Reviews and Comments

The book never really delivers on the initial promise and the ending is unsatisfying. While the title hints at a cyber-thriller, that never really ends up being important to the story or really developed in a realistic way. There are just too many plot holes for me to really love this book. Cyber attacks and cyber war are happening today routinely and we know what they look like - this is not it. China even today really would not and could not invade Washington DC or the US. And no one can walk 60 miles in one day, that is just crazy. I wanted to like this at the beginning but by the end there was just too much cognitive dissonance from all of the plot holes. I am giving three stars because it was a fun ride at times, but ultimately I cannot recommend this book.

Started this one today.

This is the hardest of science fiction with technologies which are already here or just over the horizon. That combined with the carefully crafted characters made this story easy to get into without too much cognitive dissonance from the wild story. And what a story! It really takes you for a ride and has some twists and turns and thrills along the way. Loved this!

Not an easy read or a particularly enjoyable one, it is nevertheless extremely profound and thought provoking. An important book.

If you had to explain to a person who was in the most unimaginably hopeless situation why they had something to live for what would you tell them? This was the author's task in the concentration camps of WW2. He took this work seriously and afterwards wrote this book as a way to help others in their own search for meaning in their lives.

Loved this book. Like The Martian it has a good amount of hard science mixed into an ambitious story that ranges to the far reaches of outer-space. He turns what is a difficult task of introducing a truly alien species in a believable way and somehow makes it into a buddy cop movie. Really nice rebound from what was a bit disappointing follow up to the Marian in Artemis.

I did not enjoy this one as much as the first edition, but I still feel like was a great ride on the forensic accounting rollercoaster. With solid story telling and deep dives into legal and tech ideas, I feel like I learned a lot too. Looking forward to the next Martin Hench story.

#bookwyrm

Just finished reading the new Cory Doctorow book, "Red Team Blues." It is a gripping story about cryptography and the world of dark finance. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

#bookwyrm

This books does a good job of putting some framing and context around the trial transcript which is really the star of this story. Much of the book, really the best parts, is simply quoting the trial transcript. But like watching a highlight reel, having the context and not wasting time with the unnecessary bits, makes it more enjoyable.

Witty and entertaining is not how you would think of a book that delves deep into the physics and chemistry behind materials science, but that is precisely what occurs in this book. Not only did this book make me laugh out loud repeatedly, but it did a solid job on informing me of facts on the cutting edge of science and technology. Really enjoyed this one.

Mark Kurlansky keeps surprising me by taking every day things and putting a spotlight on them in a way that is both fascinating and entertaining. I learned a lot about Onions and renewed my love affair with the pungent, delectable treat.

What could sound more boring than a book on the history of accounting? It is in fact a great read with colorful historical facts and some great characters from a fascinating time. It also does a great job of bridging the history into how it affects us in the modern day.

Fascinating perspective on a story which has been told in many other places, but never quite in this way. It takes a complex story with many pieces and weaves it into a single narrative. It is impressive in the fact that is able to provide great historical detail and great scientific detail without derailing what is a fascinating story of some very interesting and brilliant personalities. Really loved this book.

I wanted to hate this book. I really felt like it was going to be preachy and single noted. In the end it overpowered me with excellent story telling, a very powerful grasp of history and very evenly stated rationality. It definitely has a perspective, but it is not trying to convince you as much as state the facts and allow you to decide. I ended up really liking this one despite myself.