Ali Dashti

Cited by Ibn Warraq, Dashti is a much better writer and well-versed in the topic he is addressing. An excellent read for those at least slightly skeptical of Islam, but may prove difficult for people lacking a solid background in Muhammmad and the Quran as the Muslims perceive them.

For those interested in Orientalism, as well as those opposed to Orientalist condecension, there could be no better book. This work throughly examines all of the evidence about Omar Khayyam's life and brings to light many facts about the elusive poet-philosopher-mathematician that tend to be overlooked by non-Persians.