-- Journal of Palestine Studies

For anyone interested in understanding the complexities of contemporary Iranian politics, this book should be mandatory reading. -- Afsaneh Najmabadi, Middle East Journal Precisely how Iranians have fashioned, and are fashioning, their daily life -- or, as Adelkhah puts it, 'reinventing their modern life' -- is the tantalizing focus of this very interesting... book about Iranian culture and politics. -- Farideh Farhi, International Journal of Middle East Studies

Fariba Adelkhah is a senior researcher at the Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI/Sciences-po) in Paris.

Introduction: A Political Earthquake One: When Taxes Bloom in Tehran I. Giving Islamic Legitimacy to Taxation II. The 'Rentier State' and Taxation in Iran III. A Look Inside the Mayor's Gardens IV. Parks as Scenes of Conflict Two: The Man of Integrity: A Matter of Style I. Javanmardi is a Package II. Teyyeb: A Very Ambiguous Hero III. The Fruit and Vegetable Market: Inventing Tradition IV. Javanmardi and Contemporary Life V. Javanmardi as a Modern Political 'Imaginaire' Three: The Economics of Beneficence Beings: The Story of an Election I. The Election Campaign II. From the First Round to the Second III. Local Issues in an Election IV. The Strategy of Companies (Sherkat) VI. Politics in its Own Right, No Longer Sacred VII. Elections and Political Reformulation Five: A New Space for Islam? I. Institutionalising the Religious Sphere II. Rationalising and Individualising Processes in Islam III. Towards Money Orientation in the Religious Field Six: Looking after Number One: A Competitive Society I. A Sports-mad Republic II. Competition and Self-Reflexivity III. Self-Reflexivity and Relations with Others IV. From Social Relations to Social Regulations?