Masoud Kheirabadi (1951-)

Iranian-born author and professor Masoud Kheirabadi moved to the United States in 1976. After obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon he went on to teach at several schools, including the University of Oregon, Lewis & Clark University, Portland State University, and Marylhurst University, where his teaching subjects have ranged from cultural geography to the history of Islam. Kheirabaid is the author of several books, including Iran and Islam, both part of Chelsea House's informational series.

Iran is one of the books in the "Modern World Nations" series, each volume providing a detailed profile of the culture, history, language, landscape, politic, and religion of its respective country. According to Booklist reviewer Ed Sullivan, Iran is "clearly and concisely written, logically organized, and competently reasearched."

Kheirabadi told Something about the Author: "My approach to education (writing, teaching) is interdisciplinary. Due to my diverse academic background I have taught and written about a variety of social science, humanity, and scientific topics. My objectives, especially with regard to my young readers, are: To help them analyze the interrelationship between human culture and the physical environment (i.e., culture and nature) in a global context; to acquaint them with fundamental knowledge of our world, its different geographic regions and their prevailing cultural patterns; to help them better understand the contemporary international affairs, and global cultural and environmental issues; to encourage them to confront their ethnocentrism, and compare their own understanding of issues such as gender, family, work, politics, and social responsibility with those of the other cultures; and to apply the knowledge gained from books like mine to better interact with the growing ethnic minorities in their professional career and living environment.

"In short the conceptual and theoretical framework of my work is to provide my students and readers with 1. global knowledge, 2. understanding diversity, and 3. intercultural communication. I strongly believe that the accurate knowledge (i.e., not stereotypes) of other peoples' values and beliefs will result in better communication in interpersonal, intercultural, and international levels. There is no doubt that a better intercultural understanding and communication is the key to peaceful coexistence, and will make this world a better and much more peaceful place for all of us. My hope is that my teachings and books will serve as a small step toward that ideal goal."