Take a photo of a barcode or cover
p010ne 's review for:
Cryptonomicon
by Neal Stephenson
I earned my B.S.E.E. undergraduate degree summa cum laude so it goes without saying that I aced all my mathematics courses that were in competition with all those math majors, so the math in this novel did not deter me. However, the illogic pipe organ RAM (random access memory) impressed me NOT at all as my first exposure to RAM was an actual working 8K ferrite core array in a massive vacuum tube digital computer in the 1950's! Also, the idea that destroying a deck of 80 column punched cards (that were not used in any normal business procedure as an original backup) containing encrypted "intercepts" that was apparently used in attempts to decode them is totally unreasonable! Any rational process would obviously use duplicated decks!
I was amused at the humorous encounters with General Douglas Macarthur and in awe of the genius, misfortunes and success of that heathen Christian convert Goto Dengo! The description of that Galvanick Lucifer seemed ingenious, the use of the Gedanken thought experiment, knapsack problem resolved in the parking lot to distribute heirlooms was inspired, but I was disappointed that he makes no mention of the Victorian Lady Lovelace and that Babbage Analytical Engine but is so impressed by the imagined activities of Alan Touring!
I was amused at the humorous encounters with General Douglas Macarthur and in awe of the genius, misfortunes and success of that heathen Christian convert Goto Dengo! The description of that Galvanick Lucifer seemed ingenious, the use of the Gedanken thought experiment, knapsack problem resolved in the parking lot to distribute heirlooms was inspired, but I was disappointed that he makes no mention of the Victorian Lady Lovelace and that Babbage Analytical Engine but is so impressed by the imagined activities of Alan Touring!