“A worthy companion of the author’s The Revolt of the Masses. Both books are marked by the brilliance; originality; and depth of the author’s interpretation of the crisis of our age and of the basic historical processes.†―Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science A brilliant examination of the twentieth century predicament in the light of the shift in Rome from paganism to Christianity and the transition from the static world of the Middle Ages to the expanding one of the Renaissance.
#610175 in Books Doubleday 2008-09-23 2008-09-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.54 x 1.16 x 6.43l; 1.14 #File Name: 0385523343288 pagesGreat product!
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good Information About Iran; But You Have To Work Your Way Through A Turgid Writing Style To Get To ItBy RetireeThis book has interesting information about Iran; but you have to force your way through a horrible writing style to get it. This author has never learned to write a simple declarative sentence. His sentences are long; wandering; disorganized and muddled. I often had to go back and read a sentence several times to figure out what the point was. But once I learned how to work through what he was saying; he had some interesting facts to share. This would have been a much better book if the publisher had assigned an editor to it. Unfortunately there are not many books about modern Iran; so there is not much competition for this one.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Cultural and Political Window on IranBy Will JeromContent Summary: This book is primarily a cultural window into modern Iranian society - which is admittedly a paradox of secularized; even Westernized youth; and ultra-conservative Shia clergy who still govern the State. Majd is very apologetic for the reformists; such as Ayatollah Khatami; who are part of the regime. Even the reformists like Khatami; however; are not going to back off a theocratic Shia-Islamic state. He portrays a battle between more moderate voices like Khatami's; and radicals like Ahmadinejad. In the midst of this; he provides us with a cultural window into what Iran is like; from the perspective of a man who straddles the vast divide between the United States and Iran.Analytical Review: Some may be wary of Majd's relative lack of severe criticism for the Iranian regime. Suffice it to say; my understanding of Majd's intent wit this book is that he believes enough of that criticism has been said elsewhere. His purpose is to give a greater humantistic and cultural appreciation of a land that is inaccessible to the thought of most Americans. I believe he has succeeded for the most part; and if you are looking for a critical political overview of Iran's politics (which is certainly warranted) you should look elsewhere and read more. In a small but significant way; Majd shows the warts and promises inherent on a very ancient and paradoxical country.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting Book Demonstrating the Expat Bourgeoisie MentalityBy Tenchi in DCThis book didn't seem to shed too much new light on internal dynamics of Iran. But it did seem but dint of its organization and meandering style of story telling; demonstrate the bourgeoisie attitude of the Iranian middle class. The story told from the first person is replete with anecdotal characters the author encounters throughout Iran who give evidence of the authors assertions and challenge western assumptions. After the long strange trip to Iran is over; you might be wondering why the author told it.
