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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
The last few chapters were the better part of the book
Kind of a hard read
LOTS of references to writings, games, etc. that I had no idea about. Also not interested in playing, reading, etc.
Kind of a hard read
LOTS of references to writings, games, etc. that I had no idea about. Also not interested in playing, reading, etc.
I cannot pretend to have understood everything the author wrote in this book, but what I got was super interesting and open my mind to new thoughts. It was a really good reading and it helped the fact that the author and me have probably the same age.
Non posso pretendere di aver capito ogni singola cosa scritta dall'autore, ma quanto mi ha lasciato questo libro é estremamente significativo, specialmente nell'ambito di nuove idee. Inoltre ha aiutato il fatto che io e l'autore abbiamo probabilmente la stessa etá.
THANKS EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Non posso pretendere di aver capito ogni singola cosa scritta dall'autore, ma quanto mi ha lasciato questo libro é estremamente significativo, specialmente nell'ambito di nuove idee. Inoltre ha aiutato il fatto che io e l'autore abbiamo probabilmente la stessa etá.
THANKS EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
I had kind of a mixed reaction to this book-- I found the first section, which comes closest preoperly a memoir, kind of dull when I wasn't confused by Auerbach's explanation of code, which included short programs in logo and other languages that went right over my head. At first, I was like, they are only here to show visual difference from English, but then, it was like he expected you to be able to parse them some. So, that section, which in theory sets the stage for the ruminations to follow, was kind of a wash for me.
But I really liked the middle section, which I thought was a very lucid treatment of the risks inherent in giving over autonomy and decision making to algorithms. It's not like I've never heard of this concern before, but I thought Auerbach was very especially lucid about this. The third section wasn't quite as explosive, but it was still good, even though his metaphor about programming his baby didn't really work for me.
So, a pretty good book that I think addresses the tech with experience and a sophisticated understanding. It would make a better NYer article than a book purporting to tell the story of a life, but so be it.
But I really liked the middle section, which I thought was a very lucid treatment of the risks inherent in giving over autonomy and decision making to algorithms. It's not like I've never heard of this concern before, but I thought Auerbach was very especially lucid about this. The third section wasn't quite as explosive, but it was still good, even though his metaphor about programming his baby didn't really work for me.
So, a pretty good book that I think addresses the tech with experience and a sophisticated understanding. It would make a better NYer article than a book purporting to tell the story of a life, but so be it.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A smattering of captivating industry stories muddled by a narrator who felt to me deeply unlikeable and made finishing the book sometimes difficult.
informative
slow-paced
At the end of the day this was okay but I am not really sure what the book was trying to be. There wasn’t enough “meat” about his experiences to be a true memoir (though some of the MSN Messenger stuff was interesting). And the more philosophical sections didn’t really seem to be tied together by much of anything.
This book has some interesting bits and bobs, but overall, I couldn't find a central thread to follow. This is a great collection of David's musings and ramblings and I think I'm good. I got about 70 pages in and...yeah, I'm good.
This book kept me engaged and entertained throughout. Auerbach smoothly weaves an eclectic of topics that will inform readers about concepts and references that may be new to them, and also compel readers to think about what they might already know. This book might not be for everyone: its reflections on the world may be too abstract for some readers; it may even be too prescriptionist at times. If you're an individual who loves thinking about computer science and its intersection with things outside that field, I would recommend this book, at least for the references made to pursue further exploration.
One gripe: his bit on child language was dubious... children at age 2 don't usually speak connected utterances of more than 3 words.
One gripe: his bit on child language was dubious... children at age 2 don't usually speak connected utterances of more than 3 words.