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A modern-day glimpse into the surprising reality of life in Iran. Iran: A destination that is seldom seen by westerners yet often misunderstood. A country that simultaneously �enchants and enrages� those who visit it. A place where leading a double life has become the norm. In Couchsurfing in Iran, award-winning author Stephan Orth spends sixty-two days on the road in this mysterious Islamic republic to provide a revealing, behind-the-scenes look at life in one of the world�s most closed societies. Through the unsurpassed hospitality of twenty-two hosts, he skips the guidebooks and tourist attractions and travels from Persian carpet to bed to cot, covering more than 8,400 kilometers to recount �this world�s hidden doings.� Experiencing daily what he calls the �two Irans� that coexist side by side�the �theocracy, where people mourn their martyrs� in mausoleums, and the �hide-and-seek-ocracy, where people hold secret parties and seek worldly thrills instead of spiritual bliss��he learns that Iranians have become experts in navigating around their country�s strict laws. Though couchsurfing is officially prohibited in Iran�the state fears spies would be able to travel undetected through the country�more than a hundred thousand Iranians are registered with online couchsurfing portals. And thanks to these hospitable, English-speaking strangers, Orth gets up close and personal with locals, peering behind closed doors and blank windows to uncover the inner workings of a country where public show and private reality are strikingly opposed.