Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2017 Read Harder Challenge
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Task #13: Read a nonfiction book about technology.
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Kirsten
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Apr 10, 2017 09:49PM
It was very well done.
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Marie wrote: "I finished reading So You've Been Publicly Shamed - about the new face of public shaming, mostly through social media. It was terrific - funny and informative. It really made me thi..."Oh, good! I have this book, but haven't read it yet. And I've been struggling to find something for this task.
ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Reading Elon Musk: Inventing the Future for this category"I read it for this challenge as well. It was very interesting!
Y_M_A wrote: "Do you all think Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide To Thriving In The Age of Accelerations qualifies for this task?"I would say yes.
Anna wrote: "Oh, good! I have this book, but haven't read it yet. And I've been struggling to find something for this task."Enjoy! I found it to be a fast read.
Elyse wrote: "ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Reading Elon Musk: Inventing the Future for this category"I read it for this challenge as well. It was very interesting!"
Glad it was good Elyse :)
Marie wrote: "Y_M_A wrote: "Do you all think Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide To Thriving In The Age of Accelerations qualifies for this task?"I would say yes."
Thank you!
I read Consider the Fork: How Technology Transforms the Way We Cook and Eat for this challenge. It's an outstanding book in general, and perfect for this challenge :)
Hope wrote: "I read Consider the Fork: How Technology Transforms the Way We Cook and Eat for this challenge. It's an outstanding book in general, and perfect for this challenge :)"I read it, too, and really liked it. I was happy to read something about "technology" that was not computers or machines, though I enjoy those, too. I like to broaden my scope of reading and definitions of things like technology. Thanks to the challenge!
I am currently reading The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, which seems like it would fit for this task. It deals with the use and consequences of nuclear technology in the early 20th century...in particular the use of radium in all sorts products, such as radium paint on watches, which was hand-painted on by young female factory workers. I heard about the book on NPR: http://www.npr.org/2017/04/27/5257653...
I read Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future and am still recovering from my eternal sadness afterward. I reviewed it here.
quietprofanity wrote: "I read Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future and am still recovering from my eternal sadness afterward. I reviewed it here."I am going to be reading the same!
Bonnie wrote: "quietprofanity wrote: "I read Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future and am still recovering from my eternal sadness afterward. I reviewed it here."I am..."
Cool! Try to keep your spirits up when reading it. I couldn't do it. XD
quietprofanity wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "quietprofanity wrote: "I read Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future and am still recovering from my eternal sadness afterward. I reviewed ..."I teach and create curricula for liberal arts college students to prepare them for their professional future. I am already depressed about this. Marketplace just did an amazing series based on this - Robot Proof Jobs. If you haven't heard it I recommend the podcast. https://features.marketplace.org/robo...
This is going to sound strange... I read Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen on a whim.... nothing to do with aliens thankfully. For a non science sort of person it was quite detailed in the advances of nuclear weapons, how they were developed, tested etc and also about aircraft that has been developed and tested since the 30's/40's etc. Would this count as my nonfiction tech choice?? Its classified as us military history.... ?????
Elyse wrote: "ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Reading Elon Musk: Inventing the Future for this category"I read it for this challenge as well. It was very interesting!"
I'm also reading it for this challenge. Great book!
I'm listening to the audio version of The Digital Divide: Arguments for and Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social Networking. I actually really enjoy learning about social media and how it affects people, but the essays here are already a little dated.
Karen wrote: "Would I Contain Multitudes work here?"There's a lot of technology involved in that, so I'd say yes!
(and the book is great)
I've got a galley of Vibrator Nation: How Feminist Sex-Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure - do we think this could count..?
Jo wrote: "I've got a galley of Vibrator Nation: How Feminist Sex-Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure - do we think this could count..?"Absolutely it fits the challenge! It sounds like a great book.
Jo wrote: "Hooray! I was really stuck on this task. I'll let you know, Bonnie :)"Looking forward to hearing. I have always enjoyed knowing that vibrators were considered medical devices but I am afraid that is as far as my historical (hystorical?) knowledge goes.
Currently reading How to Make a Spaceship: A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Space Flight, which I think counts? Not sure.
Siobhan wrote: "Currently reading How to Make a Spaceship: A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Space Flight, which I think counts? Not sure."I think so!
I switched out my previous choice and am using Information Doesn't Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age instead. It's a great look at how technology and creativity and copyright law bump heads.
Jane wrote: "Hope wrote: "I read Consider the Fork: How Technology Transforms the Way We Cook and Eat for this challenge. It's an outstanding book in general, and perfect for this challenge :)"..."
I'm reading this right now and I'm really enjoying it! I love microhistories and I like how she takes jabs at the other more famous ones (e.g., Salt, Cod) for ignoring the method of cooking :)
For this task I read The Most Human Human: What Talking with Computers Teaches Us About What It Means to Be Alive
I was dreading this category as I dislike books about tech innovators and the business world. So, I read "Mr. Wilson's Cabinet Of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology." It was fascinating and has the word "technology" in the title, so I figured it must count. Plus, the subject challenges the concept of fiction vs non-fiction.
I am reading Search:How the data Explosion Makes Us Smarter by Stefan Weitz for #13. It makes me want to unplug.
For this task I read Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. It was a very interesting book, I enjoyed it.
I went with something a little different and read Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World. It's strange to think that poison-tipped arrows were cutting-edge military technology, but it was really interesting to learn how people in antiquity outsmarted each other. It definitely challenged the notion of a "romantic" era of warfare, which I think is excellent.
Ashley wrote: "Unbound: How Eight Technologies Made Us Human, Transformed Society, and Brought Our World to the BrinkI believe I have found my choice for this task."Good one! I like the look of that. A nice bit of prehistory with my technology - perfect. Thanks for the recommendation
JA wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Unbound: How Eight Technologies Made Us Human, Transformed Society, and Brought Our World to the BrinkI believe I have found my choice for this task."Good one! I li..."
This does look good! I've been struggling to find a book I really want to read for this challenge. Just bought it on Amazon for $3.99!!
I read 'How we got to now' about the major technological inventions and how they shaped our current society. I actually listened to the audiobook. it was only 6 hours or so and it was interesting to me. this was the only challenge I was not happy about fulfilling.
I read Modern Romance and really enjoyed it! Interestingly, it cited another book that I'd thought about using for this prompt -- Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Since my library has a copy, I may check it out, too!
Do you guys think To Siri With Love would count for this category? I'm thinking its not enough technology-focused...
My first choice for this task was Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space which was an excellent look at a group of women that deserve so much more thanks an attention then they've been given in their lives.Second pick would up being Elon Musk: Inventing the Future which couldn't have been much more different than the first! The man holds a huge spotlight in today's tech industry. Neurotic, as expected.
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Going to read this Max Tegmark book for this prompt.
I just finished Cory Doctorow’s Information Doesn't Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age on audio - would recommend! Wil Wheaton does the narration, and it’s only about 5 hours so it’s a quick one. Hoopla has it if your library subscribes.
I am considering reading Gaming at the Edge: Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture for this challenge. Will this work? Or should I pick up I Love My Computer Because My Friends Live in It: Stories from an Online Life?
I'm currently reading The Iron Whim: A Fragmented History of Typewriting. It's a history of the cult of the typewriter with chapters on its invention but also is about the actual act and obsession of typing. I feel like it's enough about the actual machine to count, but was wondering if anyone had any input as to whether it's good for this task as I haven't finished it yet.
Books mentioned in this topic
Gaming at the Edge: Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture (other topics)I Love My Computer Because My Friends Live in It: Stories from an Online Life (other topics)
Information Doesn't Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age (other topics)
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (other topics)
Hidden Figures (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Val McDermid (other topics)Val McDermid (other topics)
Margot Lee Shetterly (other topics)
Aziz Ansari (other topics)
Denise Kiernan (other topics)
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