Just finished reading this, bit slow to start but ended up a good read plus the story is set in Thailand in the future so some of the ideas were also interesting. Just mentioning in case anyone looking for something different, perhaps dreambox owners may discover another avenue. A google will give details.

In case anyone is interested..................

The Windup Girl is set in 23rd century Thailand. Global warming has raised the levels of world's oceans, carbon fuel sources have become depleted, and manually wound springs are used as energy storage devices. Biotechnology is dominant and mega corporations like AgriGen, PurCal and RedStar (called calorie companies) control food production through 'genehacked' seeds, and use bioterrorism, private armies and economic hitmen to create markets for their products. Frequent catastrophes, such as deadly and widespread plagues and illness, caused by genetically modified crops and mutant pests, ravage entire populations. The natural genetic seed stock of the world's plants has been almost completely supplanted by those that are genetically engineered to be sterile.

The current monarch of Thailand is a child queen. The capital city is below sea level and is protected from flooding by levees and pumps. The three most powerful men in Thailand are the Somdet Chaopraya (regent for the child queen), the chief of the Environment Ministry General Pracha, and the chief of the Trade Ministry Akkarat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Windup_Girl

I hope we can still see them all on tv everyday in their silly white suits with medals?

"The capital city is below sea level and is protected from flooding by levees and pumps"

Definitely a work of fiction then and obviousy not based on any form of plausible reality, what is the name of the Science and technology minister ?