SKU: 7850806753

If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran

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If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the QuranPULITZER PRIZE FINALIST NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST Named A Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and The Denver Post Praised by Fareed Zakaria as "intelligent, compassionate, and revealing," a powerful journey to help bridge one of the greatest divides shaping our world today. If the Oceans Were Ink is Carla Power's eye opening story of how she and her longtime friend Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi found a way to confront ugly stereotypes and

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST - NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST - Named A Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and The Denver Post - Praised by Fareed Zakaria as "intelligent, compassionate, and revealing," a powerful journey to help bridge one of the greatest divides shaping our world today.

If the Oceans Were Ink is Carla Power's eye-opening story of how she and her longtime friend Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi found a way to confront ugly stereotypes and persistent misperceptions that were cleaving their communities. Their friendship-between a secular American and a madrasa-trained sheikh-had always seemed unlikely, but now they were frustrated and bewildered by the battles being fought in their names. Both knew that a close look at the Quran would reveal a faith that preached peace and not mass murder; respect for women and not oppression. And so they embarked on a yearlong journey through the controversial text.

A journalist who grew up in the Midwest and the Middle East, Power offers her unique vantage point on the Quran's most provocative verses as she debates with Akram at cafes, family gatherings, and packed lecture halls, conversations filled with both good humor and powerful insights. Their story takes them to madrasas in India and pilgrimage sites in Mecca, as they encounter politicians and jihadis, feminist activists and conservative scholars. Armed with a new understanding of each other's worldviews, Power and Akram offer eye-opening perspectives, destroy long-held myths, and reveal startling connections between worlds that have seemed hopelessly divided for far too long.

Praise for If the Oceans Were Ink

"A vibrant tale of a friendship.... If the Oceans Were Ink is a welcome and nuanced look at Islam and] goes a long way toward combating the dehumanizing stereotypes of Muslims that are all too common.... If the Oceans Were Ink should be mandatory reading for the 52 percent of Americans who admit to not knowing enough about Muslims."--The Washington Post

"Journalist Power writes about her year studying the Quran with a Muslim scholar she befriended while working at a think tank in London. For some, this will be a strong introduction to Islam. To others, it's fodder for discussion on the Sheikh's views, how Westerners (such as Power) interpret those views and the interplay of culture and religion." --The Denver Post

"For all those who wonder what Islam says about war and peace, men and women, Jews and gentiles, this is the book to read. It is a conversation among well-meaning friends--intelligent, compassionate, and revealing--the kind that needs to be taking place around the world."--Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World

"Carla Power's intimate portrait of the Quran, told with nuance and great elegance, captures the extraordinary, living debate over the Muslim holy book's very essence. A spirited, compelling read."--Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad

"An inspiring story of two people] from different worlds who refuse to let religious and cultural differences, prejudice, and ignorance get in the way of their friendship, If the Oceans Were Ink is as thought-provoking as it is elegantly written. It takes a difficult, highly charged topic and puts it into terms that are not only understandable and eye-opening, but beautiful."--Bustle (11 Beautifully Written Memoirs by Women)

"Unique, masterful, and deeply engaging. Carla Power takes the reader on an extraordinary journey in interfaith understanding as she debates and discovers the Quran's message, meaning, and values on peace and violence, gender and veiling, religious pluralism and tolerance."--John L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, and author of The Future of Islam

"A thoughtful, provocative, intelligent book."--Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Birds Of Paradise and The Language of Baklava

"With a journalist's mind for the story, a born traveler's heart for the adventure of crossing borders, and a seeker's yen for the poetry and mysticism of belief, Power creates an exceptional record of a timeless quest."--Merritt Tierce, a National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" honoree and author of Love Me Back



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Holt McDougal
Published: 04/07/2015
ISBN: 9780805098198
Pages: 352
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.50w x 0.90d
Award: National Book Awards - Finalist

Review Citations: Booklist 03/01/2015 pg. 6
Library Journal Prepub Alert 11/15/2014 pg. 65
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2015
Publishers Weekly 01/26/2015
Library Journal 03/01/2015 pg. 92
Shelf Awareness 04/10/2015
Library Journal 11/15/2014
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SKU: 7850806753

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4.1 ★★★★★
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Jeremy Woodbury
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
You only need 64 pages to tell an amazing story.
Format: Hardcover
Before reading The Killing Joke, I've ready V for Vendetta and Watchmen. Both are other graphic novels written by Alan Moore. I had no idea what to expect, but a friend of mine did call this (in his opinion) the greatest graphic novel of all time. I think it's damn near close to it. The Good: I love Batman. Doesn't matter where he is. Nolan movies? Arkham series? Comics? They're all awesome, so of course I was gonna love Batman in this story too. The joker is also a stand out character obviously. I hate to love the joker because he's that awesomely terrible. It's amazing. This story isn't so much about Batman fighting bad guys as it is about proving the joker wrong. "All it takes is one bad day." Well does it? Batman (and Gordon) are pushed to their limits as they not only try to stop the joker, but prove him wrong. By the end of the story, you wonder who TRULY won that night. I won't give any spoilers, but the ending does make you wonder. You see what I mean? It's psychologically complex and disturbing. It really makes worry about the outcome of ALL the characters. One thing I liked from another comic, Batman: Hush, was the use of other DC characters to progress the story, but I really liked how The Killing Joke told another amazing story with less character in less pages. I also really like that short story after the end of the main story. I'm glad it was there. The Bad: There really isn't all that much bad. I mean I would have loved for it to be longer, but I still enjoyed it for what it is. That's really my only complaint. It just a little too short, and I wanted to keep on reading. Final Verdict: I don't know if it's the greatest graphic novel of all time, but I loved it and I think everyone else who reads it will love it too. I mean I read the whole thing is one sitting in less than an hour. I literally could not put the book down. BUT! There's a lot of very disturbing moments in the story, so know what you're getting yourself into. I mean the animated movie adaption for this book is rated R!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016
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Tycho
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Tycho Evaluates: "Batman: The Killing Joke"
Format: Hardcover
As a big fan of Batman as a character and the DC universe, I've always thought of The Joker as my favorite villain. He's a character I've long been obsessed over, there's a lot of fascinating elements about him that have impressed and captivated me, that began with the first time I saw The Dark Knight. Heath Ledgers portrayal of the character astounded me, and inspired me to research more on the history of the character and discover how it was created, and how he's been portrayed throughout the years. One name kept coming up during my search, Batman: The Killing Joke, cited as the quintessential comic featuring The Joker. So, I went online, purchased it and read it. And...it's one of the greatest things I've ever read. There's a quote on the front cover from Tim Burton, saying that its the first comic he ever loved. I agree with that on a lot of levels, as a person who hasn't read too many comic books, I can still tell what a masterpiece this one is. The atmosphere created by the illustrations of Brian Bolland, the writing and dialogue created by Alan Moore, really made me feel like I was watching a movie. That I was experiencing a living, fluid story centered around the actions and origin of The Joker. The balance they achieved between scenes without dialogue and scenes with conversations between characters is perfect, creating beautiful build up and suspense. From Batman walking into Arkham Asylum, to the shooting of Barbra Gordon, to the reveal of the comedian transformed into The Joker. Every page of this book carries so much, accomplishing something I didn't think was possible. Giving a concrete origin to The Joker, a character that's not supposed to have a past, to be utterly mysterious and detached. It works so well though, a failed comedian who has one really, really bad day. Ruining his life and reducing him to a deranged killer obsessed with the idea that life, reality, and the human condition are just a massive joke. There's two moments in this comic that stick out the most to me, one is the moment when the comedian is told his wife is dead. There's a panel where he says nothing, then simply replies with "What?". It truly captures a moment of absolute disbelief, how a man would react to the worst news imaginable, in that he would barely react at all. Then, there's the ending. Out of respect for the sheer brilliance of the conclusion, I wont spoil it here. To wrap up my ramblings, Batman: The Killing Joke is an incredible comic that serves as quite possibly the best story featuring The Clown Prince of Crime. I recommend it to anyone who is even a cursory fan of Batman, The Joker, dark comedy, or simply superb illustration and writing. Its definitely worth the read...and the laughs. -Tycho
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2015
J
Verified Purchase
Joshua
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Great resource to refer to
Format: Paperback
I thought that I was just going to use it as a reference book but when I was reading it I was very interested and ended reading the whole thing. I learned a lot short cuts and tricks and tips. I still refer to the book all the time. Great investment for a reference.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 4
Good Introduction
Format: Paperback
A good introduction to the basic concepts but nothing in detail. Though...there is quite a couple of grammatical errors. Scissors cannot be a singular noun (i.e. there is nothing like "a scissors")
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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Seb
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Simple & easy to understand
Format: Kindle
The author has done a great job at taking easy to understand examples to illustrate how each phase of the supply chain impacts a business
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2021

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