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<book id="3024831">
  <title><![CDATA[Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0670019704]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780670019700]]></isbn13>
    <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">3024831</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">3</books_count>
  <default_description>&lt;B&gt;The #1 New York Times bestselling author provides a shocking analysis of the crisis in Pakistan and the renewed radicalism threatening Afghanistan and the West&lt;/B&gt;.

Ahmed Rashid is &quot;Pakistan's best and bravest reporter&quot; (&lt;i&gt;Christopher Hitchens&lt;/i&gt;). His unique knowledge of this vast and complex region allows him a panoramic vision and nuance that no Western writer can emulate.

His book &lt;i&gt;Taliban&lt;/i&gt; first introduced American readers to the brutal regime that hijacked Afghanistan and harbored the terrorist group responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Now, Rashid examines the region and the corridors of power in Washington and Europe to see how the promised nation building in these countries has progressed. His conclusions are devastating: An unstable and nuclear-armed Pakistan, a renewed al' Qaeda profiting from a booming opium trade, and a Taliban resurgence and reconquest. While Iraq continues to attract most of American media and military might, Rashid argues that Pakistan and Afghanistan are where the conflict will finally be played out and that these failing states pose a graver threat to global security than the Middle East.

Benazir Bhutto's assassination and the crisis in Pakistan are only the beginning. Rashid assesses what her death means for the region and the future. Rashid has unparalleled access to the figures in this global drama, and provides up-to-the-minute analysis better than anyone else. &lt;I&gt;Descent Into Chaos&lt;/I&gt; will do for Central Asia what Thomas Rick's &lt;I&gt;Fiasco&lt;/I&gt; did for Iraq -- offer a blistering critique of the Bush administration and an impassioned call to correct our failed strategy in the region.</default_description>
  <id type="integer">3055405</id>
  <media_type nil="true"></media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer">3</original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer">6</original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">2008</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:118|5:38|4:58|3:16|2:6|1:0|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">118</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">482</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">344</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">42</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[4.08]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[114]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[40]]></text_reviews_count>
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3024831.Descent_into_Chaos_The_United_States_and_the_Failure_of_Nation_Building_in_Pakistan_Afghanistan_and_Central_Asia]]></url>
  <authors>
        <author id="12319">
      <name><![CDATA[Ahmed Rashid]]></name>
      <role><![CDATA[]]></role>
      <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12319.Ahmed_Rashid]]></url>
      <average_rating><![CDATA[3.88]]></average_rating>
      <ratings_count><![CDATA[560]]></ratings_count>
      <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[126]]></text_reviews_count>
    </author>
      </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="344">
    <review id="31414300">
    <user id="1469927">
    <name><![CDATA[Steve]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Berlin, Germany]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1469927-steve-kettmann]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 28 06:38:26 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 28 06:45:58 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Read the book that many of Obama's advisers are reading or have recently read - and on which they have clearly relied in helping articulate the details of Obama's call for an emphasis on Afghanistan and Pakistan as the &quot;central front in the war on terror.&quot; As Raymond Bonner in the Times an...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31414300">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31414300]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="74013918">
    <user id="2824003">
    <name><![CDATA[David]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Glasgow, N7, The United Kingdom]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2824003-david-lundqvist]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Kaput]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Oct 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Oct 09 16:08:51 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 20 12:16:45 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Descent into chaos is an intelligent look at the policies of the Bush administration and the EU towards Afghanistan and central Asia. <br/><br/>It begins with a brief history of the British occupation of Pakistan/India and Afghanistan and how the events of this epoch have a lasting influence on th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74013918">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74013918]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="54673850">
    <user id="1526851">
    <name><![CDATA[Will]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1526851-will]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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        <shelf name="non-fiction" />
        <shelf name="terrorism" />
        <shelf name="the-bush-administration" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Claire S]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jun 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 02 02:12:51 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Aug 14 00:59:09 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Descent Into Chaos is a must read for anyone interested in ongoing events in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the central Asian “stans” that make up one of the most politically volatile areas on earth. Rashid is both a journalist and a participant, having been a member of various groups and committees ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54673850">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54673850]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="36185142">
    <user id="1655583">
    <name><![CDATA[James]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1655583-james]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Dec 14 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Oct 25 12:09:08 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 14 09:54:15 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[If you only have time to read one book on post-9/11 Afghanistan, Pakistan, and to a lesser extent Central Asia and the subcontinent, this would be the one to buy. Historians and academic courses will start with this book. Dense, well researched, insider journalism from a wise and keen observer of th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36185142">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36185142]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="54512494">
    <user id="973446">
    <name><![CDATA[Scott]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/973446-scott]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Apr 30 14:48:50 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 30 14:49:03 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I had two main reactions to Rashid's book. One was frustration and the other was appreciation.  My frustration extended largely from his liberal viewpoint that the war on Afghanistan was a just war and could've gone swimmingly &quot;if only&quot; the various players had made the correct decisions an...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54512494">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54512494]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="28710538">
    <user id="249181">
    <name><![CDATA[Nikhil]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/249181-nikhil]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <sell_flag>true</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="sociopolitical" />
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[those interested in foreign affairs, Central and South Asia in particular.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 29 23:06:45 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 29 23:10:17 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A clear, methodical treatment of what went wrong with America and NATO's persecution of the war in Afghanistan and a calm portrait of the depraved forces that run Pakistan. <br/><br/>Policy makers would do well to learn from this man's insights.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28710538]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="54467493">
    <user id="322266">
    <name><![CDATA[Joel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/322266-joel]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Apr 30 07:52:22 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 30 07:57:41 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is the companion piece to Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Chandrasekaren, only this time we are in Pakistan visiting the catastrophic effects of the Bush administration policies that have led to the current dire situation. And who is the middle? Who allowed the ISI and the Taliban to re-co...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54467493">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54467493]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="42689749">
    <user id="1888594">
    <name><![CDATA[Claire]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Minneapolis, MN]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1888594-claire-s]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
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        <shelf name="g_afghanistan" />
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Apr 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jan 11 11:37:47 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Apr 25 19:01:50 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Great review by Dalrymple here: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22274">http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22274</a><br/><br/>----<br/><br/>This is a magnificent work of enormous importance, laying bare the multitudes and layers of errors made by all involved in the last 9 years in Afghanistan in particular, and delivering prescriptions for ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42689749">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42689749]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="33481024">
    <user id="632686">
    <name><![CDATA[Dan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/632686-dan]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Sep 21 19:32:23 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Apr 12 08:00:15 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A great but depressing follow up to Coll's <em>Ghost Wars</em>. Rashid shows just how little the US under Bush learned from the CIA's previous support for the Afghan mujahideen and the resulting &quot;blowback&quot; that led directly to 9/11. <br/><br/>As before, much of the current disaster stems from the...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33481024">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33481024]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="73116074">
    <user id="2382847">
    <name><![CDATA[Will]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lexington, KY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2382847-will]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 01 12:25:18 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 13 11:37:42 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Good, not great. Contains next to nothing on Central Asia outside of Afghanistan and Pakistan--Just drops the bombshell in the last 5 pages that Uzbekistan is a &quot;powderkeg&quot;. ??? There is a little too much name dropping that actually subtracts from the author's credibility. At times he skip...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73116074">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73116074]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="66243433">
    <user id="2460215">
    <name><![CDATA[Mary Gail]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Charlotte, NC]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2460215-mary-gail-o-dea]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 04 20:21:27 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Aug 04 20:23:57 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I learned alot from this book about the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan and how much the Bush administration allowed itself to be used and deceived by Pakistan, aspects of whose military took our aid money and built up the Taliban.   We so needed an overall understanding of all of Centr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66243433">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66243433]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="34960618">
    <user id="1433417">
    <name><![CDATA[Jenn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1433417-jenn]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people wanting to learn more about Pakistani/Afghani/American relations, post-9/11]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Nov 03 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 09 21:40:21 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Nov 09 21:04:35 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A fairly dense book taking a look at the relationships between the governments in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, and (with less detail) Uzbekistan in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.  The details -- particularly the frank assessments of Afghani politics -- were dramatic and many times difficul...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34960618">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34960618]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="53010771">
    <user id="559159">
    <name><![CDATA[Sydney]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/559159-sydney]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue May 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Apr 17 07:41:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed May 20 13:24:23 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Rashid presents an in-depth analysis of post-9/11 Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The title misleads one to believe Central Asia will receive equal attention.  Rashid touches on the situations in Central Asia as they were affected by the U.S. invasion of and involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but d...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53010771">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53010771]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="67119820">
    <user id="1927453">
    <name><![CDATA[Marsha]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1927453-marsha]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Aug 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Aug 12 13:31:32 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Aug 12 13:34:37 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Authoritative account of the background for the current state of affairs in Afghanistan.  Learned alot about the area, was amazed at how much money we have already invested there.  Well worth the read, which was slow going at times.  ]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67119820]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="50496242">
    <user id="87324">
    <name><![CDATA[Tia]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/87324-tia]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="history" />
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        <shelf name="politicalstuff" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Mar 26 06:02:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Apr 03 09:20:30 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Rashid is a dry writer but hyper-knowledgeable about the intractable problems in Afghanistan.  Don't read this book unless you want to be distressed about the future of humanity--and annoyed at our government for being so naïve and enabling Pakistan to pursue such a disastrous course.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/50496242]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="66142659">
    <user id="243423">
    <name><![CDATA[Matthew]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Baltimore, MD]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/243423-matthew]]></url>
  </user>
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  <read_at>Thu Aug 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 04 08:46:59 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 06 11:32:10 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Excellent book! This is the second that I have read by Mr. Rashid, and he never fails to inform the reader and provide understanding to the issues that face the world with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66142659]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="40636615">
    <user id="1655437">
    <name><![CDATA[AC]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1655437-ac]]></url>
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      <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Dec 21 19:06:31 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 21 19:07:39 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Though I didn't have quite the same response as Jim this book (I listened on audio -- while in a prone position for three days) it is clearly an authoritative and devastating discussion of the topic.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40636615]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="69351276">
    <user id="2064068">
    <name><![CDATA[Christopher Rex]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Santo Domingo, 05, Dominican Republic]]></location>        
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      <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Sep 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 29 12:55:23 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 21 07:34:32 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An insanely informative expose of a Little Slice of Heaven I like to call &quot;Central Asia&quot;.  As if the nightmare couldn't get any worse over there.  Don't read this if you want a pick me up.  But, if you want to be informed about why Central Asia is the worst place on Earth and why Pakistan ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69351276">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69351276]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="38096905">
    <user id="1458130">
    <name><![CDATA[Kenneth]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1458130-kenneth]]></url>
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      <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Nov 18 18:58:26 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 18 19:03:45 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Billed as a scathing indictment (or a &quot;blistering critique&quot;, I forget which cliche) of the Bush administration, the book strikes me as more damning of the country of Pakistan.  On the one hand, it's understandable that Pakistan would have an interest in gaming the United States in order to...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38096905">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38096905]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="70790794">
    <user id="1276926">
    <name><![CDATA[Hugolane]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1276926-hugolane]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Sep 10 19:22:16 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Sep 10 19:23:59 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Very well presented review of recent U.S. policy in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.  Gripping, but rather depressing.<br/><br/><br/>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70790794]]></url>
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