I agree with first review of this book. This seems to be more of an old man's rant against teenage angst "You damned kids get off my lawn!" ...moreI agree with first review of this book. This seems to be more of an old man's rant against teenage angst "You damned kids get off my lawn!" and not a treatise against the destruction of the laws that protect works of art.
Arguing against technology using the laws and notions of the past makes no sense because laws and notions of the past are irrelevant when it comes to protecting works of art. The Creative Commons movement is at least an inclusive group that seeks to make sense of how technology and art can fit together. This book contributes little because Helprin can't get past the notion that technology can contribute to art (he sees only one side of the argument through his perspective from the past). (less)
This was an okay book. The ending was a bit dull and the story a bit predictable. The quality of the writing was good but the whole thing just left me...moreThis was an okay book. The ending was a bit dull and the story a bit predictable. The quality of the writing was good but the whole thing just left me feeling empty.(less)
I'm not a total devotee to the SciFi genre so what others would find intriguing with Asher I just find silly and unbelievable. I tried reading this bo...moreI'm not a total devotee to the SciFi genre so what others would find intriguing with Asher I just find silly and unbelievable. I tried reading this book but soon tired of a storyline that felt like it was more of a mashup of old Spielberg movie plots than anything I could readily believe in. Fantasizing about what could be true with postulates from the edges of science can be fun for others but not for me. So back to the Gibson, and Morgan books I go.(less)
I really liked this book because it was well written and the story (unlike most of Science Fiction I've read) wasn't silly and yet was believable. Goo...moreI really liked this book because it was well written and the story (unlike most of Science Fiction I've read) wasn't silly and yet was believable. Good Science Fiction helps us look into a future and shouldn't feel like an acid trip in basement full of broken Star Trek memorabilia. This book scored well on both tests. A thorougly enjoyable book. (less)
This was a fairly engaging read. It slows down a bit in the middle and gets better toward the end. Most insightful was the statistics of accidents (sh...moreThis was a fairly engaging read. It slows down a bit in the middle and gets better toward the end. Most insightful was the statistics of accidents (showing who generally gets into accidents and why).
If you have a heavy commute, this book will explain a bit of the behavior you see and what you should do about it (stay away from young hormonally driven men in pickup trucks).
In one way this is a sad book. It mentions how little we protest over the deaths of thousands of accident victims each year and yet paralyze ourselves over the modest deaths that come with airline accidents. There is food for thought here and can serve as the foundation for each of us driving a bit smarter and pushing for changes that will results in fewer deaths and injuries.(less)
How people react to disaster is often different than you think. Most of the time we all go into shock and that shoc...moreREAD THIS BOOK. PERIOD.
How people react to disaster is often different than you think. Most of the time we all go into shock and that shock can benefit or hinder our survivability. The tips in this book will help you harness or overcome (where needed) your instinctive reactions to better survive many situations.
I read this book in only a few hours because the stories and the advice are so compelling. It will make you think differently about how you react to situations and will cause you to change your level of preparedness.
At the end, this is a positive story. Humans in difficult situations bond for the common good. Somewhere in there is the ability to bond through all situations. There are heroes among us and sometimes we just need to look inside ourselves to find them.
This was a very engaging and enlightening book. For someone like me who has a small curious child, this has reinforced the need to read with him every...moreThis was a very engaging and enlightening book. For someone like me who has a small curious child, this has reinforced the need to read with him every night.
As the book mentions, a child's brain is naturally able to communicate verbally (all of the neurological structure is there to do this). But a child has to learn how to communicate through writing by forming and utilizing many different areas of the brain. In so doing, the brain is changed (as covered in the book) and forces the child to associate emotions with images.
If you need any impetus to help read to your child every night, read this book. It shows how such as small investment in time will help your child to grow up with the tools needed to prosper in a world that changes day by day. (less)
This was an okay book. I was hoping for a bit more about techniques to use to help my brain deal with the huge level of static generate by today's ele...moreThis was an okay book. I was hoping for a bit more about techniques to use to help my brain deal with the huge level of static generate by today's electronic devices. What I found instead was quite a bit of material covering the symptoms of brain overload and little practical material. (less)
Very rarely do I put a book down because I think it is so bad that I cannot finish it. This is one of those books. IMHO, it was so bad that it belongs...moreVery rarely do I put a book down because I think it is so bad that I cannot finish it. This is one of those books. IMHO, it was so bad that it belongs in the same ranks as Daniel Brown's Digital Fortress (worst book that I ever read).
The theme in this book had no life and the characters felt stolen from better stories and nothing about the time or place was inventive.
What did I learn from this book? That the Bush administration was a bunch of bungling theocratic self-involved idiots hell bent on restarting the war ...moreWhat did I learn from this book? That the Bush administration was a bunch of bungling theocratic self-involved idiots hell bent on restarting the war in Iraq and giving a luke warm reception to the thought of trying to kill Bin Laden. (less)
I've read a few of Morgan's previous books ("Market Forces", "Altered Carbon") and found this one to be a little less engaging and...moreI've read a few of Morgan's previous books ("Market Forces", "Altered Carbon") and found this one to be a little less engaging and entertaining than the others. But this story does continue the Kovac's story line and I do recommend it for Morgan fans.
What I liked about the two previous books was they did not enter the fantasy realm as much as this one. Going into the story about the Martian's was a bit far fetched and got away from what I feel is Morgan's amazing insight into what the world will be like in the future. (less)
A repeat of the Santa Land stories (at least so far).
* Follow-up *
I don't ready Sedaris' fiction very much. It just feels a bit too...moreA repeat of the Santa Land stories (at least so far).
* Follow-up *
I don't ready Sedaris' fiction very much. It just feels a bit too contrived and I find his non-fiction work much funnier. The tale about the Christmas whore was very funny. (less)
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