Friday, August 28, 2015

The Diamond Age

I don't read fiction very often, and yet some of my favourite books are fictional (e.g. Animal Farm, The Goal), so I like to throw one in there every now and then. The Diamond Age is a Peter Thiel recommendation that explores a great deal of themes.

The book deals with societal issues including education, culture, technology, and inequality. A young, poor girl receives a special sci-fi book intended for a rich kid, and she goes on to live a kind of life that would not have been possible without the book's education.

I must say, though, that a lot of what the author was trying to convey went over my head. I'm the type to like things explained clearly, whereas many authors prefer to use metaphors whose true meanings sometimes elude me. If I want narratives rather than facts, I'd chat more with corporate managers!

If you're into predictive sci-fi and/or some of the other themes I've discussed, you may well love this book.

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