Arabic and Semitic scholar Rosenthal (1914-2003) retired from Yale University in 1985. He argues here that knowledge is the quickening concept in Islamic civilization, and explores its myriad manifestations and functions. His topics include human knowledge and divine knowledge, the plural of knowledge, Shi'ah notions of knowledge, knowledge as light in Sufism, and monographs in praise of knowledge and the educational literature. The first edition was published by Brill sometime before 1970; this second is slightly revised. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)