Though raised in a devout but quiet Muslim community in London, at sixteen Ed Husain discovered an intriguing political interpretation of Islam known as Islamism. Lured in by its ambitiously fundamentalist tenets, Islamism quickly became the center of his life. He organized controversial events, mingled with radical figures, and recruited fellow Muslim youths for the Islamist cause. Five years later, after considerable personal turmoil, he rejected those same principles and tried to return to a normal life. But he soon realized that Islamic fundamentalism poses a threat that most people -- Muslim and non-Muslim alike -- simply don't understand, and decided to tell his story.

Based on firsthand experiences and written with pervasive clarity, The Islamist delivers a rare inside glimpse of the devious methods used to recruit new members, and Husain offers profound insight into the appeal extremism has for young Muslims in the Western world.

This is a lesson that cannot be ignored.