Stealth Jihad

The implications of Spencer's book, at first glance, struck me as alarmist hyperbole designed to sell books to a fearful audience. However with careful documentation of the subject matter and a persuasive writing style, he carefully makes his points without the use of the fear mongering rhetoric that I had feared prior to purchasing this audiobook.

The narrator, Lloyd James, was an excellent choice. His voice is authoritative, yet not condescending. He reads with an even tone and cadence that contributed to the perception that this book was a reasoned, factual documentary of the radical Islamic agenda for the United States.

Unfortunately, it is precisely the fact that this book is a well-documented, reasoned, and calmly presented account of its topic, and not a shrill, anti-Islamic diatribe, that make its conclusions all the more frightening for our nation's future. This book's implications are an unpleasant reality that must be understood and confronted by the American public. Put this selection on your "must read" (listen) list.

Before I go into a detailed review, please note that this book is not my normal read. Coming from a background in mathematics, I applaud deductive reasoning and cold logic. Likewise, I try to stay away from emotionally driven political or religious attack topics. If a person supports their arguments over-and-over again with "if they did this, then it obviously means they did that" or "doing this means they support that", I tend to get annoyed.

The reason I purchased this book was because I have absolutely no clue about the reasoning or the history behind the recent increase in terrorism. In fact, I am not even certain that it is an increase. I was hoping this book would explore those avenues to provide me with a clearer understanding of the historical perspective surrounding the "Jihad" crisis.

If you have read any reviews of this book, or if you read the title, then you are probably asking yourself why I would read this versus something a bit more academic. Well, the reviews were relatively high and I have never read anything along the lines of the genre before. I figured it was a decent starting point. If you're looking for a book that outlines the reasoning behind the current Islamic terror strikes, then this is NOT a proper book for you.

Now that I have that out of the way. How was the book?

Well, the author knows his business when it comes to the key players and groups who have funded anything even remotely related to the Islamic terror organizations. I learned quite a bit there. As far as facts, he states them clearly, but frequently embellishes them with dysphemisms. I found it exhausting at times to hear his leaps in logic, and I certainly wish he would stick with facts only (those alone are pretty persuasive). His most powerful statements are really saved until the end.

I will not cover any of the information that he delivers, mainly because it is mostly of the form of logical leaps and somewhat clouded opinion; however, he does make many salient points that should be considered. In the end, I appreciated that he (after attacking Islam the entire text) said there are many Muslims living in the United States who are NOT trying to subvert the system and make Islam the dominant/only religion in our country.

If you get anything from this review, it should be the following: PLEASE APPROACH THIS TEXT WITH AN OBJECTIVE MINDSET. Do not allow yourself to be led by the nose into his propaganda.

I am not saying that the author is wrong - I am saying that he often puts too much emphasis on his viewpoints and leaps in logic rather than the logic itself. Always be skeptical when reading material like this. Unlike many who would likely read this book, I am not the pulpit that the preacher is preaching to... I am someone interested in information.

On a lighter note, the narrator does a wonderful job!

I certainly hope this review makes sense... I am two glasses into a bottle of wine.