Intriguing, Insightful, Adventurous


I found Marcus Henderson Wilder's travel narrative, NAÏVE & ABROAD: PAKISTAN, highly intriguing, insightful and adventurous! Marcus pulls back the veil on an area of the world that has been shrouded in mystery for centuries. Passing through this land as a gentle stranger, he becomes our eyes and ears in this untamed--yet charming--corner of earth which is seemingly untouched by time. Mark rarely makes hard-and-fast pronouncements. He observes... questions... comments. His observations bring understanding. His questions stimulate thought. His comments stir deep emotion--running the full gamut from anger to tears. Descriptions of ancient culture and scenery instill a sense of wonder. Generosity, hospitality and kindness--showered on a grateful pilgrim--impart an appreciation for tribal traditions that create an unbroken connection to a distant past. While general circumstances for women in this man's world sting with injustice, specific examples of feminine spunk illicit cheers! Depictions of unbridled violence and cruelty, "uncivilized" behavior, and sanitation standards powerfully appall while the maze of colorful bazaars and markets--filled with makeshift manufacturers, rug traders, gun dealers, gem peddlers, and deal makers--sparks a whirling kaleidoscope in the imagination. Mark's dry wit will keep you on your toes, his self-deprecating humor and astute observation of human nature--sown throughout--will keep you laughing!

Wilder's quest to play the free-for-all, no-holds-barred polo game, buz kashi, makes this read an adventure that rivals a classic knight's-of-the-round-table novel. Political events and figures of the era add context and intrigue. Marcus neither vilifies nor glorifies the ancient culture he visits. And yet, the political and cultural observations and insights are astoundingly important. He spurns the false perspective of political correctness while providing an honest lens into a world and mindset that stand in stark contrast to our own. This book would make a great gift for adventurers, real or arm-chair travelers, political science majors, gun enthusiasts, horse lovers, students of culture or religion, missionaries, history buffs, soldiers, or advocates for women's rights. Diving into the pages of NAÏVE & ABROAD: PAKISTAN was a highly enjoyable and very informative experience. I found myself truly laughing out loud on numerous occasions and walking away with a whole new level of understanding for another culture. Kudos, Mr. Wilder!

Great book!

I've just finished reading a really great book. You should, too.

It's by a local author named Marcus Wilder who had this idea to write a book about his travels in Pakistan 20 years ago. Strangely, although his work is dated 20 years, much of what he observed is still relevant and informative today. Originally conceived as notes on his travels to quiet an insistent friend, his 10 page manuscript has grown to a 200 page critique and insight you won't find in any other book available. Written in a style reminiscent of Hemingway's short, punchy word pictures, Marcus almost overwhelms the senses with sensory input from his descriptions of "pungent" room cleaners in Pakistan, the sheer grandeur of the Taj Mahal, or the simple pleasure of a succulent orange in the Hindu Kush.

Marcus' manuscript, just as an outsider viewing an Islamic society in passing, has shown me more than I learned in a college-level comparative-religions course that contrasted the three faiths of Abraham (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.) Take his observations on the prophet Mohammed: that unlike the teachings of Christ or Buddha, Mohammed's teachings do not project well into a modern, literate world. Education is the Koran's worst enemy. (p.60)

Marcus also doesn't mince words when analyzing the opposition to both America and Israel, as well as our basic inability to grasp the problem facing us: For them it is about killing infidels. For us it is about understanding their point of view. What twits we are. (p. 167)

And yet, as Paul Harvey likes to say, "It is -not- one world." Marcus' description of Lahore Pakistan made me laugh out loud: "Lahore--in Muslim Pakistan--has one of the largest, oldest, continuously operated red light districts in the world. (A bawdy editor penciled in, "La Whore.") In some families, prostitution has been the family business for uncountable generations. No family member--male or female--is too young to serve in the family business.

Lahore is the cultural capital of Pakistan." (p. 40)

Marcus' little internal dialogue -- that's very much what it reads like on paper -- discusses so much that I frequently wanted to go back and re-read the last two or three pages to make sure I had fully absorbed everything on the pages before moving on. "The burkah is not Islamic. Muslims adopted that custom from a primitive tribe they converted to Islam." Or that Mohammed married a 6-year old girl, but waited to consummate the marriage until she was nine. Or, that to prove rape, a woman must have four male witnesses. Or, how he came to travel to Pakistan in the first place -- to play a horseback game called buz kashi (literally "goat snatching" -- so named by Rudyard Kipling as a bizarre sort of horseback soccer involving a headless goat carcass and several dozen very angry horsemen. (Marcus excelled at the game when finally allowed to play.)

The book was so riveting for me I had to learn how to get the Adobe PDF version to download into my Palm Pilot so I could read it during pauses at stoplights. Timely, insightful, and engaging; i look forward to his book about "Limping Across Spain."