"Eickelman is an astute and delicate storyteller. His narrative illuminates 'Abd al-Rahman's biography, as Michel Foucault says, at the 'point where power reaches into the very grain of individuals, touches their bodies and inserts itself into their actions and attitudes, learning processes, and everyday lives.' "--Stephen William Foster, The Middle East Journal

"Eickelman is an astute and delicate storyteller. His narrative illuminates 'Abd al-Rahman's biography, as Michel Foucault says, at the 'point where power reaches into the very grain of individuals, touches their bodies and inserts itself into their actions and attitudes, learning processes, and everyday lives.' "--Stephen William Foster, The Middle East Journal