Review '...a necessary and previously unknown chapter for any future history of drug abuse.' Lenn Evan Goodman, The Middle East Journal, 1974. '...eine der wertvollsten Informationsquellen zum Thema des Hashisch in der islamischen Gesellschaft.' G. Strohmaier, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, 1977. '...far-reaching and well executed study.' R.B. Serjeant, Bull. of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 1972. '...much useful and otherwise inaccessible information will be welcomed by scholars on many fronts.' Jerry Stannard, Isis, 1972. '...provides a striking picture of the medieval Islamic world's knowledge of and attitudes towards drug use - particularly hashish.' Raymond Prince, Newsletter-Review, 1972. '...solte von jedem Sozialwissenschaftler, der sich mit dem modernen Orient beschäftigt, eingesehen werden.' Wolfgang Slim Freund, Die dritte Welt, 1973. '...Professor Rosenthal is to be thanked for bringing these important medieval documents and discussions to light.' Sami Hamarneh, Pharmacy in History, 1973.

In Man versus Society in Medieval Islam , Franz Rosenthal (1914-2003) investigates the tensions and conflicts that existed between individuals and society as the focus of his study of Muslim social history. The book brings together works spanning fifty years: the monographs The Muslim Concept of Freedom , The Herb. Hashish versus Medieval Muslim Society (Brill, 1971), Gambling in Islam (Brill, 1975), and Sweeter than Hope. Complaint and Hope in Medieval Islam (Brill,1983), along with all the articles on unsanctioned practices, sexuality, and institutional learning. Reprinted here together for the first time, they constitute the most extensive collection of source material on all these themes from all genres of Arabic writing, judiciously translated and analyzed. No other study to date presents the panorama of medieval Muslim societies in their manifold aspects in as detailed, comprehensive, and illuminating a manner.