Overall, I found the book pricey given the quality... The layout is also not as user friendly as other textbooks in the field. For every topic it does give an example, but does not always clearly outline the steps obtained to achieve the displayed solution. Not to mention the fact that there is almost one error in every larger example.

This is a decent book- it has a good deal of history and description. I was expecting the photos to be of better quality however. One virtue is that there are photos of a number of places that are far off the beaten path.

The year 2002 sees the 150th anniversary of the death of Tahirih, who would have been a remarkable woman in any time but was exceptional in her native Persia.

A poet of note she was also a strong advocate of social and religious change and a believer in the need for female emancipation as an essential part of progress. She became a disciple of the religious reformer known as the Bab ("Gate" - i.e. to the knowledge of God) who teachings first laid the basis for the present-day and world wide Baha'i religion and was put to death by the authorities in 1852 as part of a great pogrom of the Bab's followers. Her last word's are said to have been "You can kill me if you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women".

This book is interesting and readable but the story of Tahirih needs to be brought up to date to include the results of more recent and extensive historical research as well as the translation of her poetry into English - poetry which itself gives further insight into her beliefs.

The glossy cover and the layout is impressive, but not much of the high yield stuff. The cases are pretty straight forward and so easy to guess.no colour pictures andpresentations does not serve to stimulate the thought process. May serve as a supplement to the step 2 preps

This book is alright I suppose as a work that tries to spread the positive aspects of the Black Muslim/Al-Islam message. I cannot really say whether this book is compelling as a pro-Muslim work. And I am not going to even mention the political controversies surrounding many of the events and people that El-Amin writes about. However, I can say that the book is rather flawed from more than one aspect.
First, the overall writing quality is poor, to say the least. It seems like the book is totally unedited. Now, I have nothing against a "basement production" kind of book, but El-Amin sinks to such a poor level of writing that his points become obscured.
Organization also appears to be nonexistant - or if it exists, it is in a way I do not really understand. The book basically goes through the topics of Islam that the author finds interesting on a point-by-point basis. It is hard to find any central ideas, other than the pro Al-Islam message. Often El-Amin states his opinion regarding something without providing the background information so that someone not intimately familiar with the Al-Islam movement would even know what the issue is. This really undermines the usefulness of the book.
Finally, the book has a rather ...-like tone. This shows when El-Amin presents information as if it is an undisputed factual event, and does not discuss or describe the event in any sort of meaningful detail. Ultimately, many of the events that he mentions - but NOT discusses - are not at all at the level of "accepted facts." An example of this would be El-Amin's breif treatment of what happened to the Nation of Islam after Elijah Mohammad's death in 1975. El-Amin is quick to say that basically all of the members of the Black Muslim movement consolidated under Wallace Deen, Elijah Mohammad's son. However this is far from fact - and it would have been much more interesting to hear a less simplistic account of the post-1975 Nation of Islam than El-Amin seemed ready to provide.
Overall, this book is not really useful as either a scholarly work or as a popular introduction to Al-Islam.

Afrocentricity: Malcolm X and Al-Islam by Mustafa Al-Amin, focus on Malcolm's journey to the Islamic tradition. Malcolm's journey to Al-Islam began when he was recruited into the Nation of Islam, under the leadership of Elijiah Muhammed. Malcolm was in prision when he learned about the religion of Islam. His brother lectured him about the religion, and Elijiah Muhammed.

It didnot take Malcolm long to gain the trust of his teacher. Mr Muhammed gave Malcolm the okay to open new Temples all over the country. Elijiah Muhammed promoted Malcolm to a Minister position in New York, in addition to be named the first National Represenative of Elijiah Muhammed and the NOI.

A scandle, a jealous intercircle and the insecurities of Mr. Muhammed forced Malcolm X out of the Nation. Although he (Mr. Muhammed) claimed that he was going to suspend Malcolm X because of what he said regarding the death of John F. Kennedy; it was just the thing he needed to rid himself of his greatest student. Elijiah Muhammed was told by his intercircle of advisiors that Malcolm was trying to takeover the Nation. When Malcolm interviewed some of the women whith whom had romances with is leader Malcolm discovered that Elijiah was jealous of him. "He loves you brother Malcolm" one of the women told him. Then sshe said that he (Elijiah Muhammed) thought that he would betray him. When Malcolm's suspention passed the ninety day period, it accurred to him that he was forced out.

When Malcolm X was dismissed from the NOI he launged his own organizations. The programs he designed were the Muslim Mosque INC. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Some of the members of the Nation of Islam parted with Malcolm, and left a bitter, angry, hostile, and deadly atmosphere that lead to Malcolm's death on Febuary 21, 1965.

Although his life was short lived Malcolm X did discover the real beauty of Al-Islam. Short after breaking from Mr. Muhammed Malcolm went to Mecca. Malcolm's was amazed by the spirt of universal Islamic brother that he felt in the holy city. In a letter to his wife and followers Malcolm said " I have eaten from the same plate, and dranked from the same cut from men who's eye's where blue as the sky, and we are all the same. He felt that Islamic teachings can destroy the cancer of White superiority, and Black inferiority from all people.

Malcolm was and still is a grat Afro-American Icon. His love for his Family, his faih, and Black people have lead us to insire to be just like him. Some said that he was a head of his time but perhaps we were the ones who were late.

Malcolm's committment to Al-Islam lead him to greater spirtual hights.

this book was more for opinion then fact. the interest looses you after the first chapter. go to other books for catholics. this is not a good beginner's book if you're just looking into masonry.

This book is a ok book I own it however its alot of things the author doesnt know about the organization and its obvious to me as a reader of this literature he wrote. This book state some truth, but it also contains statements the author accepts as fact that are not well founded.

This book is good for what truths it contains, but should be read with a careful eye. This book is written with a heavy pro-Islamic point of view and he makes Islam seem flawless, so the section of Islam should be read with that in mind. However, some of his criticisms of Christianity, particularly his observation that the preachers themselves do not beleive what they are telling the masses is DEAD ON TARGET and should be taken into consideration, as he gives STRONG evidence to back up that point. As for his section Freemasonry, from what I have gathered some of that is well documented, although his claim that much of it is to keep people from learing the truth about Islam is somewhat far fetched. In either case, read this deservedly controversial book with an open mind.

One should expect the eigth volume of UNESCO's General History of Africa to be the most disappointing in the series. The previous volumes had shown the motive behind UNESCO's project was not so much to make a history of africa as to make a history africans should be proud of. That is one hard task to accomplish once you try and tackle with the post-colonial history of the continent. One can understand the focus on the struggle for independence, even though some of the chapters read tiring. It is the chapters on independent africa that simply are not honest history-making: terror, censorship and corruption in the new-born african nations does not figure in this book, the mad reveries of african socialism and personality-cult are politely brushed aside. This is not the history of africa as one can tell it today, it is an elaboration on the politically correct which does africans no favor.

Insight is gained to the perspective of a frustrated Nasserist who still believes Pan-Arabism has a future. Worth reading for that purpose, if no other.

I was disappointed in the lack of details in the book, esp. through the Biology and Chemistry areas as well as the over commercialization by the Authors. Cannot recommend this book.

I read it, and I feel like a fool buying this almost worthless work. Main objective seems just to make money for the publisher and author, best to try books that are not so commerically motivated by these authors.

This book was the biggest waste of money in the world, don't buy it unless you want to get a 16 overall. (I got a 39 with another book)

A very disappointing and biased book. I am always seeking the light in my Masonic travels. But, to read books like this is very disheartening. Here you have a very well educated man spouting out books like this. All in the name of free speech. I hope a lot of folks have the good sense to dismiss a lot of his assumptions and "Facts". To think that you attribute the Hiram Abiff legend to the slave trade and murder of the African people. The same goes for the three degrees of Freemasonry. this is absurd and simply unbelievable. These are just two points which stand out vividly at the moment. Yes, there is a divide between PHA and "Caucasian" (as you call them) Freemasons. I hope that one day we can all be brothers in the true sense of the word. It's books like these that add to the problems of today. Freemasonry is a very tolerant fraternal organization, where all brothers of different religions can meet on the level. PHA Masonic ritual has evolved over the Centuries, to assume that the "white supremacist" duped the African-American PHA Freemason down the wrong path is ludicrous. What's up with the "white supremacist" terminology? Are you referring to the KKK, or Neo-Nazi's (that's what it means to me!!), I think not. That's harsh usage of words. There is much hatred within these pages. People like you sadden me. Your Pro-Islamic Fanaticism is scary. Pity the radical types, who can take a "tolerant" religion and turn it on it's ear. That's sad. Lastly, you need a better editor.