Category Archives: review

Racing the Beam

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Mike

I’d never heard of “platform studies” before, but in “Racing the Beam” (2009) Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost do a good job of telling the history of the Atari 2600 gaming console from the perspective of its game developers. The … Continue reading →

Posted in book, history, non-fiction, review Comments Off on Racing the Beam

The Age of Edison

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Mike

In “The Age of Edison,” author Ernest Freeberg reminds us of what we take for granted every time we flip a light switch or plug in a smartphone. The energy ecosystem that we enjoy today — power plants, transmission lines … Continue reading →

Posted in book, history, non-fiction, review Comments Off on The Age of Edison

Punching Out

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Mike

In “Punching Out” (2011), Paul Clemens spends a year at the massive Budd Detroit Automotive Plant, Stamping and Framing Division in Detroit — the year after the plant has been shut down. He chronicles the plant’s press lines being disassembled … Continue reading →

Posted in book, non-fiction, public policy, review Comments Off on Punching Out

We Live in Water

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Mike

I very much enjoyed Jess Walter’s short story collection “We Live in Water” (2013). I often find short fiction to be unsatisfying.  It can be difficult to get to know (and have any feeling about) characters in such a short … Continue reading →

Posted in book, review Comments Off on We Live in Water

Exploding the Phone

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Mike

Phil Lapsley’s “Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell” tells the story of the underground “phone phreaking” culture of the pre-PC era.  That group included Steve Wozniak (who wrote the book’s forward … Continue reading →

Posted in book, history, non-fiction, review Comments Off on Exploding the Phone

The Idea Factory

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Mike

In The Idea Factory (2012), Jon Gertner tells the story of Bell Labs, the “idea factory” of the title. Bells Labs was established as the research & development arm of AT&T (once known as “Ma Bell”), which was committed to … Continue reading →

Posted in book, history, non-fiction, review Comments Off on The Idea Factory

Trading Bases

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Mike

I very much enjoyed Joe Peta’s Trading Bases: A Story About Wall Street, Gambling, and Baseball (Not Necessarily in That Order). The product of a horrible collision between the author and a New York City ambulance (not to mention the … Continue reading →

Posted in book, non-fiction, review Comments Off on Trading Bases

Elsewhere

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Mike

Richard Russo’s memoir “Elsewhere” (2012) is, quite simply, required reading for anyone who has enjoyed Russo’s work, especially his earlier books. Sadly, the decline of upstate New York cities like Gloversville, where Russo grew up, has only hastened since Russo … Continue reading →

Posted in book, non-fiction, review Comments Off on Elsewhere

The Signal and the Noise

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Mike

An awesome read from Nate Silver, a guy who has done some fascinating things. His advice on in a nutshell:  make forecasts, not predictions; avoid over-confidence; challenge your heuristics; and fill your knowledge gaps whenever possible. Read reviews from the … Continue reading →

Posted in book, non-fiction, review Comments Off on The Signal and the Noise

The Half-Life of Facts

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Mike

In The Half-Life of Facts (2012), author Samuel Arbesman argues that “everything we know has an expiration date. It’s basically an argument in favor of Internet search engines over rote memorization, and a reminder that the world changes as much … Continue reading →

Posted in book, non-fiction, review Comments Off on The Half-Life of Facts