Well for once, I do actually seem to be maintaining a book reading habit. Three Four more completed to add to the list:
- “The Last Good Man,” Linda Nagata
- “The Lean Startup,” Eric Ries
- “The Peripheral,” William Gibson
- “Lexicon,” Max Barry
A recurring theme in my reading of William Gibson novels is their improvement upon reread. I didn’t really cotton to “Zero History” until after a few visits. As in that case, the initial review was muddled. This time around, the subtle breakneck pace of the narrative (events only occurred over the better part of a week) and the general inhumane nature of The Jackpot and The Klept were more resonant. “The Peripheral” also got a new sheen in light of political events in the US that happened after its publication.
“The Lean Startup” has achieved a bit of a cult like status, but it feels like a useful framework for guiding a startup. A qualifier on this statement since I’ve only notionally been involved with startups and never really in the breach. The innovation accounting methods didn’t feel all that actionable though.
I sort of bought “The Last Good Man” on a whim. It was a solid purchase and an enjoyable read. Four or five different narrative perspectives popped up, which was probably two to three to many for me and there were a lot of named characters to track. The background theme of autonomized (sp) warfare was compelling. Loved the character of True Brighton.
A friend sent me a copy of “Lexicon” a while ago, I gave it a start, didn’t catch fire, and then got sucked into it on a cross-country flight. The book lives up to its reviews and caught me by surprise. My only knock is a villain that’s a bit too close to infallible, but otherwise just a great fantastical thriller spiced with interesting social commentary. And a great love story to boot.