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Tamim Ansary

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Born

in Kabul, Afghanistan

Website

http://www.mirtamimansary.com/

Genre

History, Memoir

Member Since

June 2014

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Mir Tamim Ansary is an Afghan-American author and public speaker. Ansary gained prominence in 2001 after he penned a widely circulated e-mail that denounced the Taliban but warned of the dangers of a military intervention by the United States. The e-mail was a response to a call to bomb Afghanistan "into the Stone Age." His book West of Kabul, East of New York published shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, is a literary memoir recounting his bicultural perspective on contemporary world conflicts. Ansary writes about Islam, Afghanistan, and history. His book Destiny Disrupted retells the history of the world through Islamic eyes. His new book The Invention of Yesterday explores the role of narrative as a force in world his ...more

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Tamim Ansary Ten years ago, I published a book called Destiny Disrupted, A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes. Basically, I was arguing that world history i…moreTen years ago, I published a book called Destiny Disrupted, A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes. Basically, I was arguing that world history is the story of how we got to where we are today, but embedded in that narrative is always an assumption about who constitutes the “we.” I hoped to illustrate this point by showing how, if you assumed the center of the world to be the Islamic heartland rather than Europe and its offshoots, the history of the world looks completely different, even though it may contain many of the same events. The shape of the story depends on the teller of the tale. But after that book came out, it struck me that today, with pretty much everyone on the planet all up inside one another's business, it might be possible to construct a history of the world from the perspective of a global “we”. So that's what I set out to do. The Invention of Yesterday is what I came up with--a history of the world that looks at ever-increasing interconnectedness (with all its discontents) as the throughline of human history. (less)

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Do you think that the current peace negotiations happening in Qatar between the Taliban and the U.S. could 1.) curtail the social gains made in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban government, and/or 2.) greatly impair the overall effectiveness of the central Afghan government if the Taliban were able to reach some sort of an agreement? (Finally, I just want to say that I strongly admired your books! Thank you!)

Tamim Ansary That's a complicated question. Aren't they all. Regarding the curtailment of social gains, my simple answer would be: yes. If Taliban-types take real …moreThat's a complicated question. Aren't they all. Regarding the curtailment of social gains, my simple answer would be: yes. If Taliban-types take real power, they will try to roll back women's rights, drive women out of public life, and reinstate the most reactionary interpretation of the Islamic shari'a. But there's another side to the coin: war tends not to go with real progressive social change. Social change that matters comes from within a society, not from outside forces imposing progress by force. And the progressive impulse exists in Afghanistan, it's a force too. Afghan women should not be seen as objects of pity but as subjects to be admired. The progressive side of Afghan culture, mostly urban, is just as tough as the rural reactionaries. The most dramatic period of social change in Afghanistan was not the 19 years since the fall of the Taliban; it was, by far, the 19 years from 1959 to 1978, when Afghanistan was pretty much at peace and under sovereign Afghan rule. Left to themselves, ruled by themselves, Afghans were making staggering strides. Then came the Soviet invasion and all that followed and by 2,000 the country was buried in a nightmare of reactionary darkness. So peace, I'd say, is essential to progressive social change. If the meetings in Qatar bring real peace, there's no predicting how the struggle between progress and reaction will go in Afghanistan. But let me complicate the question one step more. The term "Taliban" is often used as if referred to a certain organized group with a particular program. Really, it's more like an umbrella term for a social demographic within Afghan culture. It would be more accurate, if more clumsy, to use a term like "reactionary Islamism rooted in rural culture," Quasi-organized groups of that description abound and which of them answer to which others is, I believe, an open question. Therefore, when we speak of peace negotiations between "the" Taliban and the U.S. we must ask: which Taliban? And over whom do these particular Taliban have actual authority back in Afghanistan? Finally, I'd be surprised if these negotiations lead to a real peace deal. The thing is, Taliban of all stripes have one non-negotiable demand: a complete U.S. withdrawal from the country. And while some reports make it seem like U.S. involvement in Afghanistan is in fact winding down as troops are removed, there are private military contractors swarming in to replace those troops, a foreign army of a different kind. Also, since the Obama years, drone warfare has taken over from boots-on-the-ground soldiers as the military tactic of choice. So number of troops is no longer really a measure of military involvement.
Since the U.S. has two major air bases in Afghanistan, from which U.S. airplanes can reach Moscow, Tehran, Delhi, and Beijing, I'd be surprised if U.S. negotiators agree to an actual military withdrawal that results in the loss of those bases. So, I guess my answer is: we'll see. (And hey: thanks for the comment about my books.) (less)

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Tamim Ansary’s books

Average rating: 4.28 · 16,849 ratings · 2,343 reviews · 28 distinct works • Similar authors

	Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes 4.39 avg rating — 10,480 ratings — published 2009 — 48 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan 4.38 avg rating — 1,510 ratings — published 2012 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American Story 3.89 avg rating — 1,691 ratings — published 2002 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and Connection 4.27 avg rating — 996 ratings — published 2019 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Widow's Husband 4.31 avg rating — 85 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Road Trips: Becoming an American in the Vapor Trail of the Sixties 4.53 avg rating — 30 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Snapshots: This Afghan American Life by Tamim Ansary (Goodreads Author), Yalda Asmatey (Editor), Bismillah Iqbal (Illustrator) 4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sinking the Ark by Tamim Ansary (Goodreads Author), Justin Donica (Illustrator) 4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mysterious Places really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Runaway Spaceship liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2000 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Tamim Ansary rated a book really liked it Wildflowers by Beverly Parayno (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Parayno writes with authority: her understated language somehow intensifies the sense of dislocation, solitude, and longing in these nine poignant stories. The first one is from a child's point of view; each subsequent story drops you into the life o ...more
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Quotes by Tamim Ansary (?)

“We need solitude, because when we're alone, we're free from obligations, we don't need to put on a show, and we can hear our own thoughts.”
― Tamim Ansary, West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American Story

tags: alone, alone-time, solitude

86 likes

“Here are two enormous worlds side by side; what's remarkable is how little notice they have taken of each other. If the Western and Islamic worlds were two individual human beings, we might see symptoms of repression here. We might ask, "What happened between these two? Were they lovers once? Is there some history of abuse?”
― Tamim Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes

tags: islamic-world, western-world

10 likes

“One side charges, 'You are decadent.' The other side retorts, 'We are free.' These are not opposing contentions; they're nonsequiturs.”
― Tamim Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes

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Polls

Spotlighted Book Discussion Poll I - October 26, 2011

This is a poll that adds other books to our listing of potential non fiction books to discuss and also helps the moderators determine which one or ones are the most popular. Since we have many more group members than when we first started; voting in the polls is very important. There will be a series of polls. Many of these books have been recommended by group members but were either not selected before nor voted upon before.

Vote for the book that you would most like to read and/or is the book that you believe that would appeal to the most group members.

Note:

We have added some of the books nominated thus far but we have more to add to other polls. However, this poll was getting quite large.

However, if you do not see your favorite book on this list; then just comment or pop me a note and I will immediately add it to this poll.

You can always change your vote at any time; so nothing is lost. There are some books which have been nominated by the same author; however, skip over those if the particular author does not suit you and vote for your favorite or for one you or others might want to read.

Before making your selection, please try to look up your choice and make sure it really is a book you are interested in or you think others would be; do not be lured in by the title. Also, check out the author and what others have said about the book before you (reviewers who you trust). Then of course, make your selection.

And if you do not see your favorite, just contact me and I will add it to the poll.

Stacy Schiff

Cleopatra: A Life

18 votes, 10.7%

Hero The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia by Michael Korda

by Michael Korda

Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia

13 votes, 7.7%

A Country of Vast Designs James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent by Robert W. Merry

by Robert W. Merry

A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent

12 votes, 7.1%

by Philip Freeman

Alexander the Great

12 votes, 7.1%

The Storm of War A New History of the Second World War by Andrew Roberts

by Andrew Roberts

The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War

12 votes, 7.1%

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett

Allison Hoover Bartlett

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession

10 votes, 5.9%

Laura Hillenbrand

9 votes, 5.3%

Horse Soldiers The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton

by Doug Stanton

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers

7 votes, 4.1%

The Clockwork Universe Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World by Edward Dolnick

by Edward Dolnick

The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, the Royal Society and the Birth of the Modern World

6 votes, 3.6%

Newton and the Counterfeiter The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist by Thomas Levenson

by Thomas Levenson

Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist

5 votes, 3.0%

A History of God The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by Karen Armstrong

Karen Armstrong

A History of God: The 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

5 votes, 3.0%

The Idea of America Reflections on the Birth of the United States by Gordon S. Wood

Gordon S. Wood

The Idea of America: Reflections on the Birth of the United States

4 votes, 2.4%

The Ascent of Money A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson

Niall Ferguson

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

4 votes, 2.4%

The Painter's Chair George Washington and the Making of American Art by Hugh Howard

by Hugh Howard

The Painter's Chair: George Washington and the Making of American Art

4 votes, 2.4%

Paul Johnson

Churchill

3 votes, 1.8%

A History of the American People by Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson

A History of the American People

3 votes, 1.8%

The Birth of Modern Politics Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828 (Pivotal Moments in American History) by Lynn Hudson Parsons

by Lynn Hudson Parsons

The Birth of Modern Politics: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams and the Election of 1828

3 votes, 1.8%

Winston's War Churchill, 1940-1945 by Max Hastings

Max Hastings

Winston's War: Churchill, 1940-1945

3 votes, 1.8%

U. S. Grant American Hero, American Myth by Joan Waugh

Joan Waugh

U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth

3 votes, 1.8%

Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy by Donald Kagan

by Donald Kagan

Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy

3 votes, 1.8%

Letters from America by Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville

Letters from America

3 votes, 1.8%

Destiny Disrupted A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary

by Tamim Ansary

Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

3 votes, 1.8%

Modern Times The World from the 20s to the 90s by Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson

Modern Times: The World from the 20s to the 90s

2 votes, 1.2%

George W. Bush

Decision Points

2 votes, 1.2%

Tony Blair

The Journey

2 votes, 1.2%

The Age of Wonder How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes

Richard Holmes

The Age of Wonder

2 votes, 1.2%

The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments by George B. Johnson

by George B. Johnson

The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments

2 votes, 1.2%

Thucydides The Reinvention of History by Donald Kagan

Donald Kagan

Thucydides: The Reinvention of History

2 votes, 1.2%

by Gary W. Gallagher

The Union War

2 votes, 1.2%

Civilization The West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson

Niall Ferguson

Civilization: The West and the Rest

2 votes, 1.2%

God's Battalions The Case for the Crusades by Rodney Stark

Rodney Stark

God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades

2 votes, 1.2%

Adam Smith

The Wealth of Nations

2 votes, 1.2%

Courage and Consequence My Life as a Conservative in the Fight by Karl Rove

Karl Rove

Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight

1 vote, 0.6%

Party over Section The Rough and Ready Presidential Election of 1848 (American Presidential Elections) by Joel H. Silbey

by Joel H. Silbey

Party Over Section: The Rough and Ready Presidential Election of 1848

1 vote, 0.6%

Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Living History

1 vote, 0.6%

Madam Secretary A Memoir by Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright

Madam Secretary: A Memoir

1 vote, 0.6%

Jesus A Biography, from a Believer by Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson

Jesus: A Biography from a Believer

0 votes, 0.0%

A History of the Jews (Perennial Library) by Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson

A History of the Jews

0 votes, 0.0%

A History of Christianity by Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson

A History of Christianity

0 votes, 0.0%

Stephen R. Bown

Merchant Kings

0 votes, 0.0%

The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith

Adam Smith

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

0 votes, 0.0%

169 total votes

16 comments

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