Algebra of Infinite Justice [Paperback]

Arundhati Roy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002

First published in 2001, this book brings together all of Arundhati Roy's political writings so far. This revised paperback edition includes two new essays, written in early 2002: 'Democracy: Who's She When She's Not at Home', which examines the horrific communal violence in Gujarat, and 'War Talk: Summer Games with Nuclear Bombs', about the threat of nuclear war in the Subcontinent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Each essay is an elaborately argued thesis... simultaneously both profound and poetic.' --Newstime

About the Author

Arundhati Roy is the author of the novel The God of Small Things, which won the Booker Prize in 1997.

Product Details

• Paperback: 351 pages
• Publisher: Penguin India (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014302907X
• ISBN-13: 978-0143029076
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,147,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Angel is She, September 29, 2004

By 

Ashley Dixon (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Algebra of Infinite Justice (Paperback)

Though her writing may appeal primarily to left-wing intellectuals, this book is a person every individual should have on his or her bookshelf. Her longest essay in this book, The Greater Common Good, focuses on large dam construction, but covers many issues of philosophical interest. Why take away from one and give to another? A utilitarian could make the argument that we should strive for the greatest good for the greatest number of people, but who is receiving the greatest good? We know that it is true that dams harm the environment in a variety of different ways -- e.g. waterlogging. Taking this into consideration along with the sheer costs and the number of people who suffer from dam building, is the utilitarian argument really valid? It seems to me, that it is in fact not even a utilitarian argument.

Arundhati Roy would agree. In this book, she explains that in most development projects throughout India, apart from the Sardar Sarovar project that has received so much attention, the displaced have no records, and they leave virtually no trace at all (Roy 104). This makes it nearly impossible for us to tell exactly or even approximately how many millions of people are suffering from the results of dam construction. Apart from this, according to Roy, the government of India has not issued a post-project evaluation on any of the 3,600 dams it has constructed (Roy 59). How, then, are we to know what good the dams are doing, if they are doing any good at all? Is it really worth it to not know, at the cost of the people?

Many other interesting topics are addressed in this book, and her unique writing style is sure to get a reaction out of you, whatever political beliefs you may hold. I guarantee that by the end of the first short essay you'll either be screaming "yes!" with passion in your voice, or banging your fists on the table in anger. Only a writer as good as Roy is capable of that.

Roy's beautiful, eloquent, and powerful writing style encourages many people in the West to consider issues they may have never considered otherwise. Roy's life has been devoted to the service of humankind, and I am forever in admiration of her strong, passionate spirit.

Read it, or miss out.