Iran at the crossroads /

The Islamic Republic of Iran has now entered its third decade of existence. Many of the revolutionary organs and governmental institutions that were established after the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy in 1979 have now become institutionalized. Domestically, over the past 20 years reforms have been gradually introduced in political, social, and economic areas with varying degrees of success. In the international arena, Iran has generally normalized its once stormy relations with the outside world and has entered into various cooperative arrangements with its neighbors. This engaging and informative book, edited by two respected scholars of Middle Eastern studies, Esposito (Georgetown Univ.) and Ramazani (Univ. of Virginia), analyzes both the accomplishments of the Islamic Republic and the challenges that lie ahead. The contributors to this scholarly yet accessible volume give us a fascinating picture of contemporary Iranian society, culture, politics, and economics. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries. Nader Entessar, Spring Hill Coll., Mobile, AL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.