First Paragraph: This is an illuminating book, both in its form and its substance, and it is possible for the avid reader of the history of Islamic thought ini-tially to become excited when skimming through its contents. The author has successfully overcome the obstacles inherent in address-ing such a common and well-researched topic in Islamic studies (that is, al-Ghazālī [d. 505/1111] and his theology and philosophy) by thor-oughly discussing the most recent scholarship in the area. Because the book has from the time of its publication received the praise it truly deserves, I will present a different understanding of several im-portant issues it addresses and supply several criticisms rather than providing a descriptive outline of the book.