Book Reviews
Reviews of things I've read.•Back to Reviews Page
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!
Sleeping Giants • 2016 • Sylvain Neuvel • Mech stories are nothing new, but this is a fun twist on the genre. Would read again. • Loved It!
Snow Crash • Neal Stephenson • 1992 • This has to be one of the classic cyberpunk novels. It's dumb AND cool, silly AND serious. It's also a fascinating look at how language controls thought and vice-versa. • Loved It!
The Circle • 2013 • Dave Eggers I found this book very clumsily written. It could have been a very skillful skewering of the worst of tech. Instead, it made me find it all completely unrealistic and therefore useless as relevant commentary. • Didn't Like It
The Diamond Age or a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer • 1995 • Neal Stephenson • Unique and engaging world-building, wonderful protagonist in Nell, and thought- provoking mix of Chinese and English Victorian cultures as the dominant societies of the future. Very original picture of the future. • Loved It!
