literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "The Cure for Loneliness" by Dr Bill Howatt
Another cheap find. I'm still reading about how our world went to hell and though I don't agree with it all (I'm a fairly unsociable person in real life, I prefer to spend time alone), I can understand why some people may feel the need for more realistic and physical communities. I've read a number of books about how social media has basically broken humanity. Books such as Selfie by Will Storr, Amusing Ourselves to Death and Technopoly by Neil Postman, Bowling Alone by Robert Putnman among a number of others. This book is called The Cure for Loneliness and focuses on the way in which we can have workable solutions in our lives. I'm quite interested in this as it is normally the case that only the conclusions of other books deal with solutions and still, they seem a bit far from an achievable reality. Let's see if this book has any better ideas that focus more on sociology than regulation and misguided optimism.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This Side of Paradise isn't regarded as one of Fitzgerald's best books but it was published bang on 1920, marking the beginning of his fascination with the on-coming Jazz Age. It's semi-autobiographical and details his experiences of elite social circles at Princeton University. It made him famous overnight.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
Open Letter to Disney: Prioritizing Human Creativity in the Age of AI
Disney's recent partnership with OpenAI, which will allow Sora to use over 200 characters—from Mickey Mouse to Yoda—to generate short, user-prompted videos, is being presented by the company as a major step in storytelling innovation. CEO Bob Iger claims this move is about "thoughtfully and responsibly extending the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works." A curated selection of these fan-created, Sora-generated clips featuring Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters will even appear on Disney+. The official line suggests this deal, which includes content guardrails and a commitment to "human-centered AI" and protecting "the rights of creators," is a way to engage fans and broaden creativity while still honoring the creative industries.
By Jenna Deedy3 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Chaos Machine" by Max Fisher
As you can see, I'm still reading books about the way in which society has basically been destroyed. So far I've read books like Technopoly and Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, Selfie by Will Storr and a couple of others in the past such as Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. Now, it's time for The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher which deals with the social media age. I mean the subtitle of the book is quite literally: "The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World" and so, I'm holding out quite a bit of hope to learn something new and connect ideas to things I have already read.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Bowling Alone" by Robert D. Putnam
As you can probably see, I am riding another deep-dive train and this time I'm looking at how our own age is basically destroying us. One thing I can honestly say by now is that the kind of books I've been reading were written back in the 90s and 2000s and so, seem to project the idea that this has been around for far longer than the simple social media/AI age. Bowling Alone is a cornerstone of this kind of literature. As I was making the rounds about Reddit - not posting, just looking - I was trying to find a book which looks at this from an individual perspective rather than a technology perspective or one that deals with the group of us as a population of users and consumers. So, Bowling Alone was the highest recommendation. Let's take a look at what the book was about and what I thought about the major points it made.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman
Neil Postman is an interesting author whom I'm reading quite a bit of lately mainly because I've been hearing about his books online. I first read his book Technopoly which deals with the fact that these massive companies have absolutely no regard for how their technology and market monopolisation will impact the average person. But Amusing Ourselves to Death is something far more sinister than this. I have been itching to read this book (yes, that is a thing that happens to me) and I spent some time compiling my thoughts into workable paragraphs so that you can understand as much of what is going on as possible. I would urge you to read this book for yourselves though, it is so important.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Unbound" by Richard L. Currier
You know how I love a good deal and so, I got this one on my phone again, on the cheap. Well, in reality I got it for free but that story is for another time. I'm not hugely into books that go so deep into anthropology that I can't really understand them philosophically speaking but I took my time with this one and it was pretty enjoyable. The book is actually well written, although at the beginning it was fairly hard to get into. However, even though I did feel like I was ploughing through it from time to time, I came out of it alive and pretty well-informed too. So, this book is getting some good marks.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
💫 The Shadow Signal: How One Strange Pulse Reopened a Forgotten Cosmic Mystery. Content Warning.
Space has a talent for reminding humanity that we understand far less than we think. Every few years, a discovery comes along that shakes the dust off some forgotten mystery and forces scientists to rethink everything from solar winds to planetary atmospheres. This story begins with one quiet, aging spacecraft drifting alone in the cold dark — and a signal that never should have existed.
By The Insight Ledger 3 months ago in Geeks
The Unpaid Architects of Superhero Empires: How Comic Creators Are Denied Their Fair Share
Many comic book writers and artists face a stark reality: they create characters who become global phenomena, generating billions for publishers, yet they receive almost none of the financial rewards. As one commentator noted regarding the staggering success of franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has grossed over $20 billion, a key question remains: "How much... went to those who created the stories and characters in it?" Despite building their vast empires on the intellectual property devised by these creators, major publishers like Marvel and DC, under their standard contracts, largely deny them a fair share of the profits.
By Jenna Deedy3 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "An Angel at My Table" by Janet Frame
This book, bought on the cheap, was perhaps one of the most moving and heartbreaking reads I have read this year. An Angel at My Table features an introduction by the director of the incredible movie Bright Star, Jane Campion and is written in a beautiful, almost overtly atmospheric style. I was pretty sure from the moment that I saw this book that I wanted to read it but I had no idea how it would destroy my soul. It quite literally took me away and honestly, I never knew about some of these experiences. It is one of the best books I have read this year and if I can recommend any book to you it is most likely going to be this one.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Selfie" by Will Storr
You're going to hate me but I got the idea for reading this book from a YouTube video where I heard of the book. Do I think the person in the video had read the book themselves? Well, before I managed to read it I would've said yes, but afterwards my answer is probably not - or at least they had cherry-picked things to read. The book was a lot more expansive and had a lot more depth than I found by ways of the video. Anyways, I still like the fact that it had pointed me towards reading this deeply philosophical and psychological book about why selfies became a cultural phenomenon.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
Berlin, Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin
Alfred Döblin’s Berlin, Alexanderplatz, first published in 1929, is regarded as one of the greatest modernist novels of the 20th century. Döblin, a German writer of Jewish descent, was deeply influenced by expressionism, psychoanalysis, and the political turbulence of Weimar Germany. His background as a practising physician, particularly in psychiatry, gave him a great perspective on the psychological and social struggles of marginalised individuals, this is something we see over and over again in his literature.
By Annie Kapur3 months ago in Geeks
