Q: How
did this book project come about?
A: I first read about the existence of these
ancient teachings while I was attending high school in Baghdad in the late
1980's
while my father was on diplomatic assignment. I
remember wondering if they were, in fact, real and how great it would be to
be able to find them and see what advice on life a King would have given his son. Being a lazy high school student though
I was more interested in other things and never really followed up on it.
Fast forward to a couple of years ago and I found myself with the rest of
the world focusing on the run up to war with Iraq. It was during this time
that I remembered reading about these teachings in a book by Louis L'Amour
called, "The Walking Drum." In it, the main character named Kerbouchard goes
on a journey through medieval Europe and the Middle East on a mission to
find his father. The book is a historical fiction, so much of the
surroundings and dates mentioned in the book are accurate while the journey
itself never took place. I was fascinated by the story and by that time
period in history. It illustrated what the world was like when Europe was in
the dark ages while the Middle East was flourishing. It is this exact period
of time that many people today in the Middle East look back at and long for.
I re-read this book and then decided to recommend it to friends who are interested in learning a bit
about the history of the region albeit in an entertaining way. It is especially
important to note that most of the people who live in the Middle East are
very aware of
their history dating back to the 6th Century when the Prophet Mohammed was alive.
After reading "The Walking Drum," for the
second time I followed through with my initial curiosity and began
researching the ancient teachings of King KaiKaus mentioned in the book. The endless hours of
research resulted in this book, "To the Prince of Persia."
I decided to put a collection of his sayings
together for two reasons: 1) It was apparent from my research that King
KaiKaus wanted his wisdom to be passed on to future generations even if his
son decided not to accept his advice. 2) Many of his teachings are relevant
today in 21st Century America.
Q: You mentioned that these saying are
relevant today. Can you give some examples?
A: There is old Persian proverb which says
"History is a mirror of the past and a lesson for the present" and this holds
true for many of the sayings from KaiKaus. One example reminds me of the
modern day press conference. KaiKaus' strategy for dealing with questions
from the audience is as follows: When questions are launched at you in
the pulpit reply to those to which you know the answer; but where you do not
know the answer, retort [by saying] 'such questions are not suited for the
pulpit. Come to my house so that I can answer you afterwards.' No one will
ever come to the house.
Another example is the issue of doing things
in moderation:
Do not go to excess in anything you do,
recognizing excess as dishonorable. In all your affairs take the middle
course. As Aristotle says, "Of all things, those in the middle are best."
Remember the adage that doctors recommend
eight hours of sleep each day? See what was said about that 1,000 years ago:
Philosophers say that a
day-and-night consists of twenty-four hours. Foolish people are asleep for
one-half of the twenty-four hours and are awake for the other half. Wise men
sleep for one-third of the time and are awake for two-thirds.
People were getting tipsy in ancient times as
well, and on that subject the King teaches his son what to watch for:
Excessive talk is a sign of drunkenness. So
too are unnecessary displays of affection.
There are many more interesting quotes worth
reading and they not only give you a glimpse at how Kings lived in medieval
times, but there are also lessons to be learned from their experiences.
Q: Are there any other projects you are
working on?
A: I recently finished producing an
educational video called
Palestine Israel 101 which I am happy to say won the Telly Award. I am also working on a new book which is a
thriller that takes place between Washington, DC and Baghdad, Iraq. It will be a
historical fiction, and will draw on experiences I had living in both
places. Spending time in Iraq during the reign of Saddam definitely provides
for some interesting stories. 
