This book is composed of two parts, the first, which is the majority of the book, is a biography of Ibn Khaldun and an explanation of his theories and views on the rise and decline of states primarily based upon the differences between sedentary and nomadic societies, while the second discusses the reception of his work in ancient and modern times and the applications of his theory to modern sociology.

The first was well written considering that I knew nothing about Ibn Khaldun before starting this book, and I felt that his theories were condensed well enough while capturing the essence of his thoughts, but note that I know nothing of sociology so I might be completely wrong.

The second part could not convince me of the modern theoretical applications of Ibn Khaldun's theories. The author claims that sociologists are mistaken in only viewing Ibn Khaldun's work as a precursor to their own and should consider studying his theories for their own sake. I was not convinced of this, but as I said above, I know nothing of sociology.

I recommend this book , even if only to read about someone more machiavellian than the real Niccolo Machiavelli.