Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran by Medea Benjamin

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Inside-Iran:-The-Real-History-and-Politics-of-the-Islamic-Republic-of-Iran-by-Medea-Benjamin-In-1979,-the-Iranian-Revolution-brought-a-Shia-theocracy-to-the-80-million-inhabitants-of-the-Middle-East’s-second-largest-country.-In-the-decades-since,-bitter-relations-have-persisted-between-the-U.S.-and-Iran.-Yet-how-is-it-that-Iran-has-become-the-primary-target-of-American-antagonism,-when-Saudi-Arabia,-a-regime-that-is-even-more-repressive,-remains-one-of-America’s-closest-allies?In-the-first-general-audience-book-on-the-subject,-Medea-Benjamin-elucidates-the-mystery-behind-this-complex-relationship,-recounting-Iran’s-history-from-the-pre-colonial-period,-through-the-CIA-engineered-coup-that-overthrew-the-country’s-democratic-leadership-in-1953,-to-its-emergence-as-the-one-nation-Democrats-and-Republicans-alike-regularly-unite-in-denouncing.-Benjamin-draws-upon-her-firsthand-experiences-with-Iranian-politicians,-activists,-and-everyday-citizens-to-provide-a-deeper-understanding-of-the-complexities-of-Iranian-society-and-the-nation’s-role-in-the-region.Tackling-the-contradictions-in-Iran’s-system-of-government,-its-religiosity,-and-its-citizens’-way-of-life,-Inside-Iran-makes-short-work-of-the-inflammatory-rhetoric-surrounding-U.S.-Iranian-relations,-and-presents-a-realistic-and-hopeful-case-for-the-two-nations’-future.