Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
The summary of this book is that it is a "History of Artificial Intelligence" book written by a novel writer. It's a great book, analogous to what the Oppenheimer movie is but in book form and mainly about John von Neumann - one of the few guys in Oppenheimer's time who could be considered smarter and even more accomplished than Oppie himself.
What is fundamentally different between Oppenheimer and John von Neumann is that Oppenheimer really seemed to live a character development arc and that was well showcased in the movie. Johnny did not live that same arc, and this book does an amazing job of not only showcasing that but making the (very probably) smartest person who has ever lived more human nonetheless. And what is more amazing is that von Neumann's life (along with the brief part 1 about Paul Ehrenfest) is used as an allegory regarding the chaos and uncertainty that flooded humanity with the World Wars, the advance of technology and everything else that happened in the early 20th century. It's truly amazing storytelling, told by real people. I can't vouch for how true the narrative voices ended up being but at least the facts I read and searched up during my readings were all real so I think the author avoided straying too far from reality.
The only thing that makes this not a 5 star is the ending, which feels like a written version of the AlphaGo documentary. And I didn't even watch it. Maybe it's because I study Reinforcement Learning for my master's but I also felt it was poorly researched, or at least not as well researched as Part 1 and Part 2. I think the book could've ended with Part 2 and that would've been amazing already; part 3 does make the book closer to our reality but it just lacks the oomph the other parts have and the ending is too flat and in my view too weak compared to the rest of the book. Which is a compliment to parts 1 & 2. But I think this is a must-read and I strongly believe someone can make an amazing book about this a decade from now, when everyone forgets about Oppenheimer.
What is fundamentally different between Oppenheimer and John von Neumann is that Oppenheimer really seemed to live a character development arc and that was well showcased in the movie. Johnny did not live that same arc, and this book does an amazing job of not only showcasing that but making the (very probably) smartest person who has ever lived more human nonetheless. And what is more amazing is that von Neumann's life (along with the brief part 1 about Paul Ehrenfest) is used as an allegory regarding the chaos and uncertainty that flooded humanity with the World Wars, the advance of technology and everything else that happened in the early 20th century. It's truly amazing storytelling, told by real people. I can't vouch for how true the narrative voices ended up being but at least the facts I read and searched up during my readings were all real so I think the author avoided straying too far from reality.
The only thing that makes this not a 5 star is the ending, which feels like a written version of the AlphaGo documentary. And I didn't even watch it. Maybe it's because I study Reinforcement Learning for my master's but I also felt it was poorly researched, or at least not as well researched as Part 1 and Part 2. I think the book could've ended with Part 2 and that would've been amazing already; part 3 does make the book closer to our reality but it just lacks the oomph the other parts have and the ending is too flat and in my view too weak compared to the rest of the book. Which is a compliment to parts 1 & 2. But I think this is a must-read and I strongly believe someone can make an amazing book about this a decade from now, when everyone forgets about Oppenheimer.
With his literary-evolving style Labatut is back with his first full length novel. The MANIAC is a searing story of the impact of genius told in a blend of fiction and biography, primarily of Johnny von Neumann. This is an unconventional blend that is fast paced and haunting, loaded with easily accessible history of science and technology; from Paul Ehrenfest’s contributions to quantum mechanics, von Neumann’s contribution to the Hydrogen Bomb and computing, and ending with AlphaGo’s artificial intelligence breakthrough. This is a timely and eerily exhilarating novel for fans of literature, science, or biography – from Nolan’s Oppenheimer to Hernan Diaz’s Trust.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
One of the most readable and engaging histories of modern science I've ever read. Each chapter is written in first person point of view, but this is a non-fiction chronicle of the surprising roots of artificial general intelligence. Mathematicians and physicists and AI auteurs and Go masters abound; Richard Feynman's chapters are the most fun, but also maybe the most horrifying. Lee Sedol's chapter, and the ones following discussing his match up against DeepMind, were gripping and emotional. Compelling reading; even once I googled and learned who/what the MANIAC was, the style of this compels you to ask, who was/were the real maniacs? Now that we've produced intelligences so far beyond our own, what will become of humans, of life itself?
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
He don’t miss!
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
dark
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A