Book Reviews
Reviews of things I've read.•Back to Reviews Page
Out of the Inner Circle: A Hacker's Guide to Computer Security • Bill Landreth • 1985 • This book was great at the time. It's useful for seeing the origins of computer hacking (or cracking). Sadly, Bill later struggled with mental illness and homelessness. • Liked It 
Pattern Recognition • William Gibson • 2005 • Relatable on so many levels. Probably Gibson's finest from a character standpoint. Beautifully, beautifully written. • Loved It! 
REAMDE • Neal Stephenson • Probably not regarded as a Stephenson classic, but honestly I think it's one of his better stories. Fewer sidetracks, more approachable. • Loved It! 
Revolution in the Valley • Andy Hertzfeld • 2004 • Andy Hertzfeld brings a collection of stories together into this wonderful look at how the Mac was born, with a unique sense of fun and excitement. • Loved It! 
Sir Lewis • 2025 • Michael Sawyer Look. Lewis is an actual role model, and he's also a true legend. This book was just a little too willing to bypass nuances in a couple cases and overstate its case. It did not need to do that, because Lewis' life and work speaks for itself. • Liked It 
Sleeping Giants • 2016 • Sylvain Neuvel • Mech stories are nothing new, but this is a fun twist on the genre. Would read again. • Loved It! 
Snow Crash • Neal Stephenson • 1992 • This has to be one of the classic cyberpunk novels. It's dumb AND cool, silly AND serious. It's also a fascinating look at how language controls thought and vice-versa. • Loved It! 
Steve Jobs in Exile • 2026 • Geoffrey Cain • Steve Jobs in Exile is one of the better books about Steve Jobs I've read, because it's not trying to mythologize him or do anything other than document an under-represented part of his development story. Without failure, he never could have become the CEO who saved Apple. ***** 
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 2 • Jonathan Strahan • Mar 1, 2008 • This is a really good and varied compilation of stories. The thing these books do well is introduce you to stories and authors you wouldn't have found yourself, and that are certainly interesting and thought-proving. ***** 
The Circle • 2013 • Dave Eggers I found this book very clumsily written. It could have been a very skillful skewering of the worst of tech. Instead, it made me find it all completely unrealistic and therefore useless as relevant commentary. • Didn't Like It 
Pattern Recognition • William Gibson • 2005 • Relatable on so many levels. Probably Gibson's finest from a character standpoint. Beautifully, beautifully written. • Loved It! 
REAMDE • Neal Stephenson • Probably not regarded as a Stephenson classic, but honestly I think it's one of his better stories. Fewer sidetracks, more approachable. • Loved It! 
Revolution in the Valley • Andy Hertzfeld • 2004 • Andy Hertzfeld brings a collection of stories together into this wonderful look at how the Mac was born, with a unique sense of fun and excitement. • Loved It! 
Sir Lewis • 2025 • Michael Sawyer Look. Lewis is an actual role model, and he's also a true legend. This book was just a little too willing to bypass nuances in a couple cases and overstate its case. It did not need to do that, because Lewis' life and work speaks for itself. • Liked It 
Sleeping Giants • 2016 • Sylvain Neuvel • Mech stories are nothing new, but this is a fun twist on the genre. Would read again. • Loved It! 
Snow Crash • Neal Stephenson • 1992 • This has to be one of the classic cyberpunk novels. It's dumb AND cool, silly AND serious. It's also a fascinating look at how language controls thought and vice-versa. • Loved It! 
Steve Jobs in Exile • 2026 • Geoffrey Cain • Steve Jobs in Exile is one of the better books about Steve Jobs I've read, because it's not trying to mythologize him or do anything other than document an under-represented part of his development story. Without failure, he never could have become the CEO who saved Apple. ***** 
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 2 • Jonathan Strahan • Mar 1, 2008 • This is a really good and varied compilation of stories. The thing these books do well is introduce you to stories and authors you wouldn't have found yourself, and that are certainly interesting and thought-proving. ***** 
The Circle • 2013 • Dave Eggers I found this book very clumsily written. It could have been a very skillful skewering of the worst of tech. Instead, it made me find it all completely unrealistic and therefore useless as relevant commentary. • Didn't Like It 