Originally published as How to Win a Cosmic War in 2009, this slightly revised paperback edition eloquently explores the infusion of religion into wars in the Middle East and warns that reducing conflicts to "good vs. evil" obscures real-world solutions and prolongs bloodshed indefinitely. The US war on terror is critiqued as an ineffectual and dangerous distraction to addressing the underlying reasons for the rise in religious extremism fueling groups like al Qaeda. A select bibliography and glossary are included. Aslan is the author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam which was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. Annotation 2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
