The second edition of Esposito's text provides current coverage of the laws that govern Muslim women around the world. One of the merits of this book is its attention to the diverse interpretations of Muslim family law worldwide while maintaining a short, concise format useful for the undergraduate classroom and appealing as well to the interested general reader. The book covers the history and sources of Islamic law, its legal interpretation, the arguments for a legal methodology of reform, and a comparative perspective of current Muslim family law. Esposito, who teaches at Georgetown U., was assisted in this edition by one of his PhD candidates, Natana J. DeLong-Bas. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)