As an activist who is concerned about the slow death of one of the greatest democracies in the world, this book says why. Unless people understand that we are fighting an enemy, who uses the very freedoms of democracy to destroy it, we are doomed. Everytime I hear about another effigy burning, cars being torched, Churches and Synagogues painted with Swastikas, and the constant "anger" of the Muslim world, I am baffled as to how most of the world either just does not understand, or we live in a world filled with stupid people. We are facing the greatest threat to our life as we know it. Our freedom to travel without fear, to go to work in a tall office building, to congregate in a tourist spot outside of the USA, and freedom to speak without worrying about "anger". As Salman Rushdie said ot our dinner honoring five Muslims who decry the Jihadist radicals and the silent majority, Muslims today need "anger management" and western democracies need to read Robert Spencers books. If we live under the laws of Sharia, typing reviews online like this, and buying books, uncensored, will only be a part of past history. I would like the ability to read, write, speak, and live free, and enjoy others to do the same. Thank you Robert.

The book starts by explaining how the Quran is translated and how some parts supersede others. This alludes to a dynamic document. This author highlights that the term "jihad" does not refer to a war, but a struggle, and that this definition doesn't appear to change. Jihad is a struggle that will no end until Islam is the supreme religion.

By explaining this, the author quotes many, but without a firm background in this field, we would have no idea who these people are. Is the reader to assume that the people quoted are credible? Although he quotes Edward Said and Noam Chomsky, I wasn't really familiar with most of the people, so I really can't say. The author did have a habit of saying that whenever someone speaking for Islam was quoted saying anything violent or anti-American, then he was "quoted out of context." The author leads to believe that they aren't credible and are changing their story. Towards the end of the book, the proverbial shoe is on the other foot, but he feels we have to accept that his side really was quoted out of context. This turned me off a bit.

The author does bring up a point that I found intriguing, and this was the idea of dhimmitude. Evidently, the Quran says that conversion to Islam must be voluntary. However, Jews and Christians would be required to pay a tax and accept being treated as second-class citizens. Whether this is true or not is merely a good reason to explore the Quran.

The tone of the book seems to be a bit too right-leaning and borderlines baiting. Nonetheless, this book does spark study and discussion.

As a former member of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, one who had occasion to speak with our detainees of all nationalities, I find this book startlingly reminiscent of my interaction with those detainees. If what author Spencer is saying is true (and I suspect it is), western civilization could be in a world of hurt unless we find a way to delete the political correctness attitude of our press and our liberals. If even a quarter of this world's Muslims think like the detained folks we have in Gitmo, our civilization is in trouble. Our society has taught us not to judge people by their color, creed or religion. I still believe that principle, but we should still remain open minded enough to be vigilant.