This is a sobering history and analysis of the idea of a Muslim state in the Subcontinent. Cohen identifies five ways in which Pakistan can fall, ranging from failures of vision and leadership to catastrophe, all of which will challenge policy makers for some time to come. “Pakistan,” he writes, “is both interesting and alarming. It could emerge as the pariah of Asia. This is not a welcome prospect, but there are worse: a collapsing Pakistan, spewing out nuclear weapons and Islamic extremists, or even a Pakistan transformed into a truly radical and militant state.” Woe to us all.