When Laila Bokhari introduced her book, Holy Wrath, at a book breakfast in Islamabad last Sunday, the audience was as attentive as a speaker can wish for. It was a bright Sunday morning in a pleasant and quiet room with flowers and candles, but the topic was serious. Laila presented her book about extremism and terrorism. Well, not quite. She has tried to go beyond the headlines, behind the accepted truths and the generalisations to explore the causes and backgrounds of those who enter extreme antisocial, political groups. Laila is trying to understand and is less judgmental than many researchers with hidden agendas. Her book, written mainly for the general Norwegian readership and published by Gyldendal, Oslo, is partly research and partly anecdotes and profiles of actors. She also explores the unfair world we live in, where some become activists on the wrong side, while others have opportunities to study, travel and do well in business and other spheres. A few of those who dont may join antisocial groups, whereas other times and situations would have given them opportunities to do otherwise, even become pillars of society. The perpetrators are not the only ones we should blame when things go astray. Yet, we are all responsible for our own actions: a rich landowner cannot excuse and explain away his injustices against thousands of people attached to the soil. An extremist and the ideologues behind him also have to take responsibility for their actions, be they illiterate and poor, victims of injustice and humiliation, or affluent and powerful. But this article is not a book review. Here, Laila Bokharis book is used as an example of a book written by a foreigner, a Norwegian writing about Pakistan. The authors father emigrated to Norway more than a generation ago, and her mother is an ethnic Norwegian. She was born and bred in Norway, educated as a political scientist, with experience as a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, as well as the United Nations in New York. Currently, she is an Adviser at the Embassy of Norway in Pakistan. Holy Wrath, or Hellig vrede, as the book title is in Norwegian, is being translated into English, and it is one of several books about Pakistan published this autumn by Norwegian publishing houses. Another one is Pakistan in the Centre of the World or, Pakistan - midt i verden, as the Pax Publishing House has entitled the book by Elisabeth Eide and Terje Skaufjord. This too is a book for the general, enlightened public, but in practice, it is likely to get its largest readership among students, researchers, journalists, and so on. That is no surprise since the authors are both lecturers, one at a university college and the other at grammar school. Elisabeth and Terje too, like Laila, have travelled the country, interviewed and researched, read books and studied issues. They have included anecdotes and profiles of ordinary men and women and of famous and powerful ones. Next time, when Elisabeth Eide comes to guest lecture in Pakistan, as she does periodically at the University of Gujrat, I hope a book breakfast will be organised. The book makes a pleasant and informative reading to be enjoyed by the Norwegian readers, and many of them will probably be Pakistani-Norwegians since they are the largest group of non-European immigrants in the country. The book cover is friendly, giving a more real picture of Pakistan than that of Lailas book with the face of a bearded man in red and black, fuelling prejudice rather than help building bridges. The third book, which I will mention is written by Kristin Elisabeth Solberg, a young freelance journalist, whose book is entitled In the Land of the Pure. In Norwegian: I de renes land, published by Ascheoug Publishing House. Her book may well become a bestseller. She ventures into mainstream stories, or should we say, daytime stories, as well as the more obscure and hidden aspects of peoples lives. She writes in an engaging way. The book is informative and educational albeit not research. Perhaps, the book will be translated into English, not only to be available in Norwegian, accessible to a mere five million native speakers of that language, plus another 15 million in Sweden and Denmark, who can also read Norwegian. And then, let me mention a book by a real Pakistani-Norwegian, notably Noman Mubashir. His book, Oslostaner, is mixing Oslo and Pakistan in the title and the book is published by the prestigious Gyldendal Publishing House. The author is a young man, who has worked for the governments TV network NRK for a decade. His language and style appeal to young readers, or those of them who read books They would be half Norwegian and half foreigners, or, rather, both Norwegian and foreigners. In other words, new Norwegian citizens with foreign ancestors, transnational networks and indeed a home in that country far north. They are unique additions to the earlier homogenous Norwegian society, enriching the country and the peoples environment. I hope that the resident Norwegians too will read the book. I am sure many Pakistani-Norwegians will, and probably also some of the other 250,000 other non-European immigrants in the country. If the book is translated into English, or another world language, it can reach immigrant and other readers abroad. In addition, Nomans book should be translated into Urdu. This is an impressive list of books by Norwegians about Pakistan and about Pakistani-Norwegians, appearing in Nor-wegian, mainly for Norwegian readers, released in a single year. Earlier, some books have been published, including by Abid Raja, Mohna Khan and Hadia Tajik, a Deputy Government Minister. Mohnas book came in spring this year and is about the experiences of some immigrant families in Norway. Other books are about the sub-cultures of immigrants and about their struggle to get into the mainstream society. This autumn books are special in the sense that they discuss Pakistani issues. Well, you may say, people everywhere in the world are interested in Pakistan and critical to the country. True, but the books released in Norway this year dont fit the negative 'genre. The books show curiosity and interest for Pakistan and its people. The authors try to understand, not judge, and they bring into light positive and human stories. Pakistan is a diverse country, with diverse people. Dont think that one size fits all, as Ms Bokhari reminded her audience at the book breakfast last Sunday. The books I have drawn attention to in this article, are from one foreign country only, a little land in Europe. In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, where there is a large community of Pakistanis and immigrants from elsewhere in the subcontinent, there is already a large availability of scientific and popular books. In Norway, there is room for further work in academic, cultural and commercial fields, related to Pakistan and Norway, and their intermingling. There may also be room and need for Pakistan Studies in Norway, an issue highlighted on several occasions by the University of Gujrat (UoG) Vice Chancellor Professor M. Nizamuddin. The university plans to open a Centre for Norwegian Studies - situated in the main sending-area of Pakistani emigrants to Norway. A Pakistani centre in Norway would balance the efforts. I am glad that the Vice Chancellor has promised to publish my book at the universitys press, with Mr Books, Islamabad, before this calendar year comes to a close The book is entitled The Know Norway Book; Background for understanding the country and its people. The writer is a senior Norwegian social scientist currently based in Islamabad. Email: atlehetland@yahoo.com