The Pakistani author Mohsin Hamidhas written three acclaimed novels. His latest book has just been released in paperback. It’s called How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. It’s a look at the life of a man who journeys from indigent child to wealthy industrialist. And it’s written as if it were one of those self-help, get rich quick books that fill the shelves of bookstores around the world.
Hamid's first book, Moth Smoke, was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Prize. The Reluctant Fundamentalist, his second book, was a New York Times Bestseller, and was made into a movie last year. MohsinHamid joins Tom Hall by phone from St. Louis to discuss the book, his road to becoming a novelist, and the literacy scene in Pakistan.