Author Reza Aslan, whom I first heard interviewed on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, came to CSUB to present the Fall Kegley Lecture this past October. He is young, energetic, an articulate speaker and bright thinker, whose lecture (virtually without notes), shared the thoughts on his forthcoming (now in print) book: How to Win a Cosmic War. Intrigued by his talk, I bought his 2005 book (No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Random House), which lays the groundwork for an understanding of Islam in the modern world, especially by explaining the historical origins of the many divisions within Islam today. Extremely readable, this book is both informative and compelling in its effort to recapture the true heart and appeal of Islam.
