Dan > Recent Status Updates

1) Always interested in what TC Boyle opts to write about, and have never been disappointed
2) What an unusual concept: the history of FL Wright through the eyes of a Japanese acolyte and then the “recreated” relations that he had with his wives and mistresses. I’m always wary of a hidden Albert Goldman in something like this. (Goldman’s “Elvis sat on the toilet and thought about his life” was such bullshit.)

Halfway done, lost interest. Feeling like trying to get back into it is a chore. A book shouldn't be like that.

About ⅔ done at this point, and nothing but impressed. To draw so many parallels between characters in the story, while still making it plausible and interesting, is a real feat. Example: our protagonist is hired for the research project & the company has no plans to let her leave the site. And: the man who was Shangai'd to gut fish on a corporate boat is enslaved, literally. And yet - are these two people different?

Totally caught off guard by how much I’m enjoying this. I put it in my Libby queue a while back, so I can’t recall why it was recommended to me, but it was a good choice.

This is intelligent science fiction, with some philosophy thrown in (what is sentience, particularly in a world with a functioning android or a rogue cephalopod?).

Recommended as a companion piece to Ted Chiang’s mind-blowing “Story of Your Life”

DNF

NOT what I expected, and the ground is shifting under my feet enough that I’m interested in how she resolves this. Positive review thus far.

A nice light survey of various philosophers and their take on somewhat contemporary made-up problems. By making the situations contemporary (do I need to return my shopping cart to the rack?) it gives an arena in which to work through some of the ideas and perspectives on what the "right" thing is to do - especially when those ideas conflict.

I did the audio version which was certainly a lot more fun than reading.

A nice light survey of various philosophers and their take on somewhat contemporary made-up problems. By making the situations contemporary (do I need to return my shopping cart to the rack?) it gives an arena in which to work through some of the ideas and perspectives on what the "right" thing is to do - especially when those ideas conflict.

I did the audio version which was certainly a lot more fun than reading.