A social psychologist, currently an Emeritus Professor of the University of North Texas, Denton. Has published several books and numerous articles in professional journals.
His latest book, The Good Side of the River: Stories of Tradition, Social Change, and Cultural Adaptation, is a deeply emotional memoir, taking the reader through seven decades of transformation, from an ancient culture grappling with rapid sociopolitical changes to a new world across the ocean, where he becomes an immigrant in the U.S. The story begins in the impoverished slums on the banks of the Bahmanshir River in Abadan, Iran, where a 9-year-old boy dreams of escaping poverty and living on the “good side,” across that river that enjoys modernity, opportunity, and material comfort. Through vivid storytelling, a seasoned social researcher weaves a rich tapestry of places and time periods, allowing the reader to vicariously experience the joys, fears, anxieties, and aspirations of the boy as he grows up. Stories span continents and decades, from the dusty alleys of his 1950s slum and other places in Southern Iran (Jahrom, Shiraz) to the bustling landscapes of the 1990s and 2000s Southern United States (North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana), concluding in North Texas by 2025.