Understanding Islam

Name: Understanding Islam
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Thomas W. Lippman
ISBN: 9781441797971

Author: Thomas W. Lippman

Narrator: Wanda McCaddon

Unabridged: 7 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Published: 08/18/2011

Categories: Nonfiction, Religion

Synopsis

Since the Gulf War, many have asked the question, "Why do Middle Easterners think and act as they do?" Of the 900 million people who today follow the Islamic faith, all are profoundly affected by the teachings of Muhammad and by Muslim traditions that have developed over the past thirteen hundred years. This comprehensive guide offers an informative and insightful introduction to Islam, both as a religion and as a politicaleconomic force. It tells the story of Muhammad and the rise of Islam; outlines the sacred book, the Koran; explains "the five pillars of the faith"; explores the interplay between religion and government; describes the differences that divide Islam; and above all, shows the influence of Islam on world affairs.

About Thomas W. Lippman

Thomas W. Lippman is a DC-based author and journalist who has specialized in Middle Eastern affairs and American foreign policy for more than three decades. As a foreign correspondent of the Washington Post, he covered wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebanon, and Somalia. The author of nine books, including Crude Oil, Crude Money: Aristotle Onassis, Saudi Arabia, and the CIA, Lippman won the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Award for biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association for his profile of another unsung hero, USMC Colonel Bill Eddy.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mohamed on January 19, 2011

Good book. Not written the way a Muslim would write it, and believing Muslims won't like some details and conclusions here and there. However the writer is fair and objective, which I liked.......more

Goodreads review by Ethan on January 16, 2016

Excellent book. My worldview has been greatly enhanced, and now I feel that I can participate in real conversations about Islam without ignorance being any great obstacle. More on the blog. [URL not allowed]......more

Goodreads review by Shiela on March 01, 2020

This is a history and an explanation of Islam from an outsider - Thomas Lippmann is not of the area though he may have traveled widely. It has much to offer, especially for those who know little to nothing about the topic. I wonder what an insider feels about this book.......more

Goodreads review by Glen on June 03, 2021

Thomas Lippman is a journalist who was stationed in the Middle East for many years. The way he writes, I get the impression that he is a Muslim himself, although the fact that he is a journalist helps him keep his objectivity. You get passages like, "This demonstrated that Allah was indeed on the si......more

Goodreads review by Alicia on August 10, 2021

5.0. Understanding Islam provides a 101-level overview of the religion's beginnings, philosophy, spread, and current division. The book seeks to provide an objective account of the religion-- the edition was updated post 9-11, though the first edition was originally written in the early 90's. As a no......more