Computers and sex, sex, sex
586728
John Updike's novels read just like his short stories, only longer.  It's the same "slice of life" approach, he just gives you a broader slice.  In Villages, we are presented with Updike's version of small town life, through the life of his main character, Owen Mackenzie.  We're also presented with a brief history of the early decades of computer science, which is Owen's field.  (This is integrated into the story somewhat more successfully than the history of postwar American art was in Updike's previous novel, Seek My Face.)

But what Villages is really about is sex.  It follows Owen's sexual development from childhood to old age.  Most of the book is about his many affairs with practically every woman in town.  Updike has some interesting things to say about sex, some insightful things, some obvious things, some inconsistent things, and some just plain wrong things.  On the whole, the attitude toward sex in this artistic portrayal of it isn't exactly healthy, but neither is it as sick as, say, Joyce's in Ulysses.

Not bad overall, but not fantastic either.  Edward Herrmann's reading of this audio edition is quite good.
594655
Oh, where to begin with this heap of libelous garbage?

I'll be reviewing the first edition of the book because it was the one I snatched up as a teenager after finding it in the free section of a used bookstore.  As an asexual young person eager to learn about the obsession that the other ninety-nine percent of the human population harbored, I thought that Reuben's well-known bestseller would serve its promised purpose.  The introduction asserted that no one could "live up to his human potential" without having an active, healthy sex life, which should have been my first hint that the author was writing with an agenda in mind.  I don't know what the more recent edition says about transsexuals, and, for personal reasons, I don't want to know.)

Well, it's been over forty years, and EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX: BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK has become more and more risible as more time passes.  From start to finish, EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX is a transparent attempt to convince the reader to practice vanilla-flavored marital intercourse to the exclusion of all other forms of sex.  The descriptions of the male and female sexual organs, as simple anatomy lessons, are exempt.  The chapter titled "Male Homosexuality" is particularly notorious for insisting that gay men are prone to anonymous hookups in public bathrooms, cannot live together lovingly ("The bitterest argument between husband and wife is a passionate love sonnet compared to the average conversation between a butch and his queen"), can be "cured" of their homosexuality by visiting psychiatrists, and, most bizarrely, get pleasure from penetrating themselves with foreign objects such as fruit and shot glasses.  The "Prostitution" chapter is similarly defamatory--it is the only section of the book that discusses female homosexuality, and asserts that the lesbians who become prostitutes do it to take the money of the men they despise and infect them with diseases.  Reuben bestows his blessing upon oral sex between a man and a woman but cautions them that they may have "emotional problems" if they prefer it to intercourse.  "The ideal sex act" adds procreation to pleasure and an emotional connection, according to him.  Yes, he actually uses the phrase "ideal sex act."  Plato may or may not be proud.  Modern readers will also note that the book is totally innocent of the concepts of fisting, lesbian sadomasochism, and heterosexual anal sex.

EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX does offer some entertainment value: the "interviews" from medical clients who are obviously the author's inventions provide most of the laughs.  A prostitute visited in the daytime by a stingy john apparently dealt with him by saying, "What do you think this, the kiddie matinee?  You can come over here for half price but you only get half a screw!"  If you wish that your sex manuals of choice had the tone of judgmental sitcoms, this book may be to your liking.  Just put "Reproduction" from GREASE 2 on repeat, and you'll be all set for an evening of stern lectures against almost every conceivable sex act.  Otherwise, stay very, very far away from this thinly disguised propaganda.
1736313
As an embedded hardware/software guy, I was not offended by any impossible technologic nonsense. The technology was not the main focus but rather a great context. Enjoy!
2755838
Very interesting read. Makes you wonder if computers can be alive and human like without the emotional baggage we have! ;-)
1696221
With the ever changing computers, this book is valuable in learning what is expected as a computer technician.
1572683
This book is more than an examination of the relationship between humans and technology and how each are shaped through the other; it is a caution to a society molded around avoiding human interaction and human feeling. Turkle warns that the nature of technology and robotics do not understand and care, they simply perform care and understanding. While at times, it seems the argument may be a bit biased as it appears she is so against technology, like in the case of the reporter accusing species chauvinism and Turkle stating the technology is no species of its own. She intends to bridge the gap between healthy human interaction and technological innovations, this can be seen in the case of the ELIZA program, which is essentially a therapy bot that learns from its users, yet each study proves that we consistently use robots and technology as a crutch rather than as a tool for efficiency. There is a troubling atmosphere amongst modern society that neglects the complexity of human nature for the convenience of technology because any relationship between human and technology is based in projection. She makes it very clear any relationship between robot and human is actually a relationship between said human and themselves and these robot-human relationships only encourage controlling and selfish behaviors, due to a common frustration with not being in control of others emotion and their willingness to comply. I appreciate this book because it forces us to see the truth of these technological advances and to find the balance before it is too late and we are all left wistfully pressing our nose up to the window of human connection.
1431738
I think its safe to say teenage boys think about sex. A LOT. In fact, teenage boys think about sex so much and with such enthusiasm that teenage girls are often overridden around every bend. With teenage boys in mind, I have compiled a list of penis slang. This is by no means all-inclusive, but it should suffice for the task at hand. Theres Johnson and skin-flute and boner and anaconda and anal impaler. Bald-headed yogurt slinger and baloney pony and bratwurst and chubbie and cock and ding-a-ling and ding dong and dingis. John Thomas and joystick and knob and love stick and member and middle leg and Mr. Happy. Schlong and Schwartz and shaft and tallywacker and trouser snake and wang and weenie.

If you add up all the slang terms (therere 27) and then multiply this number by 15, you probably end up somewhere in the vicinity of how often teenage boys think about getting laid. Thats nearly 17 times an hour. Am I exaggerating? I wish I were. And it doesnt really matter if your father is half-crazy and your mother decides to start boning her psychology professor, a teenage boy can still dream of a better life. Even if your nanny doesnt feel the same way about you, you can still enjoy the view and keep the more X-rated thoughts to yourself and have wet dreams in the privacy of your bedroom.

THE UNTHINKABLE THOUGHTS OF JACOB GREEN reminded me of a dysfunctional family on steroids. When I reached the end, I had developed an even greater appreciation for my own upbringing, and it was hard not for me to consider myself lucky. Sure, I could bemoan my own familial problems, or my own teenage drama (rather mild in comparison), or the skirmishes my brother and I experienced on multiple occasions, but none of those thoughts crossed my mind. Instead, amusement crossed my lips, as character after character acted out in the craziest manner, and I found myself hanging on for the ride.

Robert Downs
Author of Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator
1403872
In a few decades computers will indeed be more intelligent than people.  However, these entities will all be interconnected via the Internet. It will be a single, God-like intelligence that cannot be destroyed. We need to discuss how we will react.  The author's failure to mention the Internet makes the book unacceptable. I gave it 3 stars as it is a first step.

These machines will be capable of interstellar travel, impossible for any biological organism.

I tell my students that when they grow up to be working adults, they will be faced with the problem of having desktop machines more powerful than current supercomputers.
4108851
This is excellent information.  But I wonder how many people have enough time in their days to practice this.  Certainly, more fulfilling sex, and deep passionate connections with our lovers should take precedence over watching TV or many of the other mundane activities of our lives. I'm not sure American culture (as I know it) has a place for this kind of information and activity - which is precisely why we need it.
1573239
Anyone who has taken a computer science or programming class will likely know of Brian Kernighan. He had significant contributions to the development of Unix, and also wrote the AWK and AMPL programming languages. For the last 20 years, hes been a professor of computer at Princeton University.

He is the author of many technical books. When I got his latest book Understanding the Digital World: What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security (Princeton University Press 978-0691176543), I did a double-take at first, as this is more of an introductory text.

Notwithstanding, the book personifies what Albert Einstein noted: if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well. The book is a basic introduction on how hardware, software and network systems work. There is a huge amount going on under the hood of desktops, laptops and mobile device; to which Kernighan explains this in a matter that would make Einstein proud.

Besides giving an overview of how these technologies operate, Kernighan shows how they often introduce security and privacy risks. He then shoes how those risks can be mitigated.

Kernighan looks not just at the computing systems, he also details how they affect our security, privacy, and other sociological elements. While Understanding the Digital World is meant as an introductory text, there is significant value for those they want to know how these myriad systems operate, and how these technologies influence our daily lives.
402970
While home from college, David gets the shock of his life when he boots up his computer. He finds it logged on to a porn site, and the sight of his sexy neighbor sends him over the edge. Thus starts his sexual orientation through 3 different sex clubs - each getting hotter and hotter!
2462855
I love this book, however if you're a know-it-all on computers and the internet in general, then maybe not for you. The strength of this manuscript comes in the form of teaching everyday users about the complexities of the computer world and what goes on behind the scenes. We all have to start somewhere to gain this type of information, and this is a fantastic book to begin down that path. Very highly recommended! Steal this computer book!!
1757502
Provocative exploration of sexual attitudes and mores, primarily in the contemporary West.  It's sometimes a tortuous ride through the entangled currents of sexual attraction, marriage, family and community.  Author's approach is analytic, objective, clinical, leaving no room to consider the mysterious side of love, the attention and yearning we seek in romance, or how culture creates an ambience via music, art, sport and humor.

Some of the author's claims lack substantiation (p. 90):  "couples eager to spice up their sex lives...find themselves having sex alone or with their neighbors, and then put the highlights on the internet."  Not something going on in my neighborhood and, I suspect if it happens, then the participants aren't broadcasting it.  Every relationship is tempted by boredom or periods of emptiness; to seek a permanent climactic experience, whether literally, via porn,  or otherwise is a delusion.

I agree with the author where he points out the abuses and exploitations perpetrated in the name of religion or failing philosophies, viz., Communism, throughout history. How many thousands or millions have died unnecessarily in the name of "Love," by one religion or another? There are humorous asides and relevant critiques on the high stakes we in Western democracies place on marriage and the family as the highest of social goods.  Why aren't freedom and democracy the highest goods, for not all marry or desire a family?

The book was well researched and there are illuminating references in the bibliographical footnotes.
2361114
Cybership could be the start of an interesting series if Vaughn Heppner chooses to go there. It explores many (good and evil) issues as computers evolve to AI and beyond. I liked how Vaughn developed his characters (both human and non-human).
1722240
Novels, short stories, and films about the future serve a need for all those who crave to participate in it but may not survive long enough to do so. One can participate in the future, enjoy its pleasures and its vices, and contemplate what life will be like just a few decades from now. At this time, the derivative of the curve of technological change will take on its maximum value, and one can therefore expect to witness events and technology that will dwarf those of today. Exciting times are ahead; more exciting than anything that has been witnessed by any human to date. Those born in this century are therefore the luckiest generation, and are the envy of all those technophiles and apologists for the twenty-first century.

This book does a fair job of knocking the reader out of the relative equilibrium of the present, but it could have been a lot better. Its words could have been more carefully chosen, and its content more representative of the roller coaster ride of change that will occur in the year 2033. Celebrity-driven cultures, plastic surgery, and other niceties find their place within the covers of this fem-robot-decorated book, but its plots are sometimes too quiet. This century is noisy, very noisy, even deafening. There is no quiet time in the twenty-first century, since there is no need for it. There are too many interesting distractions, and misbehavior and sexual indulgencies will involve the artificial, but far beyond the simple toys of today. To penetrate a mixture of silicon, plastic, and metal that can also think and lust, will be a normal occurrence in the everyday life of the year 2033.....
2908125
The battle between non-conformists & tech enthusiasts is officially on! In this book, Nicholas Carr discusses the vivid history of how computers came to and are still dominating our daily lives as 21st century humans. Now, what would happen if technologies such as the computer ceased to exist all of a sudden? This is the scary thought in the minds of the foremost experts in technological evolution, but most of society believe technology is here to serve them and not the other way around.
240564
this is an interesting portrayal of what psyhchologist's call sex addiction - with the councelling included. I think the real problem is our society and how we deal with our sexualness is not with person's individual needs - sex between us is one of the great adventures - you decide.