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  <id>2232874</id>
  <name><![CDATA[Richard]]></name>
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    <about><![CDATA[]]></about>
    <gender>M</gender>
    <location>Brooklyn, NY</location>
    <website><![CDATA[]]></website>
    <joined>04/2009</joined>
    <last-active>04/2009</last-active>
    <interests><![CDATA[Travel, history, soccer/football, financial history]]></interests>
    <favorite-books><![CDATA[The Coffee Trader, Animal House, Football Among the Enemy]]></favorite-books>
    
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  <name>David Liss</name>
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          <updates type="array">
        <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 5 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/281299.Brilliant_Orange_The_Neurotic_Genius_of_Dutch_Football">Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/114587.David_Winner">David Winner</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53116422</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173387763s/281299.jpg</image_url>
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  <id type="integer">2232874</id>
  <name>Richard</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2232874-richard</link>
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    <updated_at>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:14:52 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[David Winner's book Brilliant Orange is a winner. It's a historical look at not only the development of the KNVB (the Dutch football association) and its professional league, but also at how and why the Dutch play the way they do. Many people believe that the way a country's national team plays is a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/David%20Winner's%20book%20Brilliant%20Orange%20is%20a%20winner.%20It's%20a%20historical%20look%20at%20not%20only%20the%20development%20of%20the%20KNVB%20(the%20Dutch%20football%20association)%20and%20its%20professional%20league,%20but%20also%20at%20how%20and%20why%20the%20Dutch%20play%20the%20way%20they%20do.%20Many%20people%20believe%20that%20the%20way%20a%20country's%20national%20team%20plays%20is%20a%20reflection%20of%20its%20society.%20Winner%20does%20a%20good%20job%20showing%20why%20the%20total%20football%20of%20the%2070s%20and%20the%20continued%20free-flowing%20style%20of%20Dutch%20soccer%20do%20reflect%20how%20the%20Dutch%20view%20themselves.%20">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/155449.Ajax_the_Dutch_the_War">Ajax, the Dutch, the War (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45528.Simon_Kuper">Simon Kuper</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53116350</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172260165s/155449.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">2232874</id>
  <name>Richard</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2232874-richard</link>
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    <updated_at>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:11:54 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[Another win from Simon Kuper.]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 5 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6285121.Football_Against_the_Enemy">Football Against the Enemy (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45528.Simon_Kuper">Simon Kuper</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53116156</link>
    <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">2232874</id>
  <name>Richard</name>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2232874-richard</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:10:37 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[Simon Kuper does an excellent job detailing the cultural rivalries that express themselves through sport. More specifically, he outlines how some football (soccer) rivalries are manifestations of differences that have wound up in war in other times. It's a football book, a travel book, a sociologica...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/Simon%20Kuper%20does%20an%20excellent%20job%20detailing%20the%20cultural%20rivalries%20that%20express%20themselves%20through%20sport.%20More%20specifically,%20he%20outlines%20how%20some%20football%20(soccer)%20rivalries%20are%20manifestations%20of%20differences%20that%20have%20wound%20up%20in%20war%20in%20other%20times.%20It's%20a%20football%20book,%20a%20travel%20book,%20a%20sociological%20book%20that%20belongs%20on%20the%20shelf%20of%20every%20football%20fan.">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3276012.Azincourt">Azincourt (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12542.Bernard_Cornwell">Bernard Cornwell</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53114456</link>
    <image_url>http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BqPYRi1-L._SL75_.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">2232874</id>
  <name>Richard</name>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2232874-richard</link>
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    <updated_at>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:47:51 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[A fun historical fiction to read. I read this back and forth on a recent trip, and was thoroughly entertained. Good writing, historical accuracy, graphic violence that is as gratuitous as it was at the time, and characters that you can love and loathe make Agincourt (I have the American title versio...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/A%20fun%20historical%20fiction%20to%20read.%20I%20read%20this%20back%20and%20forth%20on%20a%20recent%20trip,%20and%20was%20thoroughly%20entertained.%20Good%20writing,%20historical%20accuracy,%20graphic%20violence%20that%20is%20as%20gratuitous%20as%20it%20was%20at%20the%20time,%20and%20characters%20that%20you%20can%20love%20and%20loathe%20make%20Agincourt%20(I%20have%20the%20American%20title%20version)%20a%20fun%20read%20for%20the%20history%20buff.">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94797.Ghosts_of_Spain_Travels_Through_Spain_and_Its_Secret_Past">Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Secret Past (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54520.Giles_Tremlett">Giles Tremlett</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53111737</link>
    <image_url>http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5131nDSEJ2L._SL75_.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">2232874</id>
  <name>Richard</name>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2232874-richard</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:41:22 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[On a trip to Spain a few years ago, I needed to make a change to my train ticket from Madrid to Malaga. The ticket agent, a man in his 50s or 60s, barely listened to my request, looked at his watch, and without ever looking up growled, &quot;No&quot;. Just the one word, without explanation and never...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/On%20a%20trip%20to%20Spain%20a%20few%20years%20ago,%20I%20needed%20to%20make%20a%20change%20to%20my%20train%20ticket%20from%20Madrid%20to%20Malaga.%20The%20ticket%20agent,%20a%20man%20in%20his%2050s%20or%2060s,%20barely%20listened%20to%20my%20request,%20looked%20at%20his%20watch,%20and%20without%20ever%20looking%20up%20growled,%20%22No%22.%20Just%20the%20one%20word,%20without%20explanation%20and%20never%20looked%20at%20me.%20Sort%20of%20expecting%20that,%20I%20looked%20to%20see%20if%20another%20agent%20could%20help%20me.%20This%20time,%20the%20agent%20was%20a%20vibrant%2020-ish%20girl,%20who%20took%20my%20question%20and%20made%20the%20change%20in%20about%2045%20seconds,%20smiling%20and%20chatting%20with%20me%20the%20whole%20time.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AThis%20is%20the%20two%20sides%20of%20Spain,%20and%20the%20age%20difference%20between%20my%20two%20ticket%20agents%20illustrates%20what%20Ghosts%20of%20Spain%20is%20about%20in%20one%20experience.%20But%20this%20book%20is%20more%20than%20that.%20It's%20also%20a%20fascinating%20look%20at%20the%20various%20regions%20of%20Spain,%20offering%20a%20glimpse%20into%20what%20constitutes%20the%20modern%20Spaniard.%20A%20Basque%20is%20not%20a%20Catalan%20is%20not%20a%20Sevillano%20is%20not%20a%20Madridista.%20Ghosts%20of%20Spain%20tries%20to%20explain%20why%20in%20an%20entertaining%20and%20educational%20way.%0D%0A%0D%0A">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
        <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[is currently reading: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23422.The_Art_of_Travel">The Art of Travel (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13199.Alain_de_Botton">Alain de Botton</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53098206</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167403526s/23422.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">2232874</id>
  <name>Richard</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2232874-richard</link>
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    <updated_at>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:02:30 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 5 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/368731.A_Problem_from_Hell_America_and_the_Age_of_Genocide">A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13271.Samantha_Power">Samantha Power</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53097323</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174179182s/368731.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">2232874</id>
  <name>Richard</name>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2232874-richard</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:49:15 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[Quite simply one of the most powerful books you could ever read. Power details the genocides of the 20th century - Armenian, Holocaust, Cambodia, Kurdish Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo - while also revealing the powerlessness that the international community has in trying to stop these sorts of action...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/Quite%20simply%20one%20of%20the%20most%20powerful%20books%20you%20could%20ever%20read.%20Power%20details%20the%20genocides%20of%20the%2020th%20century%20-%20Armenian,%20Holocaust,%20Cambodia,%20Kurdish%20Iraq,%20Bosnia,%20Rwanda,%20Kosovo%20-%20while%20also%20revealing%20the%20powerlessness%20that%20the%20international%20community%20has%20in%20trying%20to%20stop%20these%20sorts%20of%20actions.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20most%20recent%20genocide,%20in%20Darfur%20at%20the%20start%20of%20the%2021st%20century%20-%20underlines%20her%20point,%20that%20there%20is%20not%20a%20lot%20that%20can%20be%20done...%20even%20if%20the%20will%20is%20there%20to%20do%20something%20in%20the%20first%20place.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd%20that%20is%20perhaps%20the%20most%20haunting%20aspect%20of%20this%20book.%20Power%20does%20a%20fantastic%20job%20by%20demonstrating%20that%20very%20often,%20the%20international%20community%20is%20not%20interested%20in%20stopping%20these%20actions%20until%20it%20reaches%20a%20point%20where%20something%20has%20to%20be%20done.%20But%20by%20then,%20thousands%20and%20millions%20have%20already%20suffered.%20The%20situation%20in%20Darfur%20again%20underlines%20this%20point%20-%20by%20the%20time%20the%20world%20had%20come%20around%20to%20what%20was%20going%20on,%20millions%20of%20southern%20Sudanese%20had%20already%20been%20murdered%20or%20displaced%20during%20a%20decade%20of%20fighting.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20other%20interesting%20insight%20that%20Problem%20from%20Hell%20offers%20is%20the%20struggle%20that%20the%20international%20community%20had%20in%20simply%20coming%20to%20terms%20with%20the%20concept%20of%20genocide,%20from%20a%20legal%20viewpoint.%20Sad%20to%20say,%20the%20US%20was%20one%20of%20the%20most%20reluctant%20to%20accept%20this.%20Something%20seemingly%20so%20obvious%20yet%20politics%20are%20always%20local.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AIf%20I%20have%20this%20correct,%20I%20believe%20that%20it%20was%20not%20until%20Darfur%20that%20the%20US%20government%20formally%20labeled%20any%20situation%20as%20genocidal.%20Even%20if%20I%20miss%20the%20mark,%20it%20was%20certainly%20only%20in%20the%20last%20days%20of%20the%2020th%20century%20before%20Americans%20came%20to%20terms%20with%20this%20concept,%20even%20with%20so%20much%20evidence%20facing%20us.">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
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