Hooman Majd, the son of an Iranian diplomat and the grandson of an ayatollah, grew up in exile, yet he also remained closely attached to his homeland. In The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, Majd travels throughout Iran to present an eye-opening account of the economic, political, and social forces that lie at its heart--and to show the paradoxes of the Iranian character that have baffled Americans for thirty years.

A firsthand look at one of the least accessible and yet most politically significant countries on earth, Descendants of Cyrus taps is a beautifully written travelogue full of Iranian culture, history, and politics.