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Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity’s heroes now scrapes …
A desperate trek through the icy canyons of Mars, a doll-sized family with giant-sized opinions, a defiant princess whose fate …
A desperate trek through the icy canyons of Mars, a doll-sized family with giant-sized opinions, …
Excellent. Will try to properly review it later. Highly recommend it.
A desperate trek through the icy canyons of Mars, a doll-sized family with giant-sized opinions, a defiant princess whose fate …
An introduction to functional programming using the Elixir programming language.
Very interesting, beginner-friendly guide to functional programming and Elixir. What is functional programming, why is it worth learning, and how does Elixir behave.
My main criticism would be the pacing. Almost all of the book is paced well; concepts are not laboured (there's a distinct lack of 'five pages explaining the difference between float and integer'), and it all feels good. Except for one chapter - the 'main' chapter where you build an application - it feels like the pacing is doubled or even tripled. Maybe that is just me being a novice, but I felt that chapter could have been paced as two or three chapters and felt better for me.
But I'd still recommend it - it's a really good book. I think I will probably just need to review that one chapter a few more times before it really sinks in.
An introduction to functional programming using the Elixir programming language.
An introduction to functional programming using the Elixir programming language.
The true story of what happened the first time machines came for human jobs, when …
Book review: Blood in the Machine, by Brian Merchant.
Chant no more your old rhymes about bold Robin Hood, His feats I but little admire. I will sing the achievements of General Ludd, Now the hero of Nottinghamshire.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a rare book which felt like it opened my eyes to something new; almost life-changing in some sense with the shift in perspective. The story of the Luddites and their fight to protect their way of life.
Nowadays of course, we think of a Luddite as a backwards, anti-technology person. Indeed, we use the word as an insult, to describe somebody who doesn't keep up with the times. But this is an excellent example of 'history written by the victors'.
The Luddites had a good, fulfilling way of life - they worked to their own schedule, they spent time with their families. They had a …
Book review: Blood in the Machine, by Brian Merchant.
Chant no more your old rhymes about bold Robin Hood, His feats I but little admire. I will sing the achievements of General Ludd, Now the hero of Nottinghamshire.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a rare book which felt like it opened my eyes to something new; almost life-changing in some sense with the shift in perspective. The story of the Luddites and their fight to protect their way of life.
Nowadays of course, we think of a Luddite as a backwards, anti-technology person. Indeed, we use the word as an insult, to describe somebody who doesn't keep up with the times. But this is an excellent example of 'history written by the victors'.
The Luddites had a good, fulfilling way of life - they worked to their own schedule, they spent time with their families. They had a career for life, with progression guaranteed. They were weavers, knitters, stockingers, and the surrounding trades. Crucially, they relied heavily on technology to provide this way of life.
What they fought against was not technology, but automation and the factory system which allowed the new entrepreneurial class to rewrite the fabric of society - without their consent and against the laws of the time - in order to redistribute wealth into their hands. The technology which allowed the wealthy to deny them work and good wages, which forced them into a life of working for the benefit of the factory owners. In the words of the Luddite George Mellor, "a soul is of more value than work or gold."
The book gives a fascinating insight into a time of profound change, and compares it with our modern era where we can see many of the same patterns being repeated. The Luddites are written about with compassion and humanity, and Merchant gives them a respect and dignity which history has denied them.
Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away - no climate change, no war, …
The true story of what happened the first time machines came for human jobs, when …
I will try to write a review later, but this was a really good book.
The true story of what happened the first time machines came for human jobs, when an underground network of 19th …
When last seen, the singularly inept wizard Rincewind had fallen off the edge of the …
You always know you're in for a good adventure when Rincewind is around. Along with his trusty many-legged companion, The Luggage.
This was a fun read. Wizards, 'Sourcery', lots of fireballs and fun times.
Really not much to complain about here - much less of the satire and social commentary Sir Terry is known for in his later style, but a fun, quick-paced adventure in a quirky fantasy world.
Death takes on an apprentice who's an individual thinker.
Enjoyable read. Not my favourite of the first five, but had plenty of good moments.
Story revolves around Death taking on a (human) apprentice.
Of course, humans feel compassion and love and so on - so are not especially well-suited to the job of Death. Which is where the drama for the story comes.
But Sir Terry does a good job of 'humanising' Death - yes, he does not really experience life, and he seems to be trying to learn by copying what he sees - but he comes across as a very lonely creature indeed who cares greatly for those entrusted into his care, and it is quite poignant to read this after he took Sir Terry in the end.
When last seen, the singularly inept wizard Rincewind had fallen off the edge of the world. Now, magically, he's turned …
