***DK Eyewitness Guides

Islam

by Philip Wilkinson

Reviewed April 8, 2003.
Dorling Kindersley, New York, 2002.  64 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (J 297 WIL).

With Muslim cultures so much in the news, I was interested in knowing more about the culture, history and beliefs of Islam.  Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guides are always a wonderfully visual way to learn about a topic.

With hundreds of photographs, this book presents the main beliefs of Islam, its history, and shows ways it is practiced in different parts of the world.  The book is very factual, not presenting the religion as good or bad, simply giving the facts and showing pictures.  It doesn’t say anything about holy war, but neither is it a tract urging you to become a Muslim.  This is simply a book of basic facts and does that job beautifully.  The pictures are lavish, with many showing beautiful art works created by Muslims.

I knew very little of the information presented in this book, so I think it is appropriate for children or adults.  It’s not an exhaustive source about Islam, but it does give the reader a nice overview, making you a little more informed about this widely practiced religion.

Copyright © 2003 Sondra Eklund.  All rights reserved.

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