BOOK REVIEW – Iran: The Essential Guide to a Country on the Brink

Iran: The Essential Guide to a Country on the Brink

Title: Iran:  The Essential Guide to a Country on the Brink

Author: The Encyclopedia Britannica

Publisher: Wiley (February 3, 2006)

Up until a few weeks ago my only exposure to Iranian (Persian) culture came from the USA media.  As a result, I lumped Iran with Iraq and all the other “Arab” cultures who were out to get ‘Americans.’

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

As images of protesting men and women – my age – flashed across my TV, I realized I knew vary little about Iran and the Iranian people.  I knew I needed to get outside the US media bubble.  So, right before I boarded a plane to California, I went to Amazon on my Kindle and downloaded Iran: The Essential Guide to a Country on the Brink. I figured that anything authored by The Encyclopedia Britannica and published by Wiley couldn’t be too bad.

I don’t think I’ve ever learned more on an airplane in my life.  I learned that the Iranian people are not ‘Arab,’ they are Persian.  I learned that many Persians resent the United States because they see American meddling as the reason they do not have a strong democracy today.  I learned that, while Iran has been predominately Muslim for a long time, it didn’t become an Islamic republic until 1978.  I also learned that Muslims in Iran are predominately Shi’a and, in contrast,  Osama Bin Ladin is from Saudi Arabia and is a Sunni Muslim.  I also learned that a Persian Shah released the Israelites from captivity and allowed them to return to Jerusalem.

In short, I learned that there is a lot more to Iran and the Persian people than terrorists and nuclear weapons.

Iran: The Essential Guide to a Country on the Brink is a collection of short articles on politics, culture, religion, and history.  Some focus on historical events like the Gulf War.  Others talk about the role of the Clerics in Persian culture and government.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting an introduction to Iran and the Persian people.

This book review is a guest post by Thomas L. Carey.