I read this book with a specific intention: to look for information on pre-Islamic Saudi Arabian myths and Bedouin culture. While the book clearly isn’t meant to focus entirely on that, I did find some pretty interesting info and sources for me to look further into. Obviously readers wanting to get further insight into the story of Muhammad and the Golden Bough (which I personally knew nothing about) should read that story prior to starting this book so as to ensure the highest level of understanding. Basically, that story—along with its academic analysis—contradict the notion that Arabia lacks stories of a mythological nature.
I would definitely recommend this author as a reliable source on the history of Arabic language and literature. In terms of writing style, the book is extremely scholarly, with very long (almost paragraph-like!) sentences and highly advanced vocabulary, which had me constantly looking up words/terms. The lengthy footnotes also played a role in slowing down the reading, but as expected, were interesting and highly informative.