The wise fool of Oriental folklore, Nasrudin is known across a vast swathe of the globe - from Morocco in the west, to Indonesia in the east.
Appearing under different names and in all manner of guises, he's universally admired for his back-to-front brand of genius - so much so that at least a dozen countries insist he was one of them.
In reality, he is of course found everywhere - even in regions where he has no name.
Tales of Nasrudin's wise-foolery have been told in caravanserais and teahouses since ancient times, just as they are recounted in caf�s, office buildings, and homes the world over today.
In the Land of Nasrudin, the wise are foolish and the foolish are wise. Leading us through a keyhole into a realm that's back-to-front and inside-out, the stories turn what we think we know and understand on its head.
At the same time, Nasrudin tales form a cornerstone in an ancient and advanced psychology. As you laugh at the off-beat humour, the subconscious turns the puzzle-joke around, working away at it like a terrier worrying a rag doll.
Tahir Shah was first introduced to Nasrudin by his father - the writer and thinker - Idries Shah. In his childhood, and in his travels, the wise fool has provided a lens through which Tahir has perceived the world.
As he says, 'By training my attention to the methods of the wise fool, I have found new dimensions reveal themselves to me - both in lands I thought I knew, and in fresh dominions.'
A remarkable work of exploration through human culture, and an observant self-examination, Travels With Nasrudin is unlike any other work of the travel genre published in recent times.
The wise fool of Oriental folklore, Nasrudin is known across a vast swathe of the globe - from Morocco in the west, to Indonesia in the east.
Appearing under different names and in all manner of guises, he's universally admired for his back-to-front brand of genius - so much so that at least a dozen countries insist he was one of them.
In reality, he is of course found everywhere - even in regions where he has no name.
Tales of Nasrudin's wise-foolery have been told in caravanserais and teahouses since ancient times, just as they are recounted in caf�s, office buildings, and homes the world over today.
In the Land of Nasrudin, the wise are foolish and the foolish are wise. Leading us through a keyhole into a realm that's back-to-front and inside-out, the stories turn what we think we know and understand on its head.
At the same time, Nasrudin tales form a cornerstone in an ancient and advanced psychology. As you laugh at the off-beat humour, the subconscious turns the puzzle-joke around, working away at it like a terrier worrying a rag doll.
Tahir Shah was first introduced to Nasrudin by his father - the writer and thinker - Idries Shah. In his childhood, and in his travels, the wise fool has provided a lens through which Tahir has perceived the world.
As he says, 'By training my attention to the methods of the wise fool, I have found new dimensions reveal themselves to me - both in lands I thought I knew, and in fresh dominions.'
A remarkable work of exploration through human culture, and an observant self-examination, Travels With Nasrudin is unlike any other work of the travel genre published in recent times.