I’ve been steadily making my way through my summer reading that I’ve set out for myself. One of the titles, A History of Islamic Societies, by Ira M. Lapidus, as a sort of encyclopedic body of work that covers various Muslim societies through a historical frame work. In addition to Islamic Societies, I have also been reading several essays of Professor Lapidus that have been published in various academic journals. While not as a direct read, I do recommend his book as I is a great resource book for those who would like to have a firmer historical foundation on the many different Muslim societies and how they have been born out of one another. Professor Lapidus’ scholarship is exquisite and I recommend it highly. For those who are unfamiliar, Professor Lapidus, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of California, Berkley. In addition to his book, here’s a link to a very informative lecture of Professor Lapidus at Berkley, hosted by Harry Kreisler. Professor Lapidus gives a very interesting insight into the various reasons why different Muslim women wear hijab as well as given a very broad, pluralistic description of the various Muslim societies, always reminding the viewer that Islam is a very grand, broad entity.
Direct link here [RealOne Player required]. Page link here.
