David's Sling

Rating:
Summary: Amazing for 1988
Review: David's Sling was written in 1988, and it still holds up well in 2002 with the idea. The Information Decision Duel idea is amazing. Basically a slashdot where two people have a debate online as a way to make a decision, with a neutral referee. Politics don't age as well, but in 1988 who knew the Wall would fall freeing Eastern Europe from Soviet rule.

Ray

Rating:
Summary: Amazing for 1988
Review: David's Sling was written in 1988, and it still holds up well in 2002 with the idea. The Information Decision Duel idea is amazing. Basically a slashdot where two people have a debate online as a way to make a decision, with a neutral referee. Politics don't age as well, but in 1988 who knew the Wall would fall freeing Eastern Europe from Soviet rule.

Ray

Rating:
Summary: Smart weapons, smart people, decent near-future tech.
Review: David's Sling was written when the "Evil Empire" was still in the forefront of american military worry, so one must make the leap to having the Soviets "invade" europe like we always knew they would. But other than that, the near-future history doesn't take too much suspension of disbelief.

I particularly enjoyed the results of social engineering by trying to make "telecommuting" more difficult.

Watch for the Russian officer's cry of joy at the thought, "Here is a weapon that will not kill children!"

Curt-

Rating:
Summary: An achievable meta-philosophy.
Review: I was so taken aback by the incisive clarity of this vision that I reread the book 4 or 5 times almost immediately - which I have never done before in a long reading career! I then began to pass it along to as many people as I could, to see if the spark would ignite; alas! it did not return from one of them. Hopefully, it is still randomly careening off minds. I recalled it was published by BAEN, and tried to get the hypertext extensions, but they, too, had disappeared. If nothing else, this book is a wonderful primer for those aware of the overwhelming informational impact of these "parlous times".Read It!! p.s. If anyone knows where to get the hypertext, please let me know. Thanks.

Rating:
Summary: Hmmm, deux ex machina anyone?
Review: In brief: Just a little too simplified a world view for me. A wonderful "thinking method" that makes you able to perceive things in their true light. How? Just seems to work.

The view that engineers are the pinnacle of societal evolution. Yes, engineers are on average smarter and such than most people, but last time I checked no halo. There are reasons (other than an evil cabal of tobacco, unions and bureaucrats) that engineers are rarely world leaders.

My least favorite scene involves reprogramming hundreds of MIRVs while they are in rentry. Ones that (unless it happened out of POV) had no communications ability.

If you liked it I suggest Ayn Rand. She had a simmilar feel.

Rating:
Summary: Hmmm, deux ex machina anyone?
Review: In brief: Just a little too simplified a world view for me. A wonderful "thinking method" that makes you able to perceive things in their true light. How? Just seems to work.

The view that engineers are the pinnacle of societal evolution. Yes, engineers are on average smarter and such than most people, but last time I checked no halo. There are reasons (other than an evil cabal of tobacco, unions and bureaucrats) that engineers are rarely world leaders.

My least favorite scene involves reprogramming hundreds of MIRVs while they are in rentry. Ones that (unless it happened out of POV) had no communications ability.

If you liked it I suggest Ayn Rand. She had a simmilar feel.

Rating:
Summary: If Eienstein wore combat boots.............
Review: The Soviet Union and East Germany may not exist anymore, but if you lived or served in the Military during those times it isn't hard to drop into the world created.

1.. Technology is a good thing, the bureaucracy is a bad thing. Written and effectively proven.

2. People who think about whats going on around them are smarter and more competent than others. Written but not proven, implied. If you need proof.....

3. War is bad, peace is good. Vigilant peace is better. Thats the story and it is very vell done.

Make sure you note the comparisons of the tobacco companies, the unions, and how politics flows in a money, media cycle.

Bottom line. A really good story. Much better written than my review :-) Theres an ad in the paperback for a hypertext version of the story. Now that'd be cool. --- Phil

Rating:
Summary: Information age epistle
Review: This book develops one of the clearest visions of an information age society I have yet seen. A group of intriuging characters, interesting military and political concepts, and interesting social scenarios makes for good reading. It leaves you wishing for more.