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dreaming_ace's review against another edition
4.0
I loved learning more about Alan Turing and over all loved how the book was presented. It really made me think what my life would have been like if I had been born 70 years earlier like Turing. The only weakness is the book ends up being very math heavy in some parts. White this was interesting in a general manner I was not seeking to really understand his theorys as much as learn about him.
jiblits's review against another edition
4.0
Grabbed the audiobook version from the library and listened to it on walks to work. Excellent book though the more technical parts such as explaining the A Machine were difficult to visualize.
Other than that it was a great listen and was excellent to hear about all the parts of his life. Not just the parts about his paper and war efforts.
Other than that it was a great listen and was excellent to hear about all the parts of his life. Not just the parts about his paper and war efforts.
laurenash's review against another edition
3.0
I saw the Imitation Game and became really fascinated by Alan Turing and his life. It's precisely why I chose this book over Alan Turing: The Enigma (the inspiration for the movie) because I thought it would talk more about his personal life. Instead, it was very technical and a tad bit dry. And while I appreciated having the chance to understand his work, it was more than I was expecting...because I'm not super mathy and my knowledge of math theory is severely lacking (maybe not so much anymore). The chapter about how the Enigma was designed was the most interesting to me because the movie didn't really explain *why* it was such a difficult machine to decode in the first place. The book was interesting and smart, for sure, but it lacked readability. And I left the book feeling more than a little disappointed.
petra3's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
If you're into mathematics and computers you'll find this especially enjoyable. Me? Not so much to appreciate the long descriptions and tangents to a degree other people would. Although the author manages to explain some complicated topics very well, like cracking the Enigma code and cryptology.
I do wish the author would stay more focused on Turing's life, rather then going into anecdotes about other people and their theories. But overall, an interesting book.
I do wish the author would stay more focused on Turing's life, rather then going into anecdotes about other people and their theories. But overall, an interesting book.
secretsoup's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
cer1572's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book; it inspired sentiments in unusual, operatic ways. Lahiri's laconic writing style lends itself well to the short stories, and the emotions within them. I don't know a lot about Indian culture, but the way the stories were written conveyed a sense of comfort and familiarity to the reader, especially in juxtaposition to American culture. Almost every story in the book is sad, not in a maudlin way, but in a resigned fashion - "such is life" - that could easily be real people's lives.
"The Third and Final Continent", the last story in the book, is my favourite because of its optimism. The first story, "A Temporary Manner", is about a couple separating, and divorce is a theme throughout the book. "The Final Continent" ends with the achievement of the American dream, of prosperity for newly-married couple who have not fallen in love, and a golden future ahead. It brings symmetry, recursion and growth to the collection of stories, which would otherwise be bleak and cliche.
"The Third and Final Continent", the last story in the book, is my favourite because of its optimism. The first story, "A Temporary Manner", is about a couple separating, and divorce is a theme throughout the book. "The Final Continent" ends with the achievement of the American dream, of prosperity for newly-married couple who have not fallen in love, and a golden future ahead. It brings symmetry, recursion and growth to the collection of stories, which would otherwise be bleak and cliche.