Middle East Books

Foreign correspondent Jane Howard made her home in Iran for five years and raised her two children there: these experiences brought a more personal set of insights into the lives of everyday Iranian women, explored here. From tea in a nomad's tent to presidential places, Inside Iran: Women's Lives provides a different image of Iranian women than most books would offer, going beyond the veil to explore how they work outside the home, drive, and even become politicians. A fascinating report.

In her book, Howard discusses her life as the wife of a diplomat living in Iran for several years. She traveled all over Iran and met women from all walks of life; big city sophisticates, traditonal villagers, nomads and others. Howard discusses the ups and downs of women's lives in a totalitarian Islamic state where there is no freedom of speech or press; where saying or printing the wrong thing can result in imprisonment, fines and/or whippings. There are so many restrictions on Iranian women and Howard does a great job of describing how they get the proverbial short end of the stick in almost every aspect of life (one exception is that female homosexuality carries a lesser punishment than male homosexuality). She describes their brave struggles for personal freedoms and the same privileges that men currently enjoy.
"Inside Iran: Women's Lives" is best described by the author in one of the last paragraphs of her book:

"The general frustrations with everyday life here, the petty restrictions of the dress code and the restrictions on freedom of speech are tempered with the warmth and hospitality of Iranians. For me, it was a fascinating experience and a lot of fun. But for some women, not just foreigners, Iran sometimes feels like a life sentence from which they cannot escape."

Lots of charming black and white photos included.

Inside Lebanon: Journey to a Shattered Land with Noam and Carol Chomsky collects the gathered insights of Noam and Carol Chomsky during the course of their visit to Lebanon in May 2006 - only two months before Israel initiated a new military campaign against Lebanon and Palestine. Other experts such as Assaf Kfoury, Irene Gendzier, Hanaday Salman, Rasha Salti, and more also contribute their insights into the troubled region in separate essays. Context from both before and after the 2006 war, as well as background and framework information surround this harsh yet illuminating criticism that denounces cruelties committed by the United States and Israel as thoroughly as it condemns terrorist acts such as the September 11th attacks. "According to Bush, any state that harbors terrorists is a terrorist state and must be treated accordingly. It must be bombed and invaded. It seems to me that Bush is calling for the bombing of the United States. The United States harbors terrorists who are regarded as such by the FBI and the Justice Department. One of the worst is Orlando Bosch, the anti-Castro terrorist accused of about thirty terrorist acts by the FBI, among them the crash of a Cubana Airline plane killing seventy-three people. Bush's father, George Herbert Walker Bush, gave Bosch a presidential pardon. Bosch remained in the United States against the objections of the Justice Department, which regarded him as a national security threat." A sober, serious-minded critique, worthy as the spiritual successor to Thomas Friedman's classic "From Beirut to Jerusalem" (though the political viewpoints of the respective authors are not necessarily congruent). Highly recommended.

This is a valuable and timely book, in two parts. The first part contains lectures given in Lebanon by Noam Chomsky in May 2006, and essays and interviews from that time. Contributors include a number of respected academics, journalists and community workers from Lebanon and the United States. The second part consists of essays and other materials discussing Israel's incursion into Lebanon in July and August 2006. In this section, there is are moving excerpts from a diary kept by a prominent Lebanese journalist, and dispatches written at the time by a journalist who reported on the conflict. The Israeli bombings killed tens of thousands of civilians, and provoked a debate within Israel as well as in the international community. I will recommend this book to my students and to colleagues and friends. It not only chronicles important events in Lebanon. Its authors help us see the relationship between the conflict in Lebanon, the war in Iraq and the long-term crisis in the Middle East.
Michael E. Tigar, law professor, lawyer, author

With this, his name-making book, Hilal Khashan offers insightful analysis of the Lebanese predicament as manifested by the Lebanese themselves. He is to be commended for his courageous and path-breaking study. Professor Khashan has done what no other specialist on Lebanon has dared or could articulate before -- he has the presented the bitter facts as they are. This is one of the very few books on Lebanon that will guide us to a better understanding of Lebanese politics in the next millenium and beyond!

Hilal Khashan, Lebanon's leading pollster, has written a cogent book that provided me with deep theoretical and methodological insights during the preparation of my Ph.D. thesis. In fact, many researchers on education employing the content analysis approach to confessional pluralism in Lebanon find this impressive empirical work useful to uncover the complex set of aggregated political factors which are pronounced and perhaps reproduced in this country's educational policies and practices. Judged by the sheer mass of new data and complex analysis which Professor Khashan provides, this book represents a major contribution to the understanding of the subtle and complex nature of the confessional conflict in Lebanon. This monograph has a twofold objective; first, it reviews some interesting methodological issues; and second, it presents the cornucopia of original findings reported by the author. The title of the book signifies a relatively new approach to research on the roots of the corrosive confessional conflict in Lebanon. This approach incorporates a range of theoretical perspectives and original quantitative-qualitative research techniques.... Khashan's work transcends all other works on Lebanon by the quality and comprehensiveness of his data, as well as the sophisticated statistical techniques which he expertly utilizes. This is a truly an unsurpassed book on Lebanese society. It tackles without apology difficult issues which most Lebanese do not like to discuss or even admit. ...Khashan's incorporation of regression analysis filled much of the gap caused by the paucity of empirical data on Lebanon's political viability. Shortage of statistics as those generated by the author in the past tended to stymie research on politics in Lebanon. In this book Khashan has addressed the political arena of Lebanon from a wholly new perspective for which he must be commended. Any observer of post-Tai'f Lebanese politics will readily endorse the author's conclusions and approve of his recommendations. This work shall continue to guide scholars surfeited of research in their own field into provocative horizons. Kamal E. Abouchedid, PhD., Center for Ethnic Studies in Education, The University of Manchester, UK.

Very enjoyable. A collection of Mr. Khuri's writings, the title and cover image accurately reflect the content. And a Lebanese man I know laughed and agreed when he heard Khuri's description of "Lebanese:" "It is a profession, not a nationality."

Also worthwhile for dispelling notions that there is no humor in the Middle East.

After reading this book, I wish I'd known Faud Khuri, a generous and good man who had a life well lived.

Here is a slender memoir of a Lebanese-American anthropologist's experiences plying his trade throughout the Levant and Middle East, studying power structures throughout the region. The reason behind the title as explained by Khuri is that whenever he explained what he did for a living, his friends and relatives back home in Lebanon would laugh uproariously at the thought of such an oddly named profession.

Khuri, who received his PhD from the University of Oregon, is charmingly self-deprecating in the telling of his story, obscuring the fact that his work was groundbreaking (his book Emirs and Imans is essential for understanding the differences between the region's various Islamic sects, including how their theology informs their politics). Even in this book, there are little, almost throw-away insights that forced me to reconsider some of my notions about the Middle East.

It's also apparent that Khouri was a decent and gentle soul, someone who saw worth of experience in everyone. Couldn't recommend this book more highly.

The story of Iqbal changed my perception of a child's place in the world. Who would have thought a four-year-old could be sold for approximately twelve dollars and forced to work in a rug factory? Who could imagine that a twelve-year-old Iqbal could speak for the rights of children in Pakistan?

This book made me angry and it made me cry. Susan Kuklin describes the lives of poor Pakistani families who are forced to sell their children into a life of bondage. This compelling piece of creative non-fiction is aimed at the middle school market, but the story is universal, and the black and white photos allow the reader into a world that is not an urban tale--but all too real. A must read for anyone that is interested in the future of the world's children.

I'm a media specialist at BelleVue Middle School in Florida. A small group of students and I read this book together. My students were shocked that many villages in Pakistan are too poor to have schools. They compared younger brothers and sisters to Iqbal in the factory. They learned a great deal about mobility and what it would be like to not have it. This book has a helpful index and glossary of terms as well as descriptive side-bars that make research easy.

In the month of December of the year 1994, there was a 12yr old boy honored as a hero. Iqbal Masih had been a child slave in a Pakastani carpet factory. Five months later Masih had been murdered in his own homeland. Though his life was taken, his actions live on as he inspired middle school students world-wide and adults to help free and educate the child laborers. This is a powerful story of a courageous boys life and death. Masih was a remarkable boy who lived a very full, inspirational life in a tragically short life spand of only twelve years.

Printed in 1978 this book presents a view of Iran before the revalution. Probibly pro goverment at that time. Large color photos of (then) current projects and seens of art, articture and culture. With lots of text and footnotes. Large hardcover.

this book was written during the late shah's time. it clearly describes the fast pace iran was on and how wonderful this country is. Grow your own mind and dont listen to what the media wants you to see about iran its people and its amazing culture and natural resources.

I can't imagine a better, easier to read, more informative little book on a country that has been in the center of world politics from biblical times to the present, that few westerners know much about. In 80 some odd pages, the history, geopolitical, economic, and, religious overview, of this country is presented in the simplest, most direct and non-partisan point of view imaginable. All the salient facts of this country and its people are laid out and factually presented in a way that will surely interest the historian, as well as, the layman, in understanding why this country is so important to the world view of our global village. A huge step in bringing awareness to a much needed subject and how Iran is positioned in not only the life of the middle east, but, to our own western culture. Highly recommended!!

This book by Amanda Roraback is not only timely, but a complete compendium of Iran from its Historical beginnings right up to the present date of printing. Covering history, geographical data, political history and sociological backgrounds, this book is a gem for anyone interested in Iran and its part in current Middle Eastern affairs. It is seriously objective, a task not easily accomplishedin today's turbulent world.

Regardless of the reader's religious or political position, this book is a must and sheds a great deal of light on the most current problematic area of the world, giving us a better understanding of how we might have gotten there.

Just look at some of the contents, including: Iraqi-Iranian War, the Oil issues (OPEC), Iran's Nuclear program, a Shi-ite Glossary, Iran & Terrorism, Ayatollah Khomeini and of course, "How to Build a Nuclear Bomb" and "Path to Becoming an Ayatollah".

Having read a "Iraq in a Nutshell", and a "Palestine-Israel in a Nutshell", I am already used to her methodical and complete coverage of these subjects. "Iran in Nutshell", follows these outlined formats and is must to anyone interested in current events and accurate Historical backgrounds of this country.

Like the other books in this series, this 82 page book is a well chosen abbreviated encyclopedia on Iran and is a bargain at the published price of USA $7.95. No longer will you have to struggle to "get up to speed", on Iran.

Gorgeous photos.Fabulous information. It's a shame we can't visit this architecturally historic country.

Patricia Baker is a lecturer, writer and tour leader specializing in Islamic are and having traveled to Iran over 16 times since her first visit in 1971. She draws from his considerable experience and expertise in Iran: The Bradt Travel Guide to provide the tourist, student, or businessman with guidance on cultural awareness, religious sensitivity, and absolute do's and don'ts as well as a region-by-region guideline to getting around in different areas of Iran with black-and-white maps to follow. An absolute "must-read" for any male or female visitor to Iran, as familiarity with rules and customs could spare one from an unhappy detention; for example, the Iranian prohibition against cards, gambling and backgammon extends to such things as fuzzy car dice, woman must not walk unescorted at night or they will be presumed prostitutes, and no visitor should eat, drink, or smoke during the daylight hours of the Ramadan religious holidays regardless of their personal faith, else the repercussions to themselves and their sponsors will be severe. Yet Iran: The Bradt Travel Guide is far more than a list of proscriptions and warnings; it is also a tour of the cultural and historical wonders of Iran, a glimpse into the recent transformations of the society, and an in-depth guide of where to go and what to experience. Now in an updated second edition, Iran: The Bradt Travel Guide is a "must-have" for visitors who want not only to see the sights of this proud nation, but to understand its character as much as possible.

Iran, so much in the news these days, is a country of contradictions. On one hand, it is a very puritanical country controlled by Islamic clerics, where dissent is severely restricted. On the other hand, Iran is one of the oldest countries in the world, tracing its history back over 2,500 years. The name Persia (what Iran was called until the 1920s) conjures images of harems and Persian carpets, not chadors and religious police.

Throughout its history, Iran has had leaders who honestly cared about the people, as well as leaders who only cared about lining their own pockets. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when the last Shah was overthrown (another leader who cared more about the size of his bank accounts than about the people), and despite the existence of an elected Parliament, Iran has been run by hardliners.

Iran's official reason for moving toward nuclear power is that, one day, its huge oil and gas reserves will run out, so they should start looking at other forms of energy, sooner rather than later. They also don't have much in the way of refining capacity, so imports are needed. Iran accuses the West of nuclear hypocrisy. Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and they can't have nuclear power, but Israel and India, which have not signed the NPT, gets lots of nuclear help from America. Why? Granted, some actions and statements from the Iranian government have not helped the situation. Both America and Iran have plenty of reason to be very suspicious of the other's words and actions. Time will tell.

This is not meant to be a scholarly, comprehensive look at Iran, but a quick, factual read full of information that won't be found in the American news media. It works very well, and is very much recommended.

With the uproar over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia University last week, views and opinions were aired on both sides of the free speech fence. But amidst those expressing support or dissent of Ahmadinejad's right to speak and his backwards views on the Holocaust (obviously few expressed support of that statement), how many have a grasp on more than a passing pop-history of his country and, consequently, his rise to the presidency? In John Farndon's new book, Iran: Everything You Need to Know, a basis for the present situation in Iran is presented through a brief look at the country's history.

Because of the ability of [All Access] to get their books on the shelves quickly, Iran: Everything You Need to Know, published in April of this year, contains detailed events involving Iran that run all the way up to late February. The book also includes extensive historical information dating back 5000-6000 years ago exploring the Elamites, the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and the Sassanians, among othes. Surprisingly, Farndon's effortless writing style manages to make an elaborately expansive history lesson fly by like an adventure novel.

Offering in-depth examinations of important political and religious figures in Iran's history (from Mohammad to Ayatollah Khomeini), as well as world affairs and historical events (the Iran-Iraq war and the 1953 coup, for example), Farndon's book is a brief historical map of Iranian history that offers readers something of a behind-the-scenes look at a country that is becoming increasingly more noticeable in the modern world. Any Western reader wishing to develop a better understanding of this important Middle Eastern country should take it upon themselves to read this book. Many books may offer information on Iran, but few will offer it in such an engaging, non-biased, easy-to-digest format.

I found this book up-to-date, very well written, and well arranged for easy reference.

This book provides an excellent overview of the history and psychology of this complex country, why it is in the difficult position it is in today, fascinating analyses, and some of the most authoritative background information available. It is highly perceptive and extremely readable.