

If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran
古蘭似海: 用生活見證伊斯蘭聖典的真諦
If the Oceans Were Ink is Carla Power's eye-opening story of how she and her longtime friend Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi found a way to confront ugly stereotypes and persistent misperceptions that were cleaving their communities. Their friendship-between a secular American and a madrasa-trained sheikh-had always seemed unlikely, but now they were frustrated and bewildered by the battles being fought in their names. Both knew that a close look at the Quran would reveal a faith that preached peace and not mass murder; respect for women and not oppression. And so they embarked on a yearlong journey through the controversial text.
A journalist who grew up in the Midwest and the Middle East, Power offers her unique vantage point on the Quran's most provocative verses as she debates with Akram at cafes, family gatherings, and packed lecture halls, conversations filled with both good humor and powerful insights. Their story takes them to madrasas in India and pilgrimage sites in Mecca, as they encounter politicians and jihadis, feminist activists and conservative scholars. Armed with a new understanding of each other's worldviews, Power and Akram offer eye-opening perspectives, destroy long-held myths, and reveal startling connections between worlds that have seemed hopelessly divided for far too long.
Praise for If the Oceans Were Ink
“A vibrant tale of a friendship.... If the Oceans Were Ink is a welcome and nuanced look at Islam [and] goes a long way toward combating the dehumanizing stereotypes of Muslims that are all too common…. If the Oceans Were Ink should be mandatory reading for the 52 percent of Americans who admit to not knowing enough about Muslims.”―The Washington Post
“Journalist Power writes about her year studying the Quran with a Muslim scholar she befriended while working at a think tank in London. For some, this will be a strong introduction to Islam. To others, it's fodder for discussion on the Sheikh's views, how Westerners (such as Power) interpret those views and the interplay of culture and religion.” ―The Denver Post
“For all those who wonder what Islam says about war and peace, men and women, Jews and gentiles, this is the book to read. It is a conversation among well-meaning friends―intelligent, compassionate, and revealing―the kind that needs to be taking place around the world.”―Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World
“Carla Power’s intimate portrait of the Quran, told with nuance and great elegance, captures the extraordinary, living debate over the Muslim holy book’s very essence. A spirited, compelling read.”―Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad
“An inspiring story of two [people] from different worlds who refuse to let religious and cultural differences, prejudice, and ignorance get in the way of their friendship, If the Oceans Were Ink is as thought-provoking as it is elegantly written. It takes a difficult, highly charged topic and puts it into terms that are not only understandable and eye-opening, but beautiful.”―Bustle (11 Beautifully Written Memoirs by Women)
“Unique, masterful, and deeply engaging. Carla Power takes the reader on an extraordinary journey in interfaith understanding as she debates and discovers the Quran’s message, meaning, and values on peace and violence, gender and veiling, religious pluralism and tolerance.”―John L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, and author of The Future of Islam
“A thoughtful, provocative, intelligent book.”―Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Birds Of Paradise and The Language of Baklava
“With a journalist’s mind for the story, a born traveler’s heart for the adventure of crossing borders, and a seeker’s yen for the poetry and mysticism of belief, Power creates an exceptional record of a timeless quest.”―Merritt Tierce, a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree and author of Love Me Back
內容簡介
PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • Named A Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and The Denver Post • Praised by Fareed Zakaria as “intelligent, compassionate, and revealing,” a powerful journey to help bridge one of the greatest divides shaping our world today.
If the Oceans Were Ink is Carla Power's eye-opening story of how she and her longtime friend Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi found a way to confront ugly stereotypes and persistent misperceptions that were cleaving their communities. Their friendship-between a secular American and a madrasa-trained sheikh-had always seemed unlikely, but now they were frustrated and bewildered by the battles being fought in their names. Both knew that a close look at the Quran would reveal a faith that preached peace and not mass murder; respect for women and not oppression. And so they embarked on a yearlong journey through the controversial text.
A journalist who grew up in the Midwest and the Middle East, Power offers her unique vantage point on the Quran's most provocative verses as she debates with Akram at cafes, family gatherings, and packed lecture halls, conversations filled with both good humor and powerful insights. Their story takes them to madrasas in India and pilgrimage sites in Mecca, as they encounter politicians and jihadis, feminist activists and conservative scholars. Armed with a new understanding of each other's worldviews, Power and Akram offer eye-opening perspectives, destroy long-held myths, and reveal startling connections between worlds that have seemed hopelessly divided for far too long.
Praise for If the Oceans Were Ink
“A vibrant tale of a friendship.... If the Oceans Were Ink is a welcome and nuanced look at Islam [and] goes a long way toward combating the dehumanizing stereotypes of Muslims that are all too common…. If the Oceans Were Ink should be mandatory reading for the 52 percent of Americans who admit to not knowing enough about Muslims.”―The Washington Post
“Journalist Power writes about her year studying the Quran with a Muslim scholar she befriended while working at a think tank in London. For some, this will be a strong introduction to Islam. To others, it's fodder for discussion on the Sheikh's views, how Westerners (such as Power) interpret those views and the interplay of culture and religion.” ―The Denver Post
“For all those who wonder what Islam says about war and peace, men and women, Jews and gentiles, this is the book to read. It is a conversation among well-meaning friends―intelligent, compassionate, and revealing―the kind that needs to be taking place around the world.”―Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World
“Carla Power’s intimate portrait of the Quran, told with nuance and great elegance, captures the extraordinary, living debate over the Muslim holy book’s very essence. A spirited, compelling read.”―Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad
“An inspiring story of two [people] from different worlds who refuse to let religious and cultural differences, prejudice, and ignorance get in the way of their friendship, If the Oceans Were Ink is as thought-provoking as it is elegantly written. It takes a difficult, highly charged topic and puts it into terms that are not only understandable and eye-opening, but beautiful.”―Bustle (11 Beautifully Written Memoirs by Women)
“Unique, masterful, and deeply engaging. Carla Power takes the reader on an extraordinary journey in interfaith understanding as she debates and discovers the Quran’s message, meaning, and values on peace and violence, gender and veiling, religious pluralism and tolerance.”―John L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, and author of The Future of Islam
“A thoughtful, provocative, intelligent book.”―Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Birds Of Paradise and The Language of Baklava
“With a journalist’s mind for the story, a born traveler’s heart for the adventure of crossing borders, and a seeker’s yen for the poetry and mysticism of belief, Power creates an exceptional record of a timeless quest.”―Merritt Tierce, a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree and author of Love Me Back
作者介紹
Carla Power writes for TIME and was a foreign correspondent for Newsweek. Her writing has appeared in Vogue, Glamour, The New York Times Magazine, and Foreign Policy. Her work has been recognized with an Overseas Press Club award, a Women in Media Award, and the National Women's Political Caucus's EMMA Award. She holds a graduate degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Oxford, as well as degrees from Yale and Columbia.
規格
退貨說明
退貨須知:
- 依照消費者保護法的規定,您享有商品貨到次日起七天猶豫期(含例假日)的權益(請注意!猶豫期非試用期),辦理退貨之商品必須是全新狀態(不得有刮傷、破損、受潮)且需完整(包含全部商品、配件、原廠內外包裝、贈品及所有附隨文件或資料的完整性等)。
- 請您以送貨廠商使用之包裝紙箱將退貨商品包裝妥當,若原紙箱已遺失,請另使用其他紙箱包覆於商品原廠包裝之外,切勿直接於原廠包裝上黏貼紙張或書寫文字。若原廠包裝損毀將可能被認定為已逾越檢查商品之必要程度,本公司得依毀損程度扣除回復原狀必要費用(整新費)後退費;請您先確認商品正確、外觀可接受,再行拆封,以免影響您的權利;若為產品瑕疵,本公司接受退貨。
依「通訊交易解除權合理例外情事適用準則」,下列商品不適用七日猶豫期,除產品本身有瑕疵外,不接受退貨:
- 易於腐敗、保存期限較短或解約時即將逾期。(如:生鮮蔬果、乳製品、冷凍冷藏食材、蛋糕)
- 依消費者要求所為之客製化給付。(如:客製印章、鋼筆刻字)
- 報紙、期刊或雜誌。
- 經消費者拆封之影音商品或電腦軟體。
- 非以有形媒介提供之數位內容或一經提供即為完成之線上服務,經消費者事先同意始提供。(如:電子書)
- 已拆封之個人衛生用品。(如:內衣褲、襪類、褲襪、刮鬍刀、除毛刀等貼身用品)
- 國際航空客運服務。
若您退貨時有下列情形,可能被認定已逾越檢查商品之必要程度而須負擔為回復原狀必要費用(整新費),或影響您的退貨權利,請您在拆封前決定是否要退貨:
- 以數位或電磁紀錄形式儲存或著作權相關之商品(包含但不限於CD、VCD、DVD、電腦軟體等) 包裝已拆封者(除運送用之包裝以外)。
- 耗材(包含但不限於墨水匣、碳粉匣、紙張、筆類墨水、清潔劑補充包等)之商品包裝已拆封者(除運送用之包裝以外)。
- 衣飾鞋類/寢具/織品(包含但不限於衣褲、鞋子、襪子、泳裝、床單、被套、填充玩具)或之商品缺件(含購買商品、附件、內外包裝、贈品等)或經剪標或下水或商品有不可回復之髒污或磨損痕跡。
- 食品、美容/保養用品、內衣褲等消耗性或個人衛生用品、商品銷售頁面上特別載明之商品已拆封者(除運送用之包裝外一切包裝、包括但不限於瓶蓋、封口、封膜等接觸商品內容之包裝部分)或已非全新狀態(外觀有刮傷、破損、受潮等)與包裝不完整(缺少商品、附件、原廠外盒、保護袋、配件紙箱、保麗龍、隨貨文件、贈品等)。
- 家電、3C、畫作、電子閱讀器等商品,除商品本身有瑕疵外,退回之商品已拆封(除運送用之包裝外一切包裝、包括但不限於封膜等接觸商品內容之包裝部分、移除封條、拆除吊牌、拆除貼膠或標籤等情形)或已非全新狀態(外觀有刮傷、破損、受潮等)與包裝不完整(缺少商品、附件、原廠外盒、保護袋、配件紙箱、保麗龍、隨貨文件、贈品等)。
- 退貨程序請參閱【客服專區→常見問題→誠品線上退貨退款】之說明。




