I wish I could rate this book with no stars! It's full of mistakes, inaccuracies and incorrect assumptions. The book cover depicts a picture of the Shah next to the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This would be the same as putting the picture of President Bush next to the flag of the Taliban. It's truely an insult.

In addition to the above mistake, the book is riddled with amatuer errors, such as listing Russia as a current neighbor of Iran. Any current map would illustrate that Russia no longer shares a land border with Iran, after the break up of Soviet Union.

There were too many mistakes to keep track, so the overall conclusion is how could one trust the author's reporting who can't even get the basic facts straight.

Despite that I read the book quickly, only to be additionally disappointed by the inability of the author to at least try to understand a nation with 2500 years of written history, of which only the last 24 years are without a king. It's difficult to take any of author's reporting unbiased or culturally sensitive. A great propaganda book for the Islamic Republic of Iran!

I thought this book did a tremendous job of telling the story of a controversial figure without taking sides. I found no factual errors to speak of--the other review posted mentions that the book refers to Iran's border with Russia, but it's referring to it's historic relationship, not it's current status. Propagandists for the Shah and the Pahlavi family will probably be angered by the book's references to the Shah's human rights abuses, but I thought the author did an excellent job of backing up her claims. It's well-written, and it treats it's audience--young adults--with respect. To accuse the author of being pro-Islamist is to completely miss the point of her arguments. She writes passionately about the tragedy that is modern Iranian history, and I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the region.

James Bentley's psycho-profile of Albert Schweitzer is enlightening, but erratic and it has a seriously flawed premise.

Bentley's core premise is that Albert Schweitzer was an enigma. A man who lived a contradictory life, had an "almost clinical, even arrogant intelligence". James Bentley profiles Albert Schweitzer using the same standard as if he were a normal "Joe". This is a critical error.

Albert Schweitzer was a genius, a German genius and in the genre of German geniuses (Bach, Wagner, Bonhoffer, Kant, Harnack, Strauss, Einstein, Sarte, Bultmann, Nietzsche and Goethe, to name a few) Albert Schweitzer is no more idiosyncratic than any other German genius.

Consider, at thirty years old Albert Schweitzer had earned two doctorates in philosophy and theology, and was about to earn two more in music and medicine. He transformed Christianity's understanding of Jesus Christ by his landmark book "Quest for the Historical Jesus." He was the head of a theological seminary, a minister in the Lutheran church and, in his spare time, was a virtuoso on the piano and organ as well as an expert on the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Then, at 30, he left everything Europe had to offer to become a medical doctor to the poor in French Equatorial Africa.

Yes, he had eccentricities, he was quirky and obstinately focused, but not, as the title portrays, an "enigma".

A great man attracts critics, large and small. Often the book takes on the hue of a vendetta vindicated by this former Anglican priest. Bentley seeks to prove that Schweitzer had a "tormented" and "deeply miserable" childhood. I find it odd that Albert Schweitzer, in his two books on his childhood, never mentions this and only states how normal and enjoyable his childhood was. Bentley points out that Albert Schweitzer had a hospital that was run exclusively by whites, though Albert Schweitzer was publicly and personally opposed to racism.

On the positive side Bentley does look behind the curtain to see what brought Schweitzer to his place of fame. He seeks to understand what made this brilliant, determined and headstrong man, a man who was above all a "searcher of truth," a man who never lost his ideals. His expose on Schweitzer's time studying Bach and organ building (his second musical passion) is a must read for any music lover. He places great emphasis on the mentors who helped direct and shape this great man. Bentley also brings his expertise to bear on Schweitzer's views on the historical Jesus.

Bentley's writing is not breezy nor brisk. It is more like a sermon that is erudite and interesting, but in need of a zap by the Holy Ghost. This book is better suited for students and afficionados of Schweitzer rather than general readers. As George Marshall once said, "In Schweitzer's life one finds contrast, disappointments, frustrations anger, defeat and fame." In the end Albert Schweitzer never abandoned his quest for the truth, even when this quest branded him as a heretic. Today, for all of us, Schweitzer remains a permanent inspiration to all who believe in the sanctity of life and becoming all they can become. Recommended

Albert Schweitzer wrote on a wide range of topics. This book is an excellent introduction to Schweitzer's views on art, music, philosophy, religion, ethics, colonialism, science, and more. What I found frustrating is that the book consists of short extracts from Schweitzer's writings. It is like looking at still photographs of scenes from a movie rather than watching the complete film. Or eating appetizers and never getting the full meal. The book's format did not allow me to experience the fullness of Schweitzer's thoughts on any subject. To be fair, the editor, Charles R. Joy, states that it is his hope that the reader will be motivated to read Schweitzer's works in their full as a result of reading this anthology. I appreciated the biographical chronology at the end of the book. It gave a good overview of Schweitzer's work and extensive travels.