NO BOOK IS WRITTEN only by the author. That is certainly true of this book. While, of course, I bear sole responsibility for its contents, it can be said that many thousands of people have contributed significantly to this book.
In formulating my ideas, I have been blessed with something almost unique. I have been able to bounce my thoughts off millions of people, on almost every conceivable topic, and on a daily basis.
In addition to teaching, lecturing, and writing, I have been a radio talk show host for thirty years. As such I have been afforded two very rare intellectual gifts.
The first is the accumulated wisdom of a large national audience. There are few topics about which some listener does not know more than I do. And no matter what subject I raise, some listeners have actually experienced it. No topic has remained abstract. If my subject is immigration, immigrants and children of immigrants call in. If I am discussing male-female relations, men and women call in and open up as if they were in a room alone with their best friend or therapist. More to the point of this book, when the topic has been Islam, I have had any number of opportunities to speak with religious Muslims, secular Muslims, Christians and Jews who have lived in Muslim countries, professors who teach Islamic studies, and authors of books defending and books critical of Islam.
All teachers know how much they have learned from their students. Therapists readily acknowledge how much they have learned from patients. Imagine, then, how much wisdom one can accumulate from millions of “students” and “patients.”
So, I first want to acknowledge my listeners and readers. Whether they call or write, whether they agree or disagree, they have taught me an immeasurable amount, not least how to communicate with people I differ with—a trait I hope is reflected in this book.
The other rare gift my profession has afforded me has been the ability to talk to virtually every great thinker, writer, and politician—including many whose views I strongly opposed—of the past generation.
There is an ancient Hebrew saying, “Acquire a friend, make for yourself a teacher.” My friends have all been my teachers. From high school when I met my devoted friend and lifelong teacher, Joseph Telushkin, to today, my friends have given me, intellectually as well as emotionally, more than they can ever know.
For almost twenty-five years, I have spent almost every Saturday afternoon, after synagogue, with two couples, Drs. Stephen and Ruth Marmer and Allen and Susie Estrin. There is no idea, let alone personal issue, that we have not discussed in depth. Others who have shaped my life and thinking include (in alphabetical order) Joel Alperson, whose talents are only exceeded by working on behalf of our shared ideals, and who has devoted much of his life to preparing the publication of my forthcoming commentary on the Torah; Gary and Georgette Awad, a second generation Syrian-Lebanese couple, whom I always introduce as people who make the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself” effortless to obey; Shmuley Boteach, whom I enjoy debating almost as much I enjoy our friendship; Alan Briese, who in so many ways has made my life better and my work possible; Lynn and Sylvie Bradley, a Mormon couple who leave everyone they come into contact with better people, including me; Shlomo Cohen, friend for forty years, former head of the Israel Bar Association, and my favorite Lefty; Paul Croshaw, who devoted years to making a moving and fun full-length film—Baseball, Dennis, and the French—on the role my radio show played in changing his life; Izzy and Rita Eichenstein, my friends since I moved to California in the late 1970s, whose lives have traveled down an emotionally wrenching religious path that I have been a part of and learned so much from; Leonid Feldman, my longtime friend whose path from atheist and Soviet dissident to prominent American rabbi is worthy of its own book; Robert Florczak, my friend, my favorite agnostic atheist, and a great artist and thinker; Michael and Jill Gotlieb, for thirty years of friendship and for Rabbi Michael’s overseeing Sue’s studying of Judaism; Larry Greenfield, who offered insightful advice on the manuscript and carries on the fight for American values in his own inimitable way; Lee Habeeb, whose insights into radio and into America have been invaluable; Michael and Barbara Ledeen, who have made enormous contributions to the fight against tyranny worldwide and who, along with Thurber, have warmly welcomed me into their Washington, D.C., home for decades; Mike Noble, whose name personifies the man and who has devoted his talent and time to help me get my ideas out to the world; Michael Nocita, a former Catholic priest whose friendship has been a thirty-year gift; Bahram and Doris Nour-Omid, two Persian Jews who play an important role in my life, and who exemplify what Iran has lost and America has gained in the Persian-Jewish exodus following the Khomeini revolution; Eyal Rav-Noy, a friend and one of the most brilliant young Jewish minds in America; Roger and Christine Silk, whose friendship has been one of the best things to happen to me professionally and personally in recent years; Ron Temkin, one of the few people I asked to read and critique the book in manuscript. Barry Wolfe, for his friendship, generosity, and wisdom; and David and Beverly Woznica, close friends for thirty years—watching Rabbi Woznica evolve into one of America’s leading rabbis gives one hope for American Judaism.
My cup truly runneth over with such people in my life. And there are others whom I just do not get to see as often, too numerous to individually cite. Finally, I happily include my Salem Radio Network colleagues from whom I have learned so much and who form an all-star team that I am honored to be a member of: Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, Hugh Hewitt, and Michael Medved. And while on the subject of my radio show, I thank the Salem Radio Network—in particular Ed Atsinger, Greg Anderson, and Tom Tradup—for giving me the national forum I have. They have devoted their lives to making a better America and a better world. And they have succeeded magnificently. They are a credit to their deep and animating Christian faith.
I am grateful to Jason Bunn, Roy Hadavi, Alexandra Kerr, Sean McConnell (whose daily contribution to my radio show has been instrumental), Jared Sichel, Christian Welborn, and Julia Whittle for their transcriptions of important materials and for myriad other ways they have helped me. And, of course, to my editor, Adam Bellow, and all others at HarperCollins, whose advice, encouragement, and patience have been deeply appreciated.
I particularly want to thank Allen Estrin and my wife, Susan Prager, who read, and reread, every one of 130,000 words. That I incorporated nearly every one of their edits, additions, and deletions is testimony to the excellence of their work.
Regarding Sue, words fail this professional communicator in describing the immensity of the role she plays in my intellectual life, not to mention the rest of my life. She is a sort of secret weapon during every one of my radio shows, as we instant-message (IM) one another while I broadcast. Ronald Reagan was quoted as having said that all it took for him to feel lonely was for Nancy to leave the room. I know what he meant.
To Allen, additional deeply felt thanks for the extraordinary job he does every day in producing my radio show and for founding and guiding a project that will preoccupy me for many years to come, the internet-based Prager University (www.PragerUniversity.com). It is an attempt, among its other goals, to undo the moral and intellectual damage too many universities have done in their politicization of the humanities. It offers, in five-minute courses, some of the finest minds in the world presenting honest and entertaining food for the mind on virtually every subject. I hope that readers of this book will join the millions of people around the world who have already visited this website.
Finally, I thank America. Indeed this book may be considered one American’s thank-you to his country. I have no illusions about America’s flaws, and I am well aware that there are other free countries in the world. But no place would have given this grandchild of poor Jewish immigrants to America the opportunities that America has given me. Moreover, in most other countries I would be “Dennis the Jew.” In America, I am “Dennis.”
My mother, Hilda Prager, died during the writing of this book and I think of her every day. I lost my biggest fan; and my father, Max Prager, lost his best friend of seventy-three years. The book is written in her memory and dedicated to my two beloved sons, David and Aaron, who, thank God, as different as they may be from one another, love each other and love America.