Editor's Shelf pictures the books as they appear on the shelf. It's more of an inventory of recent arrivals than any serious assesment of the book.

The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace, By: Ali A. Allawi, Yale University Press, Apr 02, 2007, 544 p., 6 1/8 x 9 1/4, 20 b/w illus.,
 ISBN: 9780300110159, ISBN-10: 0300110154

The Occupation of Iraq examines what the United States did and didn’t know at the time of the invasion, the reasons for the confused and contradictory policies that were enacted, and the emergence of the Iraqi political class during the difficult transition process. The book tracks the growth of the insurgency and illuminates the complex relationships among Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds. Bringing the discussion forward to the reconfiguration of political forces in 2006, Allawi provides in these pages the clearest view to date of the modern history of Iraq and the invasion that changed its course in unpredicted ways.

The First Muslims: History and Memory, By: Asma Afsaruddin, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-85168-518-9, Sep 2007

A fresh look at the origins and development of Islam, this is a fascinating reconstruction of the era of the first three generations of Muslims. Using a wealth of classical Arabic sources, it chronicles the lives of the Prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and the subsequent two generations of Muslims, together known as the “the Pious Forebears”. Examining the adoption in contemporary times of these early Muslims as legitimizing figureheads for a variety of causes, both religious and political, Afsaruddin tries to establish where their sympathies really lay. Essential reading for anyone interested in the inception of the Islam, this important book will captivate the general reader and student alike.

Collapse of an Empire Lessons for Modern Russia,
 By: Yegor Gaidar and Antonina W. Bouis (Translator),
Brookings Institution Press 2007 c. 332pp.

In today's Russia, nostalgia for the Soviet era is growing. Many Russians reflect wistfully on the passing of an era when the Soviet Union was a superpower, commanding international respect, and they blame its demise on external enemies and foolish changes in policy. In an address to the Russian Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin called the breakup of the Soviet Union the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. In Collapse of an Empire: Lessons for Modern Russia, however, economic reformer and former prime minister Yegor Gaidar clearly illustrates why such notions are misguided, ill informed, and dangerous. As he explains in the introduction: "My goal is to show the reader that the Soviet political and economic system was unstable by its very nature. It was just a question of when and how it would collapse."

Opportunity 08 Independent Ideas for America's Next President,
 By: Michael E. O'Hanlon, eds., Brookings Institution Press 2007 c. 382pp.

The 2008 presidential campaign is the first contest since 1928 in which neither the incumbent president nor the vice president is running for the nomination. This unusual landscape presents a rare opening for frank discussion of pressing policy challenges, and hopefully for new and workable solutions. Opportunity 08 takes advantage of this rare political space to help the candidates, the media, and the electorate focus on the most critical issues facing America as it approaches a crossroads election.
The contributions to Opportunity 08 reflect an impressive breadth of expertise, opinions, and political beliefs. Contributors include Brookings scholars such as Ken Pollack and Carlos Pascual on Iraq, Strobe Talbott and William Antholis on climate change, Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill on economic inequality, and Henry Aaron on health care. Other authors include former members of the Bush administration such as Peter Rodman and Michael Green, former senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle, and renowned scholars such as Joseph Newhouse of Harvard and Peter Berkowitz of the Hoover Institution.

ISLAMIC SUFISM UNBOUND: Politics and Piety in Twenty-first Century Pakistan, By: Robert Rozehnal,First Edition, From Palgrave Macmillan, Pub date: Jul 2007, 286 pages, Size 6-1/8 x 9-1/4, $69.95 - Hardcover ,
ISBN:1-4039-7567-1

Against the backdrop of the turbulent social and political landscape of today's Pakistan, Robert Rozehnal traces the ritual practices and identity politics of a contemporary Sufi order: the Chishti Sabiris. He does so from multiple perspectives: from the rich Urdu writings of twentieth century Sufi masters, to the complex spiritual life of contemporary disciples and the order's growing transnational networks. Drawing on new textual and ethnographic research, this multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary study of the Sufi tradition challenges the prevailing models of academic scholarship.

Islam :Past, Present and Future, By: Hans Küng, ISBN 1-85168-377-1

For more than two decades the world’s religions have been a central topic for Hans Küng. In books that have inspired millions throughout the world, he has pioneered work towards a new dialogue between cultures. Following bestselling volumes on Christianity and Judaism, here he turns his attention to Islam.

Providing a masterful overview of Islam’s 1,400-year history, Küng examines its fundamental beliefs and practices, outlines the major schools of thought, and surveys the positions of Islam on the urgent questions of the day. Deft, assured, and comprehensive, this is the only objective introduction to Islam by a renowned Christian theologian.