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Summary: Counterpoint to tshams
Review: After reading the review by reader tshams, I must object to what is a rather unbalanced critique. Contrary to what this reader suggests, Ms. Sciolino juxtaposes many of the contradictions which exist in modern Iranian society, and strives to provide a balanced picture throughout this work. Just as any American might cringe at some of the appraisals of our culture to be heard in other countries, it is understandable that, as an Iranian, this reader might find some of Ms. Sciolino's descriptions unappealing. However, and perhaps most importantly, this is one American woman's personal experience and perspective of life in Iran, and as such, no one can really contradict her experience. A propos to the reader's comments regarding women being beaten for not being covered in public, Ms. Sciolino goes on at some length about the ironies concerning the chador (she shows that some women eschew the wearing of this garment in modern Iran), and shows as well the liberation and empowerment these women seek, and enjoy, in their lives in and out of the public arena. Ms. Sciolino's most unique contribution to an understanding of Iranian society is that, besides being a skilled observer and reporter, she is a woman, and enjoys unique entrée to areas of Iranian society which are closed off to men, and as such, can report unique perspectives on this society which the average (male) correspondent cannot. I thoroughly enjoyed her insights and descriptions of a society about which this reader had many skewed, Western-media-influenced opinions. Her writing goes far to counter the many misconceptions held regarding the modern state of Iran.
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Summary: Extraordinaire
Review: As a 47 year old, born US citizen of Iranian parents, I have read many books regarding the history of Iran before & after the revolution, but I can honestly say that this book has been the most unbiased, truthful and enlightning ever written. Mrs. Elaine Sciolino has managed to capture the undercurrent of life & politics to perfection.
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Summary: incredibly insitefull...could not put the book down
Review: As an American with immigrant Iranian parents, I find myself wanting to know more about Iran. Most of my friends were born in Iran and now live in the states since the revolution. This book could not paint a better picture of Iran. I congratulate the author for such a stellar depiction of life, culture, politics and society in Iran. After reading her book, I want to visit Iran again and have Mrs. Sciolino as my tour guide. The book was wriiten without a flaw. I congratulate and thank the author for such an incredible book.
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Summary: one of the most objective books on Iran, I have ever read.
Review: Elaine Sciolino has described the Iranian nation as it is. Very Objectively. My Favorite Quotation from the book: " Too often the United States government has treated Iran simplistically -either like an unruly child to be ignored, or an international criminal to be punished. Perhaps a more appropriate and more profitable approach would begin with recognition of how strongly Iranians feel about their nation. In a sense they are like New Yorkers -or, for that matter, Americans in general. They bicker and fight with each other, but when an outsider dares to attack them, they close ranks and proclaim their superiority. Despite the conflicts and fault lines, an Iranian would rather be Iranian than anything else. If there is any doubt of this simple fact, just ask any Iranian what she or he thinks of the suggestion of calling the Persian Gulf the "Arabic Gulf" or simply the "Gulf." "
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Summary: Persian Mirrors
Review: Elaine Sciolino has done a fine job with this book. What a lot of people tend not to realise about Iran is that the vast majority of its population is under the age of thirty, and that most of them are women, who are either highly educated or are in the process of becoming highly educated. Given this fact, I think the west needs to look beyond the chador and the hejab. A highly educated populace, even when it exists in a theocracy like Iran, can have a far greater impact on the future of any region. This one facet of Iranian demographics should give many nations, including the United States, some pause. Iran's leaders would do well to also take careful notice of its young population. In a few more years, Iran may become a power to be reckoned with in the region, and Ms. Sciolino is quite eloquent in making this fact clear. "Persian Mirrors" is easily the equal to Robin Wright's "The Last Revolution" published last year.
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Summary: An exquisite book about a much misunderstood country
Review: Elaine Sciolino has written an exquisite, penetrating, savvy book about a much misunderstood country. As a fellow journalist who has covered Iran (post-1997), I can assure readers that Ms. Sciolino's reporting on Iran's democracy movement is accurate, balanced, and insightful. Of course, that is what we would expect from her. More importantly, however, I think her book's importance lies in the voices of Iranians woven throughout the narrative. She casts a wide net in gathering these voices -- we hear from hard-liners, pro-democracy students, traditional clerics, secular dissidents, artists, young people, war veterans, economic have-nots, wealthy barons, and the leading voices in Iran's growing pro-democracy movement. Ms. Sciolino also opened windows onto the lives of Iranian women that are hard for male journalists to penetrate. The constellation of voices heard throughout her book makes it extremely valuable for any reader interested in Iranian affairs.Iran is a complex society and country. It is an old land that does not lend itself easily to interpretation. Iran has fooled many Western journalists before and will continue to fool them again. Ms. Sciolino does not fall into the usual traps. On those occasions when she interprets Iranian culture, she does it well, a fruit of 20-plus years of consistent reporting on the country. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in going beyond the headlines of Iranian affairs and journeying with a correspondent that clearly displays an empathy and understanding for the people she covers. This is a nice journey into Iran with a good travel partner, who is knowledgeable, sometimes cheeky, entertaining, and sympathetic. I highly commend Chapters 9 and 12.
Rating: 
Summary: Reflections of Iran
Review: Elaine Sciolino is a thoroughly modern woman and a foreign correspondent for Newsweek and The New York Times. While this may be culturally unremarkable for us in western secular society; it usually poses enormous barriers as she covers her assigned journalistic beat... The Islamic Republic of Iran. Instead of viewing these religious and cultural barriers as impassible obstacles, Ms. Sciolino deftly uses them as launching pads to probe deeper and deeper into the very fabric of this misunderstood society. The results are surprising and fascinating. She imparts to us sone of the basic tenents of the Shia Islamic religion... that this is not a static faith but rather a very flexible one, freedom of thought and speech is traditional, and the holy Koran can be interpreted to meet the changing needs of the times. Taking us deep into the ranks of the real power in Iran, the clergy, she destroy's the fallacy that it is a monolithic robotic conservative block. Indeed, the present clergy is factioned between the old hard-liners of the Ayatollah Khomeini, and the reformers who have come to realize that the Islamic Republic cannot and will not survive without modernization and demacracy. Ms. Sciolino explains the demographics of modern Iran; 65% of the population is under the age of 25 and remembers nothing of the Shah, and were just babies and children during the Islamic revolution. All they want is what people everywhere desire: more freedom and economic stability. In a very short time, the young will become the real power in this country. Change is imminent. The real cornerstone of this book, is Ms. Sciolino's touching exposé about the most disenfranchized sector of this society... the women. Delving deeper into this taboo topic than anyone previously, her information, anecdotes, and insights are simply fascinationg. She shows us how, with subtleness and ingenuity, the women of Iran quietly rebel against their traditional role. It is a grass roots feminist movement that must walk a very fine line between the secular and religious. These brave women have often been cruely imprisoned and stung by the conservative lash; but the price they have paid has opened the door of greater feminist freedoms to all those who follow. Ms. Sciolino is a remarkable woman and journalist... and this is a remarkable book.
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Summary: Insight into Iran
Review: Elaine Sciolino's approach to transfiguring the 'land of terrorists and veils' is comprised of personal story-telling. Her experiences include flying to Tehran on Khomeini's plane in 1979, attending weddings where the women are not in hejab, and an intimate knowledge of the historical, political and social influences. In Persian Mirrors, Sciolino primarily seeks to portray Iran not as an inhospitable, rogue state but as a welcoming, vibrant nation whose government does not collectively reflect the spirit of the people. It is this struggle of the people with Islam and the government of Iran that serves as the focal point for Sciolino. She strives to show the multi-faceted landscape in which Iranians live: the desire to preserve the history, religion and culture of Persia and the desire to achieve democratic principles under an Islamic government. Most importantly, for Sciolino and readers, is how the women of Iran survive and thrive in this nation of inner struggle. Claiming a bond and privilege that males may not have, Sciolino uses her sex as a means to delve into the life of women in Iran. She asserts that, despite Western perceptions of the treatment of females, women in Iran have a great deal of room to maneuver even without the same rights as their male counterparts. The reader is left wondering what will occur in Iran over the next 50 years. Sciolino does not try to answer this question, but only to explain what she has experienced and to correct the American perspective of Iran. Though she is commended for not making predictions about a country whose future is as certain as the rules for hejab or the censor's pen, Sciolino does seem to avoid analysis of the situation. It would be desirable for one with such a wealth of personal knowledge of Iran to venture an educated guess at where the country is headed. Sciolino, being a journalist with no background in the Middle East before going to Iran in 1979, as she confesses, writes less of a scholarly analysis of the situation in Iran, therefore not putting Iran into the context of it neighbors nor its involvement in the complex politics of the region. She does, on the other hand, describe the often two-sided relationship between Iran and the United States: the allure of the West's freedoms and material wealth combined with the disgust at American intervention in world affairs, especially Iran's. Additionally, though her writing is quite lucid, her organization leaves one a bit lost in the time frame of Iranian history. She introduces many people and events in each section of her work, however since this is not in chronological order, there are times when events run together or are misplaced in the mind of the reader. A chronological approach would not emphasize the same attributes as addressing women's roles in one section, repression in another and religion in yet another section, therefore though her organization makes Persian Mirrors confusing at times, it serves to address the most important aspects of Iran without being bogged down in the minutiae of history. What is particularly intriguing and a definite strength of Persian Mirrors, is the play between patriotism and nationalism in Iran today. Sciolino talked to many Iranians, several of whom could have easily left Iran to come to the U.S. or Europe but refused to do so. Iranians, as far as Sciolino's experience is concerned, love their country more than the freedom of America, and are willing to work within the system rather than leave. The Iranians of Sciolino's interviews are typically not patriotic-they have little allegiance to the Islamic Republic, but, on the other hand, their sense of nationalism is remarkable. Iran to them is not about hejab but the poetry of Hafiz, the ruins of Persepolis, and the rich history of Persia. Iranians are committed to reforming the country of their ancestors rather than giving up to the clerics and moving west. Sciolino wants, I believe, Americans to understand that just as Americans love their country and dare not abandon it, Iranians are the same. America, though the city upon the hill in many ways, is not the city or the only place where people may be free. Iranians strive for those ideals in their homeland not in another country. She is careful to point this out. The reason why there is such a struggle in Iran between the Islamic Republic and the people is because they are Iranians first. Unwrapping Iran for the American public, Elaine Sciolino has demonstrated quite aptly that Iran is not comprised of only terrorists and veils but a people who strive for the same basic rights that Americans have sought in the past. This book is an excellent introduction to Iran, dispelling many of the myths and providing explanations for the events of the past two and half decades.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent blend of anecdote and history
Review: Elaine Sciolino's book is an excellent introduction to the past two decades of Iranian history. I have a profound respect for any journalist who not only reported on the revolution firsthand (you have to read how she was on Khomeini's plane!), but saw enough beauty in this country to return many more times. While I am curious as to the response of this book by Iranians still living in Iran, as an American I found this a fair treatment of the current crises faced by this nation. Sciolino tempers her reporting of some of the negative aspects of Iran today (poor economy, a generation without jobs) with many anecdotes celebrating the warmth of the people. All in all, an engaging, excellent history book!
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Summary: A Complex Portrait of Contemporary Iran - Superb!!
Review: Elaine Sciolino, now a senior writer in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, has probably more experience covering Iran than any other American journalist and has reported on events there for over two decades. As a former foreign correspondent for Newsweek Magazine, Ms. Sciolino was aboard the airplane that brought the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Teheran in 1979. In fact, she knowingly risked her life on the trip as the plane was under threat of being shot down by the Iranian air force. The Shah's generals had devised a plan to shoot down the plane and presented the details to President Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor. The Carter administration wanted no part of it. She was present for the Iranian revolution, the American hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war and many other important events, including the riots of 1999. She writes, "I never went to Iran for the night life. I went for a revolution, a war, and an embassy seizure. And I kept going back." Through Iranian colleagues, friends and political contacts, she has had much access to Iranian life on all levels, and her keen observations provide an accurate source of information on this complex society, its people and its politics. In "Persian Mirrors" she maps the cultural, political, and social history of Iran since its Islamic Revolution. The book contains hard-news, but Sciolino's mission was to write "a portrait of my own encounters with Iran, and with the Iranian people, in the hope it can illuminate whatever choices or predictions others make." The memoir is organized by topic. After the first introductory sections, Sciolino explores the roles of women in Iran, (a topic I found absolutely fascinating), the role of religion, the dark side of life under a repressive government, and many Iranians' hopes for a politically reformed future. She portrays the grim realities of everyday life in Iran and the creative ways many people have found to make life better for themselves and their families. Ms. Sciolino takes the reader along with her to the bazaars, beauty salons, aerobics studios, courtrooms, universities, mosques, palaces, and even a wedding in this extraordinary country. She portrays a vital society too long overlooked. The country is a mass of contradictions, she writes. Iranians make a distinct separation between Persian culture, (and they are extremely proud of their rich heritage), and modern Iranian culture. From the pre-Islamic capitol at Persepolis to the synagogue where Queen Esther is said to be buried, we travel with the author. We learn that the clerics who recite sensual classic Persian romantic poetry insist that the poems refer to divine love. Many of the country's leaders and citizens want to move forward and press for change, while others want to return the country to a distant past. The principle quandary is how to achieve democracy in an Islamic country.
Ms Sciolino's concise eyewitness prose kept me turning the pages. It is difficult to put this book down once started. Her description of the country and its people and her adventures there as a young reporter, and later as a mature professional, are vividly recounted. Her growth and gradual understanding provide a unique and honest viewpoint. I lived in Iran for three years, a long time ago. I made wonderful friends and always felt very welcome in their homes. Iran is noted for its hospitality to guests. I have continued to maintain my interest in the country, culture and people. "Persian Mirrors" brought back many wonderful memories and helped me to understand the many changes that have taken place in Iran since I left. I recommend this book highly. It makes for fascinating reading, and you will learn much that is so relevant in today's world.
JANA
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