I'm a biology major who read this book as part of a history course I took to fulfill a history requirement. As such I found it to provide a great base of knowledge. It mixes in a healthy amount of narrative style that makes it easier reading than other books of similar subjects that I've read. I say its for the "enthusiastic newcomer to the subject" because though this book is easier reading than others it did come from academia, and thus can occasionally be slightly thick reading, but in my opinion is well worth it. In short, if you're really interested in the history of Islam, this is a great book, but if you're looking for some casual reading you might want to look elsewhere.