"This book takes a bird's-eye view of where Iran has been in the international community, where it is today, and where it may ideally end up in the future. Is Iran an Eastern country, bound by traditions that hinder economic development? Or does it also have some attributes of Western countries, given its history, geographic location, culture, and politics? Among the key insights in this book is the observation that Iran is a bridge between East and West."--BOOK JACKET.

Learning from the past -- The legacy of unsustained achievements : a tour of Iran's experience with the twentieth century -- Challenges of the present -- Between East and West : the geopolitics of Iran -- New directions in Iranian foreign policy -- Pathways to development : the search for stable progress -- Prospects for the future -- The culture of development -- Conclusion.