Gr 7-10-Gordon's update of his 2001 edition includes developments in Afghanistan and Iraq, new census data on the increase of Muslims in the U.S., and half a dozen recent books as further reading. A paragraph in the introduction addressing the association of violence and extremism with Islam cites events in the past five years and adds to the history of Western stereotypes of Muslims. The author includes a slightly more detailed account of Islam's imperial past and subsequent reform movements (still omitting Sayyid Qutb). Oddly, the account of Iran ends with moderate Khatami, not Ahmadinejad. Only two illustrations are different (ordinary Muslims replace Khomeini and Tansu Ciller). All but a tiny part of the text remains unchanged. Changes in Hartz's 2002 volume are even harder to discern. Some white space has been used for more excerpts from Baha'i texts, and a couple of new titles appear in the bibliography. A few pages on "Spreading the Faith" have been rewritten (though the accompanying growth chart still ends in 2001). Membership figures are either very conservative or outdated. The section on persecution, especially in Iran, is expanded, though it does not mention Iran's 2004 destruction of sites revered by Baha'is, for instance, or the death of another Baha'i in an Iranian prison in 2005. Only one of the functional black-and-white photos is different. These minimally altered editions preserve the clarity, coverage, and concision of the originals. Both volumes are worth having, but upgrading to the new editions is largely optional.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

This series looks at the history and origin, fundamental beliefs, population of followers, geographical spread, cultural contribution, rituals and ceremonies, sacred sites, and current activities of almost all the world religions. Some other titles in this series include African Religions, Native American Religions, and Shinto, Sikhism, and Taoism, along with books on the major world religions such as Buddhism, Judaism, and Catholicism. Baha'i' Faith has a nice general overview, history, scripture excerpts, and interesting items such as biographical information on the two founding teachers and the fact that Baha'i' scriptures have been translated into 802 languages. Islam has an introduction to the modern Islamic world and sections on the prophet Muhammad; its spread; scripture excerpts and discussion on the Koran, Hadith, and Law; and the rituals and patterns of Muslim life. Each series entry has an excellent map showing the population worldwide and the geographic spread of the religion. The text is well organized with easy-to-understand language with new terms defined for readers. It is well suited for teen readers in seventh grade and up as well as for adults wishing succinct, accurate information on the religion discussed. Black-and-white photographs accent and break up blocks of text, making for engaging reading. This series is well researched and organized and should be a mandatory purchase for all public libraries that support middle and high school curriculum and want a well-balanced world religion collection.-Karen Sykeny.