Book excerpt: There are millions of Pakistanis living throughout the world, and from time to time they will need medical, spiritual, and psychological care. This can only be successfully given if their culture is understood. My thought is that I begin my book, Understanding Pakistani Culture, with an explanation that I am from Pakistan and I now live in the United States. I am a spiritual counselor who visits patients in hospitals to help them, and sometimes I encounter patients born in Pakistan. Because their customs are often so different from US customs, those wishing to help do not understand their needs. My thought has been to write a book about Pakistani customs to bring forward the understanding.