REZA ASLAN has studied religions at Santa Clara University, Harvard University, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. He holds an MFA in fiction from the Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, where he was named the Truman Capote Fellow in fiction. The original adult edition of "No god but God" was listed by Blackwell Publishers as one of the hundred most important books of the past decade. Born in Iran, Reza Azlan now lives in Los Angeles, where he is associate professor of creative writing at UC Riverside.
Gr 9 Up-Aslan looks at religion in pre-Islamic Arabia and describes the world into which Muhammad was born. The prophet's life and the history of the church through the end of the Caliphate are also covered. Additional chapters deal with more controversial issues: the meaning of jihad, Muslim-Jewish relations, and women in Islam. Finally, the author provides a brief look at the future of the religion. These last chapters do a good job of reconciling how the interpretation and translation of the Quran have caused confusion over Muhammad's original intent over time, thereby creating a religion that in some hands is peaceful and in others is violent. Aslan presents and advocates for a peaceful interpretation of the Quran. The book claims to be "based upon" No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam (Random, 2005). Since the author's copyright remains 2005, it appears that the book might be an abridgement rather than an adaptation of the original work. While not entirely new, and not written specifically with a teen audience in mind, this shortened version will be a useful addition.-Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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