#shortBookReviews The Koran in English, B.B. Lawrence

By Jason Criss Howk

9 March 2019

These reviews serve a simple purpose: to tell you what is in the book and why you might want to read it.  All books selected for review are recommended reading…I’m not reviewing books just because they are new, but instead because they are valuable.

The Koran in English: A Biography, Bruce B. Lawrence, Princeton, 2017. Lives of great religions book series

This short and well crafted book is perfect for scholars of Islam and for novices just beginning to learn about Islam and the Qur’an (often spelled Koran in English).

I met Bruce near Duke University, where he is a scholar, on my book tour. We published our books about Islam at the same time and wrote them 60 miles apart, and never met before. By luck he heard that I was leading a discussion about Islam as I introduced my Chronological Modern English Quran interpretation to my fellow North Carolinians. I am glad we met.

He told me about this work briefly and I grabbed a copy before my next business flight. I read it during my 2 day journey and found it very useful. Bruce has done us the favor of reviewing all the Qurans that have been translated into English (over 100) and then sharing key details about certain important books.

If you are trying to figure out what Koran to read, start here so you can determine why each version was written and who will give you a fair rendering. You will be amazed by some of the reasons people have translated the Quran…no short task.

You should know that the earliest translations into English were designed to denigrate the Islamic prophet and the religion itself…often funded by Christian religious leaders. You should learn about the critical role of Muslims in South Asia that started to translate the Quran into English to educate people not to convert.

I learned a lot from this book about the reasons many translations were made and the impacts those editions had. I was surprised to find out that a graphic novel version now exists.

One of the last things I learned from Bruce isn’t in the book…he told me he wished he had known about my interpretation before he published, because mine is also unique. I am the first professional soldier to interpret the Quran into English and publish it as a book.

So get started on Bruce’s book, it’s only 189 pages, you’ll be finished in no time.

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#education #tolerance #duke #northCarolina #princeton #religion #religious #press #dukeUniversity

#dfp #shortBookReviews

Dispatches from Pinehurst now offers #shortBookReviews for you.  These reviews will be concise and hopefully useful…no author critiquing, no opining on the shortcomings of the book, no literature reviews of similar books on the topic. 

These reviews serve a simple purpose: to tell you what is in the book and why you might want to read it.  All books selected for review are recommended reading…I’m not reviewing books just because they are new, but instead because they are valuable.

Some of these books challenged me and changed my thinking during my life—I hope they can help you.  Some taught me about issues I didn’t understand and others highlighted how great leaders make challenging decisions that shape history. Maybe most importantly, many books give examples of humans that disagree on policy issues (domestic and foreign) but work wisely with their ideological opponents to find solutions.

I hope you enjoy these reviews, and welcome your suggested books for review or your own short book reviews for publication here on DFP.          first.mentor14@gmail.com

Respectfully, Jason

Author of the Award-Winning Book– The Qur’an: A Chronological Modern English Interpretation.

https://oldstonepress.com/library/quran/

You can listen to my groundbreaking podcast about Islam and Muslim cultures here and here

“We’re Just Talking About It” with Hollie Fleck and Jason Howk