Reviews and Comments

Maybe it's a 'me problem' but I found this wildly confusing. I sort of muddled my way through to the end, and just about have an idea of what happened, but it was a difficult path to get there.

I'm not really sure I want to write a review, per se. There's bits I really like, especially the explanation of how LLMs work, and the analogy with T9 I found particularly helpful. I also really liked the description of the groups "AI Doomers" and "AI Boosters", and why it's all bullshit. I think the problem I have is that I'm not really the ideal target audience for the book -- I read "Weapons of Math Destruction" some years ago, and that overlaps pretty heavily chapter 4 of this book, and I even read Weizenbaum's book (a lot of years ago), so I'm familiar with the debates about what (artificial) intelligence is. I think there really is lots of good stuff here, but it's best as a first introduction to the topics of the current AI hype, and I'm not really well suited to judging that.

Interesting book that draws the connections between portions of the neoliberal right and the alt-right/far-right, arguing for connections between many members of the MPS and anti-immigration, race science, and gold-hoarding survivalism. I was going to quote more but the first two were just so grim I felt like I needed a shower. The chapter on gold took an interesting turn into the origins of the AfD that I wasn't aware of.

Starts off strong with coverage of the ice ages and the early habitation of Scotland, and finishes well with the coming of the Romans through to the final Pictish kingdoms around 800. The middle, though, suffered from what I think is quite common in popular prehistories: plenty of conjecture, set off by overly frequent use of 'they must have...' and 'no doubt...'. Still enjoyable, but there were times when I wasn't really sure what I was reading.

Mostly enjoyable recounting of the rise of TSOM up to the first big split. Interesting to learn more about the Leeds music scene of the time, and discover that the March Violets were contemporaries. The book does drag after a while as it becomes a bit too 'blow by blow' for my liking, and the endless drug references may be accurate but I found them increasingly tiresome.

Unrelated to the content of the book, it's hard to recommend buying it owing to the ongoing Unbound/Boundless, er, situation.

Tremendous overview of the prehistory of Britain and the discipline of archaeology. Very readable. The descriptions of the seven burials are used as a stepping-off point for discussions of, for example, the development of archaeology from a science that tried to reconcile itself with the Bible (including a recent flood), the different approaches to cultural change through 'invasion', and a well-done discussion of sex and gender in burials. Highly recommended.

I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy these -- lots of really interesting essays.

Not sure I was convinced by the story, particularly by the ending, which felt a bit... rushed? But top marks for the incredible spider-based weirdness.

This is the first of Pratchett's novels that I've read to the end (I've certainly tried at least one before and didn't get anywhere) and I think I understand the attraction. Vimes is a thoroughly decent chap, in a messy world, and Pratchett weaves words of wisdom into a pretty entertaining story. I'm not sure it moved me enough to hoover up the rest of his books, but I at least understand why people like him so much.