Continues the trend of completely undemanding Scifi to fall asleep to in an abridged fashion. A departure from the rest of the series, had some serious Foreigner vibes, and was better for it. I’m to the point of declaring legends my personal Star Wars canon.
More about organizations than code based, but really it’s usually the orgs and humans that get in the way.
** The Colors Mix to Brown ** I’m a fan of Robert Jackson Bennett is one of a handful of authors for whom I would read a new release no questions asked. Perhaps this time I should have asked more questions, because Locklands did not work for me. In the third installment of The Founders Trilogy, our favorite setting turned protagonist turned antagonist has taken over most of the world. A few main characters, along with a macguffin-turned-character, must race to stop diabolical plans and adventures ensue. ...
Legitimately interesting advice mixed with cringeworthy anecdotes, nets out to a reasonable light business read. ** 60th book of 2022 **
Much better than Greenspan’s work. Good connection of overaching themes between economy and culture, an area most economists and historians miss. Adds a layer of understanding for what makes America unique, and it’s not all good.
4.5 stars. A fitting ending that perhaps drug the plot a little bit further than the apex, but overall the series was extremely satisfying.
Sucked me in, probably hurting my productivity at work. Jade City is a drama with real family dynamics and characters that make imperfect decisions and live or die by the consequences. Seems simple, but only 1/20 fantasy books manages to pull this off. On to the next book in the series.
DNF @ 61% I was a bit worried when the book started off with scant details and little access to the famously private Merkel. Knowing nearly nothing about Germany or Merkel meant that even if details were sparse, a book length treatment would have plenty to offer. After briefly describing Merkel’s rise, Marton focuses on her foreign policy; here the author lost me. I realized that I had already sampled more contextual accounts of the same interactions from the other side of the table, be it from Putin , Obama, or other European leaders perspectives. Instead of detail or access, Marton fills in the blanks with assertions of the correctness of Merkel’s policies. ...
Inverting the idea of a company from being product oriented to customer / problem oriented. What that means at a tactical level which was quite useful.
American drudgery. What is there to like about this book? Characters fade into the page like forgotten gods, and serve mainly as plot devices. The plot forces detours like taking the wrong lane at a freeway interchange. The setting? The book takes place in the ugly of Americana, and without an overlay of analysis is as exciting as a road trip though South Dakota at 30 mph. All that remains is the allegory, and while the premise has promise, Gaiman fails to deliver. Where is consumerism, capitalism, and evangelicalism? What evil god represents racism? Personifying intersubjective realities is clever, but little is said about the presumed neon gods of modernity. A missed opportunity.