The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran Hardcover – 23 Sep 2008

Review

Praise for "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ
"
"In this delightful book, Hooman Majd, a gifted storyteller, takes us on a tour of his own private Persia, which is also the Iran of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The results are illuminating, humorous, sobering, and ultimately reassuring."
--Jon Lee Anderson, author of "The Fall of Baghdad"
"Hooman Majd is a stylish and engaging guide through the by-ways of Iranian life. Leading us from seminary to opium den to the presidential compound, his wry sense of humor makes this book a pleasure to read." --Gary Sick, Ph.D., senior research scholar at Columbia University and member of the National Security Council staff under presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan
"A witty, timely perspective on the nation posing the greatest challenge to our next President. Travel writing often makes for easy reading at the expense of relevant information, which gets lost in the details. Not so with" The Ayatollah Begs to Differ,""
--Bill White, mayor of Houston and U.S. secretary of energy under President Clinton

"Perhaps the best book yet written on the contradictions of contemporary Iran.... It captures like no book in recent memory the ethos of the country, in elegant and precise prose." --"Los Angeles Times"

"Illuminating.... Captivating.... A discerning guide to a complex country." --"Christian Science Monitor"

"Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the paradox that is Iran (as well as America) in the post-Bush world." --"GQ"

"In this delightful book, Hooman Majd, a gifted storyteller, takes us on a tour of his own private Persia, which is also the Iran of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The results are illuminating, humorous, sobering, and ultimately reassuring."

--Jon Lee Anderson, author of The Fall of Baghdad

"Hooman Majd is a stylish and engaging guide through the by-ways of Iranian life. Leading us from seminary to opium den to the presidential compound, his wry sense of humor makes this book a pleasure to read." --Gary Sick, Ph.D., senior research scholar at Columbia University and member of the National Security Council staff under presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan

"A witty, timely perspective on the nation posing the greatest challenge to our next President. Travel writing often makes for easy reading at the expense of relevant information, which gets lost in the details. Not so with""The Ayatollah Begs to Differ."

--Bill White, mayor of Houston and U.S. secretary of energy under President Clinton

Perhaps the best book yet written on the contradictions of contemporary Iran.... It captures like no book in recent memory the ethos of the country, in elegant and precise prose. Los Angeles Times

Illuminating.... Captivating.... A discerning guide to a complex country. Christian Science Monitor

Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the paradox that is Iran (as well as America) in the post-Bush world. GQ

In this delightful book, Hooman Majd, a gifted storyteller, takes us on a tour of his own private Persia, which is also the Iran of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The results are illuminating, humorous, sobering, and ultimately reassuring.

Jon Lee Anderson, author of The Fall of Baghdad

Hooman Majd is a stylish and engaging guide through the by-ways of Iranian life. Leading us from seminary to opium den to the presidential compound, his wry sense of humor makes this book a pleasure to read. Gary Sick, Ph.D., senior research scholar at Columbia University and member of the National Security Council staff under presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan

A witty, timely perspective on the nation posing the greatest challenge to our next President. Travel writing often makes for easy reading at the expense of relevant information, which gets lost in the details. Not so with The Ayatollah Begs to Differ.

Bill White, mayor of Houston and U.S. secretary of energy under President Clinton

About the Author

Hooman Majd was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1957, and educated in the West. He has written about Iran for GQ, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and the New York Observer, and was executive vice president at Island Records and head of film and music at Palm Pictures. A contributing editor at Interview magazine, he lives in New York City. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.