No true love in Tehran - Book reviewed

 

No True Love in Tehran: An American Trip to Iran by Kareem Aal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kareem is an American of Egyptian origin hence he does have an inkling of the Arab culture so his trip to Iran is not a huge culture shock for him.
I enjoyed reading the first half of the book and then the interest slackened.
Kareem does give some wonderful insights into the political and cultural circumstances of Iran hence it is a recommended read to get a glimpse of life in Iran during its turbulent times.
The author's thoughts keep jumping between life in the USA and Iran to find analogies for the stark differences and this is disturbing at times.

I will give below a few excerpts from the book to give you an idea of what to expect.

When you have a problem with someone, you should talk, Sanjar often said. Not doing so, or setting prohibitive conditions to doing so, could only mean that both sides desired the impasse...The result was that the citizens of each country had little chance to speak with one another and bypass the trolls guarding either side of the divide with their aging arsenals of propoganda.

Self-importance: that is the scent in the air of New York.

An hour with a man of learning is better than a thousand years studying on your own.

It was a place where you had to rely on people - not a system - if you wanted justice.

I don't undesrstand how someone can say they just love God or Jesus when they don't even know how to love another person!

I began to understand the larger goal of censorship: getting people's own minds to do the work of the police.

Perfection is a return to a preconceived notion.

It was the conditioning I had as a middle class American: you could go out anywhere and get served hand and foot, but to have someone serving you in your own home was both economically and culturally questionable.

What I learned was that they desired to do ordinary things without being subjected to extraordinary attention.

Freedom is an opening with sharp edges that disfigures some and refines others.

Overall a book worth reading.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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A murder on Malabar Hill - Book reviewed

A Murder on Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A beautifully knitted tale of a murder using different colourful strands of cultural conflicts, class conflicts and interpersonal relationships in India during the British Raj.
Sujata Massey has also delved into the issue of women's rights and the attitude towards them in the given circumstances. The story is womancentric and revolves around the protagonist Pervin Mistry who despite the ban on women appearing in court, finds a way around to fulfil her desire to practice law and do her bit for the pardanashin women (women in burqa who do not have any direct contact with male strangers), hence giving them an opportunity to present their fundamental rights to property and life.
This is not the sitting in the armchair and solving mystery tale but full of adventure out on the streets and homes.
The ideas and the language flows seamlessly and keeps the reader engrossed in all the goings on during the entire length of the book.

Wonderful read. It has induced me to look forward to reading more of her books.


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Book review - Sapiens

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story of our planet Earth and Man told succinctly and in simple layman terms by Yuval Noah Harari.
He talks of our evolution and how our civilizations and cultures have evolved over the years, where we are and speculates on which way we will go, and in the process busting certain myths that we have created.
One popular myth that he busts is – all humans are equal. This myth is based on the famous line in the American Declaration of Independence which states that all men are created equal. According to the science of biology people were not ‘created’. They have evolved. He further goes on to state that ‘the idea of equality is inextricably intertwined with the idea of creation. The Americans got the idea of equality from Christianity… Evolution is based on difference, not on equality.’
His concluding view is ‘Seventy thousand years ago, homo sapiens was still an insignificant animal minding its own business in a corner of Africa. In the following millennia it transformed itself into the master of the entire planet and the terror of the ecosystem. Today it stands on the verge of becoming a God, poised to acquire not only eternal youth, but also the divine abilities of creation and destruction.’
All through the book he guides you holding your hand along the path of our evolution and gives you a deep insight into where we come from and where we could be going.
A must read!

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