This is a somewhat abrasive in intent book summarizing the life of Muhammad, founder of the Islamic religion. It mostly uses original/accepted source material, but obviously cherry picks the "offensive" parts (no one is complaining about the 2.5%-of-wealth Zakat to the poor). Aside from the obvious (7th century nomadic arab life was pretty horrible generally...), the main takeaway is that IS and other fundamentalist Islamic movements are pretty solidly grounded in the fundamentals of the religion, and trying to confront them on that basis is doomed to failure. ( )

An honest and revealing portrait of the founder of Islam, and it aint pretty.
Shows how Islams' continuous war against unbelievers began and the bleak prospects for the future. ( )

Fascinating and insightful. ( )

I bought this book with some trepidation, considering all of the fallout it has received. I have friends from all walks of life and I wanted to know more about the religion that some of them share.

The first thing that caught my attention was that the author drew his material only from sources recognized by Islamic religious leaders, and did not draw from Western interpretations to illustrate his points. The second thing that became evident was the style in which the information was presented. It was balanced and formulated through a process of logic, without emotion and rhetoric.

My conclusion is that this book should be read by every Westerner, and then discussed openly and freely. Robert Spencer laid out the facts and whether or not one agrees with his findings, it is impossible to ignore the hard truths in this book, and current events do nothing less than support his conclusions. ( )

Look at the reviews below that rate this less than three stars. They don't even comment on the content and references sited. I was very impressed with how meticulously the author referenced assertions and claims that would understandably upset those that follow Muhammad. No matter what side of the fence you are on before reading this book or listening to the CD version, truth is truth, and this author can't change truth. Do the research and be informed. A fantastic read and listen! AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ FOR THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT THE WESTERN WORLD. I also liked 'The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades'. Semper Fi. ( )