The Ultimate Ambition in the Arts of Erudition: A Compendium of Knowledge from the Classical Islamic World

This is such an amazing book. Never would I have imagined these ideas being side by side--it really shows the richness of life comes from variety! Thank you, Elias Muhanna for translating this incredible piece of history for us to read, understand and enjoy!

This collection of Muslim scholarship, collected in the fourteenth century, exemplifies the approach Islam takes to careful observation, rational evaluation, and lucid interpretation--as well as humorous interpolation. Those of us who follow the tradition and civilization especially of the first seven centuries of Islam will keep this anthology near us, close to our hearts. I had my students summarize their knowledge about some of the topics of this tome.

Little to add to the enthusiasm of the other reviewers, except to note that a one volume distillation of this 31-volume work makes me yearn for more. If you want to know more about how this book came to be, seek out Muhanna’s scholarly “The World in a Book: Al-Nuwayri and the Islamic Encyclopedia Tradition “

Very, very,very interesting seeing their world view. I fell over backwards when I realized Sindh was described as it's own country separate from India. Now it's a dusty, rural, not very prominent province in Pakistan. I was amused by how they thought crocodiles behaved. Highly disturbed by older men being given a lecture on staying away from boys lest they be tempted. Why is this even something they were thinking about? Anyway the writing of the translation is both beautiful and interesting.

It went on and on and on...and I understand this is a hugely expurgated version of the original. Just didn't interest me.

A medieval encyclopedia summarized in one very readable book. Science, history, government, and human nature. Poetry and proverbs. This book will transport you into the past and show you how much has changed.

A must read for anyone interested in medieval Middle Eastern history, esoterica, politics, and philosophy. A true gem.

Totally enjoyed "The Ultimate Ambition..."! I would say - immerse yourself in this splendid book if you are a lover of human culture. As it opens a window on the past, it illuminates our present, showing that our ancestors were preoccupied by the same concerns and mysteries that trouble and dazzle us today. I have published a review of/essay on the book on my blog "On Art and Aesthetics". Here are a few points:----Al-Nuwayri’s towering humanistic achievement emerges out of the wondrously inquisitive context of the Islamic Golden Age. The encyclopedia contains “poetry, literary epistles, historical narratives, taxonomies, pharmacopoeial antidotes, ancient fables, and much more” – all this in about two million words, 9,000 pages and 33 volumes.Professor Muhanna first encountered "The Ultimate Ambition" as a graduate student. He writes in the introduction: “Unfettered by the doctrinal shackles that moderns tend to associate with the medieval era, the world that "The Ultimate Ambition" presents is full of paradox and pleasure -which is to say, alive.” Al-Nuwayri’s style is ecumenical; he is unafraid of contradictions and frequently provides multiple viewpoints on one issue.In the delightful new Penguin Classics edition that preserves the eclecticism of the original, we read about the marriage contract between two deaf-mutes, a method of urination that can save one from a rhinoceros attack, omelettes that increase sexual potency and jams that strengthen sexual appetite. Al-Nuwayri talks about the wildlife in India, the curios of China. He mentions Plato’s "Republic" and Aristotle’s "Physics". Even the constant rain that covers the island of England!The compendium is arranged in sophisticated hierarchical and classificatory schemes. Its five principal divisions are: (i) the cosmos , (ii) the human being, (iii) the animal world (iv) the plant world and (v) universal history.I will share an excerpt that I liked from the fifth book on history:"The study of history is required for the king and the minister, the general and the prince, the scribe and the counselor, the rich man and the poor man, the desert dweller and the city dweller, the sedentary and nomadic. The king gains experience by contemplating former states and peoples. The minister imitates the actions of his predecessors who successfully wielded both the sword and the pen. The general may learn, from history, about the stratagems of war and different battle positions. The counselor considers his opinion and only offers it after much reflection; he studies a matter as a member of the ruler’s entourage, possessed of a sharp mind."The scribe bears witness to history in his letters and other writings, and may expatiate upon it in straitened conditions. The rich man praises God for what He has conferred upon him in the way of blessings and prosperity, and he spends what God has given him when he understands that there is no escape from his own end and passing. And the poor man desires asceticism because he knows that the world is not eternal. Every other person hears about history through evening conversations, desiring to learn the stories of the different nations, the battle days of the Arabs, and the wars with the barbarians."

Great read

Elegant, enticing, enjoyable, erudite! Good for reading or teaching.

Very interesting