My wife bought me this book for Christmas. We have a curiosity about Muslims and their motives. I finished reading the book about a month ago and highly recommend it for those who desire more background on the history and current trends in Islam. Generally speaking it is an easy read. I think Milton did a great job of covering the spectrum of Islamic beliefs although it takes some brain power to decipher the distinctions he made between fundamentalist and orthodox Muslims. I am still left pondering the political status of secularism as a viable alternative to religious warfare.