Rating: 
Summary: Just the facts on Islam: No spin, No bias
Review: After the events of 9/ll I, like a lot of Americans, was wondering what Islam really advocates. So I went online and purchased about 5 books on Islam. However, after reading them all, I wish I had just bought this one! This guide to understanding Islam is clear, precise, and cogently organized. It covers all issues related to Islam from politics, the Taliban, sexuality, women's issues, education, and daily spiritual practices. The author presents them without any annoying spin or bias (something that many members of the media can learn from). The reader is guided through the world of Islam by an intelligent, focused voice and the facts are presented in a respectful, articulate manner. If you buy one book about Islam, buy this one. Islam is worth investigating and this book covers all there is to know and more.
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Summary: read the book!
Review: We finally get to see what the message of Islam truly is. Most books on Islam are written by people who aren't even Muslims. This book is written by a Muslim, an American convert to Islam, no less! All of the information is written in a very clear manner; moreover, all information points back to the original source: be it hadith or the Qur'an itself.
We must remember to ask this question when learning about a new religion: "What does the Book (in this case the Qur'an) say?" We may not like what the followers of a belief are doing, but what does their Book say? This book gives us a precise background about what the Qur'an and the foundation of Islam really states, concerning a person's role in this world.
This guide outlines Islam's place in history, from our own numerical system to the real rights of women in Islam. I've read several books on Islam, and this is by far the most complete!
Rating:
Summary: Very good overview of a mis-understood religion
Review: First I would like to say that truely the only way to understand Islam is to buy and read the Quran. If you go to your local Islamic Center (Mosque)they can point you to some good translations, they may even have free ones that they will give you. If you want a more in depth idea of what Islam is about after that then look to the Sunnah or ways of the prophet. These are contained in the books of the Hadith. Other than using those, this book provides a fair overview of what Islam is about. Potential readers should understand though that this is strictly an overview and does not get in depth. For a more in depth understanding of the issues one should read the Quran and Hadiths, most importantly talk to an Imam. (...) Let me restate: An excellent book for a brief overview of Islam.
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Summary: Book is ok by me
Review: Just got the book the other day. No problem here. It reads nice and is easy to understand. I didn't think the author was defending the Taliban.
Rating:
Summary: This book is very balanced
Review: I just got my book a few days ago and have read over half of it. I can't agree with the scathing and obviously angry-inspired view that I just saw here. In fact, I'm ordering copies for all my friends. I have read books on Islam before and this one gives the clearest presentation of Muslim spiritual beliefs I have found. While I may not agree with some of the author's conclusions, nevertheless it is an accurate account of what Islam believes and teaches. I'm familiar with the issue of Muhammad's marriage to a young girl and know that the age of the girl is in dispute among Muslims themselves. I didn't think the book was sticking up for the Taliban or anything else. I got the impression the author was trying to explain what motivates them and others. It was refreshing to see a book written by a Muslim that accepts the existence of the state of Israel- from a religious point of view! There are quite a lot of books that do distort Islam. As an American I can say that there have been far too many. But this book helped me to understand Islam without bias for or against. The quotes from the koran gave ample proof for whatever the author said. I hope people will make their own judgment of this book and not rely on people who are obviously angry. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know for themselves how a Muslim views their religion.
Rating:
Summary: A superb book!
Review: I recently purchased this book. It's been really hard to put it down since! I find it to be excellent in explaining what Islam is and how it relates to the modern world. Emerick has a gift of not just writing well but researching thoroughly, clearly showing what mainstream Islam is all about. This book should be a must read for everyone!
Rating: 
Summary: By an Idiot, For Idiots
Review: This is possibly the worst book on Islam I have ever read. I was looking for a good, basic overview of the religion of Mohammad, and I came across this highly subjective, often erroneous politically correct excuse for a book. If this is what Islam is all about, a billion people are in DEEP trouble!! The author, in many instances, confuses culture with religion. (His version of hijab is not "required.") His apologies for the Taliban, and the Rushdie affair, are sickening. And, his description of female genital mutilation is outright wrong. He paints a picture of "fantasy" Islam, where women were given the vote more than 1,000 years ago and where even the grass is Muslim!!! Riiight. But luckily, he enlightens us to the perils of being seduced by an anti-Islamic Western media that has fed us propoganda all these years and made up these deceptions to confuse us!! He also promotes a lot of misleading information, going so far as to re-write history to make it more acceptable to non-Muslims. Mohammad's marriage to a six year old child (well, he did wait until she was nine before he had sex with her--he was in his 50's)is dismissed as rumor. How is it that I have heard and read this from many sources including Muslim accounts, yet the author changes Aisha's age at marriage to 16 without offering any primary source or authority? He never mentions that in some Muslim countries, Muslim leaders set the marriage age for girls at 9 BECAUSE Mohammad did this himself. Oh yeah, Muslims also discovered America. (Where, coincidentally, the Aztecs were running around in Muslim attire!) A lot of non-Muslims are reaching out and trying to understand Islam, now more than ever, which I think is a sign of openmindedness. But books like this one muddy the waters. The objective should be to present the facts, not sugarcoat propoganda. Every organized religion has done good things, and terrible things, in the name of God. (After all, followers of any religion are only human.) I am positive someone can give us a basic overview of Islam that shows us both sides, without resorting to lies and myth-making. I found this book patronizing and self-serving, and I would not recommend it to anyone, unless I deliberately wanted to distort the faith of the Prophet. And what are the author's credentials, anyway? The bio was pretty vague on that point.
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Summary: A book we could all use
Review: With all that has happened to our country in the past weeks I felt it was important now more than ever to have an understanding of the religion that has been so talked about. I just got my book and it's fantastic! It is easy to read and understand, and I feel like I have a much greater knowledge of Islam and Muslims.This is a book that everyone should be reading!!!
Rating: 
Summary: more opinion than fact in this book
Review: To give a balanced and equal report on Traditional Islamic beliefs vs. Radical Extremist Islamic beliefs, I read this book as well as 3 others. Each had their own take on history and facts about Islam. This book was the only one I read that I absolutely could not stand. The author whined about so many things and gave nothing but skewed opinions in most of the chapters. It made me distrust the factual writing that I know was buried under the opinionated garbage in here. I enjoy hearing both sides of the story, and although not Muslim myself, I feel bad for the history and problems Islamic people have faced and are facing but this book had the opposite effect on me. I'm sure that there are much better books out there if you are looking for black and white facts and not biased opinion. I gave this book two stars instead of one because the author did cover most of the major questions about Islam.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!!!! A MUST READ
Review: If you are a scholar of theology or a light reader wanting a brief glance as Islam this is a great book for you! Very easy to read yet amazing insightful. I would recommend this to everyone to add to their personal collection.
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