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  <title><![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is &quot;make your blood boil&quot; journalism by the author of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9777.The_God_of_Small_Things" title="The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy">The God of Small Things</a>, which I loved.  Brought to my attention by my sometimes radicalized family, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6134.Arundhati_Roy" title="Arundhati Roy">Arundhati Roy</a>'s book consists of essays on India's gigantic dam projects, and on the advent of the Indian nuclear bomb.<br/><br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48405398">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48405398]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
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  <published>1999</published>
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    <body><![CDATA[damn dams]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26531687]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
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  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Thu Jan 03 07:12:49 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jan 03 07:22:57 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This selection is a misnomer -- I picked up one-half of this book, a pamphlet called &quot;The End of Imagination,&quot; in India in 2000. Roy's fiction has never really interested me; her work has always been trumped by Jhumpa Lahiri, a similar but more intriguing fictioneer. But Roy's polemics are...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11521252">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11521252]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11521252]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>65385416</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Sally]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2002</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jul 29 06:44:24 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jul 29 06:50:01 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I read this book a few years ago and remember liking it a lot. Her writing is beautiful, though I did find some parts hard to get through -- I can't remember exactly why (sorry, I have a lousy memory). But it was a good book and a great one to check out if you're thinking about global policies, the ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65385416">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65385416]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65385416]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>59358392</id>
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    <id>129343</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Charity]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jun 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jun 11 21:01:48 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 03 09:16:15 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Features two essays (&quot;The Greater Common Good&quot; and &quot;The End of Imagination&quot;) previously published in the magazines <em>Frontline</em> and <em>Outlook</em>. &quot;The Greater Common Good&quot; details the horrors caused by dam-building in India. &quot;The End of Imagination&quot; focuses on the det...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59358392">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59358392]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Kimberly]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <date_added>Tue Sep 08 12:33:31 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Sep 08 12:36:47 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[These are two amazing essays on India.  They are sad, thought-provoking, and powerful.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70492977]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70492977]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Tue Jul 01 21:17:16 -0700 2008</date_added>
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    <body><![CDATA[Two great essays. One concerning the building of a damn in India and the other their first nuclear testing. Contains her famous quote:<br/>To love. To be loved. To never forget you own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26080729">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
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  <published>1999</published>
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    <body><![CDATA[Loved this book. Really good writing and rings so close to home...]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56120810]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
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  <published>1999</published>
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  <date_added>Fri May 11 15:06:51 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 19:18:16 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Everyone must read this book! Her writing is poetic, and compelling. She displays complex political situations in such a light that you cannot help but laugh at the reality that is, and cry at her description of what should be. Arundhati was politically blacklisted and cannot return to her home in I...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1166827">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1166827]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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  <average_rating>4.36</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big government's<br/>disregard for the individual.<br/><br/>In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>, Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.<br/><br/>Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire, of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed for the comforts of the few.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 12 00:40:29 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 00:20:30 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Terus terang aku tertarik dengan buku ini setelah membaca resensinya di Kompas. Who is Arundhati Roy? Aku menemukan bukunya di toko buku beberapa minggu kemudian dan langsung membeli. Ulasan yang sangat bagus. Orang-orang seperti Arundhati inilah yang dapat menggiring opini ke arah yang diinginkan. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2969741">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2969741]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <read_at>Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri May 09 16:24:32 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri May 09 16:27:21 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Arundhati Roy writes a necessary polemic. Roy brings up real issues that cause real concern. Even more, she elucidates the terrible processes and ways by which governments quite simply screw over their peoples. Although the specific issues about which she writes are now slightly dated, the message r...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21952601">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21952601]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>6122813</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>283</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Wed Sep 12 18:35:36 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed May 06 06:37:46 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There's something about Arundhati Roy's prose that causes her writing to hit your senses.  After reading The God of Small Things, I picked up a few books of her essays, whose topics cover a wide range of material.  My favorite essay is in this collection - The Cost of Living -  and it is titled &quot;...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6122813">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6122813]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>3453822</id>
    <user>
    <id>174431</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Katie]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Tue Jul 24 09:11:06 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 09 15:18:06 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I think this book is better thanthe more popular, God of Small Things.  I guess its apples &amp; oranges to say that but her writing manages to be extremely beautiful and also so powerful that you want to drop what you're doing and go to India to stop dam-building.  The second part about the bomb will t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3453822">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3453822]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3453822]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 23 12:59:24 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 06:46:22 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Definitely not the author's strongest work, the best part of this book might be the footnotes, which are extensive.  Still, it is a useful, and passionate, introduction to some global issues that people need to know more about.  Reader might do better with Roy's other book of essays on similar topic...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5018424">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5018424]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5018424]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>36118867</id>
    <user>
    <id>1058994</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ryan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Eugene, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1058994-ryan-mishap]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375756140</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375756146</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">25</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174m/9779.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174s/9779.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9779.The_Cost_of_Living</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>283</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Oct 24 12:56:04 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Oct 24 12:56:04 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Two great essays that were printed in Indian newspapers. One on India's nuclear capabilities and the other on dams. Roy is a wry, clever writer and adds rage and sdaness to those traits as she castigates the indian government and society for their failures. Radical writing at its best.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36118867]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36118867]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>26431331</id>
    <user>
    <id>1229039</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Marisa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1229039-marisa-lapalomento]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375756140</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375756146</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">25</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174m/9779.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174s/9779.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9779.The_Cost_of_Living</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>283</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Fri Apr 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jul 06 08:45:35 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Apr 04 12:45:05 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I finally read this - have been meaning to for years.  A great quick read, and you're made to feel like you're having a frank conversation with Roy, instead of being preached to, like many essays feel to me.  I think everyone should read this - even though it is a little late!]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26431331]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26431331]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>19643525</id>
    <user>
    <id>1007824</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michelle]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1007824-michelle-fergus]]></link>
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  <isbn13>9780375756146</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">25</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174m/9779.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174s/9779.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9779.The_Cost_of_Living</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>283</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sun Mar 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Apr 07 09:20:22 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Apr 07 09:36:26 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Two essay's in Ms. Roy's normal fashion. One on India's giant dams, one on the use of nuclear warfare in India, so not your &quot;God of Small Things&quot; but beautifully written and so IMPORTANT! I love her ability to be angry and write poetically simultaneously! ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19643525]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19643525]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>449761</id>
    <user>
    <id>40658</id>
    <name><![CDATA[sabeen]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Cerritos, CA]]></location>
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  <isbn>0375756140</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375756146</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">25</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174m/9779.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174s/9779.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9779.The_Cost_of_Living</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>283</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Mar 27 10:35:46 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Mar 27 10:35:49 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[this was the first book i read by Roy and I fell in love with her.  She is soo witty and sarcastic, I love it.  But really this was really written well and it really puts the smack down on the dam issue in India and nuclear power issue between Pakistan and India.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/449761]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/449761]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>12625117</id>
    <user>
    <id>787411</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Alexis]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
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  <isbn>0375756140</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375756146</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">25</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174m/9779.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166054174s/9779.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9779.The_Cost_of_Living</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>283</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <date_added>Tue Jan 15 18:11:36 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jan 15 18:13:12 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book is so informative about a topic I had never broached- the Sardovar dams.  It is very fascinating, especially for environmentalists.  I think it's a win-win kind of read.  And it's short.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12625117]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12625117]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>18717716</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Elena]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Cost of Living]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>283</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the bestselling author of <em>The God of Small  Things</em> comes a scathing and passionate indictment of big  government's disregard for the individual.  <p>  In her Booker Prize-winning novel, <em>The God of Small Things</em>,  Arundhati Roy turned a compassionate but unrelenting eye on one family  in India. Now she lavishes the same acrobatic language and fierce  humanity on the future of her beloved country. In this spirited  polemic, Roy dares to take on two of the great illusions of India's  progress: the massive dam projects that were supposed to haul this  sprawling subcontinent into the modern age--but which instead have  displaced untold millions--and the detonation of India's first nuclear  bomb, with all its attendant Faustian bargains.  <p>  Merging her inimitable voice with a great moral outrage and  imaginative sweep, Roy peels away the mask of democracy and prosperity  to show the true costs hidden beneath. For those who have been  mesmerized by her vision of India, here is a sketch, traced in fire,  of its topsy-turvy society, where the lives of the many are sacrificed  for the comforts of the few.</p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <date_added>Wed Mar 26 17:29:30 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Mar 26 17:29:30 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Two long essays about the Big Bad Indian government and its nuclear program and village-devastating large dams. <br/>She's my hero - I don't hand that title out to many.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18717716]]></url>
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