Hooman Majd, born in Iran and educated in Britain and the United States, is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Ayatollah Begs to Differ and of The Ayatollahs’ Democracy. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
“Majd is a keen and intelligent observer of political life in Iran,
and his memoir resonates with nostalgia for the country of his
birth.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“A vibrant, witty account.”
—The Boston Globe
“Not just a book about Iran—it’s a personal story that will speak
to any readers who have ever been disassociated from home . . .
struggled to navigate a new culture . . . or attempted to come to
terms with their own foreignness. . . . Reveals an Iran far more
nuanced, sophisticated and affluent than most Western readers might
imagine. . . . The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not
Stay completes a trilogy that illuminates the politics,
society, and culture of modern Iran through the eyes of the
decidedly hip, well-connected Majd.”
—The Christian Science Monitor
“No one takes you inside Iran like Hooman Majd, whose keen
observations and rich writing tell the story of an illuminating,
delightful, and at times, horrifying journey.”
—Ann Curry
“A dark story, rivetingly told. . . . [Majd’s] strongest and most
nuanced writing on the country. . . . As a gifted writer and the
grandson of an ayatollah, Majd is well-placed to probe the role of
cultural pride in Iranian diplomacy and the Shia exceptionalism
that makes Iran both a fundamentalist state and a less tedious
place to be during Ramadan than Dubai. He is especially strong on
political culture and the art of the calculated sulk. . . . Majd
writes affectingly throughout the book of his passion for
Iran.”
—Financial Times
“[Majd] has crafted a memorable account of his attempt to move back
to the land of his birth with his American wife and their baby son.
With a keen eye for the telling detail and a refreshingly mordant
wit, Majd offers glimpses of life inside the Islamic Republic in
all of its unresolved contradictions.”
—Jon Lee Anderson
“The result is on one level a breezy, down-to-earth account of
everyday domestic life in the polluted, congested, tense and
utterly fascinating megapolis that is modern Tehran. But having
deployed himself and his family as a clever framing device, Majd
goes on to build a sympathetic and nuanced picture of a complex
society too often misinterpreted by the outside world. . . . An
insightful study of how politics and religion intersect with daily
life in the Middle East’s oldest and most culturally rich
state.”
—The Telegraph (UK)
“There are some nice pen portraits of the partygoers, taxi-drivers
and bored babysitters who help make Tehran’s streets come to life.
The Iranian attitude to children—far more indulgent and
demonstrative than in Europe or America—is beautifully captured. .
. . Majd’s relationship with his Iranian past is the real subject.
He writes from the point of view of someone whose ‘home’ is an
unfamiliar place. Whose clerical ancestors are about as far from
New York socialites as you could possibly get.”
—The Guardian
“Written in Majd’s wry, laconic style, in which gentle comical
lampooning combines with the relaying of facts. . . . The political
insights are fascinating. . . . An insightful, appealing read.”
—The Independent (UK)
“Bold and discerning. . . . Hooman Majd’s new book on Iran, The
Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay, is his best yet.”
—The Spectator (UK)
“Majd’s account is useful and elucidating. . . . [He offers]
insightful glimpses of the complex Iranian character.”
—Publishers Weekly
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