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At the same time, it seems like Venkatesh is writing "Floating City" because he owes a debt. He told people their stories would be in a book and now has to pay up. That's OK. It just doesn't seem like Venkatesh is enjoying the process. There's one more thing that's irritating: Early on, Venkatesh tells readers that some sociologists at his Ivy-League institution look down on writing a book for the masses. And he describes being caught between wanting to be taken seriously as an academic and telling stories and reaching a larger audience. But that internal torture sounds hollow, and it seems pretty clear that Venkatesh, well-known already, likes the spotlight of mass appeal. So why not just drop the pretense and write? ___ Online:
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