One of Esposito's books is "The Islamic Threat: Myth or
Reality?" Did you read that? If so, you know that he's
no idiot. Having said that, it should be recognized that
he is what I call an "apologist" for Islam and I don't
use that adjective favorably. In fact, one has to read
various authors, compare them and evaluate them in the
light of other experts. There are much better authorities
on the subject who give a far more accurate appraisal.
I recommend "The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of the
Arabs", by David Pryce-Jones and "The Two Faces of Islam",
by Schwartz. There are many others but those two are
excellent. One can only see a writer's perspective by
comparison and good critical reviews.
Shall I send you MY bibliography? Esposito is a fool. He doesn't have a clue about Islam.