audhdylan's reviews
258 reviews

Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything by Colette Shade
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

It's hard to tell if this book wants to be a memoir or political analysis or a nostalgic lens on Y2K. I'm a study of blobjects and Y2K media. Many of the references in this book are familiar to me. As such, I didn't have high expectations that I'd learn a whole lot.

But I hoped to read a book like this from the perspective of someone who didn't graduate college with no debt, who didn't, as a sixth grader, receive a Christmas gift of $100,000 in Nokia stock. The opener rattles off all these '00s products I only experienced in commercials and advertisements. So to hear from someone who seemingly got whatever they begged for as a child, it's hard to care about later dissection of the economic aspects of this time.

The first chapter also discusses Diddy at length, which has aged poorly in just a few months, but even before publication wasn't brand new information. The references to Gwen Stefani wearing bindis and the trendy fascination with Asian culture didn't acknowledge appropriation at all. Overall this just felt like a very privileged repackaging of Y2K-core that didn't offer anything but unrelatable personal experiences that happened to coincide with the time period in question.

The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han

challenging reflective fast-paced

3.75

For how short this book is, it's (needlessly?) dense, almost for the sake of it. Some interesting ideas that have aged remarkably well considering the trajectory we're on in this capitalist hellscape.

Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly

informative medium-paced

4.5

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

I sincerely think this country would be a far better place if this book was required reading for everyone.

Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen by Nathan Grayson

lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.25

I thought it was a good read. My only issue is that it feels very 'of a specific moment in time,' in that many of the references already feel dated, and it just came out — notably Hasan and Ethan co-hosting a podcast together. I think this is just the nature of writing a book about a rapidly-evolving media landscape and doing so in such close proximity to the events included in the book itself.

Otherwise I do think it's an interesting crash course on Twitch and streaming for those who are unaware and want to know more... whoever those people are.

Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin, Cory Doctorow

medium-paced

5.0

Content Design by Sarah Winters (was Richards)

informative fast-paced

5.0

The UX Design Field Book: A Quick Reference Guide to User Experience Design by Doug Collins

informative lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

Deaf Utopia: A Memoir—and a Love Letter to a Way of Life by Nyle DiMarco

inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0