What I’ve Been Reading
June 22, 2008 – 3:59 pm by BHHere Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky. A meaty read, as I indicated in a previous post.
The Long Tail by Chris Anderson. This is obviously a classic and I feel bad only getting to it now. It is a great example of what a popular nonfiction book should be. It has one main idea that is explained clearly and in no more space than necessary. Obviously recommended if you still have not read it. Having said that, the whole idea of power laws is no longer interesting. Power laws have achieved the status of the normal distribution. We see them everywhere and they are no longer interesting for their own sake. This doesn’t reflect on Anderson, just on the topic generally.
Everything is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger. Fantastic. One of the best (the best?) books I’ve read about the internet and the digital diffusion of information. Out about a year, it has already become a classic.
The Search by John Battelle. This is the classic case of a book that did not deserve to be much more than a long article. The author wastes too much time discussing his own company and his own experiences in the early internet days. The history of Google that the author did present was good, but superficial. Too many highs and lows.
A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz. This is a travelogue disguised as popular history. Some will love it but I got stuck after 100 pages and I am not motivated to continue. It is the story of the discovery of America and what history it does contain is fascinating. Others loved the book, and the short video on the Amazon link is funny, so perhaps I am being too grumpy.
