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'... the work is seminal and extraordinary. Janet Afary has raised a high bar on the many, many issues surrounding the politics of gender and sexuality in Iran.' Thomas Ricks 'Janet Afary takes us beyond gender politics into a world few outsiders understand. Once again she proves herself to be an astute and original observer who sees beneath the veneer of modern Iranian life.' Stephen Kinzer, The New York Times 'The narratives and anecdotes provide a vivid real-life texture to the history Janet Afary is uncovering. In short, the text is alive and engaging!' Miriam Cooke, Duke University 'Sexual Politics in Modern Iran is one of the most comprehensive works done on this topic up to this moment. It combines modern scholarship and a deep understanding of the gender issues in Iran.' Farhad Khosrokhavar, Le Monde 'Janet Afary's remarkable book gives an unparalleled account and analysis of changing gender relations in modern Iran's history and society ... a unique and thoughtful work that sheds new light on Iran today.' Nikki Keddie, University of California, Los Angeles 'On nearly every page of [Janet Afary's] engaging, amply illustrated new book, she disinters morsels of history and analysis that will surprise even those with a more than casual knowledge of Iran. Her account goes right up to the contemporary women's movement and today's ongoing sexual revolution, including the latest in Iranian gay liberation discourse. Sexual Politics in Modern Iran is an invaluable landmark, a signpost on the road to an end of gender discrimination and sexual liberation for all.' In These Times 'The East-West battle over gender is brilliantly described by Janet Afary in her groundbreaking survey Sexual Politics in Modern Iran.' New York Review of Books 'Afary does a spectacular job explaining, as well as detailing, sexual attitudes and practices from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Her account gives an excellent feel for how Iranian society works and how that has changed under the impact of modern times. Plus, her detailed research makes the account much more credible than some of the highly readable stories from Iranian-Americans about personal life in modern Iran.' Foreign Policy 'Afary weaves a very interesting and complex argument together that unveils the politics of sexuality in Iran. It is bound to generate a good debate among historians and social scientists. Sexual Politics in Modern Iran is a welcome addition to the history of women and sexuality in modern Iran.' Middle East Journal '... Afary's book should be of interest to anyone who is looking for an in-depth overview of discussions about sex in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Iran, and to those who are interested in understanding the pervasive anxiety about the lack of, and desire for, a set of ideals (consent, intimacy, equality) that constitute the normative ground of much contemporary debate about the history, politics, and gender relations of modern Iran.' Setrag Manoukian, H-Net Reviews (h-net.org/reviews) Janet Afary's Sexual Politics in Modern Iran ... meticulously details the historical evolution of gender and sexuality, and of the roles and customs of women and same-sexers, from pre-modern Persia (500 to 1500 AD) right through the sexual revolution that began in Iran seven decades ago ... [It] is an invaluable landmark, a signpost on the road to an end of gender discrimination and sexual liberation for all. In These Times The East-West battle over gender is brilliantly described by Janet Afary in her groundbreaking survey Sexual Politics in Modern Iran. The New York Review of Books Afary does a spectacular job explaining, as well as detailing, sexual attitudes and practices from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Her account gives an excellent feel for how Iranian society works and how that has changed under the impact of modern times. Plus, her detailed research makes the account much more credible than some of the highly readable stories from Iranian-Americans about personal life in modern Iran. Foreign Policy Highly recommended. Choice This is a welcome contribution to work on modern sexual politics in Iran ... As Afary brilliantly shows, the gender and sexual revolution in Iran is unfinished, unfolding and ultimately unstoppable. Against the Current ... Afary's book should be of interest to anyone who is looking for an in-depth overview of discussions about sex in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Iran, and to those who are interested in understanding the pervasive anxiety about the lack of, and desire for, a set of ideals (consent, intimacy, equality) that constitute the normative ground of much contemporary debate about the history, politics, and gender relations of modern Iran. Setrag Manoukian, H-Net Reviews (h-net.org/reviews)

'... the work is seminal and extraordinary. Janet Afary has raised a high bar on the many, many issues surrounding the politics of gender and sexuality in Iran.' Thomas Ricks 'Janet Afary takes us beyond gender politics into a world few outsiders understand. Once again she proves herself to be an astute and original observer who sees beneath the veneer of modern Iranian life.' Stephen Kinzer, The New York Times 'The narratives and anecdotes provide a vivid real-life texture to the history Janet Afary is uncovering. In short, the text is alive and engaging!' Miriam Cooke, Duke University 'Sexual Politics in Modern Iran is one of the most comprehensive works done on this topic up to this moment. It combines modern scholarship and a deep understanding of the gender issues in Iran.' Farhad Khosrokhavar, Le Monde 'Janet Afary's remarkable book gives an unparalleled account and analysis of changing gender relations in modern Iran's history and society ... a unique and thoughtful work that sheds new light on Iran today.' Nikki Keddie, University of California, Los Angeles 'On nearly every page of [Janet Afary's] engaging, amply illustrated new book, she disinters morsels of history and analysis that will surprise even those with a more than casual knowledge of Iran. Her account goes right up to the contemporary women's movement and today's ongoing sexual revolution, including the latest in Iranian gay liberation discourse. Sexual Politics in Modern Iran is an invaluable landmark, a signpost on the road to an end of gender discrimination and sexual liberation for all.' In These Times 'The East-West battle over gender is brilliantly described by Janet Afary in her groundbreaking survey Sexual Politics in Modern Iran.' New York Review of Books 'Afary does a spectacular job explaining, as well as detailing, sexual attitudes and practices from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Her account gives an excellent feel for how Iranian society works and how that has changed under the impact of modern times. Plus, her detailed research makes the account much more credible than some of the highly readable stories from Iranian-Americans about personal life in modern Iran.' Foreign Policy 'Afary weaves a very interesting and complex argument together that unveils the politics of sexuality in Iran. It is bound to generate a good debate among historians and social scientists. Sexual Politics in Modern Iran is a welcome addition to the history of women and sexuality in modern Iran.' Middle East Journal '... Afary's book should be of interest to anyone who is looking for an in-depth overview of discussions about sex in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Iran, and to those who are interested in understanding the pervasive anxiety about the lack of, and desire for, a set of ideals (consent, intimacy, equality) that constitute the normative ground of much contemporary debate about the history, politics, and gender relations of modern Iran.' Setrag Manoukian, H-Net Reviews (h-net.org/reviews)

Author Information

Janet Afary is Professor of History and Women's Studies in the Department of History at Purdue University. Her previous publications include The Iranian Constitutional Revolution: Grassroots Democracy, Social Democracy, and the Origins of Feminism (1996) and, with Kevin Anderson, the award-winning Foucault and the Iranian Revolution: Gender and the Seductions of Islamism (2005).

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