Got this at BCAus and only recently realised I hadn't registered it. I'm afraid to say that the writing style frustrated me and I just couldn't get into it. This is a shame as the topics explored in the book did interest me... world events and recent travels have me exploring Islam at the moment, just for understanding. I'll look for insight elsewhere I guess.
Hope that the next reader gets more out of it.

I have to admit to cheating. This was my Secret Santa present from the BC Christmas party today. I am normally a very paitent person and leave all the presents under the tree until Christmas morning. But this was a book and it was crying out to be opened. So I did.

It looks interesting - I saw it around earlier when Flinx and Neesy went overseas, but it did not make it's way to me then. Perhaps I was not meant to read it then.

Thanks for sharing.

This eventually made it to the top of Mt TBR in the quiet after Christmas period. It is chock full of interetsing bits and pieces, but not a particularly engrossing read.

I'll pass it on to someone else, rather than release it.

gratefully received, thank you.
i've been interested in this book for a while and destiny has provided once again.
providence intervened this morning and I have instead initially lent to a friend and colleague (as my Mt TBR demands appeasing for a time), but i look forward to reading once it has returned.

I too found George's writing style initially rather frustrating, but after a while the 'journal'/reportage-esque format started to make sense (or at least why/how he'd chosen to use it).

Once the discussion about ideas gets underway and exposition of Islam proper then the book becomes much more interesting and educational; tellingly, around this point in the proceedings GN stops banging on about 'who's side is God on/which God are we talking about' (although this is an idée fixe that he never completely loses and, like a dog, continues to worry at - frankly I found this attitude extremely annoying and sympathise with the previous readers in this regard).

His interviews with Arab-Muslims (I found the focus on Arab-Muslims worthy of note, given that the highest population of Muslims is to be found in Indonesia) from a variety of backgrounds and Middle Eastern countries were very enlightening and informative - and would be especially, I imagine, for those general readers who may not have listened to (or encountered the writings of) any Muslims outside of tv news-grabs or tabloid headlines.

Without wanting to make any personal comments about the relative merits of any of the major religions discussed within the book, the 'take-out' message from the book to me, as with so many situations, is that we should all exercise far greater tolerance of, and basic respect towards, anything that we do not fully understand or appreciate without first seeking to become as informed as possible and most importantly, grounding that information in personal experience.

May your God go with you in Peace.


For a description of the book from the publisher [HarperCollins]:

"Following the runaway success of his bestseller World from Italy, George Negus, one of Australian television's most respected journalists and popular personalities, turns his attention to Islam.

What is Islam? What is it that Muslims believe and why? Why do they fight not just wars but jihads - holy wars? How great are the belief chasms between Muslims, Jews and Christians?

George Negus has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East and Asia, from his days on Foreign Correspondent to the present - just recently returned from the Middle East researching both post-September 11 and post-Bali problems, and pre-war issues.

In this book, drawing on this experience, George dispels the myths and explores the mutual ignorance, beliefs, differences and philosophies concerning the three great religions, while explaining the entirely different way of life that is Islam. Through his personal and professional contacts and his experience with the Islamic world, he examines the issues that have set Islamic and non-Islamic worlds against each other."

Making available as a Bookray:

beaulivre (Sydney, NSW)
juli2007 (Beachmere, Qld)
Gooby (Brunswick, Vic)
Shelly-Sparkles (Browns Plains, Qld) now here
then as a Ray THANK YOU ALL!


Standard 'ring/ray rules' apply ~ once you receive the book please journal it as being in your possession then PM the next person in the running order and request their postal details.

Journal your comments/opinion once you've finished and then on-send.

(It would be very much appreciated if it were possible for folks to attempt to read the book in an appropriate time-frame, as a courtesy to the other participants; thank you)

Any dramas please PM me ~ otherwise, Enjoy! and thank you for the interest.

Eeeek! I didn't journal this book when I received it . . . bad beaulivre . . . because about a billion things have been happening at once but I've started reading it and am looking forward to seeing what George Negus has to say.

Thanks for sharing this caldron!


Update 03/05/08

I posted this off before adding my final comments on this book as I was going overseas for two weeks and wanted to pass it on.

It was a really interesting read which I rushed through towards the end. I also had difficulties with Negus's style being so journalistic. Some parts were eye-opening but I preferred Geraldine Brooks' 'Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women' to this one. What else? Hmmm . . . it's Sunday morning and I think my brain is too much in weekend mode to write much of use.

Thank you for sending this to me beaulivre and thanks to caldron for sharing!
I have almost finished my current read then will be straight into this book.... Stay tuned...

Well, I finally battled my way through this book too, I agree, the writing style was very hard to "get into", although, the subjects covered were interesting and left me wanting to know more about Muslim culture, which I guess was an objective of this book.
I am glad I read this book, it has opened my eyes to some things in Muslim culture that I was unaware of. Thank you for sharing!

Posting off to Gooby this afternoon.

Received and just started - thanks, Juli2007!

Firstly, apologies for the delay. The book is now winging its way to Shelly-Sparkles.

George, George... I had high hopes. A lot of the conversations were interesting, but appeared to be word-for-word, when a bit of editing might have helped. And in between George expounds, repeating himself and interrupting the flow. And where are the female voices? I think there is one woman and she is part of another guy's interview. This just serves to reinforce the impresssion that Muslim women don't have much of a voice.

Interesting, but a bit dated & not as profound as it could have been.

Received today. Thanks for posting it to me.
Hmmmm The last comments re: the voices of the women and where are they. I of course am interested in this book as I know nought about muslims, only how badly they treat their women via other books that I have read. I guess I should know more of George's perception after this read.

I have marked a few pages of this book to cross over to my facebook application .....I was thinking that there was another after me on this ray - I was starting to panic! EGAD....I need to keep this book longer. Low and behold. I am the last person on the ray...PHEWIE....I am enjoying this book. So far I am only up to part one. (about page 71). It is very thought provoking and I feel like I am chatting to my manager at work. As we often get engrossed in conversations that are on issues that we cannot control but we seem to have idealist or other views on. So reading this to me is like chatting to a well educated friend.
Gotta Love bookcrossing. Thank you for sharing.

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