In 1979, seemingly overnight-- moving at a clip some thirty years faster than the rest of the world-- Iran became the first revolutionary theocracy in modern times. Since then, the country has been largely a black box to the West, a sinister presence looming over the horizon. But inside Iran, a breathtaking drama has unfolded since then, as religious thinkers, political operatives, poets, journalists, and activists have imagined and reimagined what...

A French-Iranian journalist recounts how her first post-revolution visit home to Iran in 1998 turned into a ten-year stay during which she witnessed remarkable political transformations and came to understand life under a volatile regime of suspicion and fear.

Who really rules Iran today? How are decisions made in a system that appears so chaotic? Is the current political structure doomed to conflict? This study of one of the most secretive regimes in the contemporary world traces the historical, religious, cultural, and political roots of the Khomeinist revolution and analyzes the way it has grown into a pseudo-religious ideology over the past three decades. Journalist Taheri dissects a regime that has...

The son of an Iranian diplomat and the grandson of an ayatollah grew up in exile, yet he also remained closely attached to his homeland. Majd's reports on his travels throughout Iran try to explain the economic, political, and social forces that lie at its heart, and to show the paradoxes of the Iranian character that have baffled Americans.

"A chronicle of the Iranian-American journalist's imprisonment, as well as a look at Iran and its political tensions"--Provided by publisher.

With lucid analysis and engaging storytelling, USA Today senior diplomatic correspondent Barbara Slavin portrays the complex love-hate relationship between Iran and the United States. She takes into account deeply imbedded cultural habits and political goals to illuminate a struggle that promises to remain a headline story over the next decade. In this fascinating look, Slavin provides details of thwarted efforts at reconciliation under both the Clinton...

"With U.S.-Iran relations at a thirty-year low, Iranian-American writer Hooman Majd dared to take his young family on a year-long sojourn in Tehran. 'The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay' traces their domestic adventures and closely tracks the political drama of a terrible year for Iran's government. It was an "annus horribilis" for Iran's Supreme Leader. The Green Movement had been crushed, but the regime was on edge, anxious lest democratic...