Rating: 
Summary: Great
Review: I admit to being a Neal Stephenson fan, so I went into this book expecting a good read. What I got was a great read!I started my Neal Stephenson reading with Snow Crash as I think many people did. It is a "cyber punk" novel which I found to be almost prophetic considering it was written before the Internet had become mainstream. I was expecting something along these lines but this book was very different. It was a masterfully woven tale that moves back and forth between characters in WWII and their grandchildren in present day business. The parallel's it draws between today's data security and WWII's encryption and information warfare are great. Stephenson fans will not be disappointed when it comes to computer/math aspects of this book. It will teach you a little soemthing about the invention of the computer (Alan Turing in a character) and cryptography. The movement between present day and WWII is done brilliantly and I never felt as if the book was disjointed because of it. It is a big book, but when it is over you will wish it was longer. Don't be suprised if when you are done you want to know more about cryptography. I had to go out and purchase The Code Book afterward to learn more, which was also a good book by the way.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny, Educational, but leaves many questions open
Review: I enjoyed this book, as the author demonstratd a solid grasp of good sarcasm on many fronts. His research into the parallels of information and deception during WWII and the present global age were put to excellent use.
The one character who we should have gotten into the head of more was Ari. He has such a pivotal role in the present time, crafting the (shifting) strategic development of the company. But I feel that he is as aimless as the modern Shaftoe character, even though he is not.
I could not give this a 5 star, because the book still left me wanting at the end. I have high hopes for his next venture in this area.
Rating:
Summary: Better every time
Review: This book keeps getting better and better. When I first read it I wasn't able to pick up on a lot of the themes but as I reread the book I saw things I had missed before and the book was no longer a 1168 page behemoth, but a page-turning novel. The book really kept me going and if you are at all interested in the exciting world of cryptography (which I obviously am) then this book is a must read. Any technoliterate individual needs this book on his or her shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Edu-tainment
Review: This book is extremely entertaining, educational and excellently executed. (Pardon the alliteration) Stephenson's prose is quick and to the point, his mathematics are easily explained and his characters are vivid. But... where's the plot? I mean, who really cares about Enoch Root, or any of that "mystery"? If you're going to read to this techno-tome, please try to ignore giant plot holes and silly "twists", enjoy this novel for its edu-tainment.
Rating:
Summary: Cryptonomincon
Review: Stephenson did a great job with telling the story of encrytion from WW2 up to and including what the near future holds. The book could of been about 150 pages shorter, but still keeps the readers attention. The story goes back and forth between 2 men and their 2 grandkids in different times in history. Although this can be confusing sometimes, the ideas and concepts, like all Stephenson's work, is very timely. The hope for a "data haven" is something that is in the mind of every person, or will be after reading this book. All in all it's a very witty, real, and great written story. We'll see if he decides to make a series out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Chicken soup
Review: I was given this book as a birthday/x-mas gift this past December, it just so happens that I was off due to surgery and I spent alot of time in bed. This book was like chicken soup for me. I couldn't put it down. I truly loved it. I am not a techie but several of my closest friends are. I have just enough knowledge of Unix/Linux and the paranoia of the first generation internet geeks (I worked for a fledgling ISP part-time in '94-'95) that I actually laughed out loud throughout the book. I have not read a novel in years and NEVER read one this long before. I just couldn't put it down. I extended my time off from work just to stay home and finish it! (I am also in graduate school and I don't have much time to read for pleasure) The only thing that I can say is that the ending was disappointing. It had such a dramatic climax and *POW* it was over...Sequal?
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding but imperfect
Review: I knew I was reading a good book when, about a quarter of the way in, I found myself nostalgic for high school math classes - the first time *that* has ever happened! Stephenson has managed to accomplish what only a very few writers are able to do - bring out the minutiae of daily life in a way both interesting and entertaining. Sometimes he does it by reducing life to mathematical equations. Sometimes it's just a character opining on the banal (like the best way to eat Captain Crunch; it's best to keep the milk separate). Think Stephen King without the sense of ickiness. Plotwise, the novel consists of two storylines that at first share no connection except a family relationship between characters. Gradually, however, the stories begin to tie in to each other, coming closer to together - a fascinating process that unfortunately ends with a thud. Stephenson brings the two threads together but never ties them up, leaving a keen sense of disappointment. Still, Cryptonomicon is immensely enjoyable while you're in the middle of it, and really will make you pine for algebra.
Rating: 
Summary: Over 1000 pages and still no ending
Review: This book is not one that you'll read in one evening. It's an interesting intertwining of two stories, one set in WWII and one in the present. Interpersed with the narratives are various digressions on cryptography and mathematics, which some nerds (myself included) will find interesting, but I suspect most people will just skip as being too arcane. Whenever I see a book of this length I suspect that the author is being paid by the word (or pound) or simply does not have the discipline to write a book that is reasonably concise. What the author should find most embarassing is that he has written a book of over 1000 pages AND STILL DIDN'T FINISH THE STORY! This book ends as if the editor told him "Neal, that's enough, there are only so many trees on the planet." The odd thing is that I don't think there are any plans for a sequel. What seemed like some of the most interesting story lines are just dropped. This was a good effort, but somebody should have had their blue pencil handy to reign in the author. Maybe he should have broken up the two story lines and written as two books, so he would have had enough room left to finish the stories.
Rating:
Summary: WWII history buffs will love it!
Review: Stephenson always does his homework. The WWII history that forms the central backdrop to this wide ranging story is clearly well researched (or it feels that way to the uninformed!). I found that the story bogged down a bit in his extensively detailed back story to the point that I tried skipping sections. Then I learned that I had to go back and re-read those parts as there were central story elements there. I wish that he had edited some of his highly detailed descriptive language down a bit though. His central premise of an internet currency backed by stolen gold and the idea of an off shore data haven were intriguing. The characters that support the story line are sufficiently well drawn that you care about them enough to keep reading. I particularly enjoyed learning about the history of the early code breaking machines in WWII, and the people behind them.
Rating:
Summary: Decent
Review: An interesting read, it respects history while adding fictional details and twisting events to connect everything in a nice little package. However, the Deus Ex Machina ending left me feeling cheated, much as Snow Crash.
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