Rating: 
Summary: informative and engaging
Review: With all recent tragedies affecting our world I chose to be an informed citizen and started reading everything I could on the Middle East, Islam, and terrorism, wondering what kind of religion spurred such hatred and violence? Emerick's book was an eye-opener and I found it an interesting and informative read.
It's basic, easy to follow format made the subject understandable and graspable and I came away with a good understanding of why this religion founded by Muhammad so many years ago has found such a devoted following the world over. I can see why Islam is one of the world's most followed religions and understand that at its heart it is a religion of peace. Fanatism and violence is no more at the heart of Islam than it is at the heart of Buddhism or Hinduism. Good book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Review form a Muslim
Review: As a Muslim who read this book, I recommend this book to every non-muslim who wants to know more about Islam to correct the misinformation that is spread these days about Islam. This book will show you that Islam is a religion of equality, justice and peace. Islam is a lifestyle and a religion that touches many aspects of life to lead people into inner-peace and peace with each other.
Rating:
Summary: can be used as a reference book
Review: Like all of the Idiot's Guides I've read it has the cute drawings, humor, and is fairly easy to read. It contains a wealth of information about Islam throughout history, basic Muslim beliefs, sects in the religion, Islam in world affairs today, Islam in the U.S., etc. While I disagree with a few things that he mentioned in the women in Islam section and feel that he writes from a conservative point of view, overall it's a good book that will give you an idea about what Islam is all about.
Rating: 
Summary: Some great basic info surrounded by rubbish
Review: As a recovering Protestant turned inquiring skeptic of all religions, I've been looking for books that offer a fair and balanced view of various religions. I'm not so much interested in the warm and fuzzy details, just the cut and dry whys and whats behind various beliefs and practices.Let me just state up front that I am not especially against Islam -- or any other religion. I have issues with them all. Also, my last two long term committed relationships were with Muslim raised women. I bought the book, in part, to help fill in a few blanks. Unfortunately, the author is blatantly biased in favor of Islam and glosses over certain details and, at times, outright lies or omits contradictory information. The author points out that the Muslim World was invaded during the Crusades. Fair enough. But then nothing is mentioned about the Muslim invasions of Christian areas. In a race to come off as pro-American and patriotic post 9-11, the author addresses the US policy and actions against Iraq in a blatantly ignorant fashion that few Arabs or Muslims would agree with. As an expert on the US policy on Iraq, I can say without doubt that there is little support for the sanctions which kill innocent civilians and, in fact, HELP Saddam Hussein. But to read this book you'd think that all Muslims and Arabs were gung ho for the US policy. The whole section on Iraq is complete nonsense, devoid of any important background information. (For a good explanation for both the US policies in the Middle East and the atrocities committed by Arab states I strongly recommend Said Aburish's book, Brutal Friendship. His book on Saddam Hussein is also very good.) What is particularly annoying to me is the author's emphasis on supposed equality between men and women in Islam. Listen, if you want to believe something, believe in your own terms. It's as if the author is trying to superimpose western ideals over a system that is blatantly sexist. For example, the author explains that the reason that women pray in the back of mosques is so that the men won't be distracted. This is the same reason given for the variations of the head covering. And then the author has the audacity to say that this is "equal" treatment! Obviously, many western women face unwanted sexual advances. However, regardless of whether you're in the US or in a Muslim country the same truth prevails: It is the responsibility of the MEN to behave themselves. Saying that a woman must cover herself or that she must hide in the back of a mosque is not "equality." It's the punishment of women for the failure of men to control themselves. This author, without a doubt, has no clue as to what gender equality really means. On the positive side, I gave this book two stars instead of one because there is some basic info provided that will help non-Muslims better understand certain things. Basic vocabulary and brief histories of various Islamic people and events are all provided. Overall, this book reads like a religious tract that you might find left on your doorstep by people you'd wish would just leave you alone. I want to emphasize that I would say the same thing about a book that discussed ANY relgion in this manner. It makes me wonder if the Complete Idiot's Guide(R) series approaches Christianity, Judaism and other religions in the same way. For example, do they defend the Catholic practice of excluding women from leadership positions and then say they support "equality"? Do they accept without question the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands? And so on. If that's the case, I plan to avoid the entire series! If you want to learn about religion without feeling like the author is trying to convert you, without feeling like you're being manipulated, then I recommend that you look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Supplement
Review: On equality of Men and Women, I think Patrik Carkin did not fully understand the author's point. The author explains that the head covering for women is part of the dress code that by cultural norms falls in the decent category of clothing. Different cultures have different norms relating to dress code for women (and indeed for men). While it may be alright for a woman to publicly bare her breasts in some scandinavian countries, it certainly is not here in the US. In fact it is illegal. Because in our American society, women are required to cover their bossoms in public (with the exception of mardi gras) while men can walk around shirtless if they so wish, does it mean women are opressed in our society? Some will argue so.
Rating:
Summary: Essential reading for everyone
Review: Everyone who is trying to understand Islam and/or the Muslims needs to read this book. finaly an unbiased look at Muslims and Islam by a Muslim. This book should be a text in everyschool in America.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book a real MUST read!
Review: I found this book to be very fair and balanced! An excellent reference and very informative and read well. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this book was to read yet the detail in provided. I think anyone who wants to learn about the world we live in should get this book.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful introduction
Review: Islam is one of the few religions, I thought I would ever have respect for. This book was the beginning of proving myself wrong. There is a lot of information packed into one book. Topics which are sufficiantly covered are History, Culture, Theology and Customs surrounding The Muslim World. This books provides an easy read, but gives you much to think about. Go into it with an open mind. I earned a new founded respect for this misrepresented, logical religion. This book does not cover everything, but it is a wonderful start. Don't judge Islam until you research it in depth for yourself! :-)
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read
Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam is a very good book. It lays out the brass tacks of Islam in a clear and concise manner. The structure and flow of the book are uniform and the topics covered are essential in eliminating common fallacies. However, one major drawback of the book is the 'evangelizing' tone. It seems as if the author is preaching in almost every paragraph. Another shortcoming is the fact that the author tries to compare Islam with Christianity and explains why Islam is a complete religion by pointing out the various loopholes in the Christian faith. Eventhough I'm a Muslim I was a little unnerved with this constant comparison. There are definitely other ways to educate people about this religion, the least effective of which is to undermine another's faith. The author's intentions were noble but his approach was flawed. If you can overlook these drawbacks, the book is definitely a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: I must have been a complete idiot for buying this book. Why? Because after 9-11 I got interested in Islam and thought this book would be easier to digest than something else. But it's a biased and defensive book. The first chapter or two might serve as a good introduction to the history of Islam, but far to many details and discrepancies is this fascinating religion are left out here. To get a more balanced, interesting, intellectually honest, and brave view on Islam, check out "Why I'm not a Muslim".
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