Pakistan: A gratifying review

Professor Nilofer Sultana, a Pakistani living in Arizona in the US, has just brought my attention to her review of my book Alive and Well in Pakistan, published this past Sunday in the leading Pakistani daily Dawn. My main conscious intention in writing the book was to humanize Pakistanis and Muslims generally for Western readers, but the most surprising pleasure I've found since its publication has been in learning that Pakistanis themselves appreciate what they see as an honest and fond portrayal of their troubled but highly likeable country. Professor Sultana writes:

It is a pleasure to read Casey’s memorable experiences with his students. He freely discusses Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, General Musharraf and [the play] Moulin Rouge with them. … Casey accepts the fact that Pakistanis take their foibles easily. He creates an aura of geniality around him. He very aptly says, "I want to write a book of journalism and contemporary history - a portrayal of this country in this historical moment but one that people will still want to read 10 or 20 years from now." He certainly lived up to his word.