Customer Reviews

Playing with Fire: Pakistan at War with Itself

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those who are interested in understanding Pakistan and how it has come to its current state, concentrating on the influences that are present today on the Pakistani people, sympathetically written by Pamela Constable, a veteran foreign correspondent for The Washington Post.

This book does not concentrate on political matters but rather is focused on several key topics that describe Pakistani society, including the lack of opportunity for women in the country, the ineffective justice system, the strong and dominant military, and the rising influence of religious extremism. The author deals less with the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan, which has been amply covered by others. This is a book that attempts to assist readers to understand the Pakistani peoples themselves, and the influences on their lives today.

The author explains how the appeal of the Taliban to people in Pakistan derives largely from the terrible ineffectiveness and corruption of Pakistan's own government. When the people do not see a future for their children, when they do not feel that they have access to justice, they turn to the alternative that does offer a future (they hope) as well as a more efficient justice to them, even if it is crude and frequently cruel. The Taliban was beneficial to Pakistan when it served as a proxy against India, but it is now out of control in Pakistan and it has turned against the Pakistani state.

Pakistan has a population of over 170 million people, sixth largest in the world, largely poor and with one of the largest illiteracy rates of any nation in the world (overall literacy rate of 56% in '08). Half of the population is under 15 years old. Modern Pakistan was born at the same time (1947) as the current nation of India, with vastly different result. The country does have great potential, and this book can help readers understand the difficulties faced by the people of Pakistan in their lives today.

I am impressed by how well someone who is not born and raised in Pakistan can understand the cultural sensitivities and class conflicts so well. It is a must read for Pakistanis more than anyone else because it gives them an opportunity to look outside in without inside out bias.

Whenever I think of Pakistan, I always find myself wondering why that country, designed to be a democracy and homeland for Muslims turned out so badly, while Israel, another nation founded to be a democratic homeland for Jews has been a far greater success despite its many difficulties. Perhaps a few hundred years from now, someone will write a doctoral thesis about the two countries.

But I digress. "Playing with Fire" is a fascinating tour d'horizon of Pakistan and its almost surreal problems. For me, the most enlightening chapters dealt with the deep-seated feudalism that still plagues the country despite a thin veneer of modernity, the deeply depressing level of anti-Americanism that is rampant there, and the impact of the drone attacks.

The book is not perfect. The author gets the date of the Kargil episode wrong by a year but that's a minor gripe, and there are a few places where the prose gets a bit clunky. I also wish the author had spent a few pages on organized crime in Pakistan (like "D-Company") and perhaps some more pages about Siachen Glacier and the deranged conflict up there. But you can't have everything.

I'd recommend these other books about Pakistan.

To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan

Pakistan: Eye of the Storm

Once again, Ms. Constable rises to the occasion and applies her considerable talents to helping us all understand Pakistan. For an American to translate this cultural divide in language we can understand, without dumbing down one bit of the complexity, says much about her analytical abilities. That I find understanding Pakistan to be elusive, and she brings it all into such (intense) focus, makes this one worthy read. Make this book a priority if you care to understand this culture and dissect the politics of the region.

Constable's years of living in and reporting on the region provide an empathetic look at the people of Pakistan along with insightful analysis of the country's politics and its difficult relationship with the United States.

Pam Constable has an engaging, personal style while remaining as objective as a journalist can be. The book is well organized, each chapter focussing on a theme, with the whole adding up to more than the sum of its parts. I recommend it highly.

The market is being flooded with instant books on Pakistan, but Ms. Constable's is one of the more enduring and certainly, one of the best written. BAsed on years of experience in the country where she has been a reporter, it is a superb, brief guide to this complex and increasingly important--and dangerous-- state Highly recommended as an introduction to Pakistan, wise in its judgements, and optimisitic--but not naive--about Pakistan's prospects, should be a "first choice" for those seeking an introduction.

Pam Constable has created an important document that points out the importance of our relationship with Pakistan. It is based on her years of experience and research. As our Central Asia focus now includes Pakistan as well as Afghanistan, it is important that each voter inform themselves about this US ally.

I agree with the many positive comments others have submitted, but would add that the publishers have generously included dozens of movingly beautiful photographs of Pakistani citizens from all economic levels of society. The photos (by Constable) testify to the fine eye of the author for the human beings she writes about with such profound insight. One can open the book at random and read any paragraph for words that go to the hearts of real people, with their long and complex history. She clearly knows her subject very well, but never let's abstract analysis distract us from confronting the rich humanity which fascinates her, and through her writing, fascinates us as well.

This book is truly a window to what you really need to know about Pakistan and why they are the number one reason that area of the world is in such chaos. This is as close as you can get to the truth without being there.

You must read and pass this book along to others. I bought this book for many friends who like to learn and know but their only source is our media, and that's not the way to get the truth...