Thankfully, these concerns proved to be false. Alive and Well in Pakistan is a wonderfully evocative book that combined pathos with wit, accessibility with complexity, and empathy with critical honesty. This book should be compulsory reading for anyone visiting Pakistan. Even for those who never intend to visit Pakistan, but are curious about a region that former US President Bill Clinton hyperbolically described as “the most dangerous place in the world,” Alive and Well in Pakistan will assuredly provide a great deal of food for thought.