Best Islamic History
Aslan explores what the popular demonstrations pushing for democracy in the Middle East mean for the future of Islam in the region, how the Internet and social media have affected Islam’s evolution, and how the war on terror has altered the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East. He also provides an update on the contemporary Muslim women’s movement, a discussion of the controversy over veiling in Europe, an in-depth history of Jihadism, and a look at how Muslims living in North America and Europe are changing the face of Islam. Praise for No god but God “Grippingly narrated and thoughtfully examined . a literate, accessible introduction to Islam.” —The New York Times “[Reza] Aslan offers an invaluable introduction to the forces that have shaped Islam [in this] eloquent, erudite paean to Islam in all of its complicated glory.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review “Wise and passionate . a literate, accessible introduction to Islam.” —The New York Times “[Reza] Aslan offers an invaluable introduction to the forces that have shaped Islam [in this] eloquent, erudite paean to Islam in all of its complicated glory.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review “Wise and passionate . While [Aslan] might claim to be a mere scholar of the Islamic Reformation, he is also one of its most articulate advocates.” —The Oregonian. He is also the author of How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror (published in paperback as Beyond Fundamentalism ), as well as the editor of Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Every page is filled with notes... probably the reason all of Reza Aslan's books takes me a little more than a month to finish."
"One of the best book to understand the ISLAM> Thank U !"
"Book came quickly, was in great shape, and also is a phenomenal book for anyone interested in religious history or the genesis and development of Islam."
"The book tends to be somewhat academic so would not satisfy the a dual reader."
"Excellent as usual."
"Wonderful read - very informative and helpful in understanding the origins and progress of the the Muslim faith."
"Lacking in depth and knowledge."
In God’s Battalions , distinguished scholar Rodney Stark puts forth a controversial argument that the Crusades were a justified war waged against Muslim terror and aggression. Filled with fascinating historical glimpses of monks and Templars, priests and pilgrims, kings and contemplatives, Stark pulls it all together and challenges us to reconsider our view of the Crusades. Filled with fascinating historical glimpses of monks and Templars, priests and pilgrims, kings and contemplatives, Stark pulls it all together and challenges us to reconsider our view of the Crusades.”.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is a good beginning history of why Christians first went to fight in the Crusades. These were recent converts to Islam who had invaded the Middle East, ambushed Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, captured Jerusalem, and driven to within one hundred miles of Constantinople."
"He also tells you how this history has been twisted to suit the political crusades of polemicists who hate Western Civilization and the Catholic Church. He cites by name historians and commentators who have distorted the history of the Crusades in order to sell a tawdry bigotry against Christians. These commentators include Bill Clinton, who blamed 9-11 on the Crusades, pop celebrity "scholars" ex-nun and ex-priest Karen Armstrong and James Carroll, who both overtly distort history to serve nefarious ends, and Enlightenment authors like Voltaire and Diderot. Sadly, those who distort the Crusades include Protestants maligning the big, bad, Catholic Church. Perhaps the most egregious example of this kind of perverse distortion of history is Cambridge historian Steven Runciman saying, "There was a never a greater crime against humanity than the Fourth Crusade," in reference to the Sack of Byzantium. It was prompted by repeated Byzantine betrayals of Crusaders, and it was a relatively mild sack in the context of the times. The world was still reeling from knowledge of Auschwitz when a Cambridge historian called the Fourth Crusade the worst thing that ever happened. Stark's Crusaders are often complete lunatics, misguided, sloppy, even genocidal themselves, as when some of them turn on Jews in Europe. In the Wendish Crusade, Germans and Poles participated in a campaign against pagan Slavs until they were "converted or deleted." What actually happened, Stark shows, is that advancing Arab armies co-opted the science and culture of the states they conquered. They aren't "Arabic" at all, but products of the Hindu civilization of the Indian subcontinent, a culture all but destroyed by the Muslim Conquest. One prototypical Muslim structure, the Dome of the Rock, was built with non-Muslim architects using Byzantine plans. Stark argues that as Islam became the predominant system of conquered territory, innovation ceased and decline set in. You think, "Gee I'm lucky to have been born in modern, peacetime America, and I have no idea what God makes of all this.""
"Finally a historian who did some real research on the Crusades rather than just going with hearsay."
"Great book on the crusades."
"If you think Christians can do no wrong, you will enjoy this book."
Islam expert Robert Spencer reveals Islam's ongoing, unshakable quest for global conquest and why the West today faces the same threat as the Crusaders did--and what we can learn from their experience. "A much-needed antidote to the poisonous propaganda that compromises our current battle against jihadist murder." -- Ibn Warraq, author "A much-needed antidote to the poisonous propaganda that compromises our current battle against jihadist murder." Spencer reveals facts that you won't be taught in school and will never hear on the evening news, supplies a revealing list of "Books You Must Not Read" (as far as the PC left is concerned), and takes you on a fast-paced politically incorrect tour of Islamic teaching and Crusades history that will give you all the information you need to understand the true nature of the global conflict America faces today.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Those coming to Islam for the first time would find Spencer's book a valuable book to add to their library; the seasoned reader of Islam would find the book a concise summary of need-to-know information."
"I already have a copy of the Quran in English, and a book that describes and praises Islam and its history."
"Eye opening book on Islam."
"a must read if you are a news hawk and follow world events."
"Every freedom loving individual should read this before it's too late."
"A great read."
"An absolutely fascinating and informative analysis of Islam and the true history about the Crusades, as well as the current looming crisis with Islam."
"Very good info."
Best Central Asian History
Comprehensively and for the first time, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll recounts the history of the covert wars in Afghanistan that fueled Islamic militancy and sowed the seeds of the September 11 attacks. Steve Coll is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars and the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, and from 2007 to 2013 was president of the New America Foundation, a public policy institute in Washington, D.C.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is the best book for understanding the roll of the CIA in Afghanistan and the war on terror."
"Great memories of times gone past when I was a soldier over the past 33 years I served faithfully in a lot of these ops."
"There were no apparent gaps in the connected dots and most connections made solid sense."
"If you have interest in covert operations and the intelligence agencies of the united States, this is an amazing book."
"Great product, would definitely recommend to others."
""Ghost Wars" is a fresh, detailed, and fascinating assessment of the United States' experience with Afghanistan from 1979 to the eve of 9/11/2001. Coll's recounting of this twenty year saga goes far to explain the roots and development of the United States's inability to deter the danger that became so graphically evident the day after this book's narrative ends. Yes, the book is detailed, but it would be a disservice to back away from the intricacies of the story -- just as it has proven to be a mistake for the United States to have backed away from the complexities of Afghanistan once the Soviets withdrew. While one might wish to disengage from such interwoven complexities, the risk of ignoring a failing state such as Afghanistan is to allow the creation of a untamed country in which an extreme regime such as the Taliban and a group as dangerous as that sponsored by Osama bin Laden can take root and thrive. I do wish that Coll had carried through with an epilogue to shed light on the events in Afghanistan of the past two to three years and the relationship of the U.S. to that sad country today. I know Coll has more to say about how the United States' response to 9/11 in Afghanistan has affected our relations with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia."
"If you want to know what really happened, you need to read this book."
"There are no 'Ghosts' to be found but a lot of hauntings as Coll brings into focus a series of turns and events in a troubled part of the world where tribal histories and passions have produced and fueled some very determined fighters."
Best Library & Information Science
The 40th anniversary edition of the classic Newbery Medal-winning title by beloved author Katherine Paterson, with brand-new bonus materials including an author's note by Katherine herself and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo. Here they reign as king and queen, fighting off imaginary giants and the walking dead, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against the schoolmates who tease them. Together, they create an imaginary, secret kingdom in the woods called Terabithia that can be reached only by swinging across a creek bed on a rope. But one morning a tragic accident befalls Leslie as she ventures alone to Terabithia, and Jess's life is changed forever. Contemporary instrumental interludes featuring guitar, piano and drums signal the beginning and end of each tape side.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One of the best Children's book I have read."
"Brilliant piece of writing that meshes vivid imagination with real feelings - feelings of friendship and goodness."
"excellent product, good attention!"
"bought book for our club to go with the movie."
"Cute book for young ones."
"Excellent!"
"Very good book with a few unexpected plot twists."
Best Hindu History
From one of the world?s foremost scholars on Hinduism, a vivid reinterpretation of its history An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the world?s oldest major religions, The Hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds. Note that Doniger is the Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of Religions at the University of Chicago and the author of many books. Learned, fluent, and entertaining in spite of the complexity of this ambitious undertaking, Doniger is also controversial, a role she embraces, confident that fresh viewpoints are essential to understanding the worlds that shaped the Hindu tradition, and the ways Hindus shaped society. "With her vast erudition, insight, and graceful writing laced with gentle wit, there is no one better than Wendy Doniger to convey the richness, depth, and diversity of Hindu texts and traditions to international audiences.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She has been charged with being salacious and highlighting the sexual nature of some of the characters and dramatis personae of Hindu Myth and Legend… Maybe. She could have just as easily chosen any other of the world’s faiths (Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism) to promote and champion her personal value system. Instead she chose Hinduism; one because it is her chosen field of study, but more so, I believe, was that because Hinduism afforded her an easy target."
"She effectively argues that influences from women, the lower castes and local beliefs and practices were infused into the Hindu world view and that this eclectic tradition still goes on today."
"A well-written alternative history of anything, let alone Hinduism, generally has the effect of making the reader pause and think twice about what he may have held all along as the truth. From someone of Ms. Doniger’s stature, I was hoping to hear a serious insight or two that would make me go, "Gosh, I’ve known that story all my life, but why didn’t I look at things that way before?" It’s as if someone wrote a very detailed book about the Mississippi river and Southern cuisine and called it "The Americans: An Alternative History." I realize these are harsh accusations and the burden of proof lies on me, so please allow me to present enough examples to make my case (within the space limitations of an opinion piece). When Rama hears of the king’s predicament, he abdicates his claim to the throne and leaves the city. This is a defining moment for Rama—the young man respects the king’s word (i.e., the law) enough to renounce his own claim to the throne and loves his father so much that he spares him the pain of having to enact the banishment. Indeed, this point in Rama’s life even foretells the rest of the story—that the young man would, in the years to come, make even bigger personal sacrifices for the sake of his ideals. Ms. Doniger covers this topic in excellent detail (page 223 onwards), but it’s interesting that she doesn’t bring up the king’s longstanding promise. Ms. Doniger retells the story of the ogre Shurpanakha, who approaches Rama and professes her love for him. Ms. Doniger then contrasts this story with one from the Mahabharata, where an ogre named Hidimbi professes her love for Bheema and is accepted as his wife—again underscoring the author’s point about Rama’s cruelty. Rama even says, “That ogre almost killed Sita.” One would think these details are pertinent to the discussion, but strangely enough, Ms. Doniger doesn’t bring them up. To be fair to Ms. Doniger, there are many versions of the Ramayana (and sadly enough, some scholars have received a lot of undeserved flak for pointing this out). Normally, one would expect an alternative narrative to add nuance—as if to say, “There is more to the story than what you lay people know.” But Ms. Doniger manages to do the opposite—she takes a nuanced, compelling moment in the epic and reduces it to sexual blackmail or cruelty or sexual urges, whatever her current talking point is. But it can justifiably be called a veritable catalog of all the phalluses and vaginas that ever existed in ancient India, and there is no dearth of detail in Doniger’s book when it comes to private parts. In the Mahabharata, Arjuna burns up a large forest and many creatures die; the epic even describes the animals’ pain at some length. Then the professor brings up—and this is a recurring talking point under the cruelty section—the line from Mahabharata that says, “fish eat fish.” Ms. Doniger calls it “Manu’s terror of piscine anarchy.” Oh, the humanity! But the problem is, she then proceeds to turn off many lights in the house and use a microscope to detail the bits she cares to see. She is of course free to do what she likes, but can someone please explain to me why the end result from such an approach qualifies as an “alternative” map of my home? Still on the topic of animals, let’s discuss dogs, a subject Ms. Doniger covers in great detail. That’s a very interesting trend you’ve spotted there, Ms. Doniger, but what about all those big, ugly blots of truth that don’t fit your graph? For the benefit of any kind souls from the Western world who have been patiently reading through all this, let me throw in an example from relatively recent times that involves America. No doubt you've heard what the physicist Robert Oppenheimer said while reflecting on the first nuclear blast he had helped spawn. The simplest explanation I can think of is that Oppenheimer was a well-read man, and he felt the passage was appropriate when describing the unprecedented firepower he had just witnessed. Ms. Doniger’s take: “Perhaps Oppenheimer’s inability to face his own shock and guilt directly, the full realization and acknowledgment of what he had helped create, led him to distance the experience by viewing it in terms of someone else’s myth of doomsday, as if to say: ‘This is some weird Hindu sort of doomsday, nothing we Judeo-Christian types ever imagined.’ He switched to Hinduism when he saw how awful the bomb was and that it was going to be used on the Japanese, not on the Nazis, as had been intended. And yes, left uncontested, in all likelihood these are the “insights” a whole new generation of students and researchers might learn, internalize, and cite in future scholarly works. Really, there is more to writing history (particularly the alternative kind) than looking up the reference books and throwing in all the numbers one could find. It took me all of two hours to find a very detailed account (not on the Internet though), compiled in the 11th century, putting the total at 100,500—and I’m not a researcher, not by a long shot. Ms. Doniger states, very clearly, without any ambiguity, on page 11 (footnote): “Most of India… is in the Northern Hemisphere.”. I think I’ll stop here."
Best Buddhist History
Drawn directly from 24 Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, and retold by Thich Nhat Hanh in his inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha’s life slowly and gently over the course of 80 years, partly through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy, and partly through the yes of the Buddha himself. The result is a beautiful and contemporary book that can offer an attractive introduction for those new to the subject as well as many bright moments for serious students of Buddhism. Seen partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself and partly through those of Svasti, the buffalo boy, Old Path White Clouds brings the Buddha closer to us as we journey with him on his path to enlightenment and nirvana.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is a must read for the spiritual seeker, a devout practitioner, or anyone who simply wants to know more about the core elements of the Buddha and Buddhism."
"I bought this book to "get to know" the Buddha better and learn more about his life and teachings."
"All true but do read more than one book."
"quick service great book."
"As a Buddhist, I really appreciate this biography of the Buddha, though it will work as an introduction to those only getting interested in Buddhism."
"If you are looking for a biography of the Buddha without constant source references (they are provided in the back) or analysis, if you are just looking for the story of his life, you might really enjoy Old Path White Clouds like I did."
"The book is really a story of the Buddha's life, but it is told in such a "you are there" sort of direct simplicity, that audiences of many ages and different backgrounds will find it accessible."
Best Jewish History of Religion
She tells how German officials casually questioned the lineage of her parents; how during childbirth she refused all painkillers, afraid that in an altered state of mind she might reveal something of her past; and how, after her husband was captured by the Soviets, she was bombed out of her house and had to hide while drunken Russian soldiers raped women on the street. Now part of the permanent collection at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., these hundreds of documents, several of which are included in this volume, form the fabric of a gripping new chapter in the history of the Holocaust—complex, troubling, and ultimately triumphant. Submerging her Jewish identity at home and at work, Edith lived in constant fear, even refusing anesthetic in labor to avoid inadvertently revealing the truth about her past. Young Beer (ne Hahn) was a promising Viennese Jewish law student until the German Anschluss annexing Austria made her circle stop its laughing (``Hitler is a joke. She was a Christmas-tree Jew with a Gentile boyfriend (dreaming of a socialist paradise), but Zionist siblings (who escape to Palestine), and the deadly follow-ups to the Nuremberg Laws send Beer into an underground existence as a ``U-boat'' in Aryan Germany. Beer took on an Austrian friend's documents and identity, got employed with the Munich Red Cross, and dated soldiers for the meals and covermarrying one Nazi, Werner Vetter, with a good job and expertise in art. A returned Werner rejected the independent Edith who had replaced his servile Grete, so Beer divorced him in 1947, left the oppressive Russians, and emigrated to England, then, in 1987, to Israel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Before this she had never worked physically in her life. She got papers from a catholic friend and moved to Munich where she worked as a nurse’s aide at a Red Cross Hospital. She had a daughter which made her a popular woman with the Nazis. The book is well written and the description of daily life under the Nazis was interesting."
"There is little I can say that previous reviewers have not covered about this incredible journey by Edith. I climbed a mountain near Oberammergau, home of the Passion Play and incredible religious wood carving, to find a huge cross of the crucifixion at the top and I could never relate the warm friendly people I met to the era of Hitler."
"But, this book put me THERE!"
"After reading this, it is truly hard to complain about little issues that affect our own lives."
"How this Jewish woman survived in Hitler's Germany and Austria is a very interesting story."
"It is terrifying to think how many normal citizens she encountered and how few showed her or any other Jew even a small amount of kindness or humanity."
"I appreciate this author's truthful telling of her eventful marriage during such a horrific time."
"Loved this book and the way she wrote, reminded me of sitting together & listening to a friend."
Best History eBooks of Christianity
In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, now expanded with bonus content, Nabeel Qureshi describes his dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity, complete with friendships, investigations, and supernatural dreams along the way. -- Mark Gabriel, , Author and former lecturer, University of Cairo. Fresh, striking, highly illuminating, and sometimes heartbreaking, Qureshi’s story is worth a thousand textbooks. His quest brought together several exceptional features: a very bright mind, extraordinary sincerity, original research, and a willingness to follow the evidence trail wherever it took him. This book gives westerners a glimpse of the richness of family and love in a devout Muslim home; it is an enviable picture of respect, devotion, and society. But Christians and Muslims alike are told stories about their religions when they are young, while few have ever personally researched the writings of their founding fathers to assess the validity that undergirds their respective faiths. But it is also a deeply personal heart-wrenching and tear-evoking saga of the life of a young Muslim growing up in the West, a gripping biography that is impossible to put down. We are introduced to the depth of spirituality, the love and honor of family, and the way a person “sees” and “feels” in a devout Muslim home. It reaches both East and West, teaching Christians about Islam from an insider’s perspective and helping Muslims understand the love and truth of Jesus. Nabeel Qureshi masterfully argues for the Gospel while painting a beautiful portrait of Muslim families and heritage, avoiding the fear-mongering and finger-pointing that are all too pervasive in today’s sensationalist world.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For myself, I was reliving the search I had pursued forty five years ago, when my embrace of existentialism had left me so empty and purposeless that I had to reconsider the claims of Christ, just in case they might be true. I found myself anticipating each next step in Nabeel's intellectual journey, as each critical aspect of the truth of Christianity was substantiated by his investigations. I even experienced to a degree Nabeel's family conflicts, though for me it was my mother's amazement and bitter disappointment with my choice after college of seminary instead of medical school."
"The dedication at the beginning of the book, read by the author himself, had me bawling like a baby. I was unaware of how much disagreement about doctrine that there is within different Muslim beliefs and Qureshi walks through them carefully and respectfully."
"I have to say that as a Christian, before reading this book, I had very little knowledge of the Muslim faith and how Muslim children are raised."
"Nabeel’s testimony, the description of his journey in life as a young Muslim and the crisis of faith he experienced all impacted me strongly."
"He pursues the documented evidence with the commitment that whatever he finds he will believe in the God that is truth - even if he finds that the teaching that was a part of his life since birth may or may not be truth."