In an anthology produced by the Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom, human rights professionals, scholars, and journalists outline the nature and spread of shari'a law, using seven countries to represent the geographical spread and the stages of its effects. They focus on its effects of religious freedom, the status of women, legal procedures, and democracy. The cause of its spread they identify as reaction to the traumas and failures of the Islamic world over the past three centuries. A report from the Rand Corporation is also included, explaining how a constitution can be written to permit Islam yet forbid shari'a. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)