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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love books that are character driven rather than plot driven. This book largely focuses on one character, Jon von Neumann, and we learn about him through dozens of other voices, like documentary testimonials. The voices that we hear from are distinct: some adore Jon, some fear him, some hate him, some can barely begin to explain him. Some are reliable narrators and some are not. This book left me with countless questions and it’s one I’d like to read again. I love this style of writing, and it’s nothing like I’ve read before!
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I first read (and loved) When We Cease to Understand, and while this one felt more dense, I still really enjoyed it! Realizing I deeply enjoy stories about obsessive tinkerers and scholars.
Easily one of the best “non-fiction” books I’ve ever read. An incredible example of synthesis, tying loosely connected ideas into an expert story on human rationality and what comes next
Very interesting. I liked how it was written in stories.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really creative and fascinating almost-history of John Vonn Neumann and the rise of AI. I found this book very depressing and in some ways cynical, which I was expecting given I had read Labatut’s When we Cease to Understand the World and absolutely loved it. While I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much, it was still a brilliant and emotionally powerful book. I learned a lot of the lesser talked about aspects of Vonn Neumann, especially his work with the military and his pretty militaristic attitudes. I wasn’t quite as interested in the second part of the book, which traces how AI has come about and culminates in the AlphaGo competition.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Might be my favorite author