Review: Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is interesting to read this right after Nate Silver's "On the edge". My guess is we will start reading many more books dealing with AI and its changes to society, governments, business, and everyone's life.

This is written with the usual in-depth historical research typical of Harari, with some repetitions from his old books.

There are some fascinating points, such as how conservative political movements have become untenable with all this change, so they have morphed into radical movements touting revolutionary slogans.

Also some interesting analyses, such as how the Catholic church has been able to change with the times without ever admitting it was wrong (it cannot, since technically it follows God's word), but rather due to "bad actors". I don't know if this holds true, but it's an interesting perspective.


Either way, Harari remains a must-read.



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Review: Under the Eye of the Big Bird

Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Am I the only person who was surprised at the sci-fi aspect of this book? I've read quite a few of Hiromi Kawakami's books, and while they often veer into surrealism, this went full-on futuristic dystopian sci-fi. The short stories are interconnected, and seem to come together at the end. I confess they gave me much to think about, especially given the AI aspect, but it felt very different from her other novels. 

So, while I realize my disappointment might be a tad misplaced, I still feel like I was robbed from reading a Hiromi Kawakami novel, which I had been looking forward to. Hence the 3 stars. 

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Review: The Match

The Match by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fast-paced. A tad far-fetched, but good and engaging.


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Review: Roman Stories

Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To be honest this wasn't my favorite collection of stories by Lahiri. Interpreter of Maladies was excellent. This felt more... predictable possibly?


Not bad, but not her best.


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Review: On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything

On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything by Nate Silver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an odd book. The first half was basically all about poker. As someone who doesn't play, most of it was over my head. I found myself powering through just to see if it would lead to anything else. While he does change the subject later on, I can't really say he segues into it. Regardless, some very interesting tidbits, mostly because he is an intelligent, observant person who has personal knowledge of interesting people (SBF and Sam Altman, as well as Peter Thiel and Musk to an extent).

His theory about Rivers and the Village etc. sort of holds water.


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Review: The Devil's Flute Murders

The Devil's Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good locked room mystery, with the fall of nobility as the background.

I have to say, Kindaiichi always finds his culprit, but it always seems to take quite a few deaths before he does so.




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Review: The Last Emperor of Mexico: The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World

The Last Emperor of Mexico: The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World by Edward Shawcross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Most history books tend to be firmly ensconced in their own time and place. A history book about George Washington will mention Europe a lot, but only with regards to how it affects the US, and vice versa.

This book, however, seems to amalgamate different eras (from Habsburg families to shoot 'em ups) and places (Europe to the Americas and back several times over).

Throughout it all is Maxmillian and his wife Charlotte, the Spanish, the French and Mexicans and Americans and more.

I'm not sure how much will stick with me, since it is full of facts and interesting tidbits, but it is definitely an interesting read.


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Review: Nails and Eyes

Nails and Eyes by Kaori Fujino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good collection. The last story, "Minute Fears" is the best and spookiest.


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Review: Agent Running in the Field

Agent Running in the Field by John Le Carré
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nice, thoughtful and satisfying.

At one point I felt disappointed in the character being seemingly naive, but it was a minor point all in all.



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Review: Dissipatio H.G.

Dissipatio H.G. by Guido Morselli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I admit I wasn't in the right state of mind for this. I found myself wondering where people were, wanting the protagonist to explore more (such as when he went to the airport) and learn how he survived on his own (how does electricity hold up? etc.).

While it did have some of these aspects, most of the book concentrated on the philosophical aspect of being alone, whether that constitutes the end of the world, and other aspects of the protagonist's past (I won't write any spoilers here).

It's probably an excellent book for questioning your mortality, etc. But otherwise you may feel like a teenager watching an intellectual artsy movie, and just wishing for some action.


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