A review by theomnivorescientist
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran by Hooman Majd

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

 Iran. Everything is not as it seems. With an Iranian diplomat father, an ayatollah grandfather, British educated, American journalist, Farsi-speaking Majd gives an inside account of the modern Iran. We travel through modern Tehran during the later half of the 2000s as Majd explains Iranian idiosyncrasies like 'taarouf' (a way of self-deprecating bordering on lengthy polite diplomacy which is common to Iranian conversations), the concept of a 'laat' ( Farsi is amusing...a laat is our common neighborhood hooligan ), and an amazing eye-opener on Persian cats. This book showed me the side I have always wanted to see. The traveling journalist's account of his own country. Majd visits opium-smoking gatherings, religious functions at Qom, and late-night parties in Tehran. The picture of post-1979 Ayatollah Khomeini-led revolution that still flows in mainstream media is just passe. We meet Khatami, Ahmedinejad, Rouuhani, and many other religious and political characters throughout the book. For those who pronounce Iran as 'Eye-raan' this book is such a medication. The Islamic schism of Arab Sunni vs. Persian Shia is very well-defined albeit I wanted more on this topic.

Modern Iran is a fabric of ancient Persian pride (haq is an important aspect which governs Iranian socio-political canvas), the necessity of Islamic sinews in governance, and a balance of complexes about its place within the Western political space about its nuclear power ambitions. Amidst all this I never knew tomatoes were so expensive in Tehran. This book is a great start to my read-about-other-cultures resolution for 2021.