Iran (Countries of the World)

An introduction to the geography, history, government, lifestyles, culture, and current issues of Iran.

Gr 5-8-An adequate introduction to Iran. The text is written in a lively style, and the photos are well chosen, interesting, and appropriate to the context. An overview covers the history of the country from ancient days to the present, as well as the geography, the people and their culture, and literature and the arts. Margin notes refer readers to various related chapters in the second section, "A Closer Look at Iran." The final part deals with Iran and North America and gives a fair and balanced summary of their relationship during the past century. Unfortunately, the map of the country is located at the back of the book, instead of with the geography section. Also, it is too busy. Every province is delineated on it, but students will have trouble finding the physical features, the mountains, rivers, plains, and deserts. Finally, while there is a chapter on Zoroastrianism, there is not one on Islam. The history section briefly mentions the Arab conquest, but not that it was the introduction of Islam into Persia, which influenced so much from that time hence. Islam is mentioned in sidebars, but facts about its practices are sprinkled throughout the text. Still, the information is solid, making this a useful book for reports.-Carol Johnson Shedd, National Outreach Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

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