Saved by Beauty: Adventures of an American Romantic in Iran
4.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Saved By Beauty weaves a richly textured story of many threads. It is a deeply poetic and perceptive appreciation of a culture that has endured for over three thousand years, while it also portrays the creative and spiritual cultures within contemporary Iran that are rarely given any mention in the West. It is a suspense story that reflects on the philosophical and aesthetic questions of good and evil, truth and beauty. And finally, it is the story of a man in his sixties on a personal quest to discover if the Iran of his youthful imagination continued to exist, or whether it had been lost forever under a strict totalitarian regime. In Iran, Roger Housden was brought face to face with the reality that beauty and truth, deceit and violence, are inextricably mingled in the affairs of human life, and was forever changed.
Roger Housden
Roger Housden grew up in the cleft of a Cotswold valley on the edge of Bath, England. From 1986-98 he founded and ran The Open Gate, a conference and workshop center in England that introduced the work of Ram Dass, Thich Naht Hanh, Jacob Needleman, James Hillman, Robert Bly and many others into Europe. His work has been featured many times in O Magazine, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. His first book was published in the U.K. in 1990, and as of 2017, he has published twenty-three books, including four travel books, a novella, Dropping the Struggle, and the best-selling Ten Poems series. He now runs live and online writing workshops with an emphasis on self-discovery and exploration.
Read more from Roger Housden
Ten Poems for Difficult Times Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Keeping the Faith Without a Religion Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Dropping the Struggle: Seven Ways to Love the Life You Have Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Saved by Beauty
Related ebooks
The Illusion of Return Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After the Auction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Passing By: Selected Essays, 1962–1991 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Picture of Dorian Gray Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYears Later Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGazelle in the Shadows Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Inheritors by Ford Madox Ford - Delphi Classics (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRising from the Ashes Vol 1: Beyond the Abyss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Party and Other Short Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Andropopov Saga - Volume II: From the Ashes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeas of South Africa Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The House of the Dead Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGhost-lines Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last Bastion of Ingei: Day 4 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Waiting Room Chronicles: Individual Death Illustrated as an Absurdist Continuous Cycle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFlies in the Milk Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Raw Youth by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Inheritors by Joseph Conrad (Illustrated) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Obsidian Throne: Book One of the Midnight Kingdom Trilogy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Verdict on India Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dark Forest Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMorning Glory Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeauties Slay the Beasts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPassenger to Frankfurt Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5An Evening in Calcutta Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Natives are Restless Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOscar Wilde Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Looney Experiment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Picture of Dorian Gray (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Middle East Travel For You
Farsi (Persian) for Beginners: Learning Conversational Farsi (Downloadable Audio Included) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Trip of One's Own: Hope, Heartbreak, and Why Traveling Solo Could Change Your Life Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Roman Empire the Empire of the Edomite Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Saffron Tales: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Is Not a Border: Reportage & Reflection from the Palestine Festival of Literature Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Berlitz Pocket Guide Turkey (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Turkey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi Bible Study Guide: Come to the Land Where It All Began Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExile: Rejecting America and Finding the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Incredible Voyage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fodor's Essential Turkey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rough Guide to Dubai (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Israel & the Palestinian Territories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Saudi Arabia - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Essays in Idleness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict: What the Headlines Haven't Told You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Israel Eats Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Conversational Arabic Quick and Easy: Lebanese Dialect Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Collins Arabic Phrasebook and Dictionary Gem Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mediterranean By Cruise Ship - 6th edition: The Complete Guide to Mediterranean Cruising Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Out of Istanbul: A Journey of Discovery along the Silk Road Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Israel Bible Tour, A Historic Geographic Bible Study Journal of Israel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Conversational Arabic Quick and Easy: The Most Innovative Technique to Learn the Arabic Language Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Aristocrats and Archaeologists: An Edwardian Journey on the Nile Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Istanbul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pyramids: The Real Story Behind Egypt's Most Ancient Monuments Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When in the Arab World: An insider's guide to living and working with Arab culture Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for Saved by Beauty
4 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As a lover of travel literature, I recently came across Roger Housden's Saved By Beauty in my favorite used bookstore, and immediately opened the book the moment I arrived home. This memoir of Roger's meanderings from city to city uncovering the true heart of Iran's people and culture left me in awe. From Tehran to Tabriz, from Shiraz to Isfahan, from the heart of the ancient ruins of Persepolis, to dusty deserts and mountain citadels, Housden's ability to evoke the beauty and integrity of Iran's soul pours out in poetic and heartfelt prose. Meeting people of all walks of life, merchants, muezzins, politicians and poets, readers will become thoroughly engulfed in Iranian history, myth, religious beliefs and current affairs amidst it's people young and old. As Roger navigates through the snaking streets of merchant bazaars, and gracefully steps into the serene yet vibrant spirit of Iran's infamous blue mosques, he surrounds the reader and himself with the lore and legend and the people that live in the heart of the Middle East.As the reader of this wonderful armchair travel gem, you are sure to feel the intricately woven carpets beneath your feet, smell the spices of the open-air market place, hear the jingle of bells, and the call of prayer from every steepled minaret. Housden shows us the appreciation and dedication to surrounding their lives with beauty as only the Iranians can. Once known as Persia, Iran's history that travels back in time to the era before Christ, is rich in a world of renowned poets such as Rumi and Hafez, intriguing mystics, ruling shahs that had foresight into philosophy way ahead of their time, musicians and scholars, and a country full of people that still today live moment to moment believing in their ability to treasure each day as it comes and that following the values and beliefs of the ancient Persians is what makes their culture and country strong. Roger introduces you to many people along his way that all believe in their hearts that although their political and religious ways can be often prohibitive to a modern way of life, their roots and hearts belong to the soil of Iran. Many of their young leave for American or European soil, but most eventually return back to the Persian way of life that is deeply embedded in their blood. Housden is a fine journalist with an incredible ability to make you feel at home in this land of veiled women and blue domed architecture. You will feel you are right beside him bumping along in a jeep crossing the desert, and will feel his enthusiasm as his heart swells each time he comes across a little piece of beauty whether it be a poem, a song, or a painted ceramic bowl. Come along to one of the most luscious countries of the Middle East. Learn for yourself that not all of what our media tells us is all there is to know. Not all people from the Middle East are hell-bent on religious jihad wars, suicide bombings, or are all terrorists. This book opened my eyes to the Persian people and I found nothing but wonder to behold. Five stars for an enchanting tale told with honesty, humor, and faith that all people everywhere are beautiful, vibrant, and enduring.