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A review by mattdube
Bitwise: A Life in Code by David Auerbach
3.0
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.