Islam for Dummies by Malcolm Clark Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Islam for Dummies
Book Review: If by "dummies" you mean "college freshmen," then yes, this is for dummies.
Summary: 2 Stars
I eagerly anticipated this book after finishing the delightful Judaism for Dummies. That book, written by two Jewish men, was funny, warm, and informative. It was full of helpful hints and personal anecdotes. I feel like I got not just the facts but also the flavor of certain aspects of Jewish culture.
This is not that book. This book, written by a Christian college professor, is academic and dry. The structure, with its long chapters, begs devoted study, not the kind of "when you can find the time" style that seems more suited to dummies like me. I was disappointed that it was written by a non-Muslim, as I could have grabbed any scholarly text just to learn the facts (my favorite part of Judaism for Dummies is how personal it was, and I really thought I would read stories about growing up Muslim and rites of passage and the little things that matter to a believer that a non-believer wouldn't immediately notice on his own). As this is my first serious study of the history and beliefs of Islam, I can't make any guesses on accuracy, but with this style of writing, I don't know that I'm going to be around to notice any major mistakes in the last third of the book.
I will probably finish the book because I'm stubborn, and I really am interested in knowing what Muslims believe, but I wish I had chosen a different book to start my study. Or maybe that I hadn't read an entertaining Dummies book before falling asleep on top of this one.
Book Review: Informative and factual
Summary: 4 Stars
The coverage was very straight forward and provided basic information for someone who was not familiar with Isalm. It is a good book to become familiar with Islam and to understand basic beliefs. It is a good basic refernce book.Book Review: Intro to Islam
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been deeply saddened by the ongoing conflict between Christianity and Islam - when I thought we shared so many beliefs. So, I bought this book to educate me - and hopefully enlighten me. I can't compare it to any other intro book on Islam because this is the only one I have read. But I am learning a lot about the beliefs, history and internal structure of Isalm, about the Prophet Muhammad and of the different sects within Islam. (some times too much history of names and dates and who did what to whom believing they were the next in line to lead Islam).
Bottom line is that I learned a lot - about Islam, and also about their issues and concerns about Jesus and (separately) about the Christian churches and their beleifs/dogma. I am still absorbing and thinking about all this.
This has been a very helpful book to me.
Book Review: Islam
Summary: 4 Stars
I thought this book was great for providing information on not only the religion but the culture of Islam. It does not try to prove or defend the religion, just provide information.Book Review: Islam for Dummies
Summary: 5 Stars
Gives a great insite to the islamic people in an easy to understand context. Answers questions you might be hesitant to ask of Islamic people.