Ancient Persia

No American reporter has more experience covering Iran or more access to the private corners of Iranian society than Elaine Sciolino. As a correspondent for Newsweek and The New York Times, she has reported on the key events of the past two decades. She was aboard the airplane that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Tehran in 1979; she was there for the Iranian revolution, the hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war, the rise of President Mohammad Khatami, and the riots of the summer of 1999.
In Persian Mirrors, Sciolino takes us into the public and private spaces of Iran -- the bazaars, beauty salons, aerobics studios, courtrooms, universities, mosques, and the presidential palace -- to capture the vitality of a society so often misunderstood by Americans. She demystifies a country of endless complexity where, on the streets, women swathe themselves in black and, behind high walls, they adorn themselves with makeup and jewelry; where the laws of Islam are the law of the land, and yet the government advertises as tourist attractions the ruins of the pre-Islamic imperial capital at Persepolis and the synagogue where Queen Esther is said to be buried; and where even the most austere clerics recite sensual romantic poetry, insisting that it refers to divine, and not earthly, love. Iran is also a place with a dark side, where unpredictable repression is carried out, officially and unofficially, by forces intent on maintaining power and influence.
Sciolino deftly uses her travels throughout Iran and her encounters with its people to portray the country as an exciting, daring laboratory where experiments with two highly volatile chemicals -- Islam and democracy -- are being conducted.
Like the mirror mosaics found in Iran's royal palaces and religious shrines, there is more to the whole of the country than the fragments revealed to outsiders. Persian Mirrors captures this elusive Iran. Sciolino paints in astonishing detail and rich color the surprising inner life of this country, where a great battle is raging, not for control over territory but for the soul of the nation.

The Story of Civilization Volume I: The Ancient World From the Dawn of History to the Conversion of Constantine is a Catholic homeschool history text that seeks to instill children with a robust sense of identity as Catholics with an understanding of the Catholic Church's history and of the civilizations and societies shaped by Catholic culture.

Written in a narrative, conversational, story-teller's style with black and white illustrations interspersed, short chapters bring students through larger events and streams of history, with a special emphasis on saints and missionaries through time. Students will study the rise of agriculture, Ancient Egypt, the Akkadian, Sumerian, and other Mesopotamian civilizations, the Kingdom of David, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, the rise of Christianity, and the early years of the Catholic church.

Kindergarten - Grade 8.

335 pages, indexed, softcover.

Kauffman tells stories of his encounters with Iranians, their culture, and their politics, to give witness to ways walls can break down when the stories, culture, and history of others are attended to. "Americans aren't supposed to talk to Iranians. Thank God Richard Kauffman is a Mennonite and thus open to God turning enemies into friends. This book had me transfixed-and deepened the mystery of the meaning of words like American, Iranian, and ultimately, Christian," notes Jason Byassee, Executive Director, Leadership Education, Duke Divinity. Meanwhile David Cortright, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, believes that "Kauffman offers a rare and penetrating portrait of an ancient and proud land, and a people who are surprisingly friendly toward Americans. The book features gorgeous photographs that capture the dignity and grace of ordinary Iranians and depict the beauty of an unknown country. A must for all who want to build understanding and friendship with people our government would have us consider enemies." Laurie Blanton Pierce, Author, What Is Iran, sees the book as "much more than a travelogue. The story of his visit to Iran is interspersed with helpful background information on the country's history and culture. He examines controversial issues with thoughtfulness and an open mind."

Long before the first Hebrew temple, before the birth of Christ or the mission of Muhammad, there lived in Persia a prophet to whom we owe the ideas of a single god, the cosmic struggle between good and evil, and the Apocalypse. His name was Zarathustra, and his teachings eventually held sway from the Indus to the Nile and spread as far as Britain.

Following Zarathustra's elusive trail back through time and across the Islamic, Christian, and Jewish worlds, Paul Kriwaczek uncovers his legacy at a wedding ceremony in present-day Central Asia, in the Cathar heresy of medieval France, and among the mystery cults of the Roman empire.

He explores pre-Muslim Iran and Central Asia, ultimately bringing us face-to-face with the prophet himself, a teacher whose radical humility shocked and challenged his age, and whose teachings have had an enduring effect on Western thought. The result is a tour of travel and historical inquiry by an adventurer in the classic tradition.

Long before the first Hebrew temple, before the birth of Christ or the mission of Muhammad, there lived in Persia a prophet to whom we owe the ideas of a single god, the cosmic struggle between good and evil, and the Apocalypse. His name was Zarathustra, and his teachings eventually held sway from the Indus to the Nile and spread as far as Britain.

Following Zarathustra's elusive trail back through time and across the Islamic, Christian, and Jewish worlds, Paul Kriwaczek uncovers his legacy at a wedding ceremony in present-day Central Asia, in the Cathar heresy of medieval France, and among the mystery cults of the Roman empire.

He explores pre-Muslim Iran and Central Asia, ultimately bringing us face-to-face with the prophet himself, a teacher whose radical humility shocked and challenged his age, and whose teachings have had an enduring effect on Western thought. The result is a tour of travel and historical inquiry by an adventurer in the classic tradition.