Book recommendation NO.2: "The Shah", by Abbas Milani

I have just finished reading "The Shah". It is very recommendable.

My book review: This biography is about the last Shah of Iran and traces his rise and fall and his role in the creation of the contemporary Islamic Republic. The author brings a new set of facts from a variety of sources, such as recently declassified British, American and Iranian documents and hundreds of interviews which makes this book relevant to the current democracy movement in Iran and to U.S. –Iranian relations. The book is also a deeply researched portrait of the shah’s private life, which included three wives, alleged mistresses and extravagances in palaces etc. The author lets the reader make up his/her own mind and establishes a base for readers to form their own opinions. Sum up: This book is about a man who modernized Iran and in doing so ensured his own downfall.

Details: "The Shah". Author: Abbas Milani. Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan, 2012.

Quotes of the month - 2013

December 2013: The only way to do great work is to love what you do (Steve Jobs, 1955-2011)

November 2013: Be yourself; everybody else is already taken (Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)

October 2013: If you put the government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there would be a shortage of sand (Milton Friedman, 1912-2006)

September 2013: Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you're knocked down, get right back up. And never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on (Hillary Clinton, b.1947)

August 2013: Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon (Winston Churchill, 1874-1965)

July 2013: We will stand on principle or we will not stand at all (Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013)