A sobering book that could not be more frighteningly prescient in light of yesterday’s attempted murder of a police officer in Philadelphia or the story of a member of ISIS beheading his own mother. This story of two murders is very eye-opening—mostly because it will cause an American reader’s eyes to see the United States through a pair of Dutch glasses. Buruma’s theme is reflected in a sentence occurring late in his book: “Collective sentimentality is the easiest way to deal with matters we would rather not face head-on.” To that I’d add Flannery O’Connor’s line, “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it,” which applies equally well to the harrowing events—and interviews—in Baruma’s book. Recommended.

As a detailed account for the terrorist attacks that the Netherlands faced in the murders of Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh, Buruma offers a compelling explanation as to why young Muslims (especially men) flock to Islam extremism. He points to the failure of multiculturalism at the root of Theo van Gogh's murder, fueled by the xenophobic remarks made by Fortuyn. The book calls into question the conflict between secularism and Islam, a conflict that is igniting turmoil across European modern cities (Paris, London, etc). I thought the book was at its strongest in its psychological analysis of Mohammed Bouyeri, the man who murdered Theo van Gogh. I was given insight on why and how Islamic extremists groups form and why a young immigrant Muslim man, whose host country failed to provide him with rich opportunities, would revert back to fundamentalism. His perspective is questionable as although he is Dutch, he hasn't lived in the Netherlands since the 1970's. For anyone looking to understand the problems Europe is facing with xenophobia and Muslim immigrants, this is a good read. It was also a fast read as Buruma is a fantastic writer.

To those unfamiliar with recent cultural clashes in Holland, or even those with a fleeting knowledge of Theo van Gogh's murder just a few years back, Dutch expat Ian Buruma's profile of modern Holland will make you cringe. His style is effortlessly fluid and nimble -- which belie his strange and uncomfortable subject matter. It's not just the crazed Muslim fundamentalist that get under your skin, but just about every native Dutch of all political persuasions that will collectively grate on you for their diverse provocations against one and all. Not one player fits into a nice tidy box of preconceived stereotypes, and you may away from this book glad to be making your home here in the USA -- if you do. (Or at least I did.) If you're at all interested in how -- if possible -- Islam can coexist with the West, be sure to make room for this on your night-table.

Utterly brilliant investigation of the tension between the liberal Enlightenment values (particularly tolerance for others' beliefs) prevalent in European government and the need for institutional response to a growing group of immigrants who do not share those values. Ian Buruma, a Dutch journalist residing in Britain, returned home in the wake of the murder of Theo van Gogh by a Muslim extremist to research what led to it and how his native land was dealing with with the cultural fallout.

This is by far the best, most balanced exposition I've read of the larger issue of how democracies are going to maintain their core values while mainstreaming Muslim values... or the extent to which this is possible. (How does a government maintain the value of tolerance in the face of a group of citizens utterly opposed to tolerance?) Relevant far beyond Holland's borders, and a fascinating read even for those who aren't typically inclined toward political science.

I had no idea ... which is why I should read books on subjects about which I have no idea.

The mere three stars is mostly because of my limited knowledge. Buruma did a decent job of telling me things I didn't know and still only partly understand.

I read this for a course on post-World War II Europe which I audited. Pretty engaging, though there were points when it struck me as being gratuitously salacious. The large print made the experience of reading pleasant and efficient, but I wouldn't call this an "easy read," per se - I think I will want to go through it again to catch some of the ideas I am sure I missed.

I only skimmed this book so take the rating with a grain of salt. The varied perspectives were interesting.

i got so confused tbh

important story but idk what happened

Buruma does a good job discussing the personal histories and thoughts of those who have shaped the debate about modern multiculturalism and tolerance in the Netherlands: Pim Fortunyn, Theo Van Gogh and Aayan Hirsi Ali. This is essentialyy a piece of long and detailed journalism with very little of his own thoughts on the subject, akin, I suppose, to his pieces I have read in the New York Review of Books. Still, a clear and well told explanation of the cultural climate in present day Holland, where the immigrant population is basically 50% of the population, a sizable portion of which neither feel Dutch, nor believe in the values of the European enlightenment, but rather identify themselves as 'Muslim living in the Netherlands' and have, by their own admission, little or no respect for Dutch or European traditions, values, institutions or people. Additionally, I was shocked by the level and breath of anti-semitism by the Dutch immigrants (predominately of Moroccan extraction), and how difficult it was for the native Dutch to discuss issues about immigrants without their guilt in the Holocaust silencing any debate about the present. Surely, the European attitude of tolerance and multiculturalism can be refined into a tolerance towards people who are also willing to be tolerant, while having no tolerance for those who display (and in fact promote) intolerance, bigotry, sexism, antisemitism and the other evils which are diametrically opposed to modern, progressive, Western post-Enlightenment values? In all, a very informative book about modern Holland and modern European issues in general.

This book was full of information that was new to me. For that alone it was a worthwhile read.

2.5
This book is the definition of Information dumping

Sin desperdicio. Y más vigente que nunca.