Nightmarish depiction of a society controlled through artificial incentive schemes. Also contains some wonderful weirdness related to the self, the body and other minds.
Wildly funny, unique reading experience. Starts out slow but the absurdness is masterfully increased as the book progresses. The protagonist is wonderfully ambiguous, at times incredibly sympathetic, at times absolutely repulsive. This is not a book about anything, but at the same time I have not re
... (continue)
Wildly funny, unique reading experience. Starts out slow but the absurdness is masterfully increased as the book progresses. The protagonist is wonderfully ambiguous, at times incredibly sympathetic, at times absolutely repulsive. This is not a book about anything, but at the same time I have not read many books containing so many spot-on descriptions of humanities shortcomings.
More like a pep-talk for interaction designers. It's a good book for those in doubt of the value they have to offer. Not many truly deep thoughts here, apart from the (valuable) point Kolko makes about interaction design being about more than just cosmetics, but in fact behavior. I also liked his ru
... (continue)
More like a pep-talk for interaction designers. It's a good book for those in doubt of the value they have to offer. Not many truly deep thoughts here, apart from the (valuable) point Kolko makes about interaction design being about more than just cosmetics, but in fact behavior. I also liked his ruminations on poetic interactions. But as a practitioner with almost ten years experience under my belt, I was hoping for more remarkable thoughts.
What can I say? A very enjoyable read, accessible, but with some truly novel ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of Chandler-esque detective fiction and spooky metaphysical weirdness. Add to that a real sense of place and this is one trip to a pair of fantasy cities you won't forget.
World War Z
Entertaining read, with some pretty gripping bits. A bit uneven on the whole though, mostly notable for its form.
Glasshouse
Nightmarish depiction of a society controlled through artificial incentive schemes. Also contains some wonderful weirdness related to the self, the body and other minds.
A Confederacy of Dunces
Wildly funny, unique reading experience. Starts out slow but the absurdness is masterfully increased as the book progresses. The protagonist is wonderfully ambiguous, at times incredibly sympathetic, at times absolutely repulsive. This is not a book about anything, but at the same time I have not re ... (continue)
Wildly funny, unique reading experience. Starts out slow but the absurdness is masterfully increased as the book progresses. The protagonist is wonderfully ambiguous, at times incredibly sympathetic, at times absolutely repulsive. This is not a book about anything, but at the same time I have not read many books containing so many spot-on descriptions of humanities shortcomings.
Thoughts on Interaction Design
More like a pep-talk for interaction designers. It's a good book for those in doubt of the value they have to offer. Not many truly deep thoughts here, apart from the (valuable) point Kolko makes about interaction design being about more than just cosmetics, but in fact behavior. I also liked his ru ... (continue)
More like a pep-talk for interaction designers. It's a good book for those in doubt of the value they have to offer. Not many truly deep thoughts here, apart from the (valuable) point Kolko makes about interaction design being about more than just cosmetics, but in fact behavior. I also liked his ruminations on poetic interactions. But as a practitioner with almost ten years experience under my belt, I was hoping for more remarkable thoughts.
The City and the City
What can I say? A very enjoyable read, accessible, but with some truly novel ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of Chandler-esque detective fiction and spooky metaphysical weirdness. Add to that a real sense of place and this is one trip to a pair of fantasy cities you won't forget.