The Genius of Islam
How Muslims Made the Modern World
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world.
Did you know that:
• The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention?
• The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East?
• You are drinking orange juice at breakfast today thanks to Islamic farming innovations?
• The modern city's skyline was made possible by Islamic architecture?
The Muslim world has often been a bridge between East and West, but many of Islam's crucial innovations are hidden within the folds of history. In this important book, Bryn Barnard uses short, engaging text and gorgeous full-color artwork to bring Islam's contributions gloriously to life. Chockful of information and pictures, and eminently browsable, The Genius of Islam is the definitive guide to a fascinating topic.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"The books we read, the music we play, the words we speak... all were shaped, at least in part, by Islam," writes Barnard in this concise and eloquent exploration of the far-reaching influence of Islam over the centuries. Each spread is devoted to a different subject (writing, Arabic numerals, architecture, astronomy, agriculture), while captioned spot art homes in on specific inventions and innovations (the zither, the astrolabe, advanced medical knowledge). Though the focus is on Islam's manifold cultural contributions, Barnard closes with a chilling reminder of the ways in which 16th-century Europeans, led by Petrarch, worked to claim such advancements as their own and obscure their origins. Ages 8 12.
