Rating: 
Summary: A solid work of synthesis
Review: Karen Armstrong provides in this volume a well-written analysis of the common roots of "fundamentalisms" in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Like most scholars, she sees such movements as both a product of and reaction to modernity. As in any broad work of synthesis, experts will notice small errors or inaccurate formulations in "their" territory. Armstrong relies on secondary material for almost all of her sources and at times the choices she has made seem dated or ill-chosen. As is always the case with hot topics, "advocates" will have much to complain about. While I sometimes found her "psychological" explanations off-putting and her mythos/logos dichotomy less than satisfying as an interpretive model, the book is a useful introduction and a generally successful synthesis of a broad literature. Some readers may find themselves occasionally lost in a sea of foreign names and dates, but by-and-large, this is a book meant for "educated amateurs" and I suspect individuals interested in the topic will not find it too difficult.
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