Maalouf's historical novel brims with insight into the ideas and times of the religious leader Mani. I had studied historians'conclusions on the prophet, and much of the minimalist period evidence available as compiled by GRS Mead. But this novel brought those belief systems to life in new and fascinating ways. A bold project, artfully executed. Read and enjoy.

Maalouf's glorious novel vivifies the age and the mind of the prophet, Mani. The Roman Empire is weak. Persian kings are intermittently strong. The deserts, oases, gardens, roads and cities brim with the excitements of new ways of thinking and new ways of living. Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, the followers of Mani, and other communities of shared belief, vie not just for converts, but for existence.

Military power, Roman or Persian, will nurture only a faith conducive to a perpetuation of that power. The thought of Mani, gloriously, fosters universal tolerance of belief and worship, in a world obsessed with the dominance and mastery of one, one power, one faith, one way. Those who create the powerful seem as crookedly straight as those who bear the power. Mani has concerns greater almost than power.

This novel portrays a tremendously vivid and vital world of merchants, kings, priests, powers and places. Maalouf admirably ranges the Mediterranean and Middle East and with his central character, Mani, (portrayed sympathetically but not over-indulgently so) aims not for mass conversion but for understanding and education. The fluctuation in support that Mani receives from his most powerful admirers seems to genuinely express the fickle nature of the relationship that exists between wisdom and power.

Maalouf has authored a fine historical novel that avoids at all times plodding plotting and tedium. With plausible characters, relationships, ideas, and a clear appreciation for the subject, the author has made this novel an opportunity for a meaningful reading experience of high quality.

The Gardens of Light is the sort of book which lingers in one's mind long after he has set it down. A historical novel, it reconstructs the life and trials of Mani, the true life third century prophet of a new religion, Manichaeism. A sophisticated religion which sees "light" and "darkness" in all things, and creation itself the product of their mixture, Manichaeism is unique in that it respects all religions and their prophets, whether Jesus or the Buddha. The title itself is an allusion to mani's conception of heaven, a "garden of light."

Beautifully written in verse which at times reads like poetry, the story recounts Mani's life from the time he was raised by a fanatical group of Nazarine monks in Mesopotamia to his ultimate martyrdom. Along the way he forms an unusual alliance with Shapur, the great King of Kings of Persia. the book is fascinating for the glimpse it gives of the ancient Persian court, and the relationship Mani forms with Shapur... how Shapur accepted mani's teachings, since Mani taught tolerance and harmony. Shapur shared these goals, but not merely because of his character - such a religion would help bind the various peoples of his vast empire together, much as Constantine adopted Christianity to help unite his. And here lies the true beauty of this book - it's exploration of what motivates men of power, and of faith. Ultimately, Mani's true story is a meditation on the nature of beauty, faith, and tolerance.

Never ever boring, The Gardens of Light will introduce the reader to strange religions, important historical personages such as Shapur, and exotic places such as the Persian Empire and India in the third century. I consider the time I spent reading this book to have been uplifting and educational. I highly recommend this book.

A friend loaned me this book years ago, but for whatever reason I didn't get around to it until recently. I finally picked it up the other day, partly for the obvious motivation of gaining a better understanding of Islamic cultures. It's a riveting book, and an authentic learning experience. The subject is pretty much spelled out by the title: Maalouf draws on various writings by Arab historians and diarists from the time of the Crusades and shortly thereafter -- from 1096 to 1291 (AD) -- to re-tell that story from their point of view. It's a tribute to Maalouf's skill that the resulting, novel-like narrative is so crisp and engaging, and the details are often astonishing and unforgettable. (On occasion there are too many names to keep track of on a given page, but that happens only rarely.) Maybe it's not surprising that the Arab perspective on the Crusades would paint that exercise as a barbaric invasion, but the book (written in the 1980s) is evenhanded, not an anti-Western polemic. We learn about barbarity, and duplicity, on all sides. We also learn how often one side's victory was really the result of internecine squabbling among its foes. Plus, there is illumination of the jihad idea; an examination of the birth and actions of the Assassins sect; interesting anecdotes about the relationship between religion and regional power, and much else that resonate with current Middle East politics. Finally, the book's brief but very sharp epilogue examines how the Crusades may have affected Islamic attitudes toward the Western vision of modernity. For understanding that reaches deeper than many more-current titles on the Middle East and Islam, this is an excellent place to begin. Very readable, and even more informative.

Though I enjoy reading history, the crusades had never generated much interest. With the events of the past six months as background, the intriguing title of Amin Maalouf's book "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" was enough to compel me to read it. This small book doesn't purport to be a thorough history of this period, though it has ten pages of sources. But it is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and one I can recommend for anyone with an interest in that period of history or of the Mid-East in particular.

Though supposedly propelled by religious fervor to reclaim the holy land from the Muslims, the Europeans often exhibited a ferocity and barbarous nature that seemed contrary to the teachings of Christ. Maalouf takes pains to document from Western sources specific actions, such as putting whole populations to the sword and cannibalism. Against this purposeful force, the various Arab powers presented a fragmented and often bewildered front.

The infighting and intrigue within the various Arab kingdoms precluded effective leadership to develop against the foreigners for more than a hundred years. It was fascinating to read about the many alliances between the Westerners and the various Arab leaders as each strived to attain or retain power in their respective areas. I had not realized the "Mongol Scourge" had been pressuring the Arab powers during their struggle with the Westerners.

Toward the end of the book, Maalouf points out how events occurring during this period still reverberate in the Mid East and have significance for the Arab world today that it does not in the West. While the West began to develop, the East began its slide into isolation and suspicion of foreigners and foreign culture. For example, it was fascinating to read about the emergence of the Assassins and the role they played during this period and to note the similarity of their philosophy and actions to some of today's Mid East terrorists.

The one area where the book was disappointing was the pathetic lack of maps. The two maps were appallingly incomplete and as my frustration mounted I tried, sometimes unsuccessfully, to find locations in atlases or on the web. Place names change. I finally printed out copies of maps I found on the net of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, but I shouldn't have had to.

This is really a terrific idea. Before this book, you probably would have needed to be a graduate student in history before you even realized that the Arab point of view of the Crusades had ever even been recorded, let alone preserved. This book strikes a beautiful balance between being a purely popular edition, and being something that people who study stuff like this for a living might read... It's the kind of book that Barbara Tuchman might have been proud to write.

Amin Maalouf specifically disavows any intention to write a "history book" in his preface. His background is in journalism, and sure enough, he shows evidence of a journalist's ear and eye for the great story... for the gripping and/or galvanizing detail... for the telling gesture that provides the key to a character's persona. Furthermore, he makes it plain that he is not out to write a balanced account, any more than Western authors have historically been interested in providing balanced accounts of the Crusades. This really is presented from the Arab point of view... That said, it might be worth balancing your reading of this book with a concurrent reading of a western account, or you might get a little lost. It isn't easy to read a long book with so few familiar points of reference. Admit it -- unless you are a major history buff, you probably don't know much about this period even from the Western point of view! I think especially as Americans, there is a tendency to feel that this period in history is not very relevant to our country's history. After all, the events of this book took place long before nationalism, before (clearly) freedom of religion or of speech, mostly even before the Magna Carta was a glimmer in anyone's eye. It's hard for us Americans to really relate to this period -- our whole country was essentially created in reaction to it! In a funny way, this book fits in well with that feeling of being alienated -- Europeans of the time of the Crusades were every bit as alien to us, in terms of their mindset, as they would have been to the Muslims of that time.

Let me offer a few thoughts. The whole text is sprinkled throughout with Arabic terms, which are helpfully explained in a glossary at the end. The glossary is only 2 or 3 pages long. You should xerox it, and keep the xerox handy while you're reading, or you might go mad from turning back and forth to the end of the book all the time. Also -- there ARE maps in this book. They aren't mentioned in the table of contents, and they're sort of tucked away obscurely, but they are in there. There's a fairly localized map of the eastern shores of the Mediterranean at the very beginning of the book, and a larger-scale map of the Islamic world in general, tucked in at the book's end... Also, don't miss Maalouf's great epilogue, where he tries to place the Crusades in context, in terms of their impact on Europe, and on the Islamic world.

If you like this book, look for Bernard Lewis' "The Political Language of Islam," which helps us understand the background of various specific Arabic terms that we hear every day on the news. Also, anything written by Edward Said will serve you in good stead. In closing, whoever reads this, remember that the Hebrew term "shalom" and the Arabic "Islam" were originally the same, perfectly well-meaning word! Anyway, this book is great. Two thumbs up.

One would find it difficult, if not impossible, to find a conflict in our world that is not dirrectly related to Identity.
I found this book very Interesting and easy to read and practical.

Amin Malouf not only presents us with one of the most eloquent , credible, and compassionate explanation of the real roots of violence , hatred and bigotry , but he also sets a standard of how an intelligent and honest search for the truth should read.

When you admit that Human Nature is the same among all peoples and that people tend to be violent when resources are scarce, and freedom lovers when resources are abundant, then you will appreciate the powerful words of Amin Maalouf.

'In our village, the rocks had names.' With the first words I knew that I was going to delve into this book and would not bring myself to put it down until I had finished!
Set in 19th century Lebanon, The title "The Rock of Tanios" refers to a peculiar rock formation, looking like a great stone chair, that dominated the Lebanese village of Kfaryabda. The central characters are Sheikh Francis, a Christian Arab, and the sheikh's illegitimate offspring, Tanios. When I first started reading the book, I was on the quest to find why the rock was named after Tanios. Little did I know that that was the last thing that I was going to learn from this gripping tale. Through the fates and legends of these characters Maalouf creates a historical romance filled with local myths, political games, treachery, and love.
I would have to say that one of Maalouf's main themes is lost or forbidden love; how we fall in love with what's different from us, and discover we're different from what we thought we were.
And, it is forbidden love, which tears Tanios' family apart and drives him into exile.
Deceiving as hope might be, a twist in fate and luck brings Tanios back to his mother's bosom. Ironically, as he finally makes it to his beloved home, Tanios is left yet again as the estranged boy who did not truly know his own identity, or did he?
An amazing read, Maalouf has done it again. A prize well deserved for his fascinating imagination to mix true life with fiction.

This is the first book for Maalouf that I've read and he's since become my favourite author.

Make sure that you read Leo Africanus and Samarkand... I think they're somewhat better than Rock of Tanios as they have more fact and substance.

A wonderfull work by a good writer. Being Lebanese my self, I appreciate the way Amin shows the way of life in Lebanon during the era of Shiks and Emirs. He presented a fiction that addressed the human nature from different prespective: greed, power, ambition, love, respect, revenge, anger, lust, and above all the inner peychological confusion of a kid realising that his father may not be his real father, and all its results. I greatly enjoyed the inclusion of the Lebanese words in the book, though translated into English, you have to be Lebanese to truly feel the meaning.

For me also, this fiction shows that the way of life in the Lebanese village's life of the 1800s in its reality still have echos in the daily political life of today's Lebanon.

A very important book ,a real critic to Eurocentrism
It gives a meaning to all struggles all over the world to make a new humanitarian society

Why did Western Europe achieve an industrial revolution and not China? Why did Western Europe achieve a scientific revolution while the Islamic World failed to do so? Conventional theories, from Adam Smith to modern authors such as David Landes and Eric Jones, concentrate on the innate cultural superiority of the West. Amin, on the other hand, takes a more global, and in my view, more accurate view. In Amin's view, the transition from tribal societies to agricultural "world empires", and then to industrial capitalism was a "global relay race" in which Western Europe was simply "the last runner". Amin traces the economic, political and cultural aspects of the transitions from tribal societies, to world empires (Amin's term is "tributory form"), to industrial capitalism and the modern nation state. This book is the best brief exposition of global history that I have seen.

I read this book a few months ago and it gave me an idea just how terrible it must have been to live under Amin's rule. The Author who was one of Amin's ministers had a good look into Amin and his government and how it worked. This book is deffinatly a good book to read if you want to know about Idi Amin and his regime.

MR,KYEMBA HAS TURN OUT A VERY POWERFULL BOOK ABOUT AFRICAN LEADERSHIP AND THE INTRIGUES THAT WENT ON DURING MR.AMIN TERM IN OFFICE.IT IS VERY ACCURATE SINCE THE AUTHOR WAS A MEMBER OF MR.AMIN INNER CIRCLE.I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL LOVERS OF POLITICS AND AFRICAN HISTORY.

Idi Amin's bizarre and brutal eight years of dictatorship in Uganda are the setting for this assured debut. The narrator is Nicholas Garrigan, a young Scottish doctor who arrives in Uganda for a contract job at the same time as Amin's 1971 coup. The book is his recollection of his two years in a small town clinic and six years as Amin's personal doctor in Kampala. His story continues the Conradian tradition of the European man who comes to Africa and becomes transformed through his contact with evil. Amin is Garrigan's Kurtz, and while the doctor and other expats generally turn a blind eye to the truckloads of political prisoners being taken to the countryside to be executed, eventually Garrigan is dragged face to face with Amin's horror.

Of course this isn't pure Conrad, rather it's cut with a bit of William Boyd, another Englishman writer who's written compelling fiction about modern Africa and the legacy of colonial rule. For the horror here isn't that Garrigan begins to understand Amin (after all who could really hope to understand a man of Amin's awesome eccentricity), but begins to like him in an odd way. And it's not that the doctor is a weak character, he's actually remarkably average, and thus very much like ourselves. The reader is unable to to find solace in making easy smug judgments about Garrigan's gradual moral slide as he sucked more and more into Amin's confidence and makes small compromises with himself. Amin is a great character in his own right, lurching from buffoonery to gluttony to sly cunning to sheer incomprehensibility at the drop of a hat. Of course Fodden had a lot to work with, as many of Amin's deeds and speeches are classic examples of truth really being stranger than fiction.

Speaking oh which, Fodden went to great lengths in researching this novel, interviewing a wide range of people who witnessed Amin's reign. Alas, the Saudi government wouldn't grant him permission to interview Amin, who is still alive and living on a Saudi pension in Jeddah. Garrigan is loosely modeled on Bob Astles, a British WW2 veteran who somehow became Amin's closest advisor. Altogether a very good read, regrettably Fodden's next two books apparently don't live up to this one.

This is an exciting debut novel. It is the story of one Nicholas Garrigan, a young Scottish doctor who is assigned to be the personal physician to Uganda's famous dictator, Idi Amin. Yet the young doctor discovers, to his own cost, that one can never be totally removed from the wild excesses of others... I read the first half of this novel breathlessly. The depiction of Uganda is intriguing. Perhaps this is due to morbid fascination: most people will be aware of Amin's bloody history. The knowledge that everything will go wrong draws you further into this book. Foden presents a compelling portrait of Amin, even to the extent of making him likeable. For instance, there is Amin's eccentric love of all things Scottish, and the peculiar messages he sends to other heads of state. But there is always a palpable fear for Garrigan whenever he's in Amin's presence. Amin is dangerous, for Garrigan never knows what he's going to do next, and how he will become embroiled in his bloody vengeance... I found the resolution to be quite disappointing. In his bid to escape Uganda, Garrigan literally stumbles across the worse excesses of Amin's regime, almost tripping over a pile of corpses. This is the only part of the novel where Foden's otherwise excellent research overwhelms. Uganda's bloody history is already well known, and it would have been far more effective for Garrigan to have remained in ignorance about the worst excesses. Garrigan becomes a mere cipher in Foden's bid to depict the downfall of Amin. But this is only really disappointing in contrast to the excellent first part. Overall, it well deserves its critical success.

Deciding it is time to cut the parental cord, Scotsman Nicholas Garrigan, who recently became a doctor, accepts an assignment in Uganda. After arriving in Kampala, Nicholas learns that his assignment is at a hospital in a remote area of the jungle. On his way there, he stops to help Idi Amin, who hurt his ankle while driving a car.

A few months later, the idealistic Nicholas becomes Amin's personal physician as the dictator is going through a Scottish stage. Nicholas is charmed by the wit of Amin and enjoys being part of the inner sanctum even as his countrymen plead with him to help them with Amin. As the Scotsman realizes the impact of the horrendous actions of the dictator that he invariable condoned with his inertia, Amin is toppled. Nicholas flees back to England where he is considered a traitor to his people, profession, and the human race.

From the perspective of Amin's personal physician, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND shows incredible insight into one of the most vicious regimes of the twentieth century. Nicholas is a Faustian type character whose ideals fall to the charismatic, energetic, and clever Amin. The novel would be great just based on how well the story line brings Africa to life. However, what turns Giles Foden's novel into a masterpiece is his brilliant capturing of the complete character of Amin as being more than just the killing monster everyone knows him to be. This fascinating yet tragic book is on this reviewer's top ten novels of the year.

Harriet Klausner

Amin Maalouf tells the life story of Hasan al-Wazzan, a middle ages traveller extraordinaire. Known as Leo, he grew up in Granada in a mixed community, only to be thrown out, along with all the Jews, during the purges. He then travelled to north Africa where his life followed many twists and turns, some good and some tragic. There are tales of wealth, abject poverty, slavery and high position within the caliph courts. His life was a kaleidoscope of styles and standards - of religions and travelling partners. Mid-way he found himself in Rome, a Christian and papal emissary, only to return to north Africa and convert back to Islam once again. No state of mind or situation ever lasted for long.

Leo the African had a fantastic life and Amin Maalouf has written a fantastic story around it. His style is effortless and the descriptions of sixteenth century Middle East are teasing enough to get you looking at the maps and travel guides again. You'll love this book. I did, and I'd recommend everyone with wanderlust to read it.

The book's characters are from the late 1400s, but you would think Mr. Maalouf interviewed and/or lived with each of them. His character development is fantastic. His book gives the reader a different perspective on Islamic life than one tends to get from today's media. You'll hear Muslims described in appropriate human terms (good and bad) as opposed to the sterotypical and fanatical terms we often hear today.

It reads like a history lesson, a travel essay, and a novel wrapped up into one. I suggest it to anyone planning or completing a trip to Southern Spain or Northern Africa. Hearing the Alhambra Palace described as a place of life, commerce and government instead of ruin was a treat. Being able to visualize the rooms, fountains and greenery with each line in the book was even better.

People with some education and who like historical novel will love this book (actually every book that Amin Maalouf wrote is a jewel). Fast paced well documented and well written from the Spain of the Reconquista at the end of the 15th Century to the first half of the 16th Century's Vatican and passing by North Africa, this book keeps you dreaming, from the safety of your favorite chair, of exotic lands and times

If you are expecting the wild polemics of the former H. Rap Brown, this isn't it. The "revolution" Jamil El-Amin is referring to is the revolution within oneself and the means in with the teachings of the Islamic faith and the Koran could cause a person to reform oneself. Even if you are not a Musim, it's interesting reading as a change-of-pace,

This book gives us a look at the current views of Jamil al-Amin. Geared toward muslims, it's a guidebook to the major tenets of Islam from an African-American perspective. It's a good introduction both to Islam and to the current views of the unjustly-incarcerated Muslim leader.

A very well written book that explains exactly what Islam is really all about, and how it was intended to be practiced. If you are looking for a lot of rhetoric or race bashing, this is not the book for you. If you are looking to read something that accurately explains the religion of Islam, I highly recommend this book.

Bhushan and Le have created a guide that is most useful as an introduction to the ward experience for medical students. They discuss particulars about each rotation and this information is certainly important for students to read before each rotation. Although I do recommend this book to my students, I also encourage them to use another book entitled the 101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make and How to Avoid Them. This latter book is the only book I know of that helps students recognize the major mistakes that are made during clinical clerkships. By using First Aid for the Wards and 101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make and How to Avoid Them together, students will place themselves in a position to do their best work during their clinical clerkships.

I bought this book to use as a review for the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA)(the pratical texy that all the FMG have to do in Philadelphia). It was great because it helped me to practice writting clear medical hystories, in the same manner I had to write in the real (CSA) test in english. It was also very good because it list the major symptoms, signs and differential diagnosis of the more common clinnical problems. By the way, again useful for the CSA, because they request us to give the dif diagnosis in these test.

I highly recomment this book as an adjunt for the preparation for the CSA. Of couse, should be useful also for the wards.

Don't forget also to use: Mastering the OSCE/CSA: Objective Structured Clinical Examination/Clinical Skills Assessment...

I found this book to be quite helpful in alleviating those third year jitters. So much of the third year is spent trying to figure out your role on the team, and how to look like a star. This book gives some useful pointers.

If you have liked other books from the First Aid series, this book will also be well liked and used. Well written and to the point.

Each chapter gives pointers for a particular clinical rotation - explaining the role of a student as well as who the typical other team members will be. Also, gives a general breakdown of what to expect for a typical day.

Each chapter then has some vital clinical information that you need to know for each rotation. The chapters end with a review of which text books are most helpful for you to read.

Good book!