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balaji_dutt's Reviews |
4.0 stars
Reading this book was an extraordinary roller-coaster of emotions for me - I often had to put it away for some time while digesting the implications of what I just read.
I still struggling to wrap my head around this book and to find the counterpoint to what this book argues but one thing is for sure - I will not be able to look at most modern history or reporting the same way again...
2.0 stars
I didn't really enjoy this book for two reasons:
1. Maybe cuz I'm too dumb for it, but trying to wrap my head around the heavy physics descriptions in the book, along with exotic alien names for the concepts got really tiring after some time.
2. The 2 stories never really meet, except in the most indirect way. What was the point then?
Read only if you have a degree in physics..
3.0 stars
Interesting but not satisfying. There is an interesting duality in this book (stated in the book as well) all of us wish the world would go back to how it was without us, but are saddened by the fact that for that to happen none of us would be around.
Some of the more chilling stories are what would happen the oil refineries in Texas and nuclear plants around the world if humans were to disappear. At the same time, the US-centric focus of the book does leave one wishing the author had spent more time speculating on other parts of the world as well. (read less)
Interesting but not satisfying. There is an interesting duality in this book (stated in the book as well) all of us wish the world would go back to how it was without us, but are saddened by the fact that for that to happen none of us would be around.
Some of the more chilling stories are what would happen the oil refineries in Texas and nuclear plants around the world if humans were to disappear. At the same time, the US-centric focus of the book does leave one wishing the autho... (read more)
3.0 stars
Wafer thin plot and a lack of character detail doesn't help one connect with the fate of the characters.
That said, the concepts tossed around in the book are just fantastic - starting from physical devices that work like network packets (ie deliver through any route) and my favourite - entire social structures built solely on reputation (Digg,Slashdot ring any bells?)
4.0 stars
This is Book 2 in a series by Stephen Fry about his experiences (?) living in France. There are several laugh out loud moments in the book, so be ready for funny looks if you read this in public. Plenty of British understatement and the usual British wit centering around sex and toilet jokes (and of course in this book, courgettes). Highly recommended!
1.0 star
I was hoping this book would provide an in-depth analysis of some of the key moments in Apple's history. Instead I got a random collection of facts and very general descriptions. For example, knowing that Apple I and IIs had the signatures of all the employees who worked on it in the case is interesting, printing each signature and what that person is doing now is overkill. Light, but extremely unsatisfying reading.
3.0 stars
The book has a controversial reputation amongst photographers - simply because the ideas and concepts in this book seem extremely complex and far too unwieldy for "most" photographers. The book as a whole is definitely too much to implement for most folks, but a lot of the concepts are thought-provoking and worth pondering over. Over time I've developed my own system, but reading this book has made me realize that it's not very scalable and one of my resolutions for 2008 is to overhaul my own workflow using the concepts from this book. Read it, but prepare to be challenged. (read less)
The book has a controversial reputation amongst photographers - simply because the ideas and concepts in this book seem extremely complex and far too unwieldy for "most" photographers. The book as a whole is definitely too much to implement for most folks, but a lot of the concepts are thought-provoking and worth pondering over. Over time I've developed my own system, but reading this book has made me realize that it's not very scalable and one of my resolutions for 2008 is to ove... (read more)
2.0 stars
Much like "The Two Towers", this book suffers from the need of the author to hold the big set-piece sequences for the later series in the books. I don't think it's possible to read the later books without reading this book, but I can't say I enjoyed it very much
4.0 stars
Well written Steampunk SF - the core story might not be the best, but the rest of the book makes up for it.
3.0 stars
This is definitely hard science fiction - the dense prose and concepts took me a while to work through. Worth it though.