This makes the Koran accessible and in turn makes the political situation we see today far more understandable...

I'm not interested in theology in general, but given the current political climate I felt compelled to try to understand the Koran. I struggled with the standard version as (like most religious texts) it is tedious and boring, although I was still shocked with what I found in the first few passages to be honest. This version makes a lot more sense and has an excellent, very well researched, comprehensive introduction.