Ends with a bang. It's massive, about 1000 pages, but still a page turner.
Reviews and Comments
@masto.ai/@socprof. Interests: sociology, journalism, science-fiction, but not exclusively.
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SocProf rated Gilded Rage: 3 stars
Gilded Rage by Jacob Silverman
A searing insight into the political radicalization of Silicon Valley, from Elon Musk to Peter Thiel, JD Vance and Donald …
SocProf reviewed Southern Man by Greg Iles
The end of the series
5 stars
Ends with a bang. It's massive, about 1000 pages, but still a page turner.
SocProf reviewed Snafu Edu by Jessamyn Neuhaus
A bit thin
3 stars
Very superficial, not enough about pedagogy and way too much about all the touchy-feely stuff.
SocProf reviewed Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles
I'm going to miss this series once I get ot the last volume
5 stars
They keep getting better and better and there is only one book left.
SocProf reviewed The Bone Tree by Greg Iles
Former prosecutor Penn Cage and his fiancee, reporter and publisher Caitlin Masters, have barely escaped …
The best entry in the Penn Cage series so far
5 stars
I know I said that for the previous book but this one was even better.
SocProf reviewed Precipice by Robert Harris
Not sure what the point was
3 stars
Disappointing entry from Robert Harris. It's based on a true story of an affair between then Prime Minister Asquith and a socialite right at the precipice (ha!) of WWI. But nothing really happens. And I still don't know what the point of the cop was. Just no there there.
Disappointing entry from Robert Harris. It's based on a true story of an affair between then Prime Minister Asquith and a socialite right at the precipice (ha!) of WWI. But nothing really happens. And I still don't know what the point of the cop was. Just no there there.
Rediscover Wings
5 stars
I had forgotten how good Wings were. I liked them when I was a kid but in a kid way. Reading this book made me rediscover their work, and reminded me of McCartney's genius. I also did not realize how big Wing got through the 1970s, until it pretty much crashed around the time McCartney got busted in Japan. After that, it was pretty much over for Wings and McCartney continued to work solo. Again, listening again to their records, though, the amount of freedom to explore is both a blessing and a curse as some pieces are great and others not so much. However, the diversity in sounds, the integration of the emerging genres and tech made the body of work very interesting. Reading this book will lead you to the inevitable conclusion that Wings is due to be rediscovered.
I had forgotten how good Wings were. I liked them when I was a kid but in a kid way. Reading this book made me rediscover their work, and reminded me of McCartney's genius. I also did not realize how big Wing got through the 1970s, until it pretty much crashed around the time McCartney got busted in Japan. After that, it was pretty much over for Wings and McCartney continued to work solo. Again, listening again to their records, though, the amount of freedom to explore is both a blessing and a curse as some pieces are great and others not so much. However, the diversity in sounds, the integration of the emerging genres and tech made the body of work very interesting. Reading this book will lead you to the inevitable conclusion that Wings is due to be rediscovered.
SocProf reviewed Exiles by Andrew Pyper
Quick but ultimately disappointing read
3 stars
I expected a better ending.
SocProf reviewed The Silver Book by Olivia Laing
If you like Italian cinema of the 70s
5 stars
This book is for you. Fellini shooting Casanova, Pasolini shooting Salo. They're all here, following the meandering through life of a young British man. If you've ever read Pasolini's early novels, you will find the structure of this one very similar.
This book is for you. Fellini shooting Casanova, Pasolini shooting Salo. They're all here, following the meandering through life of a young British man. If you've ever read Pasolini's early novels, you will find the structure of this one very similar.
SocProf reviewed The Age of Extraction by Tim Wu
Our world is dominated by a handful of tech platforms. They provide great conveniences and …
Closing the barn doors after the horses have already left
4 stars
I'm surprised Wu, who's usually prescient, is behind on this. That or he underestimates how much power the tech platforms have already accumulated. Suggesting as a possible, partial solution that tech platforms should not be allowed to invest in AI is closing the barn doors after the horses have already escaped.
I'm surprised Wu, who's usually prescient, is behind on this. That or he underestimates how much power the tech platforms have already accumulated. Suggesting as a possible, partial solution that tech platforms should not be allowed to invest in AI is closing the barn doors after the horses have already escaped.
SocProf reviewed Natchez burning by Greg Iles (Penn Cage series -- 4)
Penn Cage must investigate when his father, a beloved family doctor and pillar of the …
The best entry in the Penn Cage series so far
5 stars
SocProf reviewed The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles
When he was a prosecuting attorney Penn Cage sent hardened killers to death row. But …
Still good but I had to skip some stuff
4 stars
Massive trigger warning for sexual violence, and animal abuse.
SocProf reviewed Enshittification by Cory Doctorow
Enshittification: it’s not just you―the internet sucks now. Here’s why, and here’s how we can …
What it is and how to solve it
4 stars
I don't care much for Doctorow's fiction but he has a knack to explain complicated things clearly. And this is true here, as he explains all the ways we got to our enshittified stated. As importantly, the last part of the book is dedicated to potential solutions. 4 stars instead of 5 because the idea that Trump might have an "anti-trust agenda" is laughable.
I don't care much for Doctorow's fiction but he has a knack to explain complicated things clearly. And this is true here, as he explains all the ways we got to our enshittified stated. As importantly, the last part of the book is dedicated to potential solutions. 4 stars instead of 5 because the idea that Trump might have an "anti-trust agenda" is laughable.
A poor sequel to the brilliant Cultish
2 stars
Lightning did not strike twice. As much as I loved Cultish (Montell's previous book), this one bored me. It's all over the place. There is not much that is new. The examples feel shoehorned. And way, way too many personal stories.
Lightning did not strike twice. As much as I loved Cultish (Montell's previous book), this one bored me. It's all over the place. There is not much that is new. The examples feel shoehorned. And way, way too many personal stories.