From a description of the deplorable conditions on the LIRR during 1968.
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An IT pro with 20 years of experience and Uni degrees in Math, Physics and CompSci. I love Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Non-Fiction tales of science, math, technology and history.
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xylogx's books
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Matt K quoted The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro
There comes a time, H. L. Mencken said, when every normal man is tempted "to spit on his hands, haul up the black flag and begin slitting throats."
— The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro (66%)

Sergey Machulskis reviewed Factfulness by Hans Rosling
It was amazing
5 stars
Very interesting read. Turns out, many basic facts about the world I knew were outdated. The book is well-written and teaches a dozen of tricks on how to make better decisions. The book's website is nice too: www.gapminder.org
xylogx rated Quicksilver: 5 stars
xylogx rated Termination Shock: 5 stars

Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
Termination Shock takes readers on a thrilling, chilling visit to our not-too-distant future – a world in which the greenhouse …
xylogx rated The Diamond Age: 5 stars
xylogx rated The diamond age, or, Young lady's illustrated primer: 5 stars

The diamond age, or, Young lady's illustrated primer by Neal Stephenson
The story of an engineer who creates a device to raise a girl capable of thinking for herself reveals what …

Reamde by Neal Stephenson
Richard Forthrast, a multi-millionaire marijuana smuggler, has parlayed his wealth into an empire by developing T'Rain, a billion-dollar online role-playing …
xylogx rated The Confusion: 5 stars

The Confusion by Neal Stephenson (The Baroque Cycle, #2)
It is the late 1600s, on the high seas. A group of Barbary galley slaves plot as they ply the …
xylogx rated The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: 5 stars

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland (D.O.D.O., #1)
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. is a science fantasy novel by American writers Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland. It …
xylogx reviewed Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
Stephenson Re-invents Himself Yet Again
5 stars
While there are some common themes with his other works, including the minutia of cutting edge tech, the story is so different than his other novels that it is hard to compare with his other works. The work examines the implications of being able to upload your consciousness to a computer. It makes some examination of the societal and human implications, but then launches into an epic tale of mythical gods and heroes. It is fun and entertaining as well as thought provoking and worrying. A fun ride I thoroughly enjoyed.
xylogx reviewed Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow (Martin Hench, #3)
Another Great Marty Hench Novel
5 stars
Loved this book!!! Doctorow comes back strong in the latest installment of the Marty Hench series. This one is an origin story and it is great. Despite knowing how Marty turns out, the road is twisty and full of surprises. Filled with lots of stories of retro tech with fascinating detail, I devoured this book and hope to see more in this vein in the future.
xylogx reviewed Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
xylogx reviewed You can't win by Jack Black
Jack Black's story of his life as a professional thief.
Not quite a morality tale
4 stars
A riveting telling of what is was like to live a life of crime in a bygone age. Filled with lots of colorful characters, the author goes to great lengths to illustrate the motivations and the driving forces that drove these desperate people to carry our desperate actions. Some risks are too great to take and some are too rewarding to pass up. Really fascinating character study and period piece.