C ONTAINING more than 2000 words and expressions, Persian: Here and Now is a course book that provides first year students with both language and cultural proficiency. The components of the book use a communicative framework, with an emphasis on the functional constituents, to integrate both notional and structural elements in each lesson. These elements have been interwoven to produce reading units with a very natural linguistic texture. The characters in the book communicate through various real life situations enabling them to express themselves as real people in the target language. Illustrated in full color, each lesson is designed to be an open learning space for both teachers and students to be flexible within the curriculum. Instructors can creatively alter or expand the components of this book according to the class's needs and the students' interests. Furthermore, all the reading units and communicative activities also have a pedagogical side-note that makes suggestions on implementation to instructors. Persian: Here and Now contains a glossary and a guide to the most common, basic Persian verbs (listing their past and present stems), and provides students with an audio clip for each reading unit. There is also a vocal (audio) dictionary. This book is designed to help first year students attain language competence as stipulated by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.