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Writer Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni on Her Debut Novel "The Mistress of Spices"

In 1995, Divakaruni's short story collection "Arranged Marriage" garnered three awards. Her new novel, "The Mistress of Spices," tells the story of a woman whose knowledge of the healing power of spices takes her on a supernatural adventure. Divakaruni teaches creative writing at Foothill College in California and is president of MAITRI, a support hotline for South Asian women.

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Other segments from the episode on March 26, 1997

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, March 26, 1997: Interview with Chitra Divakaruni; Interview with Paco Underhill; Commentary on warning signs for the future.
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20:58

The Anthropology of Shopping

Pack Underhill studies what is called retail anthropology, in which he tracks the habits of shoppers in order to learn the best way to convince them to make a purchase. His retail consulting firm, Envirosell, has helped big-name companies such as McDonald's, Levi Strauss, and Blockbuster to study their customers browsing and buying routines.

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