Book Reviews
Reviews of things I've read.•Back to Reviews Page
Empire of AI • 2025 • Karen Hao • An important look at the narratives society is being sold about AI and the people selling those narratives. • Loved It! 
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell • 2019 • Neal Stephenson When I first started reading this and Neal veered off into the mythology of the upload world, I thought "this is NOT for me". But I kept reading, and truthfully I was wrong. It was for me. I actually really like this book and appreciate what Neal is doing here. Don't sleep on it. • Loved It! 
First Contact • 2025 • Becky Ferreira • A delightful look at the science, superstitions, stories, and suppositions behind the search for alien life throughout history. • Loved It! 
First Into Nagasaki • George Weller • 2006 • It's hard to read any history of war and not become sad and depressed about how we are capable of treating our fellow humans. First into Nagasaki is brutal, fascinating and engrossing, with details that paint a vivid picture of what the war was like. • Loved It! 
Hackers: Heroes of the Compum • Steven Levy • 1984 • Anyone who lived and breathed computers sometime during the periods covered in Hackers will enjoy it greatly. For me, the book is more than the sum of its pages because it covers a time I remember well. • Loved It! 
Infomocracy • 2016 • Malka Ann Older I liked this book - but I didn't love it. I think it downplays the chaos involved in the kinds of social change Malka is depicting. Nonetheless, it's a super original look at future alternate social and political structures, and for that it's certainly worth a read. • Liked It 
Out of the Inner Circle: A Hacker's Guide to Computer Security • Bill Landreth • 1985 • This book was great at the time. It's useful for seeing the origins of computer hacking (or cracking). Sadly, Bill later struggled with mental illness and homelessness. • Liked It 
Pattern Recognition • William Gibson • 2005 • Relatable on so many levels. Probably Gibson's finest from a character standpoint. Beautifully, beautifully written. • Loved It! 
REAMDE • Neal Stephenson • Probably not regarded as a Stephenson classic, but honestly I think it's one of his better stories. Fewer sidetracks, more approachable. • Loved It! 
Revolution in the Valley • Andy Hertzfeld • 2004 • Andy Hertzfeld brings a collection of stories together into this wonderful look at how the Mac was born, with a unique sense of fun and excitement. • Loved It! 
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell • 2019 • Neal Stephenson When I first started reading this and Neal veered off into the mythology of the upload world, I thought "this is NOT for me". But I kept reading, and truthfully I was wrong. It was for me. I actually really like this book and appreciate what Neal is doing here. Don't sleep on it. • Loved It! 
First Contact • 2025 • Becky Ferreira • A delightful look at the science, superstitions, stories, and suppositions behind the search for alien life throughout history. • Loved It! 
First Into Nagasaki • George Weller • 2006 • It's hard to read any history of war and not become sad and depressed about how we are capable of treating our fellow humans. First into Nagasaki is brutal, fascinating and engrossing, with details that paint a vivid picture of what the war was like. • Loved It! 
Hackers: Heroes of the Compum • Steven Levy • 1984 • Anyone who lived and breathed computers sometime during the periods covered in Hackers will enjoy it greatly. For me, the book is more than the sum of its pages because it covers a time I remember well. • Loved It! 
Infomocracy • 2016 • Malka Ann Older I liked this book - but I didn't love it. I think it downplays the chaos involved in the kinds of social change Malka is depicting. Nonetheless, it's a super original look at future alternate social and political structures, and for that it's certainly worth a read. • Liked It 
Out of the Inner Circle: A Hacker's Guide to Computer Security • Bill Landreth • 1985 • This book was great at the time. It's useful for seeing the origins of computer hacking (or cracking). Sadly, Bill later struggled with mental illness and homelessness. • Liked It 
Pattern Recognition • William Gibson • 2005 • Relatable on so many levels. Probably Gibson's finest from a character standpoint. Beautifully, beautifully written. • Loved It! 
REAMDE • Neal Stephenson • Probably not regarded as a Stephenson classic, but honestly I think it's one of his better stories. Fewer sidetracks, more approachable. • Loved It! 
Revolution in the Valley • Andy Hertzfeld • 2004 • Andy Hertzfeld brings a collection of stories together into this wonderful look at how the Mac was born, with a unique sense of fun and excitement. • Loved It! 