Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan Audiobook

" Not as good as Descent into Chaos, more of an updating series of articles. Good information, though. And very depressing. "

" This book is a reality check for our mission in Afghanistan. The author credits Obama with spending more money on economic and social development in Afghanistan than Bush did during his entire 8 years in office. At the same time, the author criticizes Obama for giving short shrift to Richard Holbrooke's pleas to focus on Afghan nation-building. Instead, the author says a novice president dithered for months about how many troops to send in before settling on about 30,000 with a phased withdrawal to begin in summer 2012. The problem? Two-fold. First, 97% of Afghanistan's current economy is dependent on foreign armed forces, so experts predict that Afghanistan could be headed toward a depression when the U.S. pulls out. Second, other countries in the region are jockeying for influence in Afghanistan because they feel the U.S. policy is to exit Afghanistan as soon as possible (as indicated by the phased withdrawal dates). This creates an adversarial climate when cooperation is needed. I learned the most during the sections of this book that dealt with Afghanistan, but some of the criticisms in this book were unfair. For example, the author blames Obama for not meeting Karzai first during a visit to Afghanistan. Also, he blames Obama for not espousing on the stories of Afghan people during speeches. Finally, he blames the U.S. for not adopting the correct strategy during the surge in Afghanistan (even though the author is a journalist, not a military tactician). "

" Substance-wise, this is a great summary of the current situation in Af/Pak for those with at least some knowledge about the area and the history of the region. It's not a book for beginners, but it's also not so deep that one couldn't dive in after, say, reading a few Wikipedia articles about the modern history of Afghanistan and of Af/Pak and India/Pakistan relations. Form-wise, while Rashid says right up front that the book was intended as a series of eight essays that could be picked up and started fresh at any one of them, the book still felt hastily assembled and disorganized. I caught a few obvious typos, and a few other places with seemingly conflicting statistics or contradictory information. I started reading Rashid's much more comprehensive "Descent Into Chaos" (to which this book repeatedly refers) a year or so ago, and recall it being much better written and organized than this one. If anything, this book feels like it was hastily assembled in reaction to some event (the anticipated collapse of the Zardari government, perhaps? The U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan?). Rashid knows this stuff better than just about anyone, so it's worth a read. But if you're looking for actual quality writing on the region, pick up Dexter Filkins's "The Forever War"...or, for that matter, either of Rashid's previous books. "

" As always, Rashid is both a blunt realist and a perceptive observer. No one he mentions in this book comes out very well, least of all the Pakistanis, but also Obama and Bush are criticized (justly) with great harshness. I always learn reading his books. "

" Well, I'm glad I read this, but it was less comfortable than keeping my head in the sand. "

" Each chapter in this book is an essay on its own about the volatile situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was worthwhile to read a viewpoint from the author, who is a Pakistani native educated in England. "

" A good interwoven analysis of the foreign policies of Pakistan, Afghanistan and United State and thorough analysis of the domestic conditions of AfPak. Ahmed Rashid maintains his impartiality and shows the War on Terror in Af-Pak through a very objective perspective. "

" If not the best work of Ahmed Rashid, this is still a fascinating read. It reads very well and is keeping you wanting more. Looking forward to the next book from Rashid. "

" Quite sobering -- a must-read for anyone wishing to understand where we are and what options exist for future relations with Pakistan (and Afghanistan, for that matter). "

" In summary: everything is terrible and getting progressively worse. "

" I've spent the summmer reading up on the Middle East. I would recommend this book as part of that group for gaining greater understanding of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the troubled relationship with America and the world. "

" Interesting, timely, not hopeful about the future or America making a difference. "

" Terrifying. A compelling book on the horribly and disastrously high potential for Pakistan to continue to mismanage its various internal and external crises. "