Reading
Over the last several weeks I've made a commitment to reading once again. Partly, this out of a desire to find things that are not staring at a screen. Yes, I run and play ham radio some, but I spend a number of hours staring at a screen even in my off work hours.
To that end, I've read a good bunch in the last several weeks. Here's some of the things that I have enjoyed over the last few weeks:
- Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It - This was such a compelling read. Doctorow is a wonderful author who has a deep background in free software and privacy who shows his expertise in this work. The book paints a picture of how big tech firms have abused their users, advertisers, and the Internet in general. The best book I have read in some time.
- Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America - In yet another confirmation of my suspicions, this detailed out how multi-level marketing, a lack of government regulation, greed, and American Evangelism brings out the worst in those at the top of the pyramid. Not content with just greed, these bad actors decided to influence the political process as well with predicable morals given how they operate their businesses. Depressing but illuminating.
- Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism - Finally, the last in the series of depressing and confirming your fears, this book shows the complete lack of moral fiber of anyone at Facebook mixed with the author's own blind devotion to a company that she hoped would have a sense of duty to the world. A very good read.
I'm leaving the world of non-fiction disaster stories, and moving on to fiction for the next few weeks starting with James Baldwin's Go Tell it on The Mountain. While this probably won't be an uplifting story, it came recommended from a number of sources.
Enjoy whatever you are reading these days!