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  <title><![CDATA[M-am hotarat sa devin prost]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[translator: Adriana Gliga]]></description>
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  <original_title>How I Became Stupid</original_title>
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        <name><![CDATA[Martin Page]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
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  <date_added>Mon Jan 05 11:32:02 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jan 25 11:33:46 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[EN<br/>although based on an interesting idea and quite well reasoned, the book seems overrated; except for antoine all the other characters lack personality. the last chapter is almost annoying, due to the artificial feeling and the beginning of the love story. the naivety and the simplicity of the...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41979597">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Molly]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
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    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
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  <read_at>Wed Jun 18 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 16 14:44:40 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jun 18 10:46:58 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[&quot;Modern Day Candide&quot; my butt. Keep dreaming Martin Page.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24648114]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24648114]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>11452263</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Kurt]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Centreville, VA]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
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    <rating>2</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Any non-cynic with an hour to kill.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jan 02 10:31:24 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jan 02 12:05:29 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Are you morose?  Does your intelligence get in the way of your happiness?  Then move along, this book is not for you.<br/><br/>Draw an equilateral triangle.  Label each vertex:  &quot;Candide&quot;, by Voltaire; &quot;<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11.The_Hitchhiker_s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_Hitchhiker_s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_Trilogy_Book_1_" title="The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy, Book 1) by Douglas Adams">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a>&quot;, by Douglas Adams; &quot;Venus on the...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11452263">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11452263]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11452263]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>3031409</id>
    <user>
    <id>126077</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kir]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Angeles, CA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595m/186837.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone with IQ under 70]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jul 13 10:32:03 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 00:30:39 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[a pseudo-intellectual is tormented by his intelligence and goes on a mission to &quot;become stupid&quot; by doing &quot;normal&quot; things like being a &quot;millionaire stockbroker&quot;.  written at the fifth grade level, it reads like something i would write when i'm drunk, and in the end of th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3031409">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3031409]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>8307883</id>
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    <id>558206</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/558206-eric]]></link>
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  <isbn>2290319872</isbn>
  <isbn13>9782290319871</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">3</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Comment Je Suis Devenu Stupide: Roman]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/442916.Comment_Je_Suis_Devenu_Stupide_Roman</link>
  <average_rating>3.25</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>16</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[L'intelligence ne fait pas le bonheur&#8230; Antoine, vingt-cinq ans, cultivé, fin et bardé de diplômes aussi exotiques qu'inutiles en fait l'amère constatation. Loin de le rendre heureux, son sens aigu de l'observation et sa fâcheuse tendance à l'analyse ont fait son malheur. Une bonne dose de stupidité l'aiderait sans aucun doute à davantage &quot;participer à la vie&quot;. Notre doux-dingue décide donc de se noyer dans les vapeurs de l'alcool. Non sans s'être au préalable copieusement documenté et s'être choisi un professeur expérimenté. Devenir alcoolique d'accord, mais intelligemment et méthodiquement. Comme on ne peut pas être génial en tout, Antoine échoue lamentablement. Il faut se rendre à l'évidence, l'alcoolisme n'est pas son rayon, pas plus que le suicide. La solution, car il y en a une, s'appelle Heurozac : deux petites pilules par jour et l'apprenti stupide peut ingurgiter des Big Mac, s'enrichir en boursicotant, s'offrir un loft branché et une grosse voiture sans culpabiliser. Bref, la vraie vie, enfin ! À trop tenter le diable, Antoine le rêveur ne sombrera-t-il pas doucement mais sûrement dans la bêtise et la médiocrité ? <p>Emboîtant avec humour le pas de son Candide moderne, Martin Page nous offre avec <em>Comment je suis devenu stupide</em> un livre frais et léger où lobotomie et société de consommation font bon ménage. Un premier roman qui, malgré son propos, évite de se prendre au sérieux. Et c'est tant mieux ! <em>--Laurence Demurger</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Oct 27 05:00:56 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Oct 27 05:00:56 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The book was strictly ok, nowhere near as silly as the end of Werber's Fourmis series.  I dunno, there's a sort of cliché snobbery in this book (well, what else do you expect from such a title) that got on my nerves.  Oooh, so the protagonist decides he wants to be stupid and so he goes to eat at M...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8307883">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8307883]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>349395</id>
    <user>
    <id>32989</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jared]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Louisville, KY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32989-jared-busch]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[eh]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Mar 20 14:47:08 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 16:51:45 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[one of the best concepts ever... intelligent guy decides the reason he's miserable is because he's TOO intelligent, so decides to become stupid.  HOWEVER, much like the shitty films of M. Night Shyamalan, it fails to live up to the brilliance of its premise.  I wish I could tell you specific reasons...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/349395">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/349395]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/349395]]></link>
</review>
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Dec 09 19:02:58 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 12 09:55:43 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[abandoned on account of it's annoying to read.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10196411]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10196411]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>15754258</id>
    <user>
    <id>899038</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Melvin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Seoul, Korea, Republic of]]></location>
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  <isbn>0142004952</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595m/186837.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Feb 18 19:45:48 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 18 20:44:54 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[How I Became Stupid...I read this book. Not a good book.  Maybe I should've drank wine while it read or worn a beret.  I am afraid to post this because what if the fact that I didn't understand it reflects on my infinte depths of my stupidity as an undereducated American, unable to contemplate any t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15754258">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15754258]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15754258]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>62817660</id>
    <user>
    <id>2484736</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Wightknyte11]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Denver, CO]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2484736-wightknyte11]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">186837</id>
  <isbn>0142004952</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Sep 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 09 14:33:52 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 09 14:33:52 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Page is particularly skillful at fleshing out his absurd characters in the relatively short amount of space the novel occupies.  I loved the way Antoine goes about trying to be stupid, in a way that is of course opposite to being stupid.  The novel did lean a little clumsily on Antoine's diatribes, ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62817660">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62817660]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62817660]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>31483584</id>
    <user>
    <id>800983</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Benc007]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <isbn>0142004952</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Sorry, sister Naomi]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Aug 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 28 18:38:50 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 28 18:41:15 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book made me dislike the French.  It was just terrible.  And unpleasant to read.  Though, the character Aas was so cool, he should have his book with actual dialogue from him instead of saying something like, &quot;Aas told me I was a jerk in a haiku.&quot;  I want the haiku instead.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31483584]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31483584]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>58887407</id>
    <user>
    <id>1609700</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Caris]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1609700-caris]]></link>
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  <isbn>0142004952</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595m/186837.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jul 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 08 12:50:02 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jul 06 11:42:26 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[As pompous and elitist as it seems to me upon reflection, identifying with Antoine was very easy. It seems that the world is made up of people who really don't consider their lives or the world at large. I have never gotten to the point Antoine did, however. I've never considered intelligence to be ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58887407">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58887407]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58887407]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34579410</id>
    <user>
    <id>1429477</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Keswick, VA]]></location>
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  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595m/186837.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="humor" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Oct 05 11:20:36 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 05 11:20:36 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A thoughtful, sarcastic, sad, hilarious, disturbing, lovely little book.<br/>Antoine decides to stop thinking and heed Flaubert's injunction: To be stupid, selfish and healthy are the three requirements to be happy, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost.<br/>To be happy, he will strip himsel...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34579410">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34579410]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34579410]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>31937042</id>
    <user>
    <id>126194</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kat]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Bellingham, WA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/126194-kat]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">186837</id>
  <isbn>0142004952</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595m/186837.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Gusta]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Sep 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 03 14:40:44 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 15 11:43:14 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>one</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Chris recommended this &quot;goofball novel&quot; to me because it deals with the inevitability of depression for those who are intelligent and carefully consider the world around them.  This is true, but I don't think it treats the subject in any meaningful way.  The author seems to have the trappi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31937042">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31937042]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31937042]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>12960146</id>
    <user>
    <id>164711</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Shimelle]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[London, The United Kingdom]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">186837</id>
  <isbn>0142004952</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595m/186837.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jan 20 09:21:49 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jan 20 10:15:00 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Is it the European factor that makes me like this considerably more than so many others have posted below?  Perhaps, for I found the translation to be a strength, for it's not easy to mix a book that is light in tone yet (somewhat) deep in idea, snappy to read yet tightly laced in vocabulary.  <br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12960146">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12960146]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12960146]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>8485833</id>
    <user>
    <id>589323</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Scott]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>
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  <isbn>0142004952</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780142004951</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">100</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595m/186837.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172536595s/186837.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186837.How_I_Became_Stupid</link>
  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Whitney, Rebecca, and Heather]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 31 11:38:57 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 31 11:57:07 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This sentence spoke to me like no other:<br/><br/>&quot;Rodolphe was a pure product of the education system and could expect to be appointed as an assistant professor within the next two years, to be promoted to university professor in about seven years, and to die in perfect obscurity some sixty ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8485833">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[When I read that this book was an international cult phenomenon I thought it might be worth a few hours of my time. Admittingly, I am/was (I've moved on now) a bit dissapointed. Yes, the story is witty and humorous. Yes, the story tries to make a point about intelligent, unique indivduals living in ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78635196">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
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  <date_added>Sat Apr 18 17:35:29 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Apr 18 17:39:30 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a wonderful book.  Despite the fact that you can read the entire thing in an afternoon, it has more wit and insight than many books six times as long.  As you follow Antoine through his quest to find happiness through stupidity, you will recognize characters from your own life, choices that ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53168457">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Apr 19 16:34:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Apr 19 16:42:57 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A surprisingly good book about accepting yourself and our troubled world, flaws and all. The book follows a bright but poor college student who spends too much time analyzing everything to enjoy the beauty in anything. He concludes that the only way for him to enjoy life is to dumb himself down to a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53268464">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Apr 04 17:57:58 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 16 02:55:54 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Funny little ditty about Antoine, whose seeks to lighten the burden of his intelligence by willfully becoming stupid, with hilarious results. He tries becoming an alcoholic, suicide, and ends up using drugs to lower his intelligence and increase his financial fortune. Less fun for the storyline, whi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51524267">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[How I Became Stupid]]>
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  <average_rating>3.37</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>593</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, <em>How I Became Stupid</em> -- a modern day <em>Candide</em> with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply self-aware in today's culture. So tortured is he by the depth of his perception and understanding of himself and the world around him that he vows to denounce his intelligence by any means necessary -- in order to become stupid enough to be a happy, functioning member of society. What follows is a dark and hilarious odyssey as Antoine tries everything from alcoholism to stock-trading in order to lighten the burden of his brain on his soul.]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Apr 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Mon Apr 07 09:19:35 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is a clever, thought-provoking, fast read of a book that lives up to its title quite literally - the main character tries his best to deny his own intelligence and to &quot;become stupid&quot;, because he believes doing so would make him a happier person. <br/><br/>The premise of this book is...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19321261">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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