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rembrandt1881's review against another edition
3.0
This is really a 3.5 for me than a 3. This book could be considered propaganda by some because it seems very obvious in the stance and politics that the author wants to get across. It also contains a lot of good lessons about how economics works on some levels and seems like an early teenage version of an explainer of the financial crisis of 08.
The main problem I have is that the book is overly long and doesn't really have an ending. It's more like a prestige film that just Peters out. I think it would have been a stronger ending if it wrapped up a bit stronger. However, in favor of the ending and the tone of the hook, you get to see that revolutions are hard, workers need to band together and some of the leaders won't see the finish line unfortunately.
The main problem I have is that the book is overly long and doesn't really have an ending. It's more like a prestige film that just Peters out. I think it would have been a stronger ending if it wrapped up a bit stronger. However, in favor of the ending and the tone of the hook, you get to see that revolutions are hard, workers need to band together and some of the leaders won't see the finish line unfortunately.
protoman21's review against another edition
2.0
Overall I did not enjoy this book, though it did have some interesting and engaging moments. Unfortunately, I think the scope of this story was too large and too foreign for me to really wrap my head around it and commit to getting emotionally invested in the characters. The story jumped around so much early on that I quickly lost track of who was who and I never cared enough to really bother keeping it straight in my head. The storylines did eventually all come together, but I had already lost interest way before that happened.
All that said, there was certainly some value to the story. The economics of the gaming worlds is fascinating and a lot of the labor issues that were dealt with were interesting and thought provoking, but the whole time I couldn't help but wonder how real this story is. If the situation is truly the way Doctorow describes in this novel, then I feel like I did get something of worth from reading it, but if he exaggerated the points to make a better story, then I feel like I was presented with a lie to exploit my emotions and make me feel something in the real world that is based on nothing but one author's fantasy.
All that said, there was certainly some value to the story. The economics of the gaming worlds is fascinating and a lot of the labor issues that were dealt with were interesting and thought provoking, but the whole time I couldn't help but wonder how real this story is. If the situation is truly the way Doctorow describes in this novel, then I feel like I did get something of worth from reading it, but if he exaggerated the points to make a better story, then I feel like I was presented with a lie to exploit my emotions and make me feel something in the real world that is based on nothing but one author's fantasy.
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
another awesome story by Doctorow, this one covering the globe in an all-too-lifelike story about online gamers, sweatshops and tough bosses, and unionizing the world!
songwind's review against another edition
3.0
For The Win is an interesting look into the world of game economies and gold farming. The story itself is engaging, and the characters are quite likable.
The book itself suffers from too much exposition, which is rendered in large info-dumps. The editing of the book was not up to par, either.
All in all, an enjoyable book that was hindered by the realities of its mission to educate.
The book itself suffers from too much exposition, which is rendered in large info-dumps. The editing of the book was not up to par, either.
All in all, an enjoyable book that was hindered by the realities of its mission to educate.
zer0faults's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I don't know if its because I am a fan of unionization, rebellion, etc. but it struck all the right cords, with just a good balance of seriousness and fantastical. The book opens by dipping into a few different stories and slowly you start to see how each of these people from various corners of the world will soon intertwine. Well, I thought I got it, but I didn't really get it to the degree in which they did intertwine.
Some things that stood out to me:
Mala and Yasmin early battles, going from friends to enemies and back around again.
Connor letting it ride in the market to test his theories, being so devoted to the idea that he was eating scraps and going to ruin. As someone who spent many hours in a cave in Everquest buying and selling virtual goods, I can see the hope in trying to discern something in all those trades. Crack the code of the market.
I didn't like all of the chapters turned into economic lesson plans, especially one with Ashok and Mala, it seemed to heavy handed and lacked the grace of the later chapter on swords, which seemed considerably more graceful. Perhaps even because it came on the heels of such an emotional chapter where Jie has just lost Lu, and I basically almost lost my shit on the train at midnight reading it. That chapter really hit, it was so well executed, and again, the sword economic chapter following it was a good drop back down, a good release after such a heavy chapter.
Toward the end, maybe two thirds, you really start to see these guys as a youthful Oceans 11 cast of characters working at what they do best to hopefully change their future, even if its against all odds.
The ending was mixed for me, Mala got taken, got returned, and Prikkel shows up in India. Problem I had was that Prikkel showing up didn't really symbolize a possible hope in success after China was put down, largely because he wasn't there representing Coca-Cola. I really don't know what to make of that ending, they gained legitimacy, but lost so many people and didn't get any change in China. Earlier they talk about how they felt this was going to fail, but they will move forward slightly, so I guess they predicted it all along.
Spoiler
Some things that stood out to me:
Mala and Yasmin early battles, going from friends to enemies and back around again.
Connor letting it ride in the market to test his theories, being so devoted to the idea that he was eating scraps and going to ruin. As someone who spent many hours in a cave in Everquest buying and selling virtual goods, I can see the hope in trying to discern something in all those trades. Crack the code of the market.
I didn't like all of the chapters turned into economic lesson plans, especially one with Ashok and Mala, it seemed to heavy handed and lacked the grace of the later chapter on swords, which seemed considerably more graceful. Perhaps even because it came on the heels of such an emotional chapter where Jie has just lost Lu, and I basically almost lost my shit on the train at midnight reading it. That chapter really hit, it was so well executed, and again, the sword economic chapter following it was a good drop back down, a good release after such a heavy chapter.
Toward the end, maybe two thirds, you really start to see these guys as a youthful Oceans 11 cast of characters working at what they do best to hopefully change their future, even if its against all odds.
The ending was mixed for me, Mala got taken, got returned, and Prikkel shows up in India. Problem I had was that Prikkel showing up didn't really symbolize a possible hope in success after China was put down, largely because he wasn't there representing Coca-Cola. I really don't know what to make of that ending, they gained legitimacy, but lost so many people and didn't get any change in China. Earlier they talk about how they felt this was going to fail, but they will move forward slightly, so I guess they predicted it all along.
thewallflower00's review against another edition
2.0
After Doctorow's last YA effort, Little Brother, I was really looking forward to his next. I should not have been.
"For the Win" is character soup. They're all foreign people. And while I have no problem reading about foreign people, it give me problems finding the sympathetic character to identify with. I'll be the first to say it -- I'm not interested in reading about East Indian or Korean gold farmers. There's nothing for me, an American audience, to hang a hat on. The people in these books obsessively play MMORPG's. They're sick. They need help, not encouragement.
This is a novel that's more interested in economics and politics than in the characters it's describing. Economics is a mystery to me, and it always will be. I have no interest in it, even though I should. To me, it's magic. And not the good kind of magic that Merlin uses. It's the "any sufficiently advanced something is indistinguishable from magic" that Arthur C. Clarke uses. I think all the youth of America agrees with me that economics + young adult = you're going to have trouble finding an audience while the next Twilight book is sharing your shelf space. This is now my least favorite Doctorow book.
"For the Win" is character soup. They're all foreign people. And while I have no problem reading about foreign people, it give me problems finding the sympathetic character to identify with. I'll be the first to say it -- I'm not interested in reading about East Indian or Korean gold farmers. There's nothing for me, an American audience, to hang a hat on. The people in these books obsessively play MMORPG's. They're sick. They need help, not encouragement.
This is a novel that's more interested in economics and politics than in the characters it's describing. Economics is a mystery to me, and it always will be. I have no interest in it, even though I should. To me, it's magic. And not the good kind of magic that Merlin uses. It's the "any sufficiently advanced something is indistinguishable from magic" that Arthur C. Clarke uses. I think all the youth of America agrees with me that economics + young adult = you're going to have trouble finding an audience while the next Twilight book is sharing your shelf space. This is now my least favorite Doctorow book.
thisisstephenbetts's review against another edition
4.0
Ambitious and entertaining, this sprawling story is set in a near future where massive, networked, multi-player games have become nation-sized economies. Doctorow speculates on what that future may look like, and hones in on the people who try to make a living there - as opposed to simply playing for entertainment - and what might happen if they tried to organise into unions. The story - like the games - is globe-spanning (and the locales felt very convincing), with a vast array of characters.
This book could have been amazing if it had been firing on all cylindars, but unfortunately most of them seemed to misfire. The ecnomics stuff was interesting, but wasn't explained quite well enough; the story was a bit too convoluted and started to feel repetitive; the characters weren't quite well-defined enough; the book a bit too long; and the ending didn't deliver like I'd hoped it would.
So enjoyable, original and ambitious - and that's not bad.
This book could have been amazing if it had been firing on all cylindars, but unfortunately most of them seemed to misfire. The ecnomics stuff was interesting, but wasn't explained quite well enough; the story was a bit too convoluted and started to feel repetitive; the characters weren't quite well-defined enough; the book a bit too long; and the ending didn't deliver like I'd hoped it would.
So enjoyable, original and ambitious - and that's not bad.
bluestarfish's review against another edition
4.0
Cory Doctorow has the unfortunate tendancy of getting a bit didactic in his style, but it is also usually such interesting things that he's writing about that I do enjoy learning them too. And there is an adventure story in there too... [2015]
jimmacsyr's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the story, and also some of the economic/history discussions along the way. The idea of a separate economy, inside video games, and the mechanics surrounding it was very well done. This is the second of Doctorow’s books that I have read and the author seems very determined to use today’s entertainment as means to educate. Looking forward to more of his books.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book immensely! It was perfect as a high school introductory text to economics and labor. The characters and situations weave through each other's plots and connect the labor stuggles of the past and present with the unique issues of an internet gaming world. Doctorow's explanations of money and finance are clear and thought provoking and his story offers some hope for the workers of the world, virtual or not.