Retired scientist, I read a lot, fiction and non-fiction, on a wide range of subjects, though science, politics, philosophy, law, science fiction and historical detective stories are favourites.
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Received as a Christmas present, from friends who know I enjoy historical detective fiction. Written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries these are set in the society of the time, so offer in interesting window into the era.
Oath of Fealty also features the advantages of cerebral implants, but also the worry of having a connection to a computer in your brain if you no longer trust that computer.
Plenty to mull over - if an artificially created intelligence is self aware, whether organic or machine based, can it/should it legally be property ?
Content warning I assume Simulants also use an implant for data access, in which case they will probably always to trackable.
Rather like [Brave New World](https://books.paladyn.org/book/3138/s/brave-new-world_ society is stratified into normal base level humans and 'Implanted' who have a cognitive implant allowing rapid access to information and some computer analysis. There are also Simulants, artificially created people, who remain the property of the corporation which created them and are leased to government departments and private firms for their superior analytic abilities.
Although I have read it all I will continue to dip into it, and keep enjoying it.
Randall's writing, and cartoons, are always entertaining, and I feel my mind has been expanded.
This book is set in the 1660's, and tells the story of Sarah Blundy who …
Quite a long and slow read, partly due to researching some of the historical characters. I may re-read it some time to see how it works now that I have the full picture.
This book is set in the 1660's, and tells the story of Sarah Blundy who …
Set during the Restoration, like Andrew Taylor's Marwood and Lovett series, which I enjoyed, and in Oxford, which I know, I still struggled to get into it at first. There are many references to real historical characters, but the Unreliable narrator technique made it hard like or identify with the main characters. It did come together in an interesting way at the end, and had broadened my knowledge of the period some of the notable people who appear in itl
Space: the biggest geopolitical story of the coming century – new from the multi-million-copy international …
Tim Marshall usually writes well on geopolitics, looking forward to this one
I liked Prisoners of Geography, and Barriers, and Shadowlands, so expect this to be good too
In his boldest and most far-reaching book yet, world-famous economist Yanis Varoufakis argues that capitalism …
I think this will relate to The Future - Feudal or Federal and similar thoughts about this issue.
'Introduction: What's it all about' describes the Owen Patterson investigation by the Commons Select Committee on Standards (chaired by Bryant) which recommended he be suspended, and how a number of MPs manoeuvred to prevent this. He puts this into a context of a need to restore the reputation of parliament , pointing out that the majority of MPs of all parties aspire to do a good job, and are tainted by the actions of a few.
The need for public scrutiny of the politicians we entrust with running our country - Chris talks specifically about Britain, but the concepts apply to all democracies - has never been greater.
Interesting view of the American Revolution as, at least partly, a civil war. Families divided on the issue, for example Benjamin Franklin's son, William, was a staunch Loyalist.
I have enjoyed his books set in England at the time of the Restoration and Great Fire of London, looking forward to learning from this one something of New York in 1778, when the Loyalists are battling with the Rebels.
