(Spontaneous purchase because the current VINTAGE editions are so pretty)
Reads like a classic adventure story, which I liked. Touches on feminist issues still very relevant today, even though it was written 100 years ago. The language itself however wasn't particularly to my taste, so reading became kind of a drag in some places.
I do worry, sometimes. When I lie in bed at night and should rather sleep, than think.
Usually, I am not in for these kind of "how fix XYZ in your life" books. A few people on hackernews rated this 5 stars however, so I gave it a go.
The book is surprisingly old (to me, at least. First edition in 1948). Still, it reads as a collection of... Buzzfeed articles? Everything is "X steps to solve this and that" and "this easy trick solved Peter's worry issues".
It's an easy read. I've come out with mixed feelings.
Pro: Some actual applicable advice. And a lot of stories of people who've had it way worse.
Con: This is clearly not a scientific approach. The presented methods are anecdotal and rarely based on studies. Sometimes it's just "the person decided not to worry anymore and they lived happily ever after". Also: Too much Christian stuff for my taste. To get rid of your worry, just... trust in God and "pray"? Meh.
As a book, this sits right in the middle of 2 and 3 stars. Despite its downsides, it still gave me a useful perspective on the topic, so I went for the 3 stars.
What I had heard about this book ranged from "the best fantasy book in like EVER" to "completely overhyped". My own opinion lies somewhere in the middle. A very character driven story - which I liked. However, there just didn't seem to happen... much? I know it's book 1 of an unfinished trilogy, but so far it all felt like setting the scene so that the story could take off. Curious to learn how it continues, but will probably read some other books first.
Wow, Lovecraft is great! I do like a classic and well told story from time to time. The stories from the Cthulhu myth are in between several genres, but they definitely struck a chord with me. Some were "okay", most were "great" and a few passages were extraordinarily amazing.
I was more afraid than I could explain, but not enough to dull my thirst for wonder.
My favorite stories probably were The Picture in the House, The Call of Cthulhu, The Whisperer in Darkness and The Shadow over Innsmouth.
PS: There are plenty of editions. I quite liked mine, here it is
I don't why it took me until now to read the Silmarillion, but it was about time. With an initial phase of getting used to the writing style that Tolkien chose for this mythic tale (it's like the bible of Middle-earth after all), I then deeply enjoyed it. So much background about the world that I had thought I knew. One epic tale followed by the next. Still, it's clear I will need to read this again, (or "study", as some may put it). I am sure there is so much that was lost on me the first way through. So for now, I'll say 4 stars, which only marks that I think there is much more appreciation this work will receive from me over time.
I am currently strongly interested in how the human mind works and what consciousness actually is — how it arises and how we might be able to create it artificially. This book is a solid item to feed that interest.
This book gives a good introduction and overview of the neurological foundations and the technological perspectives. Unfortunately, the chapter I found most interesting (the one on consciousness), is the most vague at the same time. From what I understand at this point, there just isn't a single convincing theory on where consciousness comes from.
The main downside of this book in my personal view is the character Kurzweil himself and how he portrays himself and his research. Yes, he has achieved amazing things in his lifetime and his predictions for the future have become true a lot of times. Still, he seems quite full of himself, and overall just appears to be very egocentric.
Bottom-line: If you are interested in how the mind works, read this book. Just don't forget to bring your own perspective.
How do we make AI safe, how do we create robots that are positive and empowering companions for humanity? Asimov proposes his three famous laws of robotics, but uses this book to explore the potential shortcomings of any such moral framework. I was surprised to find his stories be applicable to many current discussions regarding ethics and morale of the AI to come. This was the first by Asimov that I've read. It won't be the last.
A short read and entertaining text about different aspects of physics. Still, these are lecture notes, so it might not be for everyone.
Nice references to stuff from the 80s, some of which I knew, and some that I had geeked out over before. I found the plot a bit too straight forward in parts and the writing a little... uninspiring sometimes, but all in all, an entertaining read for everyone into (retro-) games and stuff.