Dona's Book Blog

Thank you to the author McKenzie Funk, publishers St. Martins Press and SMPI, and as always NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of THE HANK SHOW. I never thought I'd find myself saying this about a biography, but this story is gripping. Hank Asher is essentially the godfather of data consolidation and integration. His research and computer coding efforts are ultimately responsible for contemporary credit reporting, law enforcement databases, terrorism watch lists, marketing email and phone lists, and so much more. If you think this sounds a bit like a movie, well so did Asher; he named one of his most invasive projects "The Matrix." This nonfiction is of the sort that you keep waiting for someone to admit that it's all a story. Half of it is too outlandish to believe. The implications are far-reaching and sometimes suggestive. Let it all be a story. Except that it's not. That makes for great reading in my book, and I was completely breathless at t...

Thank you to the author Naomi Alderman, publishers Simon & Schuster, and also to NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of THE FUTURE . All views are mine. I really really love A.I. and I'm a proponent of its development. So when I heard about this book and heard such good things about it, I was really excited to read it. Unfortunately, I think it just makes too many stylistic and narrative choices that kept me from engaging! I was excited when THE FUTURE started describing the differences between human and computer consciousness. I wanted this book to also explore the moral and intellectual tether humans have to A.I., the similarities between us, the responsibility we have to each other... but the narrative didn't go there. It's undoubtedly strange and wonderful, but I couldn't pay attention with this one. DNF 68% Three (or more) things I loved: 1. The suggestions of uses for Metadata is completely eye-opening and amazing, table at loc. 1204. The au...