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Never before has a book of this caliber (brief but thorough) been printed in English regarding the entire history of Iran. Although the writer does not claim to be a historian, he realized the need for just such a timely book. A Concise History of Iran sheds light on the heretofore unfamiliar and often unrecognized relationship between Persia and the world; it is filled with information in a historical sequence with accurate and multiple references that may be used academically. Unlike the United States, where separation of church and state is a mandated fact of the Constitution, in Iran, wise Clerics-religious Magi-have had and still have enormous political influence. These learned theologians and magistrates were respected for their religious wisdom and, therefore wisely and/or unwisely, trusted to be politically astute. While the Clerics may or may not outwardly run for the highest office, they judiciously choose who will run and, in some cases, they even appoint a succeeding ruler or influence the elections. The systems of choosing leadership in both The U.S. and Iran are vulnerable to mistakes. For example, the U.S. action in the Middle East has had some serious, unfortunate results, whatever the original intention was-for example, loss of innocent lives from West and East (the new Viet Nam in Afghanistan and Iraq) and the imminent danger of World War III.