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Nomad  By  cover art

Nomad

By: Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Narrated by: Ayaan Hirsi Ali
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Publisher's summary

A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations

Hirsi Ali tells the stirring story of her search for a new life in America in this vivid philosophical memoir, picking up where Infidel left off.

Nomad is a portrait of a family torn apart by the clash of civilizations. But it is also a touching, uplifting, and often funny account of one woman’s discovery of today’s America. While Hirsi Ali loves much of what she encounters, she fears we are repeating the European mistake of underestimating radical Islam. She calls on key institutions of the West—including universities, the feminist movement, and the Christian churches—to enact specific, innovative remedies that would help other Muslim immigrants to overcome the challenges she has experienced and to resist the fatal allure of fundamentalism and terrorism.

©2010 Ayaan Hirsi Ali (P)2010 Simon & Schuster

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What listeners say about Nomad

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Nomad

Hirsi Ali does and excellent job at breaking down the issue of radical Islam in the 21st century for a Western audience, who might not otherwise be familiar with the problems that it may pose. She gives a perspective from her own life in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Kenya, The Netherlands, and America. Having been exposed to a broad array of diverse cultures, her heterodox views seem more legitimate as she speaks of the urgency with which the West needs to address the religious, and socio-economic toils of Eastern Islamic countries. She tells her own story of how she was raised as a Muslim, as well as the stories of her family and friends. This is necessary reading for anyone who wants to better understand Islam in our world today.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Only the author could read this book!

Great listen! While she does have an accent, it adds to the richness of this book!

Also, read "Infidel" first. Both books are outstanding.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

WE SHOULD ALL BE AWARE

This is such a good book in that it opens our eyes to dangerous sentiments that the majority of Americans may view as harmless or cultural, and she clearly shows us that there is an ever growing segment of the world's population that are subscribing to Jihad and it's beliefs.

It would be interesting to hear Ayaan's take on the Nation Of Islam here in the U.S.
I wonder if she feels they are on board with the fundamentalist she speaks of in Infidel and this book and Nomad.
Great listen!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating

Ali gives a fascinating look at the inner life of 3rd World Islam. Through the tragic lives of her relatives, she shows how the culture's extreme misogyny warps the healthy development of both girls and boys.

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5 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • M.
  • 10-06-16

Mostly Excerpts from First Book "Infidel"

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was wasted time for someone who read the first book Ms. Ali wrote, "Infidel." Huge chunks of the book were nearly (or actually) the same as many from that book without updates or added nuance. I find Ms. Ali a compelling figure, but this book, having read that one, was pointless.

What could Ayaan Hirsi Ali have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Ms. Ali works at a U.S. think tank, yet the majority of her assertions as to how to improve Muslim-Non-Muslim relations--regardless of what you think of them--utterly lacked statistics or how she would hope they'd be implemented in America or another specific country.

Which scene was your favorite?

Really the only thing that stood out was how so many paragraphs were (nearly?) the same as her first book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really makes you think.....

I feel sometimes that we in the West have been in a bubble and sheltered, not everyone..but a large majority. We listen to what our media spoon feeds us and many times wait to be offended. Ayaan's story is fascinating and inspiring, I like how simply she stated many topics that are so divisive in this country.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Clear thinking of cultural conflict at its best

The book and "story" of this book were not A+ material. The anecdotes were helpful to illustrate her points, if a bit long. But those nuggets of clear thinking and insight that she provides are truly unique within the human population.

Many will say this is a "scathing critique" of Islam and that "extemism of any religion is bad." The latter is certainly true. Ayaan does a good job explaining why the sheer scale of this extremism is more dangerous and a larger looming issue than that of other faiths.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • a
  • 05-10-14

Listen to Infidel first.

This is a follow up to Infidel, but there are clarifications and additional history given that were not included in Infidel.
This is one of the rare instances in which I love that the author read her own story. While the delivery was a little dry in some places, I appreciate hearing her story from her. She is an inspiring and amazing woman who gives us a look into an oppressive culture from the perspective of someone who had the courage to escape and the challenges of adjusting to life outside of that culture.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Directly addresses issues brought up in "Infidel"

What did you love best about Nomad?

Her magnum opus, Infidel, was a biography which brought up many issues. These are expanded upon in Nomad. She also updates us on her life (She wrote her autobiography when she was 37, after all) and her family. For example, her father has died since she published Infidel. Hirsi Ali talks about double standards regarding how people see religion, and outlines a plan for how we should deal with the rising threat of radical islam. She controversially recommends working with moderate christians to fight radical islam, claiming that it just isn't practical to expect muslims to become atheists en masse, but they could possibly become moderate christians en masse.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Ayaan Hirsi Ali?

No, I WILL listen to another book by Hirsi Ali. Her next book, Heretic, is coming out in Spring 2015, and I plan to listen to it. Hirsi Ali has given me a new perspective on the muslim world and the issue of radical islam, which I have no firsthand experience with. (I don't think I have ever knowingly talked to a muslim, apart from saying hi as I pass them on the bike trail.) Hirsi Ali is pretty fiery, however, and it is important to form opinions for yourself and remember that although it is good to oppose ideas, like islam, it is never okay to oppose people. I see people make that mistake sometimes, and I think it is scary. If I disliked everybody who held a bad belief, I would be a very hateful person. That said, I don't think there is any logical path between Hirsi Ali's writing and prejudice. She has been accused of this, but I do not see it.

Any additional comments?

The atheist movement in the USA mainly deals with christianity. The fact that Hirsi Ali deals with islam instead makes her books important and interesting.
I must say, Infidel read like a novel. There were times when I could not stop listening. Nomad is different, as it is not a story, but an analysis issues brought up in the story.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Better than Infidel

What did you like best about this story?

It showed the Islam religion in its true light. I wish all Muslim women would read it.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What it is like to not be free.

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3 people found this helpful