Author(s): Stephan Orth

Travel Literature

In Couchsurfing in Iran, award-winning author Stephan Orth spends sixty-two days on the road in this mysterious Islamic republic to provide a revealing, behind-the-scenes look at life in one of the world's most closed societies. Experiencing daily the otwo Iranso that coexist side by side-the otheocracy, where people mourn their martyrso in mausoleums, and the ohide-and-seekocracy, where people hold secret parties and seek worldly thrills instead of spiritual blisso-he learns that Iranians have become experts in navigating around their country's strict laws. Getting up close and personal with locals, he covers more than 5,000 kilometers, peering behind closed doors to uncover the inner workings of a country where public show and private reality are strikingly opposed.