "different". I recommend this book to the open-minded who are interested in educating themselves about Afghan-Americans & to witness how one man in particular, teaches us to rationalize and listen to the voices of those who cannot speak for themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy Stories
Review: I wasn't certain Ansary's book would hold up next to his immensely powerful and popular email send immediately following 911. But "West of Kabul, East of New York" shines because by writing his personal stories instead of yet another news report or political editorial, Ansary provides exactly what we need now: well crafted tales, spun over a life long journey, on Islam, Afghanistan, and the bicultural experience in the United States. There's something surprisingly warm and familiar about these stories, from the schoolroom and clan in Afganistan to adolescence in the US to realizing how much you love someone who is isolated from you on the other side of the world. We've bought a number of copies--it's the type of book you can recommend and give broadly and know your friends and family will enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Revealing Book About Two Cultures
Review: I've read other books about the Taliban and so forth, but if you want to get some idea of Afghan people and society in basic human terms--in terms that most Americans (like me) can really understand--then this is the book I'd recommend. Ansary's life has bridged the cultures, and he's able to talk about both America and Afghanistan with insight and compassion. One fascinating irony is that Ansary's younger brother went back to the Middle East where he advocates for the Muslim fundamentalist view. It's things like that which make this author different from a lot of others and able to write a book that goes beyond demonizing or defending ways of living to more fundamental truth. At the same time, I think that Ansary has worked harder than most of us to articulate what he sees and thinks. This is also, by the way, a beautifully written book, full of humor and often amazing story.
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