This book is set up as profiles of seven American Muslims, and he really gets a fascinating cross-section, divided into types of "characters". While there aren't any rabid fundamentalists, he covers Asian and Middle-Eastern Muslims, as well as white ex-hippie Muslims and an African-American imam (fascinating! It's amazing how much I didn't know about that!). One thing that really impressed me was that as much as Barrett obviously admires the Muslims who are trying to push and/or modernize their religion, he always resists the temptation to idealize them. For example, "The Feminist" is Asra Nomani, who's written a number of books and tends to be highly praised in other profiles I've read of her. Barrett isn't afraid to make her weaknesses as plain as her strengths, without being too judgmental when she's just shooting herself in the foot. It's the most balanced profile I've ever read of her.

From "The Scholar": The Quaran contains a number of broad sounding admonitions favoring freedom from strife. "If your enemy inclines toward peace, then you should seek peace and trust in God," according to one revelation, which, like the more militant ones, came during the Medinian period (8:16). "These discussions of peace would not make sense," according to Abou El Fadl, "if Muslims were in a permanent state of war with nonbelievers, and if nonbelievers were a permanent enemy and always a legitimate target."

From "The Imam": In January 1987 a local landlord, a Palestinian Muslim, came to Wahhaj, seeking help in evicting crack dealers occupying an apartment in a nearby building. The police had been of no use, the landlord said. The imam gathered a group of followers and marched over. They banged on the door, the imam announcing loudly, "It's the Muslims. We're here to recover the property." Inside, he could hear someone say, "It's the Muslims. Don't do anything stupid."