The Ornament of the World
How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain

First, some words of warning: do not approach this particular book as a historical documentation of a period, lest you be very frustrated within a few chapters. The Decline and Fall: The Moorish Way this is not. While Menocal does provide an outline of the events, rulers, and major actors of the era......more

Idealism—what we call quixotic idealism, so vividly is it depicted by Cervantes—is an act of the imagination, and perhaps a doomed one, and the question on the table becomes whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. This is a book about nostalgia, and nostalgia is a dangerous thing. It’s one o......more