Andre

This book is as enlightening as it is infuriating. To be clear, I loved this book. It's a clear and precise account of what the tech monopolies have been doing to destroy their products in the search for constant growth. What's infuriating is seeing laid out so clearly the playbook basically every company uses to screw all of their consumers.

On a better note, I'm very happy to have discovered Libro.fm through this book, and I'm a subscriber now!

Similar to the first book, Carl's Doomsday Scenario is a pleasure to read. Unlike the first book, this one incorporates quests that serve to advance the storyline while also expanding the overall narrative.

Carl and Donut's relationship keeps growing, and it's impossible not to love them (especially on THAT moment towards the end).

I always enjoy Ward's writing, and her horror is as soft as it is disturbing. This story smartly uses the classic Peter Pan tale (a scary story itself) to set the foundation for this book. Even though the parallels are easy to draw, this is definitely not a retelling but its own intentional story. As is usual for Ward, she delivers an interesting twist that is not forceful or overly obvious. However, I did have some trouble connecting with the protagonist, not necessarily because I didn't care for her motivations, but mostly because I found some of her actions frustrating (even though I would have likely done the same).

This is a simple yet thorough explanation of the current world economy, perfect for someone looking for a 101 crash course. Scanlon is very adept at simplifying complex concepts using a Gen Z sensibility and, often, jargon.

However, the conclusion falls prey to the usual platitudes of the genre, especially the adoption of the Abundance model to solve the world's problems, leaving me with a feeling that the book's strengths are in explaining how the world currently works, but not how it can be made better.

Excavations has some deliciously dry humor that's the great gem within this book. Myers' characters are well-developed, even if sometimes too stuck in their own idiosyncrasies, which can make them feel one-sided. The story itself is interesting, a workplace comedy that centers around archaeology and feminism. However, the first half of the book is somewhat slow, and even when the narrative picks up steam, it can still feel sluggish, surprisingly ending as abruptly as an earthquake.