People like us

No two civilisations have spoken so many words about each other in recent years as those of Islam and the West. And no two seem to have communicated less. As a Muslim born and raised in Australia, Waleed Aly stands at the intersection of these two civilisations. From there he sees a world of radical misunderstandings, perpetuated by the inability of each to look beyond the stereotypes and truly comprehend the other. People Like Us examines the cultural chasm between Islam and the West by confronting the issues at the heart of the misunderstanding: women, jihad, secularism, terrorism, Reformation and modernity. Drawing on the author's knowledge of Western and Islamic intellectual traditions, it provides a fascinating analysis of these subjects, exposing the depth of ignorance surrounding them and the role of both Muslim and Western media in reinforcing stereotypes. Above all, it argues that the only way to avoid perpetual and escalating conflict between Islam and the West is to acknowledge one indisputable and powerful truth: that we are all complex, nuanced people. We must resist the mutual temptation to assume that the other's problems could be solved if only they became more like us. This is a brave and provocative book of rare insight, and an indispensable contribution to understanding our troubled world.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.