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The Root of Wild Madder: Chasing the History, Mystery, and Lore of the Persian Carpet
Told in exquisite prose befitting one of the world's loveliest art forms, Brian Murphy eloquently chronicles how carpets embody humanity's endless striving for unattainable perfection.
Every Persian carpet has a story to tell—from the remote villages of Afghanistan and Iran, down the ancient trade routes traveled for centuries, to the bazaars of Tehran and the markets of the Western world.
Carpet-making is one of this tumultuous region's few constants, an art form that transcends religious and political turmoil. Part travelogue and part exploration into the meaning and worth of these mystical artifacts, The Root of Wild Madder presents practical information about carpets while exploring the artistic, religious, and cultural complexities of these enigmatic lands.
Every Persian carpet has a story to tell—from the remote villages of Afghanistan and Iran, down the ancient trade routes traveled for centuries, to the bazaars of Tehran and the markets of the Western world.
Carpet-making is one of this tumultuous region's few constants, an art form that transcends religious and political turmoil. Part travelogue and part exploration into the meaning and worth of these mystical artifacts, The Root of Wild Madder presents practical information about carpets while exploring the artistic, religious, and cultural complexities of these enigmatic lands.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
29 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Brian Murphy
162 books29 followersBrian Murphy is a Baby Boomer advocate and the founder and editor of BONZA (Baby Boomers of NZ and Australia) a Baby Boomer information website: www.bonza.com.au
He strongly believes that governments and industries are failing to adequately address the needs of the Boomer generation and the impact their impending retirement from the workforce will have on the economy and society by not having mature age policies. Since 1998 he has addressed these issues with thousands of Baby Boomers across New Zealand through his organisation, Grey Skills, and Australia through BONZA, by presenting well-balanced information sessions to the community on the pitfalls of an ageing population and advising how Boomers can plan for the future by acquiring the knowledge and skills to do so meaningfully.
Brian works to equip Boomers with the skills necessary to tackle the extension of their careers, re-entry into the workforce and to prepare financially and mentally for a longer than predicted retirement. He has had great success with thousands of Boomers, from general managers to drug addicts, assisting them to move forward with their lives no matter what their history is.
“It’s all about the future,” he states, “and never giving up!” He wants Baby Boomers to participate economically and socially if nothing else and have a BONZA life.
He strongly believes that governments and industries are failing to adequately address the needs of the Boomer generation and the impact their impending retirement from the workforce will have on the economy and society by not having mature age policies. Since 1998 he has addressed these issues with thousands of Baby Boomers across New Zealand through his organisation, Grey Skills, and Australia through BONZA, by presenting well-balanced information sessions to the community on the pitfalls of an ageing population and advising how Boomers can plan for the future by acquiring the knowledge and skills to do so meaningfully.
Brian works to equip Boomers with the skills necessary to tackle the extension of their careers, re-entry into the workforce and to prepare financially and mentally for a longer than predicted retirement. He has had great success with thousands of Boomers, from general managers to drug addicts, assisting them to move forward with their lives no matter what their history is.
“It’s all about the future,” he states, “and never giving up!” He wants Baby Boomers to participate economically and socially if nothing else and have a BONZA life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 25, 2008
My dirty ass roommate, in the process of her moving out, left this book behind. Personally, I'd like to think she left it for me as a parting gift, a token of thanks for all those dishes of hers I unquestioningly washed, but going on the plastic tubs brimming with cat-urine soaked clothing she left in the basement, the fact that she just didn't want to pack the thing rings with a more singing kind of truth. This book is one part cheeseball-white-guy-with-a-self-important-psuedo-spiritual-slash-materialistic-quest-he-desperately-hopes-to-fulfill, and one part history of the processes behind the manufacture of persian carpets. I like persian carpets so I liked this book. That said, I skipped through pages full of the douchebag-author's Western capitalist-guilt fueled soul searching to more useful bits, like the names and shapes of carpet knots and the description of an ideal knot-density.
October 27, 2012
I think this was recommended to me on the basis of me being able to use it to get someone ignorant on West Asian politics and history, and already holding stereotypes about the region and people, quickly up to speed on enough to not be totally ignorant bigots on the subject. He may have been thinking about how the half of this book that is in any way talking about history and culture is heavily diluted and generic: Murphy is trying to write a story about himself in which the history is the tapestry, and "uninteresting" details like dates are treated as distractions. Much of the history half is actually muddy filler, serving to get words and pictures in your head without real connection between them other than Murphy's story. So, that's certainly the kind of thing that's more accessible to someone who's not usually likely to pick up a book of history and culture, or at least one on Iran and Afghanistan, especially as it's ostensibly about carpets.
The thing is, it's still just a book about Murphy's hard-on for carpets, and his Orientalist spirit quest to buy a bunch of carpets from impoverished people: the Eastern wisdom and tea is free! And that's the other half of the book. Murphy keeps opening a book of Hafiz (in English because for all of his chasing of Persian carpets and trips to the region he's never bothered to learn Farsi), reading something, and coming to a spiritual awakening about himself and carpets etc. There's about the same quantity of information on Persian carpets as is currently present in the Wikipedia article, but as Murphy's only focusing on the parts that are interesting to him spiritually or as a carpet collector, it's incredibly uneven, with greater detail in some areas and bare glimpses of a bigger picture in others. There's almost nothing about madder at all. His spiritual journey bored the hell out of me, even when it grossed me out for its exoticism. I appreciated that he at least acknowledged that the entirety of his travels were possible because of his guides and translators, but it would have been nice if he could have given their names credit instead of continuing to thank an amorphous, mystical, generous Persian people.
So, getting back to why my friend thought I might want to know about the book: ultimately he's more likely to actually come into contact with someone who'll find this book a stepping stone toward not being an ignorant bigot (I'm more likely to be around people who think Persepolis was amazing even if they have no clue what's going on, although that can certainly change). It looks like some of the other reviewers did find it useful for exactly what my friend was thinking, and it looks like even still it's not a particularly enjoyed book.
The thing is, it's still just a book about Murphy's hard-on for carpets, and his Orientalist spirit quest to buy a bunch of carpets from impoverished people: the Eastern wisdom and tea is free! And that's the other half of the book. Murphy keeps opening a book of Hafiz (in English because for all of his chasing of Persian carpets and trips to the region he's never bothered to learn Farsi), reading something, and coming to a spiritual awakening about himself and carpets etc. There's about the same quantity of information on Persian carpets as is currently present in the Wikipedia article, but as Murphy's only focusing on the parts that are interesting to him spiritually or as a carpet collector, it's incredibly uneven, with greater detail in some areas and bare glimpses of a bigger picture in others. There's almost nothing about madder at all. His spiritual journey bored the hell out of me, even when it grossed me out for its exoticism. I appreciated that he at least acknowledged that the entirety of his travels were possible because of his guides and translators, but it would have been nice if he could have given their names credit instead of continuing to thank an amorphous, mystical, generous Persian people.
So, getting back to why my friend thought I might want to know about the book: ultimately he's more likely to actually come into contact with someone who'll find this book a stepping stone toward not being an ignorant bigot (I'm more likely to be around people who think Persepolis was amazing even if they have no clue what's going on, although that can certainly change). It looks like some of the other reviewers did find it useful for exactly what my friend was thinking, and it looks like even still it's not a particularly enjoyed book.
November 7, 2013
Written without ego. Written with humility and respect of an ancient tradition. I just finished reading another carpet-related book, in which the author had a relatively personal scope and did not go very far into the history, technique, designs and regional variations of carpet weaving... It was enjoyable for different reasons. I went in search of a book that would cover the carpet industry from dye to dealer and address some of the modern challenges it may face. I found The Root of Wild Madder. I carried this book around the house reading it in between things I had to do, fell asleep reading it on the couch, woke up and read it some more, blew off invitations to outings, turned away houseguests, brought the book on weekend trips, rolled out my own carpets and examined them between readings to look for the finer details. Brian Murphy (long-time Associated Press journalist) is a wonderful writer and researcher, and this is one of my new favorites.
On a sidenote, as I was nearing the end, it bothered me that he didn't elaborate much on the massive Afghan relationship with opium and its effect on carpet weaving families. I thought maybe I missed that part or something, but then I saw the publication date on this book (2005, probably too early for the Western world to truly realize) and the fact that much of Murphy's time was spent in Iran.
On a sidenote, as I was nearing the end, it bothered me that he didn't elaborate much on the massive Afghan relationship with opium and its effect on carpet weaving families. I thought maybe I missed that part or something, but then I saw the publication date on this book (2005, probably too early for the Western world to truly realize) and the fact that much of Murphy's time was spent in Iran.
May 18, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyable, a little bit of a travel book, a little bit of a treasure hunt, a little bit of a love affair.
This book is primarily about Persian carpets, which have fascinated me since, as a teenager, I found some old patterns and started producing cross stitch tapestry versions of carpets. The love affair in the book is between the author and the carpets as he goes chasing information about traditional methods of dying and weaving.
There is just enough information about the regions politics and history to inform without overwhelming, I think I have finished this book with a better awareness of Afghanistan and Iran as countries; their politics and histories.
The only criticism I can level against this book (and I can usually find at least one), is that the ending seemed contrived; it felt as if an ending was required and fabricated rather than a story coming to a natural conclusion. However that did not really detract from my enjoyment of the book. Besides, the Authors fascination with carpets is an lifelong ongoing one so as a story, would not any end be contrived?
This book is primarily about Persian carpets, which have fascinated me since, as a teenager, I found some old patterns and started producing cross stitch tapestry versions of carpets. The love affair in the book is between the author and the carpets as he goes chasing information about traditional methods of dying and weaving.
There is just enough information about the regions politics and history to inform without overwhelming, I think I have finished this book with a better awareness of Afghanistan and Iran as countries; their politics and histories.
The only criticism I can level against this book (and I can usually find at least one), is that the ending seemed contrived; it felt as if an ending was required and fabricated rather than a story coming to a natural conclusion. However that did not really detract from my enjoyment of the book. Besides, the Authors fascination with carpets is an lifelong ongoing one so as a story, would not any end be contrived?
February 4, 2017
Carpets are one of the great crossroads
of fundamental spiritual and creative
yearnings. The challenge for a weaver
is to sense a divine power and represent
this feeling in form and colour.
(Spiritual side of carpets)
The book is a travelogue.
The author follows the carpet trail in Iran and Afghanistan, and studies the handwoven carpet making, and the use of natural dyes. A connection between the ancient carpet art and spirituality forms a part of his quest.
He also outlines the efforts to save this ancient art from competition with machine made carpets, and the use of artificial dyes.
A large part of the narrative is devoted to history, geography, politics, relgion, and culture of the two countries - an interesting and informative read.
The flow of narration is smooth, but the search for old carpets in the final part, is long-winded and tends to be boring.
Overall, a worth reading book.
of fundamental spiritual and creative
yearnings. The challenge for a weaver
is to sense a divine power and represent
this feeling in form and colour.
(Spiritual side of carpets)
The book is a travelogue.
The author follows the carpet trail in Iran and Afghanistan, and studies the handwoven carpet making, and the use of natural dyes. A connection between the ancient carpet art and spirituality forms a part of his quest.
He also outlines the efforts to save this ancient art from competition with machine made carpets, and the use of artificial dyes.
A large part of the narrative is devoted to history, geography, politics, relgion, and culture of the two countries - an interesting and informative read.
The flow of narration is smooth, but the search for old carpets in the final part, is long-winded and tends to be boring.
Overall, a worth reading book.
October 3, 2021
Recently, I've developed a fascination for the beauty of Persian carpets. This book provides an account of the history, culture, and tradition, that lead up to these beautiful works of art. After having read through first few chapters, I can claim that I've found a new hobby.
Even though it's a generally well-written book, with sequential narration that is easy to understand, there are parts where the author comes across as a bit, well, arrogant. These parts should have been removed in editing, but they were not, and that's why I have given it 3 stars instead of 4. However, despite that, the content, and more importantly, the beauty and rich history of the carpets, make it a nice read.
Now I'm off to buy some nice carpets, bye!
Even though it's a generally well-written book, with sequential narration that is easy to understand, there are parts where the author comes across as a bit, well, arrogant. These parts should have been removed in editing, but they were not, and that's why I have given it 3 stars instead of 4. However, despite that, the content, and more importantly, the beauty and rich history of the carpets, make it a nice read.
Now I'm off to buy some nice carpets, bye!
April 26, 2011
Meandering stories aside, the interesting bits of this book include a basic history of Persian carpets--things which have long fascinated me--and a discussion of cultural, political and economic issues surrounding the make and trade in carpets. Unfortunately the author's musings get in the way of the book on more than one occasion, and he doesn't really learn that much about the interesting people he comes across, except how they can serve his needs to learn how to buy an authentic carpet without getting totally scammed. As with most items that can be dear, the meaning is in the eye of the beholder/owner and doesn't really matter to the rest of the world if you are not a carpet dealer.
May 31, 2011
Not quite what I expected which was information on madder root, but a fascinating historical read on ancient Persia and the countries that, today, are part of that world - almost before time. Woven into the story and the main focus of the book is the story of carpets - the wool, the dyes, the weavers and the wheelers and dealers that bring those carpets to the work.
January 19, 2015
Very interesting subject matter but author is, at times, a bit obnoxious. Could benefit by better editing.
January 7, 2020
There are plenty of dry histories of Persian carpet making, and sterile picture books of Persian carpets, but too often they fail to do justice to their topic. That’s not a surprising problem for anyone trying to unravel an ancient art form that has survived millennia. No book can truly capture the essence, for example, of a Persian Carpet made by hand by a family in a remote village hundreds of years ago. But Brian Murphy’s book The Root of the Wild Madder comes as close as you’re likely to get in an English language account.
Persian carpets have inspired the imagination of people around the world for 2500 years. Their origins are shrouded in the creative mists of an ancient people. Their descendants today speak of the interplay between the carpets’ sacred and artistic language with Persian poetry and spirituality. A carpet is a sacred medium that gives a glimpse into those creative mists of many centuries past. At the very least, the carpets represent a deep cultural labyrinth using exquisite aesthetic organizing principles that are unique. Carpets have a rich and textured history to match their rich and textured ingredients.
In this book, the author set out on a journey across Iran to discover the beauty of Persian Carpets, to learn more about the history of carpet-making from the people most intimate with it, and to meet people who today still make carpets by hand, stirring the dye, weaving one knot at a time.
The book is nonfiction, every word is a literal account of the author’s travels, encounters, observations, and experiences, but written in an artistic novelistic form that is hard to put down.
The book gives you an exciting travelogue. You meet fascinating carpet makers and traders. Friends of the author take him to the edge of the world where nothing has changed in a thousand years. Back in the cities, you’ll wander through mazes of carpet bazaars, where secret deals are made in back alleys between savvy merchants. You’ll have tea with village families crouched around a loom weaving carpets while discussing philosophy. You will discover fields of wild madder, whose root produces the famous Persian red dye, under two-ton stone grinding wheels.
The book highlights the blending of the art of carpets with the art of ancient poets such as Hafez, and spiritual insights into the meaning behind the art. It also explains interesting technical facts, such as the importance of knots per square inch, debates on chemical versus natural dyes, the abrash of varying hues, the warp and weft of wool thread versus cotton, inside look at wholesale and retail channels, even economic and political history of the carpet industry.
The book covers every angle of the Persian Carpet phenomenon, mostly through conversations with a compelling cast of characters met throughout the back rooms, cities, villages, and countryside of Iran. The author takes a lot of risks, with some personal danger, on his journey. He has done his research and brings a wealth of knowledge to inform his experiences throughout his travels.
Perhaps most important, he is open to new exposures, which he generously shares as they change his outlook in many ways. You won’t want the book to end. But when it does, you are left with a gift: a new appreciation for this unique practical art form and its culture. I highly recommend Brian Murphy’s magical immersion into a lost civilization through its mystical art of handmade carpets.
Persian carpets have inspired the imagination of people around the world for 2500 years. Their origins are shrouded in the creative mists of an ancient people. Their descendants today speak of the interplay between the carpets’ sacred and artistic language with Persian poetry and spirituality. A carpet is a sacred medium that gives a glimpse into those creative mists of many centuries past. At the very least, the carpets represent a deep cultural labyrinth using exquisite aesthetic organizing principles that are unique. Carpets have a rich and textured history to match their rich and textured ingredients.
In this book, the author set out on a journey across Iran to discover the beauty of Persian Carpets, to learn more about the history of carpet-making from the people most intimate with it, and to meet people who today still make carpets by hand, stirring the dye, weaving one knot at a time.
The book is nonfiction, every word is a literal account of the author’s travels, encounters, observations, and experiences, but written in an artistic novelistic form that is hard to put down.
The book gives you an exciting travelogue. You meet fascinating carpet makers and traders. Friends of the author take him to the edge of the world where nothing has changed in a thousand years. Back in the cities, you’ll wander through mazes of carpet bazaars, where secret deals are made in back alleys between savvy merchants. You’ll have tea with village families crouched around a loom weaving carpets while discussing philosophy. You will discover fields of wild madder, whose root produces the famous Persian red dye, under two-ton stone grinding wheels.
The book highlights the blending of the art of carpets with the art of ancient poets such as Hafez, and spiritual insights into the meaning behind the art. It also explains interesting technical facts, such as the importance of knots per square inch, debates on chemical versus natural dyes, the abrash of varying hues, the warp and weft of wool thread versus cotton, inside look at wholesale and retail channels, even economic and political history of the carpet industry.
The book covers every angle of the Persian Carpet phenomenon, mostly through conversations with a compelling cast of characters met throughout the back rooms, cities, villages, and countryside of Iran. The author takes a lot of risks, with some personal danger, on his journey. He has done his research and brings a wealth of knowledge to inform his experiences throughout his travels.
Perhaps most important, he is open to new exposures, which he generously shares as they change his outlook in many ways. You won’t want the book to end. But when it does, you are left with a gift: a new appreciation for this unique practical art form and its culture. I highly recommend Brian Murphy’s magical immersion into a lost civilization through its mystical art of handmade carpets.
December 14, 2022
I enjoyed this book enough to finish it but it wasn't as transporting as other travel adventure books I have read. Here is my context; I didn't know much at all about Persian history, and I was interested in the book from a natural dyers perpective, hoping for some stories about madder root and traditional dyeing methods. I found some of the bits on history helpful, others felt like an unnecesary side. The writing wasn't poetic, but I found the author to be honest about where he stood in the carpet world and that he felt clueless sometimes. While some folks are critical of his outsider position (being a westerner and a journalist in an area he is not from, but have spent a lot of time in), I don't fault him in this as he is honest about who he is and what is motives are. I would have liked more about madder root tho!
March 5, 2024
I agree with many of the other reviewers that this book isn't what was expected. A lot more thought and research could have been put into understanding the use of madder as a dye source s in Persian rugs. Overall, that connection failed to be made. This book was predominantly a history book with an intersection of poetry and persian rugs being the instigators. I did find a few instances where the author expressed a colonialist perspective. That said, I found him to be extremely knowledgeable, while sharing his research journey and the corresponding vulnerabilities.
December 9, 2019
This book is less about the "history, mystery, and lore" of Persian (and Afghani) carpets than about a white guy discovering the poetry of Hafez and his attempts to link it to the "soul of modern Iran" and the spiritual aspects of carpet weaving. If that's your thing, you'll probably really enjoy it. If you're hoping for concrete information about the contemporary production and formal analyses of Persian carpets you might be disappointed (as I was).
October 7, 2023
There were some interesting aspects to this book but a lot of … I don’t know, naval gazing and rather superficial musings on pseudo philosophical ideas? I had been wanting to read this book for some time because I naively thought it would be a much richer text on the use of natural dyes in Persian carpets but alas.
April 24, 2020
Brian Murphy works hard to convey the artistry and lore of Persian carpets and the carpet selling industry. Well written and researched, but he came into the matter with an agenda and didn't let the magic develop on its own.
January 3, 2019
A lovely and luminous read.
January 2, 2020
I greatly enjoyed learning more about the history of Persian carpet making.
November 21, 2023
Not was I was expecting, but enjoyable
May 11, 2025
Weird white guy talks about his carpet fetish 3.5 stars
ranking it as 3 stars because author was a real douche to a drug addict in chapter 11
ranking it as 3 stars because author was a real douche to a drug addict in chapter 11
July 23, 2011
This was a very interesting book....it has been on my want to read list for a long time.It was not what I expected and seemed part travelogue,part history of Persia with a sprinkle of modern day Iranian history and thirdly a personel journey by the author.My initial interest in reading the book was to discover more about the carpets and their history and he did provide some interesting information with many gaps still to be filled.
September 26, 2011
I get it, persian rugs have a mystical component to them. When you look at them you can see facets of life, or you can see art. Some are so well made that you can see new images and symbols in them even after looking at them for years. I did not need to read the same profundities over and over and over.
I wish I could recommend this book but I cannot.
I wish I could recommend this book but I cannot.
Currently reading
January 5, 2009So far it is a light and breezy adventure travel memoir with rugs as a running (or is that runner) theme.
March 12, 2009
Not exactly a page turner, but an incredibly interesting and informative book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Persian carpets and the culture and history surrounding them.
August 21, 2012
read again,love story
September 27, 2011
I would nOt have picked this up on my Own but I am glad I did. Easyto read and put down and pick up later.
September 7, 2014
Actually I only read part of this, this book turned out to be more about the author's self discovery (boring) than about the subject itself.
September 25, 2014
Informative about the history and current day carpet industry. If you love Persian carpets and wonder what goes into the making and design, you will be delighted to read this book.
October 11, 2015
As a spinner and weaver I enjoyed this book, but some of the language was beautiful, so it was also a good read.
June 4, 2008
Interesting tale of carpets; weaving and history of Iraq and Afghanistan
November 21, 2010
Persian Carpets Feb 2007. Interesting. -- Interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews