The author John L. Esposito has done an excellent job of putting together all aspects of Islam in his master piece book. One nice feature of the book is that it takes a question-answer approach towards explaining the most common yet important questions and topics related to the Islam. The answers that range from a paragraph to several pages have been provided in the light of what the Holy Quran. Light has also been shed on how local culture and socio-political environment in Islamic countries affects Muslim views. The book tries to answer hot issues such as the perceived notion of violence in Islam and the rights of women in Islamic society. Some topics covered in the book are:

• What do Muslims believe and what is the Quran

• What is the importance of Arabic and Prophet Mohammad in the life and beliefs of Muslims

• The different sects of Islam

• How Muslims look at other religions and how it affects their behavior towards other people