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The Ayatollah Begs To Differ: The Paradox Of Modern Iran (2008)

by Hooman Majd(Favorite Author)

3.72 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0385523343 (ISBN13: 9780385523349)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Doubleday

review 1: This book provides a portrait of contemporary Iran, from an Iranian-American writer who travels extensively throughout the country. I liked the fact that he interviewed poorer and religious Iranians, as that provided a perspective into the country with which Westerners are not very familiar. He did a good job of explaining the staying power of the current government, and why people who are not necessarily religious themselves might support it. Nevertheless, I thought that he could have provided a broader picture of the society, and he was a bit overly political in some places.
review 2: A fascinating (although at times short sighted and rather white-washed) look into Iranian culture under the current regime. As Iran is one of the most important topics of the da... morey, it was vital for me to read as much as possible on the topic. Although the book provided a first hand look behind the scenes of the Iranian government, Majd is too close to power and too comfortable with his privileged position to actually critique the government or discuss the nastier aspects of fundamentalist rule.. As he says himself, "I have also served on a few occasions as an unpaid adviser to the Islamic Republic, bringing me into close contact with Presidents Khatami and Ahmadinejad...." The book is like a fantastic first hand witness, but unless you can cross examine them, you can never know the truth. less

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