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Chapters: Tehran Province, Rey, Iran, Ekbatan, Greater Tehran, Tehran County, Pakdasht County, Malard County, Shahr-E Qods County, Qarchak. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 45. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Tehran Province -Tehran has been Iran's capital since 1778. The towering Alborz mountain range in Tehran rises above modern high-rises of Elahiyeh district.The province of Tehran has over 12 million inhabitants and is Iran's most densely-populated region. Approximately 86.5 percent reside in urban areas and 13.5 percent in rural areas of the province. The highest point of the province is Mount Damavand, at an elevation of 5678 m above sea level; the lowest point of the province is the plains of Varamin, 790 m above sea level. The province contains more than 330 square kilometres of forests, and over 12'800 square kilometres of pasture. The largest rivers of this province are Karaj River and Jajrud River. Mountain ranges such as The Alborz span the north; Savad Kooh and Firooz Kooh are located in the north east; Lavasanat, Qarah Daq, Shemiranat, Hassan Abad and Namak Mountains are in the southern areas; Bibi Shahr Banoo and Alqadr are situated in the south east and the heights of Qasr-e-Firoozeh being located to the east of the province. Environmentally speaking, the climate of Tehran province in the southern areas is warm and dry, but in the mountain vicinity is cold and semi-humid, and in the higher regions is cold with long winters. The hottest months of the year are from mid-July to mid-September when temperatures range from 28°-30°C and the coldest months experience 1°C around December-January, but at certain times in winter it can reach -15°C. Tehran city has moderate winters and hot summers. Average annual rainfall is approximately 200 mm, the maximum being during the...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=202698 ... Read more

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Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Iran-Contra," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Iran-Contra in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Iran-Contra when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Iran-Contra, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

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Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Iran-Iraq," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Iran-Iraq in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Iran-Iraq when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Iran-Iraq, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A quick, factual read
Iran, so much in the news these days, is a country of contradictions. On one hand, it is a very puritanical country controlled by Islamic clerics, where dissent is severely restricted. On the other hand, Iran is one of the oldest countries in the world, tracing its history back over 2,500 years. The name Persia (what Iran was called until the 1920s) conjures images of harems and Persian carpets, not chadors and religious police.

Throughout its history, Iran has had leaders who honestly cared about the people, as well as leaders who only cared about lining their own pockets. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when the last Shah was overthrown (another leader who cared more about the size of his bank accounts than about the people), and despite the existence of an elected Parliament, Iran has been run by hardliners.

Iran's official reason for moving toward nuclear power is that, one day, its huge oil and gas reserves will run out, so they should start looking at other forms of energy, sooner rather than later. They also don't have much in the way of refining capacity, so imports are needed. Iran accuses the West of nuclear hypocrisy. Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and they can't have nuclear power, but Israel and India, which have not signed the NPT, gets lots of nuclear help from America. Why? Granted, some actions and statements from the Iranian government have not helped the situation. Both America and Iran have plenty of reason to be very suspicious of the other's words and actions. Time will tell.

This is not meant to be a scholarly, comprehensive look at Iran, but a quick, factual read full of information that won't be found in the American news media. It works very well, and is very much recommended.

Engaging book on Iran
With the uproar over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia University last week, views and opinions were aired on both sides of the free speech fence. But amidst those expressing support or dissent of Ahmadinejad's right to speak and his backwards views on the Holocaust (obviously few expressed support of that statement), how many have a grasp on more than a passing pop-history of his country and, consequently, his rise to the presidency? In John Farndon's new book, Iran: Everything You Need to Know, a basis for the present situation in Iran is presented through a brief look at the country's history.

Because of the ability of [All Access] to get their books on the shelves quickly, Iran: Everything You Need to Know, published in April of this year, contains detailed events involving Iran that run all the way up to late February. The book also includes extensive historical information dating back 5000-6000 years ago exploring the Elamites, the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and the Sassanians, among othes. Surprisingly, Farndon's effortless writing style manages to make an elaborately expansive history lesson fly by like an adventure novel.

Offering in-depth examinations of important political and religious figures in Iran's history (from Mohammad to Ayatollah Khomeini), as well as world affairs and historical events (the Iran-Iraq war and the 1953 coup, for example), Farndon's book is a brief historical map of Iranian history that offers readers something of a behind-the-scenes look at a country that is becoming increasingly more noticeable in the modern world. Any Western reader wishing to develop a better understanding of this important Middle Eastern country should take it upon themselves to read this book. Many books may offer information on Iran, but few will offer it in such an engaging, non-biased, easy-to-digest format.
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Great Introduction
My nephews are half Persian and this counting book will give them (they're one) and their mom an introduction into the culture and heritage of Iran and Persia.

Another sad example of poor research
Here's another example of poor research (for a 2007 book) along with, to be fair, beautiful art that unfortunately doesn't even represent the landscape of Iran (i.e. Palm trees!) Even the cover view could be from an Iran of the 1910's. Come on: even some of the numbers are mispronounced!What a shame....and what a mediocrity in the age of information superhighway. ... Read more

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Chapters: Valiasr Street, Tajrish, Kumarli, Iran, Varamin, Jomhuri, Pardis Technology Park, Ekbatan, Mellat Park, Roudehen, Navvab Expressway, Niavaran Palace Complex, Shahrak-E Gharb, Pasdaran, Damavand City, Sa'adat Abad, Farmanieh, Dizin, Yusef Abad, Gholhak, Zahir-Od-Dowleh Cemetery, Zafaraniyeh, North Tehran, Taleghan, Tehranpars, Vanak, Tangeh Savashi, Tehransar, Ekhtiarieh, Mahmoodieh, Velenjak, Shahr-E Bazi, Darband, Tehran, Jamshidieh Park, Firuzkuh, Behesht-E Zahra, Eslamshahr County, Khavaran Cemetery, Laleh Park, Parand, Shemshak, Amir Abad, Kilan, Darrous, Chitgar Park, Gohardasht, Evin, Seyed Khandan, Greater Tehran, Mirdamad Boulevard, Shahran, Tehran, Narmak, Lavizan, Doulat, Sadeghiyeh, Gheytarieh, Davoodiyeh, Jamaran, Gisha, Tehran County, Pakdasht County, List of Tehran Metropolis Parks, Farahzad, Firuzkuh County, Toopkhaneh, Afjeh, Niavaran Park, Nazarabad County, Damavand County, Kholeno, Javadiyeh, Lavizan-Shian, Tarasht, Karaj County, Ghar-E-Roodafshan, Mehran, Park-E Shahr, Varyan, Talian, Iran, Kamranieh, Shahriar, Tehran, Malard County, Andisheh, Shahr-E Qods, Dardasht, Shahrara, Golestan, Iran, Shahr-E Qods County, Andar, Iran, Nasimshahr, Nazi Abad, Ararat Stadium, Hesarak, Karaj, Jannat Abad, Darakeh, Robat Karim, Tajriysh, Punak, Afsariyeh, Baharestan, Hafthoz, Resalat, Aghdasieh, Giliard, Kargar Avenue, Shahr-E Ziba, Yaft Abad, Gomrok, Bagh Feiz, Arangeh, Kulaj, Sarsabz, Qarchak, Zarindasht, Sohanak, Dehkadeh Olampik, Galanduak. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 276. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Valiasr Street (Persian: ) is a tree-lined street in Tehran, Iran, dividing the metropolis into western and eastern parts. It is considered one of Tehran's main thoroughfares and commercial centres. It is also the longest street in the Middle East, and wa...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1924927 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Focus on Geography, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2007. The length of the article is 846 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Timeline of important events in Iran, 8,000 BCE to the present.(Chronology)
Author: M. Kamiar
Publication: Focus on Geography (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 49Issue: 4Page: 1(1)

Article Type: Chronology

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The Bush Administration has pursued several avenues to attempt to contain or end the potential threat posed by Iran, at times pursuing limited engagement, and at other times leaning toward pursuing efforts to change Iran's regime. Some experts believe a potential crisis is looming over Iran's nuclear program because the Bush Administration is sceptical that efforts by several European allies to prevent a nuclear breakout by Iran will succeed, although the Administration announced steps in March 2005 to support those talks. U.S. concerns have been heightened by the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an admitted hardliner, in Iran's presidential election on June 24, 2005. Some advocate military action against Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but others believe that a combination of diplomatic and economic rewards and punishment are the only viable options on the nuclear issue. U.S. sanctions currently in effect ban or strictly limit U.S. trade, aid, and investment in Iran and penalise foreign firms that invest in Iran's energy sector, but unilateral U.S. sanctions do not appear to have materially slowed Iran's WMD programs to date. Other major U.S. concerns include Iran's policy in the Near East region, particularly Iran's material support to groups that use violence against the U.S.-led Middle East peace process, including Hizballah in Lebanon and the Palestinian groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Some senior Al Qaeda activists are in Iran as well, although Iran claims they are 'in custody' and will be tried. Iran did not obstruct the U.S. effort to oust Iraq's Saddam Hussein, a long-time Tehran adversary, at least partly in the expectation that pro-Iranian Shiite Islamic factions would come to power in Iraq in the aftermath. That result occurred as a product of 30 January, 2005 elections there. Iran is also assisting pro-Iranian local leaders in Afghanistan, although that support does not appear to be materially hindering the stabilisation and development of Afghanistan. Iran's human rights practices and strict limits on democracy have been consistently criticised by official U.S. and U.N. reports, particularly for Iran's suppression of political dissidents and religious and ethnic minorities. New limits on personal freedoms could be imposed by Ahmadinejad, who has consistently advocated a return to many of the original principles of the Islamic revolution as set down by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.However, Iran does hold elections for some positions, including that of president, suggesting to some experts that there might be benefits to engaging Iranian officials. According to this view, new sanctions or military action could harden Iran's positions without necessarily easing the potential threat posed by Iran. ... Read more

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Unlike much of the instant analysis that appeared at the time of the Iranian revolution, Iran: From Religious Dispute to Revolution is based upon extensive fieldwork carried out in Iran. Michael M. J. Fischer draws upon his rich experience with the mullahs and their students in the holy city of Qum, composing a picture of Iranian society from the inside-the lives of ordinary people, the way that each class interprets Islam, and the role of religion and religious education in the culture. Fischer's book, with its new introduction updating arguments for the post-Revolutionary period, brings a dynamic view of a society undergoing metamorphosis, which remains fundamental to understanding Iranian society in the early twenty-first century. ... Read more

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The shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, would remain on the throne for the foreseeable future: This was the firm conclusion of a top-secret CIA analysis issued in October 1978. One hundred days later the shah--despite his massive military, fearsome security police, and superpower support was overthrown by a popular and largely peaceful revolution. But the CIA was not alone in its myopia, as Charles Kurzman reveals in this penetrating work; Iranians themselves, except for a tiny minority, considered a revolution inconceivable until it actually occurred. Revisiting the circumstances surrounding the fall of the shah, Kurzman offers rare insight into the nature and evolution of the Iranian revolution and into the ultimate unpredictability of protest movements in general.

As one Iranian recalls, "The future was up in the air." Through interviews and eyewitness accounts, declassified security documents and underground pamphlets, Kurzman documents the overwhelming sense of confusion that gripped pre-revolutionary Iran, and that characterizes major protest movements.His book provides a striking picture of the chaotic conditions under which Iranians acted, participating in protest only when they expected others to do so too, the process approaching critical mass in unforeseen and unforeseeable ways. Only when large numbers of Iranians began to "think the unthinkable," in the words of the U.S. ambassador, did revolutionary expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy. A corrective to 20-20 hindsight, this book reveals shortcomings of analyses that make the Iranian revolution or any major protest movement seem inevitable in retrospect.

Customer Reviews (4)

Good book
First class, possibly classic, study of the revolution. Incisive, thought-provoking and a host of other complementary adjectives, it's even a bit of a page turner - at least for the Iran history-buff. Academics may find themselves lonesome for jargon and convoluted prose but they can take heart in the footnotes, which are unparalleled in their thoroughness, making the book a veritable bibliography for students of the revolution. The text is only 172 pages but has another 100+ devoted to sources, bibliography and index.

One caveat: This is a book about the overthrow of the monarchy. If you want dissection of the important events in the years after the shah's ouster that transformed Iran into an Islamic Republic under the principle of clerical rule, you'll have to look elsewhere.

A dispassionate voice that Iranians will ignore at their peril
Kurzman's research is thorough, systematic and dispassionate. He demolishes the Economic arguments many of the leftists have marshalled in explaining the root causes of Revolution. He does so by recourse to Macroeconomic data and comparative analysis of similar economies.

He is equally convincing when he argues against the supposed inefficiency of State suppression under the Shah; the armed forces were not so much ineffective in the act of suppression as 'being overwhelmed' by the magnitude of the insurrection. The proponents of this discourse have according to Kurzman not seen the logic of the Shahs carrot and stick approach.

On cultural issues too he takes to task the discourse of the `Mosque network' as the activists godsend for mobilising a largely religious and devout people. He argues convincingly that even by as late as summer of 1978 many of the Mullahs were either non-committal or at least cowed by the potential wrath of the system

The conclusion that Kurzman draws and- one that I still do not share so readily- is that there is no explanation for this Revolution. At least there is no explanation that can withstand the critical scrutiny of dispassionate academic inquiry. Adequate explanations may not exist, not by virtue of their non-existence, but by the non-transparent information asymmetry that has pervaded Iranian political landscape

I would have also liked Kurzman to dedicate a chapter to the discourse that argues that the Shah had by 1953 lost all legitimacy to rule. It would have been interesting to see how a rational, academic and cerebral mind such as Kurzman's would have countered this argument.

Nevertheless I very much salute this as a sober inquiry that Iranians must take on board. Kurzman may not have convinced me of the Anti-Explanation discourse but he will most definitely have shifted the analytical paradigm. His book is extremely well written and easy to read and should appeal to Researcher and layman alike.

Sociology Gives Up explaining theIranian Revolution?
Working within a relatively small timeframe (1977-1979), Kurzman methodically examines five explanatory paradigms which have hitherto been mobilized to explain the success of the Iranian Islamic Revolution.Emplotting each paradigm on a brisk narrative of the revolution itself, he begins with the political explanations (attributing the revolution to increased liberalization), organizational explanations (focusing on mosque and university networks), cultural explanations (pointing to the utilization of 40 day martyrdom mourning cycle as a means of sustaining protest), economic explanations (citing the gridlock caused by thenation-wide strikes in key industries), and military explanations (pointing to the feeble attempts of the Shah's forcesto restore state control).Each of these he finds inadequate and only some completely false.At best, an explanation remains partial but not compelling for the whole.Moreover, they demonstrate a consistent occurrence of the `inversion of cause and effect', e.g., student mobilization created the utility of the mosque networks, mobilization led to the state's economic crisis, not vice versa.

Kurzman attempts to cut the Gordian knot by offering his own`anti-explanation'-namely, the revolution succeeded when it become viable in the minds of its core constituents.This `anti-explanation', he asserts, is non-predictive because it depends on the anomalous nature of the agency of social actors.What is left for the sociologist is to strive for an understanding of a peculiar, unique event.

This deconstructive enterprise is essentially a treatise against retroactive prediction that argues rather for sociological reconstructions of historical events rather an attempt to derive patterns for the sake of being able to predict when future, nascent revolutions are about to occur.Kurzman unconsciously it seems hasmerely constructed an argument for the values of social-history over sociology as such.Where his novel, so-called `anti-explanation' differs from what we call `history' eludes me.

Overall, the writing in the book is fluid, lucid and accompanied by a nice balance of anecdote and analysis.His usage of jargon is sparse and rare-limited mostly to a few quotes from famous sociologists such as Bourdieu and Parsons.He demonstrates a familiarity with Persian culture and language that manifests itself in many subtle ways through the work.General readers, historians and sociologists will find this book an immensely rewarding study.

Read for the story and its lessons - not what you'd expect.
The Iranian Revolution was totally unexpected before it happened. It is difficult to fathom this essential truth after the fact. The Shah had the military and secret service as well as wealth to put down any revolution it was assumed. In any case material progress and modernization were moving ahead to provide benefits and quell discontent. The Revolution didn't care! It came anyway. But it could not be predicted by any of the social sciences: economics, political science, sociology, etc. Nor by religion.

Kurzman, himself a Sociologist, uses each chapter to apply these disciplinary viewpoints and show their limitations in explaining events. Circumstances, and personal decisions, became crucial when enough people changed their own expectations to believe that revolution might really be possible - to think the unthinkable.. Khomeini was critical for this but as a catalyst for various grievances both liberal and revolutionary to seem to have a chance of success.

Close examination in each chapter show anomalies, confusion, lack of central control. Culture contributed but was remade in the process. Shi'a religious organization gave it some coordination and direction lacking for many other elements but can not be said to be solely responsible for the revolution.

Two important corollaries follow from this, although Kurzman makes little of either.

First the Fundamentalist Iranian Revolution is not the Bogeyman that many see. It inspired enthusiasm among some Muslims in various parts of the world but was not a model to be copied. It was not "typical" of Islam (among other things Iran was Shi'a with a somewhat unique religious elite unlike Ulema or Sufis elsewhere). There were many motives and supporters that were practical and not `religious'. US antipathy is more a knee jerk reaction than based on understanding of Iran or of Islam.

Also it is clear that the various social sciences and traditional approaches to explaining revolution need History - each situation is unique and "unthinkable" before it happens; there exist not sufficient "laws" to predict revolution. None of the disciplinary approaches hold together without history too.

Kurzman's book is interesting therefore in numerous ways: the description of the Revolution; the acts and thoughts of individual participants; the anomalies and limitations of causation theory of various social sciences. The policy implications are consequential and should not be ignored. ... Read more

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US Foreign Policy and Iran is a study of US foreign policy decision-making in relation to Iran and its implications for Middle Eastern relations. It offers a new assessment of US-Iranian relations by exploring the rationale, effectiveness and consequences of American policy towards Iran from the aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the present day.

As a key country in a turbulent region and the recipient of some of the most inconsistent treatment meted out during or after the Cold War, Iran has been both one of America's closest allies and an 'axis of evil' or 'rogue' state, targeted by covert action and contained by sanctions, diplomatic isolation and the threat of overt action. Moreover, since the attacks of 11 September 2001, Iran has played a significant role in the war on terror while also incurring American wrath for its links to international terror and its alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapons programme.

US Foreign Policy and Iran will be of interest to students of US foreign policy, Iran, Middle Eastern Politics and international security in general

Donette Murray is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Defence and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. She was awarded a PhD in International History by the University of Ulster in 1997.

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Sir Aurel Stein's name is notably associated with the extensive excavations and explorations in the Central and Innermost Asia. He undertook several exploration journeys to the interior of Asia and used Sanskrit, Persian, Chinese, Turkish, Greek and Latin as scholarly tools to unlock the geographical puzzles. He unearthed numerous long buried sites in the desert sands of Central Asia, exposing a long forgotten civilisation and ancient remains and culture of avery rich heritage. Innermost Asia constitutes the story of his rediscovering the Ancient Silk Route from the passage land of westernmost China across the Tarim basin to the uppermost reaches of Oxus and to Iran and Hindukush valleys. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Azerbaijanor Azarbaijan also Iranian Azerbaijan,Persian Azarbaijan , is a region in northwestern Iran. It is also historically known as Atropatene andAturpatakan. The region is referred to by some as South Azerbaijan or Southern Azerbaijan, however somescholars and sources view these terms as beingirredentist and politically motivated. For moreinformation see the article History of the nameAzerbaijan. ... Read more