The Islamic World : Past and Present : 3 Volume Hardcover Set (John L Esposito; Editor)

Description

Since the events of September 11; 2001; students and people everywhere are filled with questions about Islam. What do Muslims believe? Who is Osama bin Laden? What is a jihad? Even though Islam is a major religion with more than one billion followers worldwide and more than six million in the United States alone; there is still uncertainty and misunderstanding about the ideas; tenets; and practice of Islam. Understanding Islam and the people who believe in it has become crucially important in the greater world. The Islamic World: Past and Present is the ideal source for fostering understanding and answering questions. John Esposito's acclaimed four-volume The Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World (1995) set the standard in references on Islam. Adapted from this award-winning set; The Islamic World: Past and Present brings all the scholarship and information of the original to general readers and college and high school students. In addition to the more approachable language and user-friendly page layout; this reference covers events and changes of the last eight years. It also includes entirely new entries to provide coverage of the pre-modern world of Islam. Containing more than 300 articles; it provides an excellent; comprehensive resource for gaining understanding into a belief system that seems mysterious and incomprehensible to many.

Features

Reviews

'This comprehensive encyclopedia is the only one on the subject written specifically for teens....Accessible; browsable; and current....An appealing and valuable contribution to intercultural understanding and will be a useful addition.' --School Library Journal

'Approaches Islamic culture with a great deal of respect.... The work could be of extraordinary value to a person who simply wants to learn about Islamic culture without sorting through the rhetoric of pro-Islamic and anti-Islamic voices.... Most appropriate in a secondary-school library or a public library serving secondary-school students. It might also be helpful to more advanced patrons who wish to gain a quick overview or definition.' --Reference & User Services Quarterly

'Excellent.... Encourage your local libraries to get copies. This set might also serve the needs of parents who homeschool their children.' -- About.com

'A readable encyclopedia on Islam prepared for high school students.... Students finding The Islamic World useful include freshmen in world history classes; sophomore honors English students writing journals as various medieval people; sophomores using daily newspapers in moral decision making class; and seniors taking public policy and community service classes. Material on individual countries is useful for students writing country reports.' --Kay Crane; Librarian; John F. Kennedy High School

Product Details
720 pages; 95 halftones; 8 maps; 45 color line illus.; 8-1/2 x 11; 0-19-516520-9

About the Author(s)
Edited by John L. Esposito; Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding; Georgetown University