Book excerpt: Pearls of Meaning' offers a collection of essays by J.T.P. (Hans) de Bruijn, a leading scholar in the field of Persian Studies, in which essential domains of Persian culture such as poetry and Sufism are analyzed in an exemplary fashion. While poetry plays a pivotal position in these essays, the reception of the Persian literary tradition in Europe is another focus of the volume. De Bruijn evaluates the works of a generation of scholars such as A. Reland (1676-1718), C.H. Ethé (1844-1917), J.F. von Hammer-Purgstall (1774-1856) and E.G. Browne (1862-1926) who devoted their attention to Persian culture.00.