Instruct: Classify a given Amazon review as either positive or negative.
Query: BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS, DRY WRITING

The golden first thousand years of Islamic history is the main subject here. It is a fascinating time, indeed. Unfortunately the story is told by these authors in writing as dry as the sands of Arabia. Every key event, from the rise of Muhammad to the Shia-Sunni split to the Ottomans, is described in the manner of a school report. With so many books out these days on Islam and its history, readers can afford to skip this one. The best part of this work is the illustrations. The photos in the inset are among the most beautiful I have seen in a while and keep the book from being a total washout.The authors set out to counter negative views of Islam and encourage religious tolerance in the West. There is nothing wrong with this as such; boring readers to sleep will not assist the process however.